Red Flags or warning signs

[El Oso]

, but definitely heavy on player development and coaches that can build a healthy team culture.

dose of reality ---- at that age level in C class, you're mostly going to get dad coaches so forget about development and focus on team culture building. These guys have 9-5's and don't do this professionally so don't depend on them for development help. Matter of fact, most of what they might say mechanically is probably wrong.

Don't overthink this. Choose a team where she will get time on the dirt and be surrounded by good kids. The development comes in the cages and your own backyard.

 

[SoftballZen]

dose of reality ---- at that age level in C class, you're mostly going to get dad coaches so forget about development and focus on team culture building. These guys have 9-5's and don't do this professionally so don't depend on them for development help. Matter of fact, most of what they might say mechanically is probably wrong.

Don't overthink this. Choose a team where she will get time on the dirt and be surrounded by good kids. The development comes in the cages and your own backyard.

Yeah I've noticed that pretty much all of the local C levels have at least one kid with the same last name as the coach.

As far as over thinking, it's too late, I have a spreadsheet going.

Thanks all! Great stuff!

 

[Carty]

One question that wasn't mentioned. Ask for the coach's resume/credentials.

 

[NJZoo]

As others have said - have a list of 2-4 teams you want to check out and try to go watch them play. Get a feel for how many players are on the team player rotations, how the coach interacts with the team, and the behavior of the parents.

The biggest thing to look for is stability. Does the team have a stable coaching staff, is it a mixed year team that will be looking for new players after every year, and - do they have a set schedule. I have read horror stories of parents being promised the moon when it cones to schedules/tournaments only to find out it was a bill of goods. You can never ask too many questions.

 

[mmeece]

If you're looking to get more serious and play with committed players, I'd skip C level teams. Most of these teams are rec players who just want to play more. I'd look at solid B teams who want to improve and move up to A level at some point.

 

[4Martini]

Yeah I've noticed that pretty much all of the local C levels have at least one kid with the same last name as the coach.

As far as over thinking, it's too late, I have a spreadsheet going.

Thanks all! Great stuff!

There are a lot of good parent coaches out there. My daughter has had ex-professional athletes and D1 coaches (other sport) and players. The two worst coaches we had were non-parent coaches. At least the parent coaches tend to care a lot.
My daughter has played 14s, rec, C, B and A over the past 2.5 years. C gets a bad rep but it was very important in her development. Find the team your daughter needs. Ideally where she’s right in the middle of abilities. Some kids to push her but not fighting for at bats all the time.

 

[Strike2]

Yeah I've noticed that pretty much all of the local C levels have at least one kid with the same last name as the coach.

As far as over thinking, it's too late, I have a spreadsheet going.

Thanks all! Great stuff!

You will find that at all levels. It's unlikely to be a problem unless your kid plays the same position. The reality is that parent coaches will probably care about the team more, and be harder on their kid than anyone else. The coaches of even the highest level travel teams started with one or more of their kids playing for them.

Further, what was said above about "C" level coaches applies to all but a slim minority who are trying to make a living at this. With only a few exceptions, you'll want to stay away from those people. Most all of those who coach 18U and below at any level have a "9-5" that pays the bills. You sure won't find a HS coach who gets a full-time salary just for coaching softball. Some may indeed be wrong "mechanically" and in other ways, but so can the "pros" that charge $50 per half hour. Keep an open mind.

 

[smittag]

Instead of warning signs I'll give you a tip that has been helpful to us. You will feel pressured to commit right away and in our experience it takes a while to really know if it's a good fit. So take your time and enjoy the journey!

 

[CoachJD]

dose of reality ---- at that age level in C class, you're mostly going to get dad coaches so forget about development and focus on team culture building. These guys have 9-5's and don't do this professionally so don't depend on them for development help. Matter of fact, most of what they might say mechanically is probably wrong.

Don't overthink this. Choose a team where she will get time on the dirt and be surrounded by good kids. The development comes in the cages and your own backyard.

Agree with this. The girls I have helped get on travel teams develop in some specific ways, and rarely is it from a mechanical/fundamental standpoint.

They really learn the little things. They learn how to read the situation. They learn how to anticipate. They become better base runners. They are more aware of the secondary play. They are better at remembering to back up, cover a base, etc.

They learn how to take warm-up seriously and how to "act like a softball player."

They learn how to watch the good players and try to do what they do. They learn how to step up their game to match the level of competition, both on their own team and against other teams.

They get better from playing a lot more games than I can provide them, too.

But many of them have some of the same flaws I haven't yet been able to fix. Funky throws, some hitting weaknesses, etc. I've asked my players about if they work on X or Y with their travel team and the answer is most often no. In some cases, I've had to correct awful teaching (one travel coach around here forbids his infielders from using a backhand to field a ball, for example).

None of this is a criticism of travel teams, nor is it representative of every team. But El Oso is right: individual skill development primarily comes through working on your own. Every now and then, one of my non-travel players will become noticeably better at something. Almost always I find out she had been working with a parent/sibling on her own time.

 

[chappellestherobot?]

These are all good suggestions. You can ask all the questions you want but you often won't realize you are in a bad situation until it's too late. Everyone *says* the right things. Best thing is to observe when they don't know you're watching, as many have said. Keep in mind 90% of coaches have "a plan" for their own kid's development or career. That's why this team exists! If YOUR kid is a part of that plan it's a lot of fun. If they are not a part of the plan it's miserable. This does not always have anything to do with how good any player is. It's often "will they be nice about it if they are the one left out?" Take your time and don't feel rushed into a situation just to have a home. People always need players and in any case it's better to wait than to be miserable. Wouldn't wish it on anyone. Good coaches and good fits are rare but they make all the difference. Go where you are wanted. A good fit is more important than any class-level or name brand