Been in your shoes. If your DD feels like her skills are above her current teams level you need to move. she will not work hard enough to get to the next level if she's not being challenged by her teammates. Great 10u players with no work ethic become average 12u players then below average 14u players then they quit. Dd moved to a higher level org at 11 and cried the whole way home from the first practice " I'm the worst kid on the team". Well, do something about it. and she worked her tail off and is way better for it.
To jump teams or not?
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- Feb 3, 2011
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That's not an ASA rule. Roster restrictions in ASA apply only to Championship Play.
You haven't heard of it, because you're in ASA-heavy SoCal and it's not an ASA rule. The idea of a just-out-of-rec coach "owning" the rights to a 10yo player is laughable to me.
It has nothing to do with "a rule" it has to do with the insurance on the player. The insurance ties the players registration number to a specific team or organization. Do you think the magic insurance fairy is just hanging around waiting to insure anyone and everyone regardless of who they play for?
In this neck of the woods, if you want to be released from your team a formal request has to be made to adjust the insurance policy. We get lectured on this every year.
CP
If the biggest concern about leaving a team is the insurance then you priorities are off. All of the teams we have been on purchase the individual insurances per girl so they had their own card. Guest play around the KC area is very common so having the individual insurance makes it easier for the coaches to add an drop for tournaments. If you are leaving a team and they have group insurance go to one of the alphabet organizations and buy your own individual insurance.
If the coach will not release your daughter from the roster then a letter the area director requesting release will usually get it done as long as you have returned any equipment and have paid your prorated portion of the team fees. If you are trying to move up a classification you usually have less hassles. USSSA rosters are not locked until your team has qualified and even then there is a process to add and drop players. ASA has a similar process.
We have always tried to finish out a season with a team we committed to, but there were two times when we left mid-season. Sometimes what it starts out to be is not what it becomes and other times it is just the wrong fit. I spoke to the coach/manager both times and one agreed that it was the best decision and the other I had to go through the local director. You need to do what you and your DD feels is best for her.
So, what are we saying here? Is this really the default answer to every travel-ball dilemma?
"I owe my friend $5,000, but I didn't sign anything, and my DD needs money for college, so I've got to do what's best for her. .... ''
I'm not saying the case presented by the OP would be an example of this, but I hope y'all don't really mean it's OK to say, ''I'm breaking my promise, I'm taking advantage of you, I'm hurting other people, but I have to do what's best for my DD because that guides every decision I make.''
It is early in the year...you won't be putting your present team in too much of a bind if you leave.
I'm not sure it will be that much better (10U girls are still 10U girls), but it might make things more bearable.
I'm not sure it will be that much better (10U girls are still 10U girls), but it might make things more bearable.
- Aug 6, 2013
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I think that type of thinking in relation to sports is detrimental. As everyone gets fond of saying.... this is sports. Players come and go. According to most parents coaches are almost always looking for the next best thing anyway so why is it not ok for a player to be looking for better opportunities that better fit their goals? I'm not sure any coach has a promise ceremony before the season. I don't think it is taking advantage of anyone if you decide the opportunity is not what you expected it to be and move on - especially in the fall when this is the time that teams are forming and changing and developing. And my children's happiness is a big factor when it comes to the decisions I make for them. I would never want to see them miserable - and I always want to see them happy. Now of course, if it were me in this situation, I might try and find a way to allow my daughter to finish up the fall with both teams if possible. If I had paid I would not ask for any money back.
I spend too much of my time worrying about how others feel often sacrificing myself in the process. When in reality what I SHOULD be worrying about is myself and my feelings, because if I am not happy then what good would I be to anyone else in my life? It has taken me 41 long years to realize that I need to take care of me first and foremost. I don't think it is a bad lesson to teach our daughters to think about themselves first sometimes. I observe that boys don't really have a problem with this but as girls it is different - don't ask me why because I have no clue - genetics I guess, but I want my daughter to have faith in her decision and be able to decide that if something isn't working out for her then she should feel ok to do what makes her happy.
I didn't say it was wrong to look for better opportunities. And I agree that being too eager to please can be a problem.
I just don't advocate making difficult decisions that affect other people with a simple default - ''Always do what's best for DD.'' There are times in life when it's better to take one for the team.
Is the original post an example of that? Probably not.
- Jun 12, 2015
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In this particular case, I'd not feel guilty switching teams. It's very early in the season. The program sounds like it's not meeting the expectations that were set out. It was between seasons but we moved our daughter to a team that better fits her abilities, and don't regret it.
Full disclosure though: because the other players are stronger, she's no longer the stand out. Had we stayed, she'd most likely be #1 pitcher. As it is, she's #3. Had we stayed she'd be playing her preferred position when not pitching (short stop) but instead she's playing 1st. So there are certainly trade offs in switching to a stronger team. But she's finally challenged to grow as a player and has some healthy competition for the positions she wants. For us it's been a win.
Full disclosure though: because the other players are stronger, she's no longer the stand out. Had we stayed, she'd most likely be #1 pitcher. As it is, she's #3. Had we stayed she'd be playing her preferred position when not pitching (short stop) but instead she's playing 1st. So there are certainly trade offs in switching to a stronger team. But she's finally challenged to grow as a player and has some healthy competition for the positions she wants. For us it's been a win.
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- Feb 3, 2011
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Who's lecturing you? Teams have insurance and players have insurance. Insurance may be purchased for teams or individuals. From the perspective of the OP's location, what you're describing is a softball myth. Your other questions about finding the right team are good, but on this question, you're mistaken. In ASA, roster restrictions apply to Championship Play only.
The OP is in SoCal. Most TB teams in SoCal are ASA-registered. Teams often choose to register with other sanctioning bodies as well, like PGF. Some of those organizations will accept the insurance a team already carries, but others - like PGF - may require teams to buy whatever insurance that organization is tied to.
https://www.rpsbollinger.com/produc...ociation/individual-registration-program-faq/
Does The ASA Insurance Follow Me if I Play on Another Team?
Yes, but only if you play on another ASA registered team. The ASA insurance does not cover you if you play on a non-ASA team.
What if My Team Plays in a non-ASA Sanctioned Event - Does The ASA Insurance Still Apply?
Yes, teams who are individually registered are covered while playing in any amateur softball games or activities, whether ASA, USSSA, NSA, etc.
Here's their complete guide for 2015: https://www.rpsbollinger.com/media/66217/ASA-Guide-Insurance-Prog.pdf
Bollinger manages ASA's insurance program. Their published documentation clearly contradicts your claim. The cost is typically $15-30 per player. Even if what you're arguing is true for the non-ASA sanctioning bodies in your area, would it make sense to NOT change teams over having to pay an additional $30?
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