Sept. 1st is approaching

[_MIA_]

Maybe you can find a defensive instructor to help her. Then again maybe she's doing it cuz it bugs you...

She knows what to do but for whatever reason she doesn't do it consistently..not sure what an instructor will do to help that. Despite it driving me nuts, I don't make a big deal out of it really, I'll mention it to her every so often and then be done with it. I am sure other kids in 8th grade probably have similar issues..that was my point. There are lots other things to worry about (sportswise and more importantly, academically) when you are 13 other than where you are going to go to college in 5 years. That said, like you said, people are free to do whatever they want in that regards...I am just giving my opinion (which was obviously shared by others, at least outwardly, since the rule was changed..).

We also are not totally ignoring the recruiting aspect. She has a twitter (sorry, X, ) account where she uploads her highlight videos,etc and has started making a list of schools she might be interested in (even though I think that could wait a year, her coach had the team do it since the rest of them are 27's or 26's). To the previous point about early recruiting and D3 vs D1, interestingly enough the only coaches that follow her (there are only a few) are D1 coaches even though she follows quite a few D3 coaches as well..

Hahaaa that's a comment to a giant group of people....mehhh

To the living vicariously part, me trying to help with the details of fielding qualifies me for that sin? Or is it the driving me nuts part? Lots of things drive me nuts..you included sometimes

 

[RADcatcher]

We also are not totally ignoring the recruiting aspect. She has a twitter (sorry, X, ) account where she uploads her highlight videos,etc and has started making a list of schools she might be interested in (even though I think that could wait a year, her coach had the team do it since the rest of them are 27's or 26's). To the previous point about early recruiting and D3 vs D1, interestingly enough the only coaches that follow her (there are only a few) are D1 coaches even though she follows quite a few D3 coaches as well..

There is a good point in what you said about the travel ball team that she is on. The coach that wants team to start preparing. Common at 14U... the coach is asking team to be Task oriented.

Toward the conversation about preparing they are exposed to that In high school.
Including Academic counselors helping the direction to college. And AP courses to stack academics.

 

[_MIA_]

There is a good point in what you said about the travel ball team that she is on. The coach that wants team to start preparing. Common at 14U... the coach is asking team to be Task oriented.

Do notice that not all players are as prepared to focus on the attention it needs to develop to accomplish that.
And that can be a bit pushing them but I think it's more of an eye opening.

Add~ Being that 14U teams have players in high school and high school is a place to prepare for what comes after high school.
Players at that age are being exposed to this from school.
Including Academic counselors helping the direction to college. And AP courses to stack academics.

Well they are 16U now but yes (and he did start having them do things this past 14U season)

 

[Orange Socks]

Back when I had no grey hair and DD was at 14U, about the time I joined this group. It was me and another dad that were focused on hitting camps and communicating with the college coaches, while the rest of the parents looked like a chicken watching a card trick. This other dad had been through the recruiting with his older DD1 and we spent many hours having conversations about recruiting. He was my mentor and we are still good friends today. Our DD's only played a year and half together, but we knew we had a path and a plan and we fed off of each other. His DD2 graduated and is now working at Oxy Chem. As I think back to those players on that team who went on to play college. His DD2 played mid major D1, another player D1 in the NE, my DD, another went Juco, and the last one who I mentioned in another thread went to a school in Minnesota and she was the last kid I though would play.

My point is, it's okay to start early and make adjustments along the way. Things will change, DD will change, you will change, coaches most definitely will change, finances change, academic interest will change. Just do something and listen to the people that have actually been there, done that successfully.

 

[_MIA_]

The student preparing early and early recruitment by colleges are two different things..Preparing early is fine, nobody is arguing otherwise. I’ve been on here for 7 years @Orange Socks and have been listening to your sage advice the whole time

That said I am not spending $2000 this year flying/driving her to 5 camps when she is in 8th grade and her main comment regarding playing in college at this point has been “I don’t want to freeze my butt off playing college softball” (wimp)

 

[LEsoftballdad]

while the rest of the parents looked like a chicken watching a card trick

I'd like to see that.

 

[Traps71]

I'd like to see that.

 

[Orange Socks]

The student preparing early and early recruitment by colleges are two different things..Preparing early is fine, nobody is arguing otherwise. I’ve been on here for 7 years @Orange Socks and have been listening to your sage advice the whole time

That said I am not spending $2000 this year flying/driving her to 5 camps when she is in 8th grade and her main comment regarding playing in college at this point has been “I don’t want to freeze my butt off playing college softball” (wimp)

I agree. Pick and choose a camp here and there. A lot of it is just getting used to performing in front of coaches and other players. It's like a TB tryout. Line drives and Dives! Looking back on the camps that DD attending could be considered a waste of money, but what we were paying for was experience and confidence. DD never attended a camp prior to committing to the school she went to.