How do you pick a travel program?

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Jul 27, 2015
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We’re still a couple years away from travel softball, but I am interested in how to identify available local programs and then how to choose.


We’re in Jacksonville Florida.
Since you are starting off young, the top three things you should look for in a coach:
1) One that teaches fundamentals
2) Fundamentals again
3) Fundamentals again

Way too many teams just want to win and ignore building the basics.

Also, go watch the teams you might try out for play. Watch how the coaches treat the girls. We have seen so many nasty coaches over the years and scratch our heads why anyone would let their kids play for that jerk.
 
Mar 23, 2020
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Since you are starting off young, the top three things you should look for in a coach:
1) One that teaches fundamentals
2) Fundamentals again
3) Fundamentals again

Way too many teams just want to win and ignore building the basics.

This is sad but unfortunately true. I know many teams who have coaches who are great car salesmen (recruiters) who put together good teams but don't do any real coaching. They are always looking for the next best thing. These coaches poach talented kids from the good coaches doing the real work of building your child's abilities.

Another good option is looking for teams that need pickup players for a weekend. It's a great way of seeing firsthand how coaches go about their business throughout the game or weekend without any kind of commitment.
 
Oct 4, 2018
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So what happens when the young, developmental team starts producing good players?

Then you have a team with half solid players and half players that need more development? Both groups might not be comfortable playing with the other side.
 
Aug 25, 2019
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We encourage any players considering our TB team to go to multiple tryouts (club teams) and decide after seeing all of it.

Helps us weed out parents who need their DD play every inning vs. Parents doing what's right to get their DD's good coaching and play at level that will grow them as a player.

Opinion: Find an independent team if you can.

Independent team:
$1000: Kid will learn, and be coached well. Limit is up to kid to earn a prime spot on a very competitive team. Held accountable and must work outside of practice.
Skills to out perform most if not all club kids.

Club: $1500-$2500
Guaranteed spot on the team. Just be ready to write the check on the spot after the tryout. They tell everyone that one more spot is left and they have others ready with the checkbook out.
(Miss 50% of practices and kid will still start)

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk
And on a club team like that, expect a nice chuck of that money (your money) going to the better teams in the organization......
 
Apr 28, 2014
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There is no "one size fits all" answer.
Best advice is that if you think your DD wants to and or has the ability to one day play in college then she needs to be in an organization that has a track record of placing girls in the level of school that your DD desires to play.
There are a lot of great points in this thread. But a track record is something that must be earned.
 
Last edited:
Jun 8, 2016
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2 pieces of advice from a somewhat novice TB parent but not so novice team sports person:

a) There is no reason to start TB until your kid is ready to play in games where the mechanism used to deliver the ball to the hitter is actually trying to get her out (e.g. not tee ball,coach pitch, machine pitch, etc)...

b) Do not rely on your kid's coaches to improve her skills. Educate yourself enough so you know the right way to do things and then work with her at home. This will also allow you to know if your kid's coaches know wth they are doing when they are instructing her..
 

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