Hotel - Girls Together or With Parents?

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FastpitchFan

Softball fan
Feb 28, 2008
465
0
Montreal, Canada
I just started working with a 16U team in the last few weeks. It has been a while since I coached at that level. For the last 10 years, I have coached at the higher levels where the girls where always staying together in rooms because they were adults and there was just about no parents around most of the time given that they were older.

Now, I have a pretty good parent following with this new team. In the past, I always had the girls stay together because I strongly believe it helps team chemistry.

We are going to a fall tournament this week and some of the parents suggested that we put the girls with the parents to save money on hotel rooms. Take away the team chemistry thing, and I totally agree with that. I understand that a season can get expensive and if you can save money somehow, this is always a good thing.

However, I would like your opinion... and your experiences....

Is putting the girls together in the same rooms worth the extra money in your opinion?

Or saving money by letting girls staying with their parents and keeping more for other things is probably a wiser choice ?

Just curious as to what was the experience of others.

Cheers,

Marc
 
May 7, 2008
8,506
48
Tucson
It really varied from time to time. Sometimes, the girls stayed together, or some nights DD stayed with me.

It didn't seem to matter.

They will normally congregate in one room or in the hall, until bedtime, anyway.
 
Mark,

First of all great website! In my opinion your better off to let the players stay with their parents if they are coming along at that age. Otherwise it costs that parent twice as much to go on that trip. Now they have to pay for their room and part of their daughters room.

I would suggest certain team activities like going out to eat, mini-golf or going to the movies. When it's not a team activity let them do what they want.

I have seen teams that have gone on team overnights and it really helps team chemistry. However, I have also seen teams that spend so much time together that they get sick of each other. It can work both ways.

Sean
 
Jul 29, 2008
49
0
Speaking as a parent of an only child, who is also an only child, my vote goes for staying with the parents if they are going. Mine needs the opportunity to unwind and re-charge every once in a while, even if only for 10 or 20 minutes.

At nationals a couple years ago, our girls did just what Sean is saying. There is nothing that will bring a team together than an extended trip, but by day 4/5, they started snapping at each other. That is also when you see them split into groups- which isn't good.

I would suggest that the team has to stay in the same hotel though. Best of both worlds.
 
May 7, 2008
20
1
Yes, I agree that staying in a room with the parents is better, and as Amy said, the girls will congregate in one room until bedtime, anyway. They will get much more sleep staying with the parents.
 
Aug 15, 2008
3
0
Our experience so far (mind you it is at the 10,12u level) the girls do exactly that, they congregate in someone's room or venture from room to room in herds. Every time I saw my daughter she was with a different grouping of girls. The true plus is that with the parents they actually go to sleep. Finally dropping out at 4am seems to be the goal everytime more than 2 players bunk up.
 
Jul 17, 2008
54
0
Troy, Illinois
Marc, PUT THEM WITH THEIR PARENTS! What is your organization going to do when one of these girls breaks some "code of conduct" rule with a school system or heaven forbid gets hurt? Let the parents be the parents. Enjoy the tournament! BTW, my girls is playing 16U. Wow, are they different.:);):D
 

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