Making the move from a communtiy based travel team to a competitive team

[CLM265]

Start looking now into the better organizations in your area and ask if your DD can drop by and guest practice with them. It's a good way for teams to get to know your DD and vise versa. Who knows one of them might ask her to join them. If not, good impressions last and teams will be more aware of her when she does decide to go to some tryouts later.

 

[JAD]

Here are some random thoughts on the subject in no particular order:

1) The grass is not always greener on the other side. Make sure you know what you are getting into before you make a move. Your DD needs playing time more than she needs to be a bench warmer on a marquee team.
2) 10U should be fun, don't fret if your DD would rather play with her friends. There is plenty of time left before recruiting becomes the primary focus.
3) Work on making your local community team better by working outside of practice with existing players. Recruit new players if necessary. * my DD's TB team was a Church team from 10U- 1st year 14U that improved every year. I used to love the look on opposing coaches faces when we told them we were a Church team - right after we put a "beat down" on them!
4) You need to take responsibility for working with your DD outside of regular practice times to help her improve.
5) Someone needs to "Pay it Forward" and help their local community teams improve and build their reputation as a good softball program vs. just jumping to a marquee team that already has a good reputation.

 

[maddball44]

spleen, I think it depends on you. How involved are you in your DD's development. If the answer is; not very, then 10/12U might be the right time to move her in order to start getting quality development. There's no shame in that. I know plenty of parents that love the game but for a myriod of reasons leave the teaching to others. I was able to hold my DD off (and save thousands $$) till 14U. But I was very involved with her. This is her first year of TB. She is in an organization that placed every 18 gold player in college on scholarship. She's not too far behind those that have been in this for several years. My biggest fear is burn out. I just thought 10\12U was too early for her.
Another key indicator was.... last summer she told me she was bored with the competition.

 

[spleen1015]

Thanks for all of the feedback.

I am very involved with her development. That's a big reason why I am here and started this thread. I want to avoid burn out, but I don't want to hurt her development by not getting her in a good organization at the right time. She takes hitting and pitching lessons. I've been careful with how much we do outside of lessons and practices. If she doesn't want to do something on a given day then I don't make her. I want her to want to do it, not do it because I am making her.

I don't even know if she is ready to make this move mentally. I haven't talked to her about it because I don't want it to be on her mind during this season. I believe she is ready skills-wise. I'm her dad, so take this as you will, but she is the best hitter by a wide margin on her team and the best pitcher by a lesser margin. The worse part of her game is base running because she pitched 80% of her team's innings last year and the coach always used a courtesy runner for her. This year I asked the coach to let her run the bases even when she was pitching because she needs to learn.

As a family, we are ready to make the full commitment. It is just a matter of when to do it and if she is ready.

 

[Greenmonsters]

If she's developing/improving as a player working w/ the private instructors and practicing/listening to you as you supplement those lessons, you don't need to make the move yet. If you want to test the waters, you could see about guest playing (on off weekends or in the fall/off-season) for her to see what higher level SB is like and whether she's interested. Your instructors could probably give you some leads on teams or post your general location and chances are good that the DFP members can ID some options.

PS IMO, you were 100% correct to request that she have the chance to run the bases.

 

[YOCOACH]

Thanks for all of the feedback.

I am very involved with her development. That's a big reason why I am here and started this thread. I want to avoid burn out, but I don't want to hurt her development by not getting her in a good organization at the right time. She takes hitting and pitching lessons. I've been careful with how much we do outside of lessons and practices. If she doesn't want to do something on a given day then I don't make her. I want her to want to do it, not do it because I am making her.

I don't even know if she is ready to make this move mentally. I haven't talked to her about it because I don't want it to be on her mind during this season. I believe she is ready skills-wise. I'm her dad, so take this as you will, but she is the best hitter by a wide margin on her team and the best pitcher by a lesser margin. The worse part of her game is base running because she pitched 80% of her team's innings last year and the coach always used a courtesy runner for her. This year I asked the coach to let her run the bases even when she was pitching because she needs to learn.

As a family, we are ready to make the full commitment. It is just a matter of when to do it and if she is ready.

Let me answer this two different ways. First, let me answer this as a parent. As a parent, I'm sure that you, like me, want nothing but the best for your DD. At the age of 11, my DD was, without a doubt, and acknowledged by the rest of the 12u team coaches, as the best in her division in rec league and was the #1 pick for the all-stars as well as the select team which was their travel team. However, we felt she was ready for more in our opinion. So we went to TB and for the past 4 years, have been extremely happy that we did. The competition was much better and that forced DD to vastly improve her game. She was much more willing to put in the practice time to better her skills and asked for help to do so. DD was a pitcher at that age and found that as good as we, her parents and coach, thought she was, she turned out to be average at best. I'm not saying your DD isn't better than your expectations, just that ours was not. She ended up starting at first and the #3 pitcher. She continued to be the #3 pitcher for several years but had always started at 1st. After last season, she decided that she wanted to be a catcher and worked her a$$ off to be the #1 catcher. This year, it looks like she will be #1, or at worst, splitting plate time with another girl. She will definitely be #1 on the HS Varsity team as a Freshman thanks to TB and her work ethic developed from TB.

As a coach, often times TB teams will take players that are very good athletes but below exceptional when it comes to fielding, hitting or other aspects of the game; usually one or two per season. We try to teach them and advance their skills to the best of our abilities. We call these girls project/developmental players and they will get equal PT as the other girls on the team during pool games in a tournament. However, when it comes to elimination play in a tournament, they will see quite a bit less PT than the best 9 that the coaches feel are the best players at their respective positions. Needless to say, the parents of those players usually feel slighted since their DD's were at every practice, scrimmage, game, tournament, etc. etc. as much as the other players; and even if their DD's roles were explained at the very beginning of the season , they still don't feel it's "fair."

So, after all this has been said, what it comes down to is this. If your DD is better than 90% of the other players she faces during an average game and if she has the heart/will to strive to be better on her own, even at that age, then she needs to move to a higher level of travel ball. However, don't be surprised if her skill levels are "average" at that TB level and definitely don't let her get discouraged if for some reason she is picked up as a developmental player as opposed to a starter. Instead, use that as a reason for her to work her butt off and become the starter at her chosen position.

I'm not saying that she couldn't be or isn't one of the all-time greats nor am I saying that your DD couldn't develop a very competitive attitude in her current environment. I'm just saying that she, and you, may be in for a sudden and rather rude awakening when it comes to the difference between your DD's skill level and the "elite" levels of TB. Luckily, TB softball has several levels and she, like our DD, may have to work your way through them to reach the pinnacle of TB play.

 

[spleen1015]

Oh yeah, no doubt about it, YOCOACH. Let me clear up one thing though.

She is playing TB. This is her 2nd year playing. The team she is on is community based, so we only take players within our school district, limiting the talent pool. The girls that are really good players go play on the competitive teams that are much better than ours. We play against a lot of these competitive teams and can't compete because they have 7-9 great players and we might have 2 if we are lucky.

I'm not a crazy parent that thinks my daughter is the greatest player in the world and she'll be the #1 pitcher and hit 3rd. I do believe that she can play on one of these teams though. I don't know where she would fit, but I think she's good enough.

My worry is that if she doesn't get on a better team sooner rather than later, then when she finally does, she won't be as developed as the other players on the team. When it comes time to see if college ball is an option, will she be behind because we didn't make the move when she was 1st year 12u instead of 1st year 14u. What if making the move now makes her a much better player, but by the time she's done in HS she's had enough softball? I'm just trying to figure out that balance.

I think the answer is that she needs to be on a better team, with players that put the same level of effort into getting better and want to be the best they can be. I'm thinking next year is the time to make the move.

 

[YOCOACH]

Oh yeah, no doubt about it, YOCOACH. Let me clear up one thing though.

She is playing TB. This is her 2nd year playing. The team she is on is community based, so we only take players within our school district, limiting the talent pool. The girls that are really good players go play on the competitive teams that are much better than ours. We play against a lot of these competitive teams and can't compete because they have 7-9 great players and we might have 2 if we are lucky.

I'm not a crazy parent that thinks my daughter is the greatest player in the world and she'll be the #1 pitcher and hit 3rd. I do believe that she can play on one of these teams though. I don't know where she would fit, but I think she's good enough.

My worry is that if she doesn't get on a better team sooner rather than later, then when she finally does, she won't be as developed as the other players on the team. When it comes time to see if college ball is an option, will she be behind because we didn't make the move when she was 1st year 12u instead of 1st year 14u. What if making the move now makes her a much better player, but by the time she's done in HS she's had enough softball? I'm just trying to figure out that balance.

I think the answer is that she needs to be on a better team, with players that put the same level of effort into getting better and want to be the best they can be. I'm thinking next year is the time to make the move.

From what you have said, and if it was me and mine, without a doubt, we would be trying to find DD the most competitive TB team at the highest level DD would be able to start for. Your DD can't develop as a pitcher without a butt-load of circle time so find the team where she can be at a minimum, the #2 pitcher. And again, if it were me and mine, the faster the better!

 

[spleen1015]

From what you have said, and if it was me and mine, without a doubt, we would be trying to find DD the most competitive TB team at the highest level DD would be able to start for. Your DD can't develop as a pitcher without a butt-load of circle time so find the team where she can be at a minimum, the #2 pitcher.

It is funny you mention circle time. Last year, DD was offered a spot on the 'A' team in the program she's currently a part of. She turned it down because the coach said he already had 3 pitchers and didn't need her to pitch. He was going to put her in the outfield. So, DD decided to play on the 'B' team so that she could pitch. Best decision we've made so far in her short softball career.

The #1 pitcher on that team no longer plays because the pressure the coach put on her was too much. She purposely through 16 straight pitches over the catcher's head until he pulled her from their last WS game because she didn't want to pitch anymore.

Anyway, I really appreciate all of the feedback guys. It has been very helpful.

 

[GatorGirl]

What does your daughter want to do? You may think she needs to move, but at 10, most girls just want to be with friends and have fun. If it is her decision and desire, have at it, but if it is yours, you are in for heartache.

If she wants to stay she can still get better with lessons. Leaving her friends and comfort zone at 10 could just drive her away. I am not saying you are wrong, just don't make the mistake of projecting your wants and desires onto her.

The fact that you are thinking "college" at age 10 really makes me uneasy. According to NCAA less than 1% of ANY high school athlete gets any scholarship. That includes anything from golf to football and anything from $300 towards book to a full ride. Just be careful.

GG