Need advice for DD please!

[YOCOACH]

My DD is moving from a rec league to a TB team. It's late in the fall season but there are still a few teams looking for girls. My daughter is extremely large for a 12 YO and is good enough in the opinion of most of the coaches in our league, many of whom have DDs playing TB, to move up should the need arise. The situation is this. After many phone calls, she had a tryout with a 12u team. She also has tryouts with three other teams this week; two of which are 14u. The 12u team that she tried out for called and asked for her to play as a guest in a game Saturday. Their are no firm offers obviously but I was informed by my DW that her and my DD talked and they planned on taking up the first from whoever that may be. I know there are many pitfalls in TB just from reading these forums. I haven't heard anything, whether positive or negative about two of these teams. The other two I've heard nothing but positive things about. So my questions are these:

If several offers were made, what criteria should I use to pick the best TB team for her?
If an offer is made by a 14u team, should I move her up for her to be more competitive?

I realize I'm putting the cart before the horse. Many TB teams in our area have girls leaving after fall ball and end up looking to fill out their rosters for the next year. Even if she didn't get offers now, in a couple of weeks there should be more opportunities so a little advice would be appreciated.

 

[Lozza]

When you say large are you meaning tall or fat?

I would talk your DW and DD into waiting for two days after the first offer.

If she's never played TB before, keep her in her age group. It's going to be a big enough jump without playing against older girls.

 

[Michael N]

From my personal experience I would say that the opportunity to play as a guest player is phenomenal . It will give both you and your DD the chance to see how you guys will fit into the organization . I would keep her at age level for her first year of TB as my experience was that TB plays at a MUCH higher level than most little league teams . As far as her being "Extremely" large , I have seen entire teams of 5' 10"+ , 180 pound+ Christmas babies at the 12U level that really brought my perspective of my child's size into focus . My DD is on the high end of average for her age , weight and height wise , and she looks absolutely lilliputian compared to some girls . the good news is that once they hit 16U most of the girls have quit growing and the advantage of being a big girl has pretty much disappeared .

 

[FPMark]

Have her play pick up with the team she was invited to play with. In fact, if possible, play pick up with any or all teams interested in her. The key is looking for a team with girls of her skill level, so she doesn't ride the bench, and has good coaching, to bring her skill level up. Look at what type tournaments they play. You want a team that plays the best competition, and teaches the girls the skills nessessary to compete at that level.

I would also recommend starting out with a team in your DD's age level, but I don't know the skill level of your DD or the teams in your area. Most of all, let her decide where she is the most comfortable after exploring all the options.

 

[YOCOACH]

I appreciate the advice. At least I can eliminate two of the teams right off the bat (no pun intended) When I say extremely large, she's 5'9" and 150 lbs. of solid muscle at the age of 12 yr and 4 mo. I fully expect her to be 6"0+ and 170 lbs if she reaches the minimum norm for our family.

 

[softballphreak]

I appreciate the advice. At least I can eliminate two of the teams right off the bat (no pun intended) When I say extremely large, she's 5'9" and 150 lbs. of solid muscle at the age of 12 yr and 4 mo. I fully expect her to be 6"0+ and 170 lbs if she reaches the minimum norm for our family.

Sounds like you have all the raw material you need. Don't skimp on finding the best training; even if it involves a lot of travel. I knew a family that sent their DD to a pitching coach in Colorado, I believe, from the East Coast every summer.

Look for the BEST TB team you can find. That probably will involve distance. There are some teams I've heard of where the individual player/s fly in for games.

 

[sluggers]

If several offers were made, what criteria should I use to pick the best TB team for her?

What questions would you ask if someone offered you a new job at a different company? Use similar questions when you talk to the coach.

For exampe:

(1) Where are you supposed to be every day? Where is the home field? Where does the team practice?
(2) How much traveling is involved? Some teams travel an incredible amount--so, make sure the traveling is doable.
(3) Look at the quality of the training. What do the coaches know and how well do they teach?
(4) Personality wise, would your DD fit in?
(5) What is your DD's role on the team--how much playing time will she get? This is *VERY* important to discuss.

If an offer is made by a 14u team, should I move her up for her to be more competitive

Yes, I would. You need to really take a look at the team, and make sure your DD can play at that level. Coaches aren't always as honest about this as they should be.

Finally, this is a learning process. Plan that you might make a mistake or two. The good thing is that no matter what you choose to do now, you can change it next spring. She won't be hurt too much if you make an error in judgment.

Good luck!

Ray

 

[#10]

Don't settle for the first team that wants DD - it might be a good fit, it might not be. Even if it's a good fit, there may be a better situation down the road.

 

[crystlemc]

YOCOACH, pm me. I just moved from the Youngstown area and my dd currently plays for a team out that way. I used to coach at one of the big Mahoning Valley organizations. I can let you know what teams to go with and which to avoid.