Can one player...

[Rolling Hard]

"We are beyond beginner looking for faster pace more challenge."
First of all, I would never say that. I would say," thank you so much for the offer.... she has another tryout tomorrow ...Is there a certain time I need to let you know our decision"?
That being said, I would never put my DD on that kind of team.

Finding the right team for your DD at 12u or 14u isn't easy. You want good coaching, nice kids, decent parents, your DD to be in the top 7 or 8 on the team and a schedule that fits your lifestyle. Even here in So Cal where there are literally 50 plus teams she could play on finding the right fit takes time and the courage to ask questions. Oh yeah, and even then it won't be perfect.

 

[chinamigarden]

Depends. Is this one player a pitcher who, while a star on this team, would struggle to get any innings on a good team? If that’s the case maybe she needs to move down simply for the mound time.

 

[Ksphenom]

One player can make all the difference. When you add player who is playing above all others on a team those players who are naturally competitive take note. Two outcomes are possible when adding a player that's immediately the better player.

If you can use that player to highlight drills and use as an example on playing the game it can absolutely work. If the current players don't seem to have any interest in elevating their game by adding her that's an entirely different issue needing to be addressed.
You don't know how the kids will react without trying it. Coaching is hard enough and adding players that work at the game makes the job easier and will make the team better.

I don't know coach that wishes the team they work with stays down in competition, or stays stagnant at the same level of play except for metal, and trophy chasers.



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[Cannonball]

1st year 14u
Coach has 10 on roster.
Really very beginner level.
Lots of basic explaining.
With slow rolling the ball bucket drills.
And whimpy grounders.

Coach wants better player to join. However apon going to the practice (look see- tryout) posible interested player he wanted said no thanks.
They said
"We are beyond beginner looking for faster pace more challenge."
Coach replied
"Maybe your daughter can be the talent we need to elevate the team".

Whats the deal with a coach in this situation actually thinking or saying to a family
"Your dd could be the big difference?"
Is this a car sales tactic?

It may allure certain people who want to be the star on a team? But is it really an opportunity or stepping down?


What say DFP?

This absolutely depends upon the level of play, coaching and commitment, and position of the player. There are areas where I live where the lower level teams never travel and play between four communities. In that case, one player just might make a difference. If that team is in a highly competitive situation, then no one player won't do it.

 

[txfastpitch07]

Not trying to be negative but 14u beginners? I hope this is a rec team (and even still) because they are in for a very RUDE awakening. 14u is NOT for the faint of heart. The girls throw hard, run hard, and hit REALLY hard. We've seen kids show up to our open practices and tryouts thinking they were ready and their confidence is decimated pretty quickly. Our 14u travel ball team plays HARD... I can't imagine being a beginner at 14u. no thank you!

 

[CoachJD]

This summer we had a new girl at our school. She played on our 13u team and was with us whenever she wasn't with her travel team (Made most of the practices and played in about 2/3 of our games). Our team, and the level of competition in the league we play in, are beneath her ability. She was one of our two best players.

She made our team better. She (a catcher) made our pitcher (the other best player) a lot better. Her teammates looked up to her as a leader, and she embraced that role. And, as a leadoff hitter, she set the tone by getting on base almost every time up. Three of the girls on that team, including the pitcher, all tried out for and made a travel team for next year. I'm not sure they have the confidence to go for it without spending a season playing with her.

She has the perfect personality for that role though. She embraced showing the new girls how to do things. She wasn't afraid to be the person demonstrating skills. I taught the girls who didn't know how to slide how to do it, but she was the one who convinced them to do it. She was the one who stayed after practice an extra 10 minutes encouraging girls to keep sliding and working on it. She was the one who gave her phone number to our other catcher, whose starting spot she took, in case the other girl ever wanted to work on catching.

What did she get out of it?

She had fun. Her mom told me that playing for our team got her loving the game again. She learned how to be a leader. It helped of course that our team won, which does change things a bit, but our team absolutely does not win without her (if she wasn't a catcher, her on-field presence of course would not have been felt as strongly).

Unfortunately, she transferred to a different school for 8th grade, but her mom has told me she wants to still play with us if she can.

 

[radness]

Not trying to be negative but 14u beginners? I hope this is a rec team (and even still) because they are in for a very RUDE awakening. 14u is NOT for the faint of heart. The girls throw hard, run hard, and hit REALLY hard. We've seen kids show up to our open practices and tryouts thinking they were ready and their confidence is decimated pretty quickly. Our 14u travel ball team plays HARD... I can't imagine being a beginner at 14u. no thank you!

Excellent point!
The age bracket in this scenario is (imo) part of the conundrum/decision to be pondered.

Because of the age bracket and beginner level
View the coach saying
"Your dd could elevate our team."
Is a coach thinking of his team best interests,
Not necessarily the better players best interest.

While i might get flack for saying that. Said it because...
I wouldnt want to hold a player back knowing what our team will be doing wont be challenging them.
True a players better fielding/hitting average can elevate team stats.
But that would again be thinking of the teams best interests and not the players!

 

[CoachJD]

Is a coach thinking of his team best interests,
Not necessarily the better players best interest.

This is a great point.

While i might get flack for saying that. Said it because...
I wouldnt want to hold a player back knowing what our team will be doing wont be challenging them.
True a players better fielding/hitting average can elevate team stats.
But that would again be thinking of the teams best interests and not the players!

The situation I described is different, and one way it was different is that the player was able to play for us and her travel team. And I knew the travel team was the priority. I was not only OK with it, but I encouraged that arrangement. While I do believe playing with us provided value to her as a player (and I'm certain I made her a better player because of the number of times we talked about certain situations and it was something she had never been told before), I'd never want to hold someone back.

The coach you describe is being a little selfish -- or selfish on behalf of his players. Except in certain limited situations (a pitcher needing circle time, for example), a player shouldn't exclusively play beneath her level.

 

[radness]

This is a great point.



The situation I described is different, and one way it was different is that the player was able to play for us and her travel team. And I knew the travel team was the priority. I was not only OK with it, but I encouraged that arrangement. While I do believe playing with us provided value to her as a player (and I'm certain I made her a better player because of the number of times we talked about certain situations and it was something she had never been told before), I'd never want to hold someone back.

The coach you describe is being a little selfish -- or selfish on behalf of his players. Except in certain limited situations (a pitcher needing circle time, for example), a player shouldn't exclusively play beneath her level.

The player you describe playing on two teams,
seems like a unique opportunity to be a mentor!
Nice to read of it!

Having the better players being a Pitcher Catcher combo is a treat!

 

[InsidePitch]

Every team DD joined she was not a starter and that was by design. I knew she preferred to play vs sitting the bench and would work her way into the starting lineup.