Playing on a bad team

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Nov 22, 2019
297
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Yes and no. Ideally, the best experiences in 10U are for teams that live in the .450-0.650 win range. Winning more than that makes every loss a disaster (and you are playing the wrong level). Losing more than that - well losing piles up fast in travel so that can also get really bas, real fast.



Maybe - how is the coaching? Is that a major part of why she is improving and excelling? Good coaching is a massive consideration for 10U. If she is having fun, and the coach is good, looking for greener pastures may not be the best move so be careful.



Games are the fun part. So the answer to this is more likley YES than NO. Sitting on the bench and watching at 10U is boring. On a well coached team, the #2 pitcher is getting plenty of pitching time; if you are concerned by that on a new team, then you should really think about it more.

There are good coaches and bad coaches. The question is ALWAYS is this team coached well. The whole daddy ball thing is BS for the most part - Daddy Ball/favortism is just a symptom of bad coaching



That is a totally separate issue.

I think for the most part it is coached well, and they’ve tried to bring in some of the older team coaches to help. They spend a lot of time right now on very fundamental stuff - throwing, catching, and fielding. They hit off tees, bunt, coach pitching, and live pitching. The pitchers and catchers stay after practice at least once a week to work.

Before the season they wanted to improve her shotput overhand throw and have done that.

I feel like the winter will be the real test.

In games the coaches maybe should be more vocal. The pitching management at times can be weird. Last tourney my daughter threw 135 pitches in a one day tourney in two games, the #2 girl threw o50, the #3 100 in one game, and the #4 like 30 some before being yanked and my daughter finishing the rest of the game. They sat my daughter and warmed her up knowing the #4 girl likely would get pulled.

This team at 8-U was undefeated, replaced 3 good girls with better older girls (adding the two pitchers) and now has trouble winning.
 
Nov 22, 2019
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Does she have fun? It sounds like she is thriving carrying the weight.

One other thing to consider is how she is not pitching. On a "better team" would she only really pitch? Hitting and fielding are also really fun to do.

I think on most teams she’d be a decent 6-8 hitter. My guess is at some point she would transition to only pitching, but she’s done surprisingly well hitting this year.

She’s a pretty good outfielder, which is less common around here at this age. She likes to make diving catches. She’s made one in a game and several at practice.

There’s also less pressure being on a bad team I’d imagine.
 
Oct 11, 2010
8,337
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Chicago, IL
Circle time for DD seemed important at the time but in hind sight I do not think it mattered. She could of started a little latter and been fine.

DD is not a strike out P so she needs the defense, she never blamed the defense for us losing.
 
Mar 28, 2014
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I'd never want my daughter to be the best player on the team anywhere under 16-18u. Your DD is the #1 pitcher and bats clean up so she is the best player on the team. She needs to move to a team where she is more in the middle of the pack talent wise so she will be challenged.
 
Aug 25, 2019
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I'd say talk to the #2 pitcher's parents, if they want to stay on the team, you have a good foundation, but if they leave, they you should too. Although the teams' parents will probably be mad at you for leaving, but that's part of the game.
 
Oct 9, 2018
396
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Texas
" The team is young, with only 4 girls 2nd years (including my DD)". A 2nd year player will be forced to move to a new team regardless of other factors. Just decide if she is learning and having fun currently, since time force action at a later date.
 
Sep 17, 2009
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Your questions are the right ones so IMO you probably already know the answers -- it's just a tough decision to stay (and maybe it doesn't get better) or leave (and who knows) ... either way you are impacting your kid's life so the stakes are high (sort of, she'll be fine either way).

If you feel there's a path to get this team where it needs to go and you trust the coaches to get your daughter and the team there, I would stay. Right now, it's about development. Later on, you make decisions about wins and the quality of tournaments your DD's team can get into and compete in. You can also make that decision year by year, if not month by month if you are upfront with the coaches about it. If leaving seems the right decision, I would take my time and find a clearly better situation. You don't want to end up bouncing around from team to team having bad experiences that's no fun either. Good luck!
 
Dec 11, 2010
4,713
113
Winning more than that makes every loss a disaster

This is so true. It is a great point that never occurred to me.

My dd was on a team like that. We won a lot but it may have been the most miserable summer of travel ball in all the years we experienced.

For the op, there are more than one teams that stunk in the fall, outworked all the others in the winter and looked like a completely different team the next summer. If the coaching is good, keep that in mind.
 

radness

Possibilities & Opportunities!
Dec 13, 2019
7,270
113
This is a 10u post thread ?!
Cannot say whats best for each, as we are all individuals,
may differ in goals.
Can comment about the journey in travel.

Every team scenario will have its 'reasons' to consider thinking through.
If this scenario in *(10u)* is causing you to think of moving to a new team already.....
You definitely will have many more 'something's monthly'
triggering making you 're-consider'.

Just saying
Travel ball and your dd will be forever either
revolving or evolving...
And those are perspective's
that lead/push/drag people in all sorts of directions.

Plan your purpose accordingly!
Good luck!
 
Last edited:
Nov 22, 2019
297
43
Your questions are the right ones so IMO you probably already know the answers -- it's just a tough decision to stay (and maybe it doesn't get better) or leave (and who knows) ... either way you are impacting your kid's life so the stakes are high (sort of, she'll be fine either way).

If you feel there's a path to get this team where it needs to go and you trust the coaches to get your daughter and the team there, I would stay. Right now, it's about development. Later on, you make decisions about wins and the quality of tournaments your DD's team can get into and compete in. You can also make that decision year by year, if not month by month if you are upfront with the coaches about it. If leaving seems the right decision, I would take my time and find a clearly better situation. You don't want to end up bouncing around from team to team having bad experiences that's no fun either. Good luck!

If my wife didn't get so angry during the games, I don't think I'd even consider moving, unless the #2 pitcher moved elsewhere.

I also don't think the other options are that great.


1) A good town team that is interested in her to be a #2 pitcher
We lost to this team 7-3. We hit there #2 pitcher well. My daughter came into pitch the game in the 1st inning with the score 5-0. They only got one hit against her, and one of the runs they scored against her, the runner got on on a walk on a 3-2 where the ump made a terrible call. The only game this year the coaches complained about a call. We are not part of this town. They play less games, but have a very good record. The coach's DD is the #1 pitcher and is very good.

2) Tryout for a team that rejected her basically for no one. Not sure why, if they were looking for a better pitcher or the coach didn't like if when I asked if she played in college after she said she played until her junior year before an injury. My DD has gained about 5-6MPH in speed in the last two months, so not sure if that would matter in a tryout. This team I think churns its weaker players. This team beat the above town team by a run in a scrimmage, helped by 3rd dropped strike.

3) A team farther away that we split with this year, but they have won more games. They've brought in guest pitchers/players several times this year, which has helped them.

4) Travel over an 1 hour to a good team that needs a #1 pitcher. We have played a few closer games against them.


To me, I think with a strong winter her current team can start beating these teams once in awhile. As someone noted, she'll likely have to move to a different organization next fall regardless.
 

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