Being best player on bad team, or bench player on good team?

[RADcatcher]

Not directly but I'm going to say yes because he's put us in position for these schools to see her. There's been a few connections made at showcases, a D2 school talked to her, and a top 10 NAIA team was very interested, they even pulled her off the field while she was on base and they had to use a pinch runner, the coach had watched her for two days it seems and they have also been in contact through email.
The team also sets up sportsrecruits accounts for it's players, which we had no idea about, and my daughter has been very active emailing schools and posting her highlights and skills video. She's had a lot of interest including a d3 team which says they can get her full scholarship from her grades, and a few prestigious academic schools with decent teams have also been in touch with her a lot. Without the coach pushing his players to do this, I don't think we'd have been as proactive as we have been, and I have to give the coach a lot of credit for this, his focus is on getting the girls to a school that fits them and it's one of the reasons I really don't want to leave.

The more I write in this thread, the more strongly I feel about giving this team more time and sticking around.

Going to guess that if college coaches were talking to your daughter at those events that there's a high probability they had already been in connection with the tb coach. * brought out to speak with the college coach is a strong travel ball coach advocate for that player!

 

[steve1244]

Not directly but I'm going to say yes because he's put us in position for these schools to see her. There's been a few connections made at showcases, a D2 school talked to her, and a top 10 NAIA team was very interested, they even pulled her off the field while she was on base and they had to use a pinch runner, the coach had watched her for two days it seems and they have also been in contact through email.
The team also sets up sportsrecruits accounts for it's players, which we had no idea about, and my daughter has been very active emailing schools and posting her highlights and skills video. She's had a lot of interest including a d3 team which says they can get her full scholarship from her grades, and a few prestigious academic schools with decent teams have also been in touch with her a lot. Without the coach pushing his players to do this, I don't think we'd have been as proactive as we have been, and I have to give the coach a lot of credit for this, his focus is on getting the girls to a school that fits them and it's one of the reasons I really don't want to leave.

The more I write in this thread, the more strongly I feel about giving this team more time and sticking around.

Take this FWIW as my daughter is only 13, but it seems like you guys have accomplished the main thing the coaches and families on my daughter's team want to accomplish, which is to get seen by coaches when you're performing well and to develop relationships with those coaches and programs which hopefully will result in a recruitment/offer. That's awesome.

 

[DropcityUSA]

That is the very reason I always say hitting has to be your #1 position then whatever other position you play is #2 only exception being for some older age group pitchers. "If you can hit you can play"

Younger age pitchers as well. My 13U DD doesn’t even bring a bat to tournaments.

 

[lostcreek1]

Younger age pitchers as well. My 13U DD doesn’t even bring a bat to tournaments.

I mentioned on an earlier post, seems it is younger and younger that kids become a one position player. Seems 13 is young to be a PO, my DD pitches and we try to do BP as much as we pitch. Which does not leave much time for anything else, and she is only 10.

 

[steve1244]

I mentioned on an earlier post, seems it is younger and younger that kids become a one position player. Seems 13 is young to be a PO, my DD pitches and we try to do BP as much as we pitch. Which does not leave much time for anything else, and she is only 10.

Yeah. My daughter plays a good 1B and is hitting .350 but rarely plays 1B or hits outside of friendlies. Not optimal.

 

[DropcityUSA]

I mentioned on an earlier post, seems it is younger and younger that kids become a one position player. Seems 13 is young to be a PO, my DD pitches and we try to do BP as much as we pitch. Which does not leave much time for anything else, and she is only 10.

My DD doesn’t even want to hit anymore. But the pitching vs hitting skill set gap is huge. She’s proven to be an outstanding PGF pitcher playing a national schedule, but she’d probably be a 7-9 hitter on a local B-level USSSA team.

 

[Strike2]

I'd be just as happy if she went D3 or NAIA as long as her school is paid for. She's a 4.0 student, so it doesn't need to be athletic money. She's played SS, 2nd and OF. She's actually played quite a bit of SS, but probably 75% of her TB has been at 2nd base.
Also FTR, the team I'm referencing has it's 2nd basemen committed to D1, so it's not completely out of the question, but I do understand that SS is the easier path.

No, not out of the question, but committing and even joining the team isn't the same thing as playing and/or lasting past the first year. I know of a couple of D1s who committed as 2Bs. Why the team took them on, I'm not sure. They aren't nearly as good as the converted SS who starts there either in the field or at the plate, and are NOT competitive D1-level outfielders. They practice, put on uniforms, and sit. Absent a series of injuries, they won't see the field much, if at all.

 

[marriard]

Going to go against some here... but all this BS about 'earning your way into a spot' and 'bench is good' and so on is just that - BS.
You have to play. That is the point. That is reward for your work. Especially since the USA sports system is so stupid that the game is going to be taken away from you at 23 years old AT THE OLDEST. Spending a season playing 6 innings in 80 games is a waste.

Also that girl in front on you... she IS playing and that means she is probably getting better than you are on the bench due to game time no matter how much 'practice' you do. Especially in the upper age groups. Your chance is mostly reliant on her or someone else on the team getting injured or sick or leaving the team/quitting softball.

If one 'top team' wants her - then there will be many, many others. This isn't a one team or another decision. There are lots of options in your area.

Go find the best team where she will start but will likely be in the bottom half (and good coaching). Earn her way up from batting 8th and starting 75% of games in the field.

 

[RADcatcher]

playing time!

not even sure if D1 is right for her, but she seems to really think D1 is the only way to go,

Possibly the situation is her thinking that D1 may be the only way to go

and if that's the case, she'll need to go to the new team.

Do not think that's true.

Here's the thing, my daughter hates sitting the bench, she's miserable when she does, so I hate leaving a team where her position is set, because once you leave, you burn that bridge.

That is something she's going to have to consider if she wants to play in college. Both of the things you mentioned she wants are
-winning more games
-while still playing
There's no guarantee of either of those things in college. ( or on another travel team for that matter)
However playing time now can help contribute to future goal!

 

[4Martini]

My DD doesn’t even want to hit anymore. But the pitching vs hitting skill set gap is huge. She’s proven to be an outstanding PGF pitcher playing a national schedule, but she’d probably be a 7-9 hitter on a local B-level USSSA team.

I have an 8th grader who when she heard one of the local high school coaches didn’t let pitchers hit- said- no way I want to go there.

It’s a lot to work on it all- but she loves hitting - well she loves running and sliding and diving too.