Insight welcome on approaching HC

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Jul 14, 2019
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They aren't getting equally practiced because they are not equal. I think you should be able to see the writing on the wall your DD is 10th on a 10 girl roster, that's fine if there is the chance for improvement and growth but that doesn't seem to be happening. As far as pulling a girl mid inning I'm just not a fan...I've switch field positions but can't remember pulling someone mid inning. As other have stated the reason those other girls probably didn't get pulled is because they can hit. If we have said it once on this board it's been said a thousand times the fastest way to playing time is crushing the ball, if your are in the top half of hitters on the team it is simple I will find a place for you to play.


Everyone hits, every game. I’m sorry, I forgot to address that with my previous response. She is in the lineup every game and is productive at the plate. And yes, i agree that hitting is a huge part of player selection obviously.
 
Jul 14, 2019
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This is a factor that TB parents often bring up when their kids isn't playing very much. Time, effort, and paying dues the same as everyone else does not equal an even share of playing time. Want to play more? Get better. Be so good that the coach can't ignore you. Be so good you are undeniable. If you're not now, get to work until you are.

Agree 100000%! But like i said, this was a tournament for practice! So basically, a paid practice session, lol. 9 girls on the team, 1 pick up who is not going to the WS with us, the other 9 are. I am absolutely not a parent that is under the assumption that we are buying field time with our dues or entry fees.
 
Apr 20, 2015
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I agree with other posters here. Your daughter is not going to get better on this team. She needs to play to get better. You may feel she can hang with this team but clearly the coach doesn't think so or she would play more than 6 innings in 6 games. You can take the advice of more experienced members here and find a team where she's an everyday player or not, but things are not going to change on this team.

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Aug 29, 2011
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NorCal
Everyone hits, every game. I’m sorry, I forgot to address that with my previous response. She is in the lineup every game and is productive at the plate. And yes, i agree that hitting is a huge part of player selection obviously.
This changes it somewhat. It sounds like your daughter is a weak fielder. Possibly not showing effort in practice that your may or may not see but the coach does. If she's being pulled mid inning for mistakes, it's likely mistakes she repeatedly makes in practices and has been discussed.

I'm personally not a fan of pulling a kid mid inning on defense unless I'm changing pitcher and want/need to keep the pitcher in the field somewhere else. Though my AC did want to pull a kid mid inning this weekend when she dropped an easy fly ball then proceeded to left 2 balls go right past her in LF. Since it was likely this girl would be sitting in bracket play I left her in an we talked about it between innings what she needs to work on.
 
Sep 19, 2018
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The guest players should just be there to supplement the needs of the team.

I get where you are coming from, and agree with most of what you are saying. But I am not so sure I agree with the guesting. If you need a guest you are kind of in a bind. You can't ask them to come and sit. Well, I guess you could, be up front. "Hey, I need a guest in case something goes wrong. You'll play in inning a game and sit all weekend. you in?" But really, who is up for that?
 
Jul 14, 2019
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I get where you are coming from, and agree with most of what you are saying. But I am not so sure I agree with the guesting. If you need a guest you are kind of in a bind. You can't ask them to come and sit. Well, I guess you could, be up front. "Hey, I need a guest in case something goes wrong. You'll play in inning a game and sit all weekend. you in?" But really, who is up for that?

No way would i be up for that! And i wouldn’t expect any one to be. In all fairness, we have never been sat for a guest to play DD position. On this instance, the guest played exactly where our absent player always plays.
 
Sep 29, 2014
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Batting every inning does change things a bit....inclined with some other who noted she doesn't sound like a strong fielder which is defiantly something that can be fixed with work believe it or not my son was exact opposite he was probably at the bottom of the hitting spectrum but never sat because he saved the team so many runs playing center field but this is the exception not the rule.
 
Jul 14, 2017
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Maybe I’m reading too much into this, but it sounds like you want to be the parent saying/doing all the right things but are feeling otherwise(not saying these feelings are unjustified).

I am so impressed that your daughter had the courage to talk to her coach. That is an impressive quality. At any age, it is not just the message but how it is delivered.

Personally, I would not want my child to be the 10th player on a team, unless there was a clear game plan on what exactly needed to be worked on. This would have to be words and actions. If she has more time with this coach what drills is he having her work on?

In trying to develop my DD more, I moved her from a team that had supportive coaches, nice girls and parents. At the time I thought I was doing what was best for her, as hard as it was to leave this team that we loved. Her mental game never matched her natural physical ability and she went from a top 3 player to a mid-pack, then finally bottom of the pack player. She lost the love of the game and was so hard on herself.

On any team there has to be a 10, 11, 12+.....it is up to your daughter and you to decide if she truly is ok with this and how motivated/dedicated is the coach in guiding her to change this?



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Jul 14, 2018
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The title of this thread is "Advice on approaching HC," but honestly, it sounds like your daughter has had the courage and maturity to speak to the coach already. His response was that her time will come, which this being the end of the season, sounds like kicking the can down the road.

You mentioned that your daughter hits every game and is productive, just not seeing time in the field. I'm going to jump to the same conclusion that others have -- she is all bat and no glove.

That's not the worst thing. Someone who can hit will always have a place on a team, and it sounds like you're on a pretty high-level team at that. There is a player on DD's team who routinely crushes the ball, but she's a major liability in the field. As we head into tryouts with the team moving from 12U to 14U, the hot topic among gossipy parents is whether or not she makes it.

Other have said that building fielding skills can be done, but I'm a little dubious at 14U. At this age, girls have been playing for 6+ years, if they don't have a basic skillset in the field at this point, I can't imagine that it's going to bloom all of a sudden.

Embrace the hitting, be the biggest threat with the bat. But approaching the coach to ask about playing time at the end of the season probably won't be very productive. Maybe ask for a frank assessment of where your daughter would fit in at 14U for 2019-20.
 
Feb 3, 2011
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DD plays on a strong travel team in the area.
A 10-player roster where you've had multiple tourneys with just 9 players and where players are guest playing elsewhere in July just ahead of your major, season-ending tournament? I hate to sound rude, but in my opinion, that's not really a strong team. Strong 12u teams have 12-14 players that are fighting like hell to stay in the lineup. They're going to pick up a guest about once during spring - to give them 12-13 players, not 9-10 - and may take a couple extra bodies to PGF just to be safe. And no one on these these teams is guest playing in June or July, because 1) they're not going to risk the injury playing for someone else and 2) they don't want to lose their spot in the lineup to someone else. Exception: the #12-14 who is leaving after the season.

I am absolutely not a parent that is under the assumption that we are buying field time with our dues or entry fees.
Parents pay to watch their kids play. Ask 100 random sports parents and I bet 90 will agree.

For coaches/parents, a good rule of thumb is that guests will play half the time, ensuring that the PAYING customers are not being given short shrift.
 

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