Number Of Practices During Week????

[1st_&_3rd]

As a parent of a 13 YO player I think two team practices during the week is enough and more than that starts to turn SB into a grind for her and me. Some people I talk to think there should be at least 3 and maybe even going to the cages on top of that.

What's the opinion here?

 

[livingontheroad]

Depends on how good the team wants to be, pure and simple.

I know teams that practice 5 days per week, year round. They are usually among the top 1-10 in the country in ASA.

Many recreational teams will practice once.

Practice isnt everything, you have to have good athletes too, but you cannot practice too much if you are serious about 1) winning on national level 2) getting your girls exposure to top colleges

 

[1st_&_3rd]

To clarify......My thoughts are in regard to regional competitive travel teams and also in regard to when the tournament season begins.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

Yes, to 2 practices plus your private hitting lesson and if you are a pitcher, your pitching lesson. If the girls are not working on their own, then 3 practices are necessary.

 

[sluggers]

Amy and livingontheroad is 100% correct.

Practice is drudgery only if you don't like what you are doing. If your passionate about something, it isn't drudgery--it is fun.

I had two DDs play sports in college, one softball the other basketball. They practiced all the time from 11 and up. The one who played hoops wore out THREE casts on her broken leg shooting hoops.

I'm a math wiz. I love doing math problems. Math homework was fun. On the airplane, I work all the math problems in the "game section". My wife is a great cook. She'll read cookbooks, and studies cooking techniques. She loves it. I've got an aunt that does knitting. She enjoyed practicing knitting--she spent a couple of hours each night learning how to knit.

Ask your DD, and do it in a way that doesn't suggest what you think the answer should be. If she says, "I wish we practiced more, I love practicing," then she is doing what she wants. If she doesn't like it, then she should find something she can be passionate about.

 

[Hollyrockartist]

DDs school team practices twice a week from June until the end of July for 2 hours every afternoon. Last two weeks of July are daily - two plus hours gearing up for the season (which the every day started this week). The last two weeks are supposed to be mandatory, although only a handful have shown up this week, as have all summer. If you are going to have practices, it is my humble opinion that every player needs to be there regardless...JMHO

 

[SoCalDad]

Starting last week of Aug TB has two mandatory practices during the week and one on Saturday. Catchers and pitchers have an additional practice and the other players are encouraged to attend. Most of the time we the entire team at the optional practice. Each player is expected to spend at least one day a week at batting practice. Ends up being 4 - 5 practices a week.

 

[amanda_cake]

I've never had parents complain about too many practices during the week, but that's because they usually can't get enough. School ball practices every (week) day from the end of February until the end of season, about late April/early June.

Rec ball practices on Saturdays before the season starts with a weekly practice. Once season starts, Saturday practices end.

I'm coaching 10U and 12U fall ball. I plan on them each practicing for 1hr 30min on a week night, then an hr practice for pitchers and catchers from both age groups (might as well combine them, saves me from having to come two separate nights to watch a bunch of girls go through pitching/catching exercises), and each age group having a two hour Saturday practice.

That equals into 8 hours a week for me coaching girls. And wait until the games start...

 

[Coach-n-Dad]

16U travel - During spring and summer, the team practices tuesday and thursday with wednesday fitness training also saturday if there is no tournament. All players are required to go to private hitting coach once per week. Pitchers have one 1-2 hour lesson per week with private coach. all players are required to practice hitting at home for one hour. During fall and winter the only thing that changes is no wednesday. During high school softball season the team practices with their high school team weekdays and travel team attends sunday clinic twice per month. All players take the month of December off.

DD is a pitcher so she and I pitch 3 times per week on our own regardless of team schedule. DD loves practice and has never complained about the schedule.

 

[Wookie]

It all depends on how good the player, and the team, wants to be, but ...

As a parent of a 13 YO player I think two team practices during the week is enough and more than that starts to turn SB into a grind for her and me.

it sounds like she's already provided the level of how good she wants to be, or the quality of team she wants to be on.

It all eventually comes to an end - for some not until after college, others when they discover boys, and some at 13 YO with 2 practices max per week.

Just ask HER what SHE wants to do and everything will be fine.