Seriously considering not having dd play travel ball yet

[PA SB Dad]

It's not entirely clear to me from the OP - are you saying she was playing on a 14U TB team and now is moving up to 16U? Or has she not played TB yet, and is thinking about playing 16U TB for the first time?

If it's the latter situation, at 14U/16U, if your DD is not playing TB yet, she is "late" getting in but it is not impossible to make the transition. The real question is why does she want to play TB rather than rec ball? Did your DD develop a real passion for the game recently and now wants a more competitive experience? Does she want to improve so that she can play HS ball or even college ball? If the answer is "No" to both those questions, or even "Not Sure", then she is probably better off playing rec ball or looking for a less competitive team where she can have fun while she improves her skills. If she has higher aspirations, she needs to find a team that will provide her with the coaching and training that will move her to that higher level of play, and she needs to put the work in on her own (or with private coaches) that will help her earn playing time on those more competitive teams. And as others have mentioned, the commitment needs to go both ways (from your DD to the team and from the coaches to your DD). It sounds like the current situation is not the right one for her.

Have your DD ask herself, why play TB, pros and cons?

 

[SoftSocDad]

I know my dd wants to play but being new to travel ball and how things operate, I don't think she is ready to make the transition to 16u. (She was playing on a 14u team.) At least, that seems to be the impression. The team she has been practicing for, cancelled last practice and we didn't receive a call. We found out when we drove 45 minutes out. The team had a tournament this weekend, yet my dd wasn't invited to at least go and watch. I thinking this is a subtle way of saying, we are not interested in your dd playing for our organization but we would like her on standby if we don't find more players for 2015.

If there was a late cancellation and you're not on their team's call or email list, that could be the explanation as to why you did not find out. I doubt they would deliberately do that to your DD and you.

Not being 'invited to at least go watch' only means that your DD is not their main focus.

Neither of the above means that they wouldn't like to have your DD, nor does it mean she is not ready for 16u TB.

 

[Crystol Owens Brown]

Camps are not going to help - or are at best hit and miss. Better off with private instructors where you have an ongoing relationship and can watch and track improvement with consistent coaching over time.

She works with a pc who also been helping with her batting once a week.

 

[Crystol Owens Brown]

First of all, I am sorry that you have not had a positive experience so far. Just like anything else in life, there is good and bad everywhere. Sometimes you think you have one, when in reality you have the other. Before making any final decisions, I think you should focus on what you are saying in this quote. If you know this to be fact, then it is probably time to make a decision. Does your DD want to continue this particular journey? Is this the team she truly wants to be with? Are there other options in your area? Maybe she can practice with another team as a way of getting her foot in the door. On the other hand, if you do not know this to be fact, then I agree with RHC. Discuss the situation with the coach in a calm and professional manner. Perhaps there was a mistake of some sort. Hopefully the coach will be upfront and honest with you and then you can make a decision with that additional knowledge. Either way, I wish you and your DD luck with your decision.

I am finding travel ball confusing. She has guest played for other team this season. Some were wonderful experience and some left me scratching my head. There are quite of few teams in the area.
You are right, I don't know this for certain. But, either my gut feeling is right or the coach has poor communication skills. I actually called the coach, which left me just as confused. All I got was, "I have to talk to the owners about her." Which they haven't seen her practice. I still don't have a date for the next practice.

 

[SoCalASABlue]

I am finding travel ball confusing. She has guest played for other team this season. Some were wonderful experience and some left me scratching my head. There are quite of few teams in the area.
You are right, I don't know this for certain. But, either my gut feeling is right or the coach has poor communication skills. I actually called the coach, which left me just as confused. All I got was, "I have to talk to the owners about her." Which they haven't seen her practice. I still don't have a date for the next practice.

"I have to talk to the owners"??...Run away...find another team...

 

[Crystol Owens Brown]

Hi and welcome.



Go and watch? Who has time for that? Have you paid to be on the team or not? Ok, the bright side...it could have been worse. What if your family gave up other activities to travel out of town for the weekend, and your DD was expected to dress and show up for 7am warmups, etc, and THEN not play? Sound like a *fun* weekend? The good news is that a team who wasn't planning on playing your kid this weekend didn't steal your time and money and emotions and leave you pissed off having realized that your money just subsidized the other players on the team. You know...the ones who PLAYED. Did you subsidize the others, I mean, pay to be on this team?

VW

No, I did not pay for her to play. The team does fundraisers to help cut the cost. My daughter just recently tried out for the team. So, she has not attended any of the fundraisers. The team also does volunteer work, which is something I really like.

They are wanting players to play only for their team. Her PC coach used to coach travel ball for over 20 years.

 

[Crystol Owens Brown]

It's not entirely clear to me from the OP - are you saying she was playing on a 14U TB team and now is moving up to 16U? Or has she not played TB yet, and is thinking about playing 16U TB for the first time?

If it's the latter situation, at 14U/16U, if your DD is not playing TB yet, she is "late" getting in but it is not impossible to make the transition. The real question is why does she want to play TB rather than rec ball? Did your DD develop a real passion for the game recently and now wants a more competitive experience? Does she want to improve so that she can play HS ball or even college ball? If the answer is "No" to both those questions, or even "Not Sure", then she is probably better off playing rec ball or looking for a less competitive team where she can have fun while she improves her skills. If she has higher aspirations, she needs to find a team that will provide her with the coaching and training that will move her to that higher level of play, and she needs to put the work in on her own (or with private coaches) that will help her earn playing time on those more competitive teams. And as others have mentioned, the commitment needs to go both ways (from your DD to the team and from the coaches to your DD). It sounds like the current situation is not the right one for her.

Have your DD ask herself, why play TB, pros and cons?

We lived on a military base in Europe for 4 years when she learned to play softball at. They only played 1-2 other teams(depending on how many players wanting to play softball) and used the slingshot pitching method until last year. They were invited to Europeans where there were more teams to play against and my daughter was the main pitcher. They placed 2nd. Now that we are in the States, she wants to be more competitive and talked about playing college ball. I am not going saying if she will or will not make it to college to play ball but it does keep her focus on school work and in return, her grades are better. This year was the first year playing travel ball and she was on a 14u team. She turned 15 a little over a month ago. Yes, she played rec ball but it wasn't much of a challenge for her. She was wanting to play at a higher level and there are currently no rec ball programs playing at this time(of what I know of)in my area.

 

[quincy]

She is at the age that a lot of players stop playing softball. I would guess more players drop out at 15 and 16 than any other age. I just find it hard to believe that there is not a good team out there looking for your DD.

 

[vdubya]

All I got was, "I have to talk to the owners about her." Which they haven't seen her practice. I still don't have a date for the next practice.

There is nothing confusing about this. Look, your DD isn't 'too elite' for this team right? That is not likely what the 'talk to the owner' bit is about. What they are saying is that THEY think your DD is the bottom rung. You do not want to be the bottom rung or even one of the bottom 4 or 5 on a team. On a roster of 11, the bottom 4 play around half time. On a roster of 12, the bottom 6 play around half time. (Do the math... how do most teams sub in/out? ) Find a team where she is middle of the pack as someone suggested earlier. If she isn't a sub or one who consistently gets pulled when subs go in, she will get her much-needed playing time. There are all levels of teams out there. Find one where DD is around 5th on the team because you don't have time for half-time. If you aren't sure, ask the prospective coach his assessment of how she compares to the roster. Anything less than middle of the pack means keep looking. Don't be too proud to play for a mediocre team if needed, but have her keep working hard on her own. The team situation in your case should be all about playing time and some good instruction. Just my opinion.

 

[JJsqueeze]

This is similar to watching a Slasher movie. I keep yelling at the screen "run away".

How much more evidence do you need that this is not the right fit? just leave already. This is not going to get better. "I need to talk to the owners?". What kind of bs dodge is this? Get out. GET OUT!