Five hour practice Saturday and Sunday at 12u

[denise_anngolf]

Too much IMO. This team is either going to be amazing or the opposite of amazing. Will be interesting to see...

At 12A level last season, we had one practice on weekend for 6 hours (4 hour practice and last two hours scrimmage against another team). Everyone worked on their own during the week. We have a new coach for next season. Entering 14U we have one practice on weekend for 4 hours. Everyone is expected to work on their own during the week.

Typical week for my DD right now while weather is nice is Sunday team practice (4 hours), Monday 30 minute pitching lesson, Tuesday work with husband at nearby park for 1-1.5 hrs, Wednesday get together with other girls in our area to practice for 1-1.5 hours (girls are from many different teams), Thursday 30 minute hitting lesson, Friday off. Saturday practice with husband at nearby park for 1-2 hours. We have 6 fall tournaments/showcases on the schedule starting mid September through the second week in November. Mid November DD will continue pitching and hitting lessons once per week and will do hitting/pitching in the basement into net periodically throughout the week and team will take a two month break. Our new coach believes in taking breaks to avoid burn out. He has seen very good softball players suffer from burn out.

 

[Rolling Hard]

Mothers day off and shortened practice (3 hrs) on superbowl sunday. Really that's what they said. I think they is a good reason to have one weekend off a month with maybe a volunteer hitting saturday morn. THere maybe times you play 4 weekends in a row but should not be the normal schedule IMO

 

[ANNASDAD]

Absolutely too much! And that’s too bad, 12U was without a doubt the best years to coach for me! This coach/coaches are just going to run them away from the game!

 

[Eric F]

Mothers day off and shortened practice (3 hrs) on superbowl sunday. Really that's what they said. I think they is a good reason to have one weekend off a month with maybe a volunteer hitting saturday morn. THere maybe times you play 4 weekends in a row but should not be the normal schedule IMO

If you have a problem with the schedule, maybe it's better to find another team for your DD.

 

[_MIA_]

Right, but for example, when we've played in one-day/Sat. only tournaments, those are usually REALLY long days (12hrs.+), so we wouldn't practice on Sunday. And I don't think many teams are going to be hard core about practicing the weekend after Thanksgiving, for example. And eventually you'll be required to do paid lessons. It's part of our contract with our travel team that everyone take hitting lessons and pitchers/catchers take position lessons.

Right I was thinking about 2 or 3 day tournaments. If we have a 1 day tournament then yes they wouldn't practice on the other day. To me that still isn't a weekend off. My DD's team also takes time off between Thanksgiving and New Years.

With regards private lessons, my DD plays for one of the better orgs in OK (14's,16's and 18's played in PGF premier this year) and there is nothing in the contract saying she needs to take lessons with anybody (and the org head and his son give lessons). My DD will take private lessons if I feel she needs them, not because somebody is requiring me to. To be honest I feel like I know more about fielding and hitting than most of the private instructors I see out there. Now if when she is older she decides to branch out and play for a National Org and they require private lessons I might rethink this but it will be through clenched teeth (if I don't think she needs them..)

 

[bmakj]

way too much. DDs team is going to do two weeknights (90-120 minutes), and probably a WE practice, but only 2-3 hours, when not playing a tournament (or possibly a scrimmage/friendly with other local teams). and being fall, DD got drafted to play soccer for team some of her classmates play for, coach drafted her as he needed a GK. coaches say that are OK with kids playing other sports in fall, and in missing occasional practice. we will try to get DD to two a week. hardly anyone on the team takes privates outside team other than Ps, but DD does, never really do get her on a schedule, but we fit in 2-3 a month. a lot of posters above are correct, most of these girls will hate softball within a year or two and quit.

 

[Eric F]

I found my DD's typical team schedule from 12U (mid-level TB team)...

Monday - Off
Tuesday - Team hitting (2 groups - 1-1/2 hours each)
Wednesday - Off
Thursday - Field practice (6:00pm catchers/pitchers, 6:30pm fielders - 9:15pm)
Friday - Off
Saturday - Practice (8:00 catchers, 8:30am pitchers, 9:00am fielders - 12:30pm), or friendlies (3-4 games), or tournament
Sunday - Friendlies (3-4 games) or tournament

Once per month, my DD did 1 hour sessions with her catching coach on Wednesday or Friday. At least 1 "off" day, my DD would hit in our home cage.

I can't think of a single girl who grew to hate softball because of the schedule. With only a few exceptions, all of my DD's teammates from 2 years of 12U are still playing the sport.

 

[JOHNN]

I found my DD's typical team schedule from 12U (mid-level TB team)...

Monday - Off
Tuesday - Team hitting (2 groups - 1-1/2 hours each)
Wednesday - Off
Thursday - Field practice (6:00pm catchers/pitchers, 6:30pm fielders - 9:15pm)
Friday - Off
Saturday - Practice (8:00 catchers, 8:30am pitchers, 9:00am fielders - 12:30pm), or friendlies (3-4 games), or tournament
Sunday - Friendlies (3-4 games) or tournament

Once per month, my DD did 1 hour sessions with her catching coach on Wednesday or Friday. At least 1 "off" day, my DD would hit in our home cage.

I can't think of a single girl who grew to hate softball because of the schedule. With only a few exceptions, all of my DD's teammates from 2 years of 12U are still playing the sport.

Is this during the school year or summer? If school year, do schools out there not have very many tests on Fridays?

 

[djcarter1966]

A little on the excessive side....one 3-4 four hour session on the weekend with a couple times a month friendly scrimmage (so maybe twice a month you do both days of the weekend) then a two hour weekday session with another day expected to take some kind of lesson.

These kids are in school right? Although at 12 hopefully homework isn't quite as bad as HS (with lots of kids taking honors and AP).

Now when school was out and we did rec All Stars one year (12U) we practiced every day 2 hours and 3 hours on weekends for about four weeks.

 

[Mocoso]

This much practice is idiotic and NOT normal... I can see the 4 days a week In Summer for a short sprint to prep for a tourney but 5 hrs? At 12u? And now that school is back in session it’s plain dumb

A) the coaches are idiots if they need 5 hrs to get their practice In
B) what in the world are they trying to accomplish other than burning the kids and parents out?

Sorry but we as parents and fellow coaches need to get to these coaches and let them know quantity isn’t a good replacement for quality



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