Practice Blues

[gdc03120]

We're a 16U league, so it's technically UP TO 16, but you can play at 17 IF you turn 17 during the school year (so for this year, anyone who turns 17 after Sept. 01, 2016 is okay for this year - league goal to get more players interested).

Right now, I have the following:
5 - 12 year olds (1 little leaguer - 3 turn 13 by the end of April)
1 - 14 year old (turns 15 in May)
3 - 15 year olds
2 - 16 year olds
Total: 11 players

 

[quincy]

DD does not pitch illegal,.

 

[marriard]

We're a 16U league, so it's technically UP TO 16, but you can play at 17 IF you turn 17 during the school year (so for this year, anyone who turns 17 after Sept. 01, 2016 is okay for this year - league goal to get more players interested).

Total: 11 players

Ok.. read through this.... You need to realize that you are at the moment AT BEST the #3 priority behind school and school ball for some of your players and families. As #3 for some of your players, you don't get to make rules - you get to adjust around the other priorities. Sure you scheduled around other softball, but you didn't around the hours and hours of homework and study these kids have.

- You can't expect players who are playing school ball to turn up for your practices during their season. You have to wait until after they finish their school ball commitment to expect them to turn up. The girls ALREADY playing are getting plenty of work in already - they don't need more. They are doing more softball than the players you have that are only doing softball with you right now - why are you asking for more from them?
- You work with whoever CAN make it until all the players are 100% available (i.e. after school ball finishes). Then you have the right to expect to move up the priority list and expect more commitment. Right now it gives more reps to the non-school ball players which can't be a bad thing.
- If your players and their families have a different idea of the commitment level for your team than you do, then you may need to adjust. You can't MAKE them change their commitment level.

The end.

My DD plays high end travel ball. Many of her teammates are struggling with homework and schoolwork with just this combination, especially the younger girls in their first HS season. Her travel team has got together TWICE since first day of HS for some light hitting and some team bonding/recruiting. Even that is more than many teams do. And these girls are COMMITTED to the game.

 

[Gambler Bob]

I think you are expecting WAY too much from the girls that are involved with a school team. No way I would expect a child in high school to come to your practices after practicing for their school team.

 

[gdc03120]

With all due respect, I don't feel I am asking too much given the situation and level of play/abilities I have from the girls who form my team. I need time to evaluate what players I have and their abilities so I can meet the needs of my girls. This league we play in is NOWHERE CLOSE to travel ball/tournament play, however we still play against towns/schools/players a class or more higher than we generally are - therefore, the more work I can get in with my younger players (and the more the older players can step in and help as well, creating that team-like atmosphere), the better everything becomes all-around for us. I even had a little league player join us and practice - she's not got the strongest throw or fastest throw or may miss a few of the balls thrown her way, but she hustled after every play, made the strongest throws she could, and when she left I talked to her and asked, "Do you feel you're going to be alright playing with the older girls here?" and she said, "Oh yeah, just give me time to get used to it and I'll be fine. I like it a lot." Who am I to deny her time to run with the big girls?

I had my first practice Tuesday night from 6-8pm. 10 of my 11 girls attend (one was out with feminine issues). I sat the girls down with their parents at the end of practice. I told them, "School work and school ball will come before this team. When school ball ends, this steps up to #2, and so on." I asked them, "Do you feel like this (showing them my ideas for practices) is too much for you? We can adjust as necessary depending on certain days and times - be completely honest because there are some ideas I have as well." Only one parent asked about maybe ending our few upcoming practices slightly early due to darkness (something I did have in mind as well). Other than that, the girls were pumped, they liked what we did, and there's an understanding of what we want to achieve, and I think everyone's on-board with it. But when things need to be adjusted, we all agreed we will adjust as need be.

Tonight (Thursday) I have practice - 4 of my 11 girls (2 pairs of 2) will be away because of their own school-ball commitments. Separately, each pair came to me after practice and said, "Is it okay if we're late to practice Thursday because of our game?" I told them, "If you can't make it, don't worry about it, you get your 1/2 credit, etc - you're 'practicing enough' with playing." Their responses were a combination of, "We want to be here to help out and work with all the girls" and "We're committed to the team, we want to be here when we can" and such. Those are THEIR words, not mine. So if they can, they can, and if they can't, they can't and we work with it.

 

[TMD]

I'm not in your shoes so am in no position to judge, but this kind of dilemma is exactly why I like the rule in my state (IL) and, I'm sure, many other states that prohibits softball players (and all other sports too) from participating on non High School teams during their school season for that sport. Problem solved. You get them before the season starts and you get them after the season is done. For those travel/rec teams at an age where some girls are in HS and some are not, then you do the best you can with the girls you have access to. Around here, we often see 14U teams combine their non High School players during the spring High School season to play in non-sanctioned events or tournaments in a different association than they will normally play (USSSA vs. ASA, for example).

 

[gdc03120]

NYS doesn't have that specific rule that I'm aware of (otherwise someone would've told me 4 years along now). However most schools do have unwritten (or written, depending) rules saying that school sports take priority over club sports/travel ball on nights when games conflict, etc. That I have no problem with and that's the crux of what I'm doing here. IF players can make my practice after their events, great. If not, no worries, we take care of it another time - our season starts June 26, so there's a lot of time to get in 30 minutes with a player if need be.

I make my practice schedule around the schedules of 7 different teams my girls play on - so that the majority of girls have a chance to come (usually the youngest) and have time to work with me on various skills. When everyone's together, I incorporate skills/scenarios so we get the best of both worlds - the younger players love it (even if they're on a Modified team) because they're learning more about the game, so they don't mind it. It's the JV/Varsity players (of which I only have 3 out of 11) where it's tricky, but we make it work.