Newly ticked-off parent in need of Slugger, et al
- Thread starter Jillsdad
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Amy - DD (00) is an ok pitcher for 12U travel. But she is not hell-bent on pitching every game, she will happily play right field.
She throws mid 40s, is developing change up, sees PC once a week and practices 3-4 times a week. I'll post a video as soon as I get one thanks.
She throws mid 40s, is developing change up, sees PC once a week and practices 3-4 times a week. I'll post a video as soon as I get one thanks.
- Jun 18, 2010
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Jillsdad, I may have missed this, but did she jump right from rec to A-ball?
For my DD we went from rec, to C-ball, to B-ball. As many have posted on this forum before, C-ball and B-ball should provide ample opportunity for all on the team to play and improve and if she is playing as little as you have indicated, I think you have a legitimate complaint. If she took the jump from rec to A-ball then that may have been too large of an initial step.
For my DD we went from rec, to C-ball, to B-ball. As many have posted on this forum before, C-ball and B-ball should provide ample opportunity for all on the team to play and improve and if she is playing as little as you have indicated, I think you have a legitimate complaint. If she took the jump from rec to A-ball then that may have been too large of an initial step.
Kn - she went from rec right to A-ball, but in rec she was playing with 8th-9th graders in 5th grade. My complaint is not that she is over her head, nor am I the "My DD is the best player on the team and should pitch every game and bat 3rd" dad. My issue is that every player good enough to make an A-ball team obviously can play the game and should get playing time.
Not if the ultimate goal is to win. At the highest levels of all team sports, you have very skilled athletes who sit the bench the whole game.
That said, I'm skeptical that coaching a 12U team like they're the Atlanta Braves serves any good purpose, especially at this age. So I generally agree with how you think the team ought to be coached. But if the coach's philosophy is to win the most games possible, then it might be that some girls should not get much playing time. I don't think girls want or need that at 12-years-old, but that's another subject.
I never had this sort of issue with my DD. My son on the other hand would star in the tryouts and then sit the bench. He was the shortest kid on the team (every team he played on after he was 12) it was frustrating to have him sitting when other kids who he was as good as or better got more time. Usually because a coach will get a preconceived notion of what a ball player looks like.
This is what I did.
1 I told my son to do everything the coaches asked of him and to keep swinging the bat. Its easier to hit your way into the line up.
2. I went to the coaches and in a very non confrontational manner said.
"What should DS be working on or doing different in order to get more playing time?"
Unless there is a very obvious reason, usually the coaches will give you the first idea that pops into their head.
"We want to see lots of hard work and hustle in practice and to work on ________(whatever)_____."
Now at this point instead of saying. Well if you were paying attention you would see that he works his butt off in practice and is the first kid to do_____(whatever)________
Instead I would say.
"I'll let him know thats what he has to work on, and can I tell him that you will be watching him so that he can feel confident that you will notice when he does these things?"
Of course.
So they feel obligated to look a little harder at the small kid, who it seems all of a sudden is hustling and don't you know it he has pretty good hands and makes consistant contact when hitting. And he ended up on the field more.
This is what I did.
1 I told my son to do everything the coaches asked of him and to keep swinging the bat. Its easier to hit your way into the line up.
2. I went to the coaches and in a very non confrontational manner said.
"What should DS be working on or doing different in order to get more playing time?"
Unless there is a very obvious reason, usually the coaches will give you the first idea that pops into their head.
"We want to see lots of hard work and hustle in practice and to work on ________(whatever)_____."
Now at this point instead of saying. Well if you were paying attention you would see that he works his butt off in practice and is the first kid to do_____(whatever)________
Instead I would say.
"I'll let him know thats what he has to work on, and can I tell him that you will be watching him so that he can feel confident that you will notice when he does these things?"
Of course.
So they feel obligated to look a little harder at the small kid, who it seems all of a sudden is hustling and don't you know it he has pretty good hands and makes consistant contact when hitting. And he ended up on the field more.
I can remember one instance where on of my rec players just played "over her head" one game. The TB coach recruited her, immediately. He didn't take a good enough look at her. I am thinking that the girls were about 12, then. She was the one that never played and only got to run, here and there. It absolutely ruined her for softball. They turned in her uniform and she never played, again.
I hope that doesn't happen to your DD. Good luck and let us hear about her progress. Does she like to play catch with you?
I hope that doesn't happen to your DD. Good luck and let us hear about her progress. Does she like to play catch with you?
