Is softball for every person?

[radness]

i will add that the notion of "if you don't play travel, don't bother" or "you play to earn a scholarship" and lots of other similar BS that seems to pervade youth sport these days is exactly the problem with youth sports

Agree there are multiple different types/levels of softball for people to play. perhaps being aware of those surroundings is advisable.

 

[GunnerShotgun]

Almost every parent I haver ever met does not think with logic when it comes to their children and sports. They are emotional. Trying to match your logic and truth to their emotion is never going to go well.

The best you can hope for is a parent that was a former player of any sport that played at a high level. I have found those to be somewhat reasonable.

I wouldn't lie to a player or parent but I damn sure use a lot of coach speak when needed.

 

[Strike2]

I'm not sure there's any sport that's for "every person". Softball and baseball are most certainly among the more challenging to learn, and many underestimate what's required to become good, or even just competent.

For any parent concerned about their kid's pace of development, my first question to them would be about how much they work with their kid at home. Whatever is learned in a team practice or individual lesson, it has to practiced at home. Some require more than others to finally get it, and some never do no matter what.

A kid tried out for my 12U team several years ago. She had some rough spots skillwise, but she was a nice kid, and her physical ability was plainly obvious...as in perhaps the most athletically gifted kid I'd ever seen at that age. Her parents were all-in on both hitting and pitching lessons. She showed some flashes during practice, but come game time, she routinely froze up. I mean she couldn't do anything, including run from 1B to 2B under direct supervision. She'd just stop. I lost count of how many fly balls she easily ran to and then stopped just prior to catching. Nobody could fix it. She ended up being a HS track star.

 

[KrisHur]

I would think fear of getting hit by the ball would make SB a no-go for a kid at any level. Rec level could probably get away with fear of pain and/or physical contact and simply not slide, dive or crash into basemen blocking the line or face a charging base runner for the tag. SB is a lot more physical than people realize, you have to be ok with physical contact and getting bruised. I can't count how many bruises my DD comes home with some days. LOL If the girl needs pretty bruise-free legs this isn't her sport.

 

[HunterMO]

I don't think softball HAS to be for everyone. But, I do believe it needs to offer itself to everyone. Throw elitism out the window and welcome everyone appropriate to age and skill level. Then it's up to coaches and parents to help guide from there. Some won't stick around. And that's okay. This is really what rec is for. And MS school ball for those that offer it.

Before softball DD tried soccer, basketball, volleyball, and hockey. For whatever reason, softball is what stuck. And in all honesty, as much as she loves softball, at one point she would have preferred to play baseball. DS tried 8U baseball, hated it. As in, teeth pulling and murder were happening when it was time to go to practice. Despite the fact that he was naturally very good at it. He was just too afraid of the ball. We put him on the ice once for hockey and now we can't keep him off. Everyone is different.

 

[Hawk_]

At a young age 100%. I relate it to my son playing baseball...why did he play? cause I played and coached, then around 13 he decided to stop. I wanted him to find his thing and it turned out to be music..... now am I a little sad that I kid who is now 6' tall and can throw upper 80's isn't playing baseball....sure. But when he practices 4 hours a day on music .... I can see his passion for it

 

[_MIA_]

Back in the day most of the kids who played ball did it because they wanted to. Everybody else got their fresh air and exercise in other ways. Now some parents sign up their kids for sports to get them exercise, regardless of whether the kid has any interest in it.

 

[HunterMO]

Back in the day most of the kids who played ball did it because they wanted to. Everybody else got their fresh air and exercise in other ways. Now some parents sign up their kids for sports to get them exercise, regardless of whether the kid has any interest in it.

Saw this on DD’s first year 12u team. One girl clearly didn’t want to be there…..

 

[_MIA_]

Saw this on DD’s first year 12u team. One girl clearly didn’t want to be there…..

Half the kids on the 7u baseball team I coached didn’t want to be there. I felt bad for the little guys tbh.

 

[Towny9]

@RADcatcher I laughed when I read the knitting comment. Years ago I made a similar comment to a kid that asked me for feedback when he was cut from the varsity baseball team for the 3rd year in a row. I felt like the kid was beating his head against a brick wall with baseball at the highly competitive level and would be happier if he found something he could be successful at. I said something along the lines of “maybe baseball isn’t your thing, maybe you would be a good accountant”.

I’m not even sure why accounting was the first thing that came into my head. As a math guy myself I certainly don’t have anything against accounting. This was probably about 15 years ago and now every time I see a player who is not very good I jokingly think “probably a good accountant“