Deciding which team to choose ;-/

[SoftballMomof2]

After writing a post and then deleting it lol, here goes, in a shorter, more simplified version

How did you help your daughter decide which team to choose after tryouts?

Again, we are having issues deciding!

 

[howellhandmade]

Tolkein wrote, "Advice is a dangerous gift, even from the wise to the wise, and all courses may run ill. You have not told me all concerning yourself, how shall I choose better than you?"

Flippant answer: choose the best team. Seriously, though, it just depends on your issues. Does she not have a preference? Is your preference different from hers, and if so, why? Is she a pitcher? Then most would say choose the team where she'll get to pitch. Unless the coaches are jerks. The general formula is to go with the best team where she'll get to play a lot, but she should be happy.

 

[Mylil32]

Mostly, I let my DD decide on her own. We've offered to drive her to Atlanta to try out for the "big A ball teams" because we believe she has the talent to be on one of those, but she has chosen to stay local. She is the #1 pitcher on the local team and honestly I'm not sure she would be on an A team, she'd probably be 2nd or 3rd. She wants to pitch and she loves her team mates on this local team so we're staying. *I* want her to go to Atlanta, but it aint about me

It's a tough decision, good luck in what ever you do!

 

[humpty]

DD is 10u. We made a list of teams that she wanted to tryout for. Went to 3 tryouts all 3 had good coaches and all 3 had successful teams last season with majority of the players returning. All 3 offered her spot as a pitcher. I let her decide which team she wanted to play for. She chose the team where the girls made her feel most comfortable. That's a girl for ya.

 

[Atlantabell]

There is just too little information here to know the answer. I think the advice regarding where she is comfortable, where she will get to pitch/play, etc. is good. Other questions are: What is the time commitment? Can you financially afford the fees and travel? Does she aspire to play in college? Does she fit in with the other girls? Will she be able to improve her skills?

At a certain age, the girls have to decide as much or more than the parents.

 

[Coach-n-Dad]

We have always allowed DD to make the final choice on where she plays, as long as it makes to DW and me financially and the choice won't hurt DD physically and mentally (in our opinion).

So far, we have only had to put the brakes on once and it turned out to be the correct choice.

 

[glf0845]

Our biggest factor is coaching and the number of girls on the roster. Some of the gold teams carry up to 20 girls and even if your kid is one of the top nine she isn't going to get much time. Also, how far are the practices. We drive an hour and twenty min one way twice a week for practices. But it sure is worth it, for us.

 

[CoogansBluff]

Let her decide.

But there are important things that a child (and sometimes a parent) can't know.

Here are two big ones --

- How organized is the coach? Will you have a tournament schedule well in advance, or are you expected to be on-call every week? That sort of thing.

- How much will DD play? What is the roster size? Do people sit the bench, not bat, etc. Does the team often use pickup players, and how do they use them?

I suspect these are the two biggest reasons (especially #2) that lead to players and parents being disappointed in their new teams.

It's also VERY important that DD likes her new teammates and coaches. But she can judge that for herself at tryouts. I figure it's my job to get information that she might not get.

 

[SoftballMomof2]

Thanks for the advice! She is the one deciding, though she asks for our opinions and help in deciding which we "think" would be the best fit.