Merging multiple players from one team into another team

[robertc3]

You should really have a Team/Parent Meeting as soon as possible (mandatory)

It is already in the works for our first week. Our team and organizational culture are very strong and I know that is part of what attracted the new families.

 

[robertc3]

What age group? That matters a lot. If young like 12U require them to partner with different girls every practice to play catch, go through hitting stations, etc... Basically gently force the groups not to stay groups.

"Play for the name on the front of the jersey and not the name on the back." No idea who said this.

The team is 16u with long term bonds among both the current players and the new players. All really good girls, so I think they will all see the value in making the blend a priority.

 

[bmakj]

parents vs players wiffle ball. no one plays their regular positions.

teaches the players and parents to work together (albeit in this case against each other).

 

[Strike2]

You seem to have a reasonable grasp of what's needed to help mold the two groups into one team, but your greatest challenge over time with a combined team of 14 is equitable distribution of playing time. Unless all the kids are of equal ability and you're planning taking all the innings and dividing by 14 (unlikely), you've got quite the juggling problem ahead of you.

Parents and players on both sides will be watching. Play the nine from your existing team a bit more than new group, you'll be accused of favoritism. Go out of your way to play the kids from the new group, you'll breed resentment from your existing players. The most likely outcome is that, no matter what, one or more will end up unhappy and we'll be talking more about this on the "Hissy-Quit" thread!

Sorry...this is softball, where the phrase "the road to hell is paved with good intentions" was born.

 

[uncdrew]

As a parent of one of the five new players I really appreciate that this something that's on your radar. I know at least one other parent who is also concerned about this issue. I think you'll get complete buy in from the parents.

As far as the prison yard method goes, the left handed pitcher may be the biggest, but my DD (BB) is probably the biggest thug. I'd target her.

Looks like robert3c needs to create a new user for posts where he wants to vent about his team.

 

[robertc3]

You seem to have a reasonable grasp of what's needed to help mold the two groups into one team, but your greatest challenge over time with a combined team of 14 is equitable distribution of playing time. Unless all the kids are of equal ability and you're planning taking all the innings and dividing by 14 (unlikely), you've got quite the juggling problem ahead of you.

Parents and players on both sides will be watching. Play the nine from your existing team a bit more than new group, you'll be accused of favoritism. Go out of your way to play the kids from the new group, you'll breed resentment from your existing players. The most likely outcome is that, no matter what, one or more will end up unhappy and we'll be talking more about this on the "Hissy-Quit" thread!

Sorry...this is softball, where the phrase "the road to hell is paved with good intentions" was born.

This is a very good point for us to consider and I know that communication on this topic can go a long way towards keeping people if not happy, at least feeling informed about what is driving lineup decisions. The band of skill does not vary hugely, but there are of course variances. Early on our plan is to play everyone, move them around, and get a feel for how they perform in games relative to each other. As the season progresses we will get into showcase events where lineup rules prevent equal playing time and the competition gets much harder, so playing the better players more is warranted. Our goal is not equal playing time, but equitable playing time. If we can ensure that the players understand what we are trying to accomplish that should help keep factions from forming.

 

[Strike2]

Best of luck! In my experience, managing more than 12 is a bear. DDs team sometimes has grown beyond that only to quickly reduce back down for a variety of reasons.