Distance you travel to your travel team.

[CFenton]

If you feel you have outgrown or outgrowing the team, then start looking at who some of the more prominent teams are in your area. Make a list, find out when they are holding their tryouts and see if you your DD makes the team. I've been there and you'll be happy to see how your DD really grows when she's with girls who are more at her level and who are better than her.

She isn't outgrowing the team for now. I could see it possubly happening in the future though. On the other hand I wonder if we should seek a true 8U, 2010 team so she is with her age group at this young age.

 

[Chewy_06]

Right across the road, literally. Ironically, when we bought our place, DD was 3, and while shed been a regular at my slo-pitch games and my wife was a rep player herself, ball was not on our radar & we actually had no idea there was a ball park there, or a fastpitch club.

My DDs team had a kid that was coming from the island to play with us (were on the mainland - call it a 3 hour trip for her) which, isnt exactly uncommon for our club, our B team has a kid from up island (call it four and half for her), there was a kid from the north coast (three hour flight) on an older team a few years ago - and, one of our older teams currently has a kid from the other side of the country.

 

[Lobster Birch]

15-45 minutes to our indoor practice facilities depending on traffic. For outdoor fields we use a plethora of them spread out over the city. Some are 5 minutes away, some 50 if the traffic is bad.

 

[uncdrew]

I guess since I asked I can answer as well. My DD is 8 on a 10U team because it is close and was originally going to be 1 tournament a month. That has turned into 2 or close to it anyway. They are a B team but The more I read here the more I am pretty sure we are a C team. This is their first year together and my DD is a completely different player from when they started practices 5-6 months ago. So all and all its been good for her.

My curiosity in this question stems from the point you or your DD feel like you have outgrown the team and what happens then. From what I have read, I guess you will know. Who knows maybe the team will grow together and be as competitive as they need to be to benefit all the players on the team.

At 8 years old I wouldn't fret it much. Her having fun is priority #1 both for a healthy life and to promote and build her love in softball.

As you go to tournament after tournament, you'll really get to know surrounding teams well. When the time comes, you can just talk to a head coach of a team you admire at a tournament between their games. Coaches will always chat to you about their team, the team needs, when tryouts are, etc.



Playing up is of course quite common in rec ball. But yes, you might want to keep her in 10U as long as you can. Depends on many factors, of course. I think her playing 10U for the next few years makes a lot of sense. If she's handling 10U fine now, I wouldn't go down to 8U. Unless that team has more convenient location, significantly better coaching, or provides you daughter to play more at her ideal position.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

All I know for sure is, the Honda Pilot had 230,000 miles, on it.