Newbie Just doesn't know what to do!

[pbsoftball1]

I am in a little bit of a sticky situation and needs some fellow parent advice! Let me give you a history of my daughter just so you know her background!

She is 10 (just turned in april) about 5'4" 130 and has more heart than any kid I know!
She has played for about 3 years. Started out as catcher (simply bc she was thrown back there), and then finally this year, she asked her coach can I please try 1st base, and with her size and her beeing left handed....she was an almost natural fit!

Anyway Last summer, we played rec ball, finished our "season" but the girls still wanted to play, so we just entered a few tournaments...and Paige got the "travel ball bug" So..her head coach was getting up a team, and asked her to try out...so she did....and did not make the team. This KILLED her! So much so..she didn't play fall ball..and almost didnt play spring ball. But all through the fall, we worked on hitting, running, fielding, you name it! And she got SO much better! SO...Here we are NOW....she comes up to me and said "mom...Im ready to try again" so of course I go through "ok if you dont make it, you cant quit like last time, you have to work through it..." after talking to a few ppl, I was advised to go on a local forum, and look for a team that wants some pick up players...so I did and we found one... She went to a practice, and he asked her to play in the tournament that weekend! I have never seen her so excited to put on that uniform in my life.....BUT...to only sit the bench...the entire tournament! She got to hit and that is all...which she didn't bc she was so nervous..I thought she was going to puke! Anyway, after tourn coach told us, he was glad she enjoyed it, and didn't want to "throw her to the wolves just yet" and that he had some more tournaments he wanted her to come to, and in the fall he was loosing some girls and wanted her on the team, and to come to the 2 practices he had that week...So we did, and we we went to the one thurs, he informed us, he picked up a different player and he didn't need her. SO....with ALL that beeing said, What should I do? Just sit and wait? He said he wanted her to play this weekend coming up, and im assuming we will have a few practices, Should i call him and ask him to shoot me straight? If he strings her along...i think i just might kill him! LOL And also...should i just kindof play things by ear about this fall?
Granted...she is NOT The best player on the team, but when she goes to practice she tries so hard, and bust her butt. And never once complains (like some of the other girls on the team)but she has some great potential that just hasn't been developed yet...and wants this so bad! Im scared if she is turned down this fall....she will die! She is already developed friends on this team and everything! Thanks for listening to me...I am all new to Travel Ball...But really enjoy it..and it puts such a smile on my daughters face..and a feeling of pride. Any advice is appreciated!

 

[Lozza]

I would find her a team that she can PLAY on. She's never going to get better sitting on her butt.

Find a C grade travel team. Explain that your daughter is still fairly new to the game but has been working her tail off and really wants to play. Advise them you are not looking for a team where she sits the entire time. That you want team practises twice a week (or once depending on you) as that's all she can do to learn. That way you're going in with them knowing what you expect.

It might help if you put where you're from so people here can advise of teams they might know of.

Good luck!

 

[absdad]

Lozza is absolutely right; see about getting her on a C team. She should get a good amount of playing time, and learn the game. Do some research on coaches, this is the perfect time. Go watch the coaches and teams in action. Tryouts are coming up end of july, early august so you've got time. Get your dd to some hitting lessons, and work with her on fielding. And one of the best things you can teach your dd, is to tell her how to channel her emotions when she meets failure. Rather than be devasted, and pull back; she needs to turn it into determination.

 

[CPSBDad]

In the fall we had a coach tell me my DD would be one of four catchers on a team. She would play he told me. She sat 2/3rd of games and only caught one full game and few innings here or there. We decided to go back to rec one more year and DD was number one catcher and caught most all games. In the rec league tournament she got to play two games in one day and loved it. I guess, I'm saying maybe go back to rec and work on skills some more. Your DD is 10 and has plenty of time.

 

[rachelsdad]

Take Lozza's advice at 10 yrs old it's all about playing time. My DD started out on a new team playing every single game as time went on the coach started dumping players (even his asst coaches' kids were dumped) to pick up new bigger better players, By the second season my DD started sitting out almost every other game that was the tell that your DD was next to get the boot. So before we got the boot we found a new team and she is playing every game every inning again.

 

[josie8]

Definately do not sit and wait for the call... Get out and find another team... Good Luck!

 

[InsidePitch]

In our area, we have summer leagues that are a step up from REC ball. More of an allstar team that plays similar from other towns in the area. The commitment isn't as great as TB, they play 2 games a week with one or two practices for 8 weeks. Maybe your area has something similar. DD went this route and when she was at the top of the team we moved to TB.

Good Luck.

 

[sluggers]

Kids get turned down from TB teams all the time. My kids were rejected many, many times. It is part of the process of finding a team that fits your DD. You need to calm down a little and start thinking of this logically.

she asked her coach can I please try 1st base, and with her size and her beeing left handed....she was an almost natural fit

Here is a simple fact: If your DD doesn't hit, she wont' play 1B. Generally, if your DD wants to play TB, she needs to work outside of practice and games. Usually, the kids take some private lessons, and then spend a lot of time working on hitting. I would expect she needs to practice an hour or so a day in addition to whatever practices the team schedules.

What should I do? Just sit and wait?

No. Find some other travel teams and talk to the coach. You can find a fit for your DD...you just have to look.

He said he wanted her to play this weekend coming up, and im assuming we will have a few practices, Should i call him and ask him to shoot me straight?

Absolutely.

If he strings her along...i think i just might kill him!

He isn't stringing her along. He told her he doesn't need her on the team permanently, but likes to have her as a visiting player. He isn't lying to you or pretending that things are different.

should i just kindof play things by ear about this fall?

No. Find other teams in your area. Contact the coaches. Go see some tournaments.

Im scared if she is turned down this fall....she will die!

No, she won't.

 

[joemcq51]

Keep looking and find her a team. There are so many to chose from out there. If you like what this coach is teaching, you could keep being a fill in until fall ball and see where she fits then. If you look at her realistically, you should be able to tell if she is one of the top 7 or 8 players on the team. Try not to burn any bridges. There is a team out there for everyone.

 

[D.G. OutLaws 16u]

Exactly what Sluggers said!!
10u/12u kids that have an awsome bat get scooped up faster than a solid defender who doesn't hit well PERIOD!!
My advice is get her a good hitting coach(shop around PLEASE....spend the $$$ on private lessons instead of a $300 bat!!) At the same time shop around for other teams....theres no need for DD to be a temp fill in when theres teams looking/needing players. (again...PLEASE shop around) Once you start asking people(by going to watch tourneys) you will get tons of feedback on teams to avoid and teams to be on. Wandering from team to team is not advised here! What DD needs is to be on a team....a good team with good coaches(preferably no daddyball coached teams!) Try outs typically happen 2nd week of August. Take this time to get her hitting with a private coach, As much as you can take DD to the park and hit her pop ups and grounders and get her throwing!!! ....since shes not a pitcher these skills are a must. In the meantime find 12u tournaments and spend a weekend(yes all day) watching other teams and talk with parents. DD will also see what level her skills need to be at. Since she has 'the bug'....and it sounds like you do too, prep DD and yourself by getting solid practice while your getting a 'game plan' as to what teams to try out for this Aug. Its only about 6 short weeks away.....don't waist this time being a fill in who rides the pine!