Is it bad Etiquette for daughter to ask to practice with older team on top of praticing with her team?

[Scott66705]

when my daughter started with this organization we had 2 ex college players and 6 other coaches helping with 3 teams (12u, 14u, and 16u), my daughters a 12u, the coaching was always pretty evenly spread out and she made great strides this year with the coaching and defense clinics but now the organization has taken on a 10u team as well and has grouped the 12u with them in practices and stopped the clinics, the practices have now been watered down and the ex college players only work with the 14u and 16u. My daughter is thinking of asking if she can practice the 14u on top of practicing with her team, is this bad Etiquette?

 

[Orange Socks]

You will have to ask the coaches what they think. Depends on how the older team runs their practices. If it's just drills then okay. But if they are working on team oriented stuff, then maybe not. How do you think the older girls will react when a younger player shows up and is taking reps away? Parents from your current team will start talking and making assumptions. They will probably wonder why their kid didn't get invited to practice up with the big girls. The big girl's parents will start talking and wondering why are we bringing on this younger player? It could get weird.

DD's former organization ran the first part of practices with all the age groups 14U-18U at the same time. One coach on each side of the plate hitting balls at the same time. Girls hopping around to different positions. Very snappy and I really liked and DD liked it too. After that was over the teams split up, went to their fields and worked on their own stuff.

 

[Shiloh]

Hi Scott.

I read your post but it's not clear why your 12U DD wants to practice with the older girls.

It is because she's not developing as much practicing with the girls her age, who are on her team? Is it because she's bonded with the older players and feels like part of the older team? Is it is an ego thing where you both simply like being around ex-college players?

Also, what do both of you expect to get out of the 14U/16U practice that you can't get practicing on your own?

Development comes in many forms. Many on this board will tell you that it's really on the player and their family to decide how they want, and how much they want, to pursue their softball dreams. Seems strange to me that a player would struggle to develop outside of one particular setting. Plus, if she's second year 12U, then you have ~5 months until she's back with the former coaches...

Cheers.

 

[uncdrew]

Gotta be careful with this. This might alienate your DD with her current team and other parents may not want to be around you or her. It could go sideways.

Best to talk to the coaches.

 

[AW95SY]

If your DD's skill level matches well with the older team, it can't hurt to ask. Be mindful of any restrictions or agreements that may be put in place if she is allowed to practice with the older team. Usually this can be of benefit to everyone, it gives the older team an emergency player that everyone is comfortable for games if they are short, and it provides a natural leader for the younger team if your DD handles it in a mature way as a privilege and not a right. The thing that could cause a problem is if your DD is not clearly one of, if not the top player on the younger team as some of the others may feel that she is unfairly leapfrogging them. If you and she view it as an opportunity to get better with extra work, and it doesn't conflict with the commitment that you've made to the younger team it can work. But as @uncdrew said: it could go sideways. Just because you feel you and she will handle it in a mature, respectful way doesn't mean that everyone else can or will.

 

[_MIA_]

Since you seem to have extra time, use it to work with your kid individually...Asking to practice with the older team could go sideways in 10 different ways..

 

[InsidePitch]

DD played for some big orgs and the top coaches never had a problem with kids practicing up IF they are able to keep up. If they can't handle the infield work it might be an issue. The org DD played for did not allow 9th graders to play 14U so they expected kids to play up.

If you hit grounders to both kids the same, don't worry about it. As for those other parents, they can sit in centerfield and bitch all weekend and wonder why their kid isn't starting.

 

[_MIA_]

There is nothing magical about team practice nor TB coaches, even the good ones. Educate yourself a bit and your DD can get twice as much skill work done in half the time by working with you.,.

 

[Westwind]

I don’t know whether you should or shouldn’t but orgs should.

Mixing ages in workouts so younger players can see and model movements is detailed in the book The Talent Code.

I think the Russian Federation tennis academies are the main example.

 

[_MIA_]

I don’t know whether you should or shouldn’t but orgs should.

Mixing ages in workouts so younger players can see and model movements is detailed in the book The Talent Code.

I think the Russian Federation tennis academies are the main example.

This I agree with, and it is done often in orgs but usually (from what I have seen) the whole younger team works out with the older team, not an individual player.