New Travel Team Coach Needing Advice

[rocktheball]

+1 x infinity!!!!!!!

I feel like if I can continue through the years developing the girls into good players winning should be a by product of developing them and making it fun. I hope.

 

[Rocketech1]

I feel like if I can continue through the years developing the girls into good players winning should be a by product of developing them and making it fun. I hope.

I applaud you for wanting to educate yourself about fastpitch and volunteering your time to develop and coach these young girls. However, it is highly unlikely that you will be able to keep the same girls together for more than a couple of years (at best), other then say your DD, since she is your daughter and will be on the same team as you.

My 14YO DD, since 6U has been on approximately 20+ softball teams over the yeas, whether its rec ball, all-stars, tournament teams, or travel ball teams and has never been on the same exact team twice (same coaches and players more than one season). The best you can hope to do is coach and develop them the best you can and hope some of the girls come back the next season while you still coach. There will be lots of turnover of players over the coming years and you have to expect that reality.

 

[rocktheball]

I applaud you for wanting to educate yourself about fastpitch and volunteering your time to develop and coach these young girls. However, it is highly unlikely that you will be able to keep the same girls together for more than a couple of years (at best), other then say your DD, since she is your daughter and will be on the same team as you.

My 14YO DD, since 6U has been on approximately 20+ softball teams over the yeas, whether its rec ball, all-stars, tournament teams, or travel ball teams and has never been on the same exact team twice (same coaches and players more than one season). The best you can hope to do is coach and develop them the best you can and hope some of the girls come back the next season while you still coach. There will be lots of turnover of players over the coming years and you have to expect that reality.

Good thing is I do have a backup if all this doesn't workout. The founder of the big organization in my area told me if it doesn't work to bring my daughter over to one of his teams. So if all else fails my daughter will have a team. (as long as she keeps developing as a player.)

 

[sluggers]

I feel like if I can continue through the years developing the girls into good players winning should be a by product of developing them and making it fun. I hope.

Doesn't work like that.

Softball is just one of many opportunities for athletes. Some girls will prefer soccer, swimming, lacrosse, basketball, or volleyball...and, they should. Some girls are better adapted to other sports than softball.

It is very, very tough to be a one team organization in a metropolitan area. There are too many other things to do.

Unless you are in a small town with limited opportunities, the kids will drift off.

 

[rocktheball]

Doesn't work like that.

Softball is just one of many opportunities for athletes. Some girls will prefer soccer, swimming, lacrosse, basketball, or volleyball...and, they should. Some girls are better adapted to other sports than softball.

It is very, very tough to be a one team organization in a metropolitan area. There are too many other things to do.

Unless you are in a small town with limited opportunities, the kids will drift off.

I guess I should have explained myself better. I can wish that they all stay but I realize it won't happen that way. What I should have said is hopefully I have a core 3 or 4 that stay and develop into good players. Appreciate all the advice though from everyone who has gave me advice.

 

[grcsftbll]

I would love to keep a team together for awhile. A few will come and go but a core group that stays together is a big deal. There's a team locally that I heard has been mostly the same since 6U. They do really well, probably in large part from having played together for so long. They have a killer pitcher that could probably walk onto any big name team she wanted but they stay where they are. I've always been jealous of that team culture. I hope this year we can cultivate something like that. I noticed with the high level teams the rosters seem to be constantly shifting. I understand why but it'd be so nice to not have that happen to our team.

Our fall team (we left for spring) had a great year even under a not very great coach (he had a fantastic assistant coach; I wasn't there but I'm giving him the credit for the coaching side). The coach lost the team for this year and I think they're going to be basically unstoppable locally this season. They won their national championship (USA Elite Select), beat some of the best teams in the southeast more than once, and still lost more than half the team from the start of the year. It's wild.

 

[rocktheball]

Two weeks into practices and boy am I learning a lot. I have six players and parents who are great. Girls want to be there and learn. Two that already can't make practices and have to miss first two nights of games. One of them already has said she doesn't really want to be here. One that definitely wants to quick but mom won't let her, and one who came to first two practices and now hasn't been at practice. Tried contacting parents but no response to texts or calls in last week. Already having to borrow two players from local big organization just so we have enough to put on field for first two games. Why do parents make their kids play a sport when they clearly have no interest in it? Also, I explained on phone what my goal and expectations were and also gave the parents a 3 page handout with a clear explanation of goals, expectations, planned number of tournaments, and a general date that we would go full travel. Then, with us only having 10 players, they seem unconcerned that I'm having to borrow girls from another team so the girls who want to play can actually have enough girls to field a team for the first game. I will get through this and make it work. I see why everyone does a try out now instead of just being nice and letting whoever wants to play join. You have to make sure (parents especially) that they understand what they are signing up for and the commitment that it takes.

 

[grcsftbll]

I swear the parents might be even more important than the girls, at least at my dd's age. It's amazing what a bad parent or 2 can do to a team. I will never understand parents who force their kids to play travel ball. If you think sports are important but your kid hates them, at least do rec. Travel takes so much time and such a commitment. What a misery for a child who doesn't enjoy playing

 

[rocktheball]

I swear the parents might be even more important than the girls, at least at my dd's age. It's amazing what a bad parent or 2 can do to a team. I will never understand parents who force their kids to play travel ball. If you think sports are important but your kid hates them, at least do rec. Travel takes so much time and such a commitment. What a misery for a child who doesn't enjoy playing

Thanks for the comment, I really feel bad for the one girl. I think her parents put her on the team because her older brother plays travel ball. The parents listened to me state and explain my entire goal and plan for this team. They also read the 3 page handout (I hope they read it), but they are missing practices and have already told me they can't make the first two games. I hope things change and she starts to enjoy it but how should I handle this if it continues through out the fall? Is it wrong of me and would I be a terrible person to tell them at the end of fall league and tournaments that it just isn't going to work out? That is if it doesn't change. I don't think they really took me serious when I explained the commitment that was needed. On top of that, the little girl doesn't want to even be at practice. I just feel I can't let a few parents bring down the entire team. I have the other players on the team to think about. They deserve the best effort from other parents and players.

 

[Eric F]

Thanks for the comment, I really feel bad for the one girl. I think her parents put her on the team because her older brother plays travel ball. The parents listened to me state and explain my entire goal and plan for this team. They also read the 3 page handout (I hope they read it), but they are missing practices and have already told me they can't make the first two games. I hope things change and she starts to enjoy it but how should I handle this if it continues through out the fall? Is it wrong of me and would I be a terrible person to tell them at the end of fall league and tournaments that it just isn't going to work out? That is if it doesn't change. I don't think they really took me serious when I explained the commitment that was needed. On top of that, the little girl doesn't want to even be at practice. I just feel I can't let a few parents bring down the entire team. I have the other players on the team to think about. They deserve the best effort from other parents and players.

This isn't rec ball. You don't have to take every kid, and you don't have to guarantee playing time. You also have the power to remove any player you want from the team as you see fit to serve the best needs of the entire team. Lack of commitment to the team practice and game schedule is a totally valid reason for removing a player from the team. Players are expected to be at practices to learn alongside their teammates. If the player isn't learning, they can quickly become a liability.

Here's one way to handle it..."It's really important that Suzy is at practices to learn the game with her teammates. Right now, her lack of attendance is a real concern, and when she is here, she doesn't seem to be motivated. Suzy is welcome to continue practicing with the team when she can make it, but I can't use her in games until she shows the same level of commitment as the rest of the team. If that level of commitment is a challenge, maybe this team isn't the right fit for Suzy."

Also, be prepared that you might hurt someone's feelings along the way. It's going to happen.