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Apr 16, 2013
1,113
83
e, I wouldn't join a team already having more than 11 unless DD was clearly among the best 9-10.
Just to be clear, when we joined the team she made 9 in Jan of last year. For 2 seasons we were always looking for a pitcher to join on weekends as we were always short. Then this season it exploded with 3 additions.
 

Strike2

Allergic to BS
Nov 14, 2014
2,044
113
Rule of thumb is to roster the same amount of players as the age division. 14 for 14U, 16 for 16U and 18 for 18U. The coaches will have a showcase lineup that gets most kids in the game, if not then the next game.

Not every tournament is a "showcase", and trying to manage 14+ doesn't work if when parents pay big money and their kid is on the bench half the time (or more). Eventually, they find a team that needs a player, and the fatter rosters reduce. My DD plays 16/18, including college showcases, and teams rarely show up with more than 12-13 regardless of tournament format.
 
Apr 16, 2013
1,113
83
Has your current team been actually playing in front of coaches? Has your DD been contacting these colleges coaches for the past two years? Recruitment really starts in 9th grade for potential D1 athletes. On Sept 1st D1 coaches already have a list of players that they will reach out to since they have been watching and evaluating them for the past two years. I am the recruiting coordinator for DD's team and I am talking to the college coaches about the younger players all the time. They just can't really express their interest back to me. Join a team that has a history of placing players in the programs that your DD is interested in.

No one has asked this question yet. If she has D1 skills why isn't she one of the top catchers getting the most playing time? Are the 3 other catchers D1 catchers too? Just posing the question.

She's been emailing the coaches for the schools she's interested in since fall of last year. She's done a prospect camp for her #1 choice and will be doing a batting camp tomorrow with that team. She hasn't played in front of any of them, as far as I know. This weekend they're doing a 16u PGF qualifier, then the rest of the season is showcase, one specifically at the school that's her #2 choice.

Her bat is D1 level. Her catching, I honestly don't know. However, she knows what she needs to work on and is working to improve that. That's why she needs valuable playing time. Every inning is honing those skills. I also know she needs to be catching better pitchers. Her current team doesn't have that. The one team she filled in for, while currently injured, has a D1 signed '02 as their #1. She'll be able to return in a few months, maybe sooner if cleared by the doctor. All of the teams interested in her are a step up from where she's at now and will only play in larger showcases.
 
Jun 27, 2018
291
28
When my daughter was 14u, in the Fall that year she split time with one other catcher. When they got to Spring she made a really bad throw down to second, then a few plays later made another one. The opposing coach yelled out loud to his team “keep running, we’ll take that all day!” I’ll never forget it. Our coach was very competitive and I guess she was mad. So my daughter got pulled. Never saw a defensive play again that Spring. She was basically a DH. Now you know catchers need to develop. My daughter asked numerous times if she could get back in on defense. Anywhere. Nope. This was a B team. So we found another team. We left with one tournament left and Nationals. Her development was suffering. She went to another B team and ended up being the starter. Now she’s playing 16A


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Apr 16, 2013
1,113
83
Sorry to hear that GoRight. That's a pretty bad coach IMO! You have to face failure before you can really succeed.

Just so we're all clear, I'm doing exactly what Marriard suggested. We're going to sit down with the coach this weekend and lay it out.
 
Jul 14, 2018
982
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I'll give you the perspective from a year out, DD was in the exact same situation last year.

Going into the first week of July, she was the #3 pitcher on her team and saw no circle time at all (less than 10 innings April - June). She had played with the team for two years and liked her teammates, but her lack of involvement on the field changed the way they treated her. They all stopped talking to her, nobody would throw with her before games, it got really toxic. We knew that she had to leave.

I never thought that I would be that parent, who walked away from a team for, honestly, selfish reasons. But DD started to dislike softball, and even questioned whether she belonged in travel ball. When a friend on another team reached out and asked if she would be available to guest play on the same weekend her current team was playing, we agreed and I told the coach that we wouldn't be finishing the season (I had already told him that we were looking for another team).

Fast forward a year, and DD couldn't be happier. She's the #1 pitcher on her new team (the one she guest played for last July), loves her teammates, and loves playing softball again. It's been awkward sometimes to run into those former teammates, but mostly they've been friendly (including the former coach). I think I feel worse about it than anyone.
 
Oct 21, 2016
189
28
The time our daughters have to play this game is so limited. In a blink of an eye it will all be gone, which is so sad. If we were talking about sons it's so different with so many levels to play at, but we aren't. The time our DD's have to play this game is a precious commodity, and none should be wasted on a situation that makes your DD unhappy. That's my personal opionion.

Here's a whole other take. If your DD is looking to play D1 ball and she is 16, then maybe you should be think about this like you would your personal job/occupation. If you have a job you don't like and someone offers you a better job that your excited about, why in the world would you stay with the first job that you hated.
 
Jul 16, 2013
4,659
113
Pennsylvania
The time our daughters have to play this game is so limited. In a blink of an eye it will all be gone, which is so sad. If we were talking about sons it's so different with so many levels to play at, but we aren't. The time our DD's have to play this game is a precious commodity, and none should be wasted on a situation that makes your DD unhappy. That's my personal opionion.

Here's a whole other take. If your DD is looking to play D1 ball and she is 16, then maybe you should be think about this like you would your personal job/occupation. If you have a job you don't like and someone offers you a better job that your excited about, why in the world would you stay with the first job that you hated.

This is a good point. I am a believer in commitment. But there are times when leaving is the best choice. However, there is a right way and wrong way to handle it. If an employee enters my office and explains that he/she found another opportunity, I shake their hand and wish them the best of luck. But if an employee just stops showing up without explanation, I have trouble respecting that person.

There are many things my DD has done over the years that have made me very proud of her. But one of my proudest moments came at the beginning of her sophomore year of high school. It was at that time that she decided it was time to walk away from high school basketball. She had participated in the summer program for the team. But during that time she mentioned to DW and I that it may be time to walk away. While we both wanted her to continue playing, we understood. All we asked is that she make her decision before officially committing for the season. Official sign-ups were scheduled for the first week they returned from summer vacation. When she returned home from school on the first day, she informed us that she had arranged a meeting with the basketball coach. We drove her to the meeting to show her our support, but we both stayed in our car while she walked into the coaches office and explained her decision to her. Her coach stated that it was the first time a player did this in person. Typically they just stop showing up and never even contact her. They simply disappear...
 
Nov 18, 2013
2,255
113
For those huge, fly all over the country, national teams, I've seen it. I think those girls go in knowing exactly what their place is vs a situation like this.

Most go in only knowing they’ll have a chance to contribute. They don’t know when, how many innings or which games. It helps prepare them for college because they might not play more than two innings their entire freshman year. They need to learn how to improve at practice or never see the field. Playing on teams of 10-11 kids and never having to compete for a spot is why so many girls quit after freshman year. Something to think about, if she can’t beat out 3 other catchers on her team, how is she going to beat out 300 other girls seeking a roster spot on a D1 team?

Regardless it's pretty clear your current team isn’t a good fit for a girl with D1 aspirations. She’s a 16U player on a 14U team. Have her talk with her current coach about her goals and plans to move on after the season. They’ll either accommodate her guest playing or decide to part ways. Either way you get what you want without burning bridges.
 
Apr 16, 2010
924
43
Alabama
Something to consider, if she is truly D1 material then there is a little time. I mean she is what a freshman going to be a Sophomore next year? Schools can't talk to her until the Summer of her Junior year. Making a move now for what? Inform those teams that want her that she will finish the season with her current team, if they really want her they wont fill the spot.

If she is a 2021 '03 player she is a rising Jr. She can talk to coaches in about two months.
 

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