need some input

[PAcoach]

The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary, or as I tell my daughter you have to put the work in to get the success out. A large part of college practice or a good High School ball practice is hitting off a tee and soft toss. I watched Team USA practice and guess what a large part of their practice was hitting off a tee. I know coaches who preach tee work from 100 to 300 swings a day. Seems I read somewhere that Crystal Bustos hitting practice included an hour and a half of tee work a day.

It somewhat puzzles me when a young player thinks they are too good to hit from a tee, not saying that is your daughter just standing on my soapbox here.

Yes tee work and soft toss can be boring, but when those hits start falling it makes it worth it. I didn’t have a lot of money for lessons so I learned form books, took advice from some good coaches and learned a great deal from people on this forum.

There is more than one way to skin that cat.

No one knows the situation better that you do and if your daughters goals have changed or if the direction she is going will meet her needs, you and her need to evaluate and make the decision best for her.

Awesome post, i agree 100%!
It always cracks me up how people forget how important T work is. Just as much when a batter is struggling and i watch a coach continue to pitch to them over and over thinking that will solve something. No, you must go to a T and break it down.

 

[99&beyond]

I do agree that T work is beneficial. She works off the T at home and I soft toss to her as well. We are out in the yard everynight playing catch.

I had told her we were taking a couple of weeks off from the academy, to see where we wanted to go. Since then, she has been out in the yard of her own free will hitting and begging me to play catch. I haven't seen that from her in several months.

I just don't know that this academy team was the only way for her to succeed. As that is kinda in their selling pitch.

As things unfolded last night, the friend that coaches a team, may be taking on 2 teams - 12U & 14U. Which would be perfect so she could move up. Also found out the dad of one of the original teammates is coaching a team and that some of the original girls may be with him. Options are opening up.

I am going to tell the original coach that we are leaving for financial reasons, which is partially true as well. Seems how I can't afford to waste the money and her be miserable. I will also seek some guidance from her private coach in helping her on the path to college. He has already helped his own 2 kids there and knows the ropes.

Thanks for all your helpful replies. I needed that!

 

[jacketsfan]

You have plenty of time to worry about college later - it's way too early now.

From our first 12U team, we have:
- 2 who are now seniors who have signed
- 1 is a junior and is being seriously recruited by a couple of schools
- 1 who play rec ball
- 8 who no longer play sb.

This was a team that lost almost all of its game in its first few TB tourneys, then won the next 7 tourneys, them moved to 14U and won about every other tourney. In short, good players, who seemed like can't miss college prospects when they were 12.

Finances, school, jobs, injuries, and other factors add up.

Just teach her to play now, be fundamental, and worry about college in a couplf of years.

 

[CoachAl]

starsnuffer hit this one right on the head. I'm amazed the amount of money parents of 9 year old girls are willing to pay up front (then pay dues and do fundraisers on top of that) for some "top flight" A team only to have their budding softball superstars burn out by the time they are 13 or 14! Find a team where she clicks with the rest of the girls, the coaches know how to teach fundamentals and is FUN for all the players and parents involved! Anything less at this age will not end in good way. As your daughter moves up the age brackets, you will certainly know if she has the passion and the drive to pursue the game at the higher levels.

 

[EP Dad]

No reason for anyone to play SB if its no longer fun.

This brings up a story of my other DD this week.

My other DD plays the Clarinet. She's not an athlete at all, not softball related, however this story goes to the heart of the "fun" argument.

My other DD is a 10th grader this year. She was awarded section leader and first chair in the concert band and this was her first year of marching band. She's told me the last 6 months or so how much she enjoys band. This past Saturday she had a bunch of girls over (her quintet) and they go together and practiced in the living room. After they left she comes up to me and says that until this year she "hated" band.

Well, if she hadn't stuck with it all those years and gotten good at it she may have always hated it. So, I wonder how many of us have had this experience. To be honest I didn't know she hated it that much. I do know in talking to my wife that the only reason she kept doing it was for me (which is upsetting in and of itself). But now she loves it. Go figure.

 

[99&beyond]

This brings up a story of my other DD this week.

My other DD plays the Clarinet. She's not an athlete at all, not softball related, however this story goes to the heart of the "fun" argument.

My other DD is a 10th grader this year. She was awarded section leader and first chair in the concert band and this was her first year of marching band. She's told me the last 6 months or so how much she enjoys band. This past Saturday she had a bunch of girls over (her quintet) and they go together and practiced in the living room. After they left she comes up to me and says that until this year she "hated" band.

Well, if she hadn't stuck with it all those years and gotten good at it she may have always hated it. So, I wonder how many of us have had this experience. To be honest I didn't know she hated it that much. I do know in talking to my wife that the only reason she kept doing it was for me (which is upsetting in and of itself). But now she loves it. Go figure.

I have made DD stay in orchestra as well. She is truly enjoying it and excelling at it this year, where if she would have dropped out when she wanted to, she would have never known she could enjoy it. Had to get past playing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.


Back to my OP.

I got DD back in with her batting/catching coach. Her hitting was pretty bad. Seems that she developed a bad habit that was just instilled in her more through the academy since they would just tell her to practice her swing and not how to fix her swing.

Still don't have a team, but we feel good about the decision.

 

[Greenmonsters]

Is there any fielding practice?

What is this academy? Private facility but they have a team...don't get it. Conflict that goes against the "paying customers" right there. Please explain.

So many bad habits that have been repeated 1,000 times, the habits are hard to change.

As I have said before, I personally hate tees and would have quit if you made me do that 3 times a week. And like it has been said, that will do anyone in, no matter what Candrea had his team doing.

You do NOT need to break it down on a tee; that is for the benefit of the INSTRUCTOR; you need to hit real pitching well, and there are several other ways to mimic it that are better than tees.

This is your personal preference - just recognize that the people who make their living hitting a baseball or softball do tee work. It simply comes down to practicing and reinforcing good mechanics at all times. If your mechanics are poor, they are poor off the tee, off a machine, off live pitching. A prime benefit of the tee is the limited space it requires. 100+ swings a day off a tee in the basement or garage will make a huge difference if done properly.

 

[StacieM]

That selling point is exactly that - it's not fact. There is not necessarily a direct correlation between paying more for your kids sports experience and them achieving more success.

If it's too much to afford, that combined with your daughter's lack of enthusiasm are two MAJOR reasons to make a change.

If your DD wasn't there now would you take her from a team she loved to put her in a place she won't like and pay more than you can really afford to put her in that academy?

If the answer to that is no, then you shouldn't stay.

There are OTHER ways to get noticed. You MUST utilize these other strategies anyway even if she's on a well noticed team. You have homework to do. You have discussions to have with her. Putting your child in a "program" of any sort does not guarantee anything. Don't hang on just for that "opportunity."

 

[99&beyond]

Is there any fielding practice?

What is this academy? Private facility but they have a team...don't get it. Conflict that goes against the "paying customers" right there. Please explain.

So many bad habits that have been repeated 1,000 times, the habits are hard to change.

As I have said before, I personally hate tees and would have quit if you made me do that 3 times a week. And like it has been said, that will do anyone in, no matter what Candrea had his team doing.

You do NOT need to break it down on a tee; that is for the benefit of the INSTRUCTOR; you need to hit real pitching well, and there are several other ways to mimic it that are better than tees.

They did 2 indoor fielding practices in the 2 months we were there.

The *academy* is a batting cage with some teams that it was putting together. They have some *coaches* from the college level and pro level down helping the teams. BUT just because someone played MLB doesn't mean they know how to coach softball OR baseball.

Her bad habit has been there for awhile (she rolls her hands before contact, therefore driving the ball into the ground). Many people have pointed it out. We *knew* what she was doing, but I couldn't catch it to fix it, nor did I know how. The *coaches* at the academy would tell her what she was doing wrong and then go tell her to practice her swing. Again... they didn't tell her how to fix it, just what she was doing wrong. It took us an hour with her batting coach (who we have been with before the academy and is no way affiliated and totally thinks it was a REALLY bad idea) for him to start to get through to her about what was the problem.




and in reply to Stacie--
There is only 1 person that was keeping her tied to this team. Her best friend. Who she loves playing ball with. BUT she goes to school with her, so they will still get to play school ball together. She just didn't want to tell her she was leaving the team. But she has told her and her friend understands.


We got time! And like I said, in my heart I feel like we are doing the best for her.