Better team or better position?

[YOCOACH]

This, to me, is a great answer. The only other thing I would add is it depends on what you're daughter's needs are.

Let's say she's a developing pitcher. Then she needs a lot of innings in the circle to gain game experience. In my opinion she's best off on a lesser team where she will get the opportunity to learn and grow, even if they don't win a lot of games.

If she's more experienced, and has been the big fish in the little pond, then she probably needs a better team where she has to compete more to get innings. And where she will face better competition in terms of hitters. Not being the top dog should challenge her to hone her skills more. The only caveat is there must be a path to become #1, or at least get her fair share of innings. If all the spots are locked up permanently she's likely to get discouraged as no amount of work or effort will change her situation and she'll be left to sit and watch when she could/should be playing.

Most of the players I've talked to, when faced with this choice, say they would rather play on a lesser team than sit on a better one. So the player's goals play into it too. Not everyone wants to pitch for FSU. Some girls just want to play ball, so they should go where they can play rather than being worried whether they'll be challenged enough.

You took the words right out of my mouth although you said them more eloquently than I probably would have.

 

[JAD]

In HS I would choose the better team, in TB the better position. In our area the JV teams in HS are pretty bad. In TB an average team can play up against better completion. Play HS for fun, play TB to get better.

 

[MadtownMike]

Yes, the kid's personality means a lot.

With 8 pitchers, I am worried DD 3 will have a choice between a limited role in JV or a starting role in JV2. She doesn't want JV2 because it would seem too much like rec league to her (as I mentioned on another thread, her sister WANTED JV2 precisely because it was more like rec league), but she also wants to pitch.

Her HS doesn't put freshmen on Varsity unless they are starters, and all 9 starters from last year are returning.

There should be opportunities on varsity this year for the freshmen. Aim high!! The best 9-10 players in the program will likely start regardless of class. I give her credit for that.

JV2 is awful! Shoot for varsity and settle for no less than JV1.

 

[BobInMadison]

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[MadtownMike]

Note to everyone else:

Mike's DD is one of the two captains of the varsity team at that HS, is a great CF, and has verballed at a D-1 school. His DD is a friend of my DD 2, and my DD 2 and DD 3 both say Mike's DD is a sweet girl.
Mike has an understandable interest in getting the best varsity team possible at that HS.

To Mike:

I will certainly keep that in mind. DD 3 has been putting a lot of work into her pitching in the off-season, since there is a lot of competition in that spot.
Among the juniors I count two girls returning to varsity, and a third returning from an injury, hopefully recovered.
For the sophomores, one really strong girl who throws very hard. If she can learn to consistently find the strike zone, she will be a dangerous pitcher.
For the freshmen, there are 4 girls who started on TB teams. Two of them, including my DD 3, are good pitchers. The other two could be good if they worked at it a lot more.

It is possible that some of this big group of pitchers will wind up playing other positions, since there are fewer good players in other positions. Meaning, some of these pitchers are also better fielders than many of the other girls. For example, DD 3 is good at SS, 3B and 1B. She's also played CF a few times, but I think varsity already has a pretty good CF.

I think my issue is whether it would be better for DD 3 to pitch for a lower team, or play a different position for a higher team. She wants to avoid JV2.


I just need to get DD 3 to relax; pitch, hit and field her best, and hope that the stomach virus she has today is gone by Monday.

Hope she feels better. Have her rest up for Monday!! DD is excited for the season!

 

[osagedr]

DD on a team of 2003 and 2004s, the leading organization around and lost the national championship gold medal game last year (before she was on the team). She is #2 or #3 pitcher and could have been #1 elsewhere - but she has access to way better coaching, more travel, better catchers, ability to (probably) play for a national title, etc. She is pushing the #1 and having to raise her game to move up the depth chart. Up here, they will play like 60 games or so (warmer parts of the country would get 100+ in) so the off-season development (Nov - April) is a huge part of the equation. More innings in the circle May to August might be a bad tradeoff for fewer development opportunities November - April.

But of course this will differ for every kid & situation.

 

[Seattlecoach]

She was offered a position on each of these highly competitive teams - one offered her the #1 catcher's spot, one offered her the #2 catcher's spot with an opportunity to also play corners and one as the #3 catcher and DP (she would always be in the line-up). We chose the team that offered her the #2 catcher's spot because we liked the coaches philosophy - the reason he had a trophy case was for the NLI's that his players sign.

I always get hung up on stuff like this. How many months before the season were tryouts? I understand giving players an idea of where they stack up against current players on the team but not telling them specifically - you will be #1 (what if a better player comes along??). I especially don't understand telling a kid they will always be in the line up. That sounds like an easy way to get the kid to take that spot for granted and/or to get very pissed off when they are no longer in the top 9 and end up having to get taken out.

I realize this was not your point but seriously!

 

[BobInMadison]

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[Momo'sDad]

So much of what you're asking depends on a player's level (not just age, but also ability), goals, and what's available to her.

As others have said, you have to get into the lineup. DD didn't think she could start ahead of the Sr. (or Jr.!) catcher, so she's happy to be an every inning player on a really good JV team. Her school is losing a talented group of seniors this spring, but are returning 5 juniors with a pretty loaded sophomore class, and IMO they've got 4 legit studs in the current freshman class who can move into those vacancies and compete for playing time right away.

As a parent, I confess that I do enjoy watching my kid play vs being a regular substitute, but if the latter is her position and she's being challenged by better players day in, day out, and is also getting great coaching, then I'm all for it. I'm not saying to try to make a career out of coming off the bench, but a season or 2 in such a position could really boost a player's skills and HUNGER to show them off to a team that can use her in the lineup.

I'm happy with where DD is right now, but more importantly, she's happy and feels the current situation is moving her toward her long-term goals and I have to concur with her.

 

[BobInMadison]

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