Two kinds of softball players ...

[_MIA_]

I was a #1 and I wish had been a #2..would have enjoyed it a lot more I think. DD is a bit too young to make a definite determination yet but I would say while very
competitive she is a much better teammate than I probably was

 

[RichK]

I wish there were only two types, and that those were the two. Would make coaching easier. But probably less interesting.

 

[FP26]

At a younger age, DD was more of a type 2. However, she morphed into a type 1 when she was 13 years old. She played for a coach the she was not fond of. This coach liked to yell and was downright nasty towards some of the girls. Actually told my daughter "you should just quit, you will never been any good at this sport". I was an assistant on the team and was running a drill in the outfield when I heard him make the comment. I confronted him about it and our relationship was never the same afterwards. DD finished out the summer for that team, but it wasn't much fun for anyone. She changed that year in many ways. And in a way, we kind of have that jerk to thank for it, lol! The next summer while playing for another team, she found out that we played his team the first game on Saturday. She immediately spoke to her new head coach in private and requested to pitch against her old coach. The new coach agreed, and DD pitched a one hitter. She became a completely different person and a completely different player. And all for the better.

 

[BobInMadison]

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[Rambler34]

DD#1 is definitely a mix of this. Maybe more type one with a little added in.

-Very competitive. Wants to win. Wants to be the best hitter, pitcher on her team.
-Inwardly motivated.
-Also motivated by doubters and haters. (This is huge for DD)
-Team chemistry and relationships are all nice, but her role on the team and the competition level are paramount.
-If the team brings in a better player at her position, she doesn't like it, but it also will stir her competitive fires. (She actually wants to compete)
-If she were a football player, she's more likely turn pro after 3 years to play at a higher level.
-She'd really miss playing softball if she had to give it up right now. (I can't imagine how bad she would miss it)

She was actually not taken by a team at tryouts last fall that had requested she come to tryouts and knew her very well. They decided to go another direction and that lit her fire. She showed out against the HC's DD who was pitching when we played them in school ball. A few weeks later I had the email asking what her plans were for the summer. Got asked again a couple of months ago to play with them but DD is adamant that isn't happening. It has been a great motivator for her and still is. Same thing happened when she played varsity as a 7th grader when some parents wondered out loud why a 7th grader was on the field.

 

[CoogansBluff]

Good answers all, thanks.

When i was thinking of two types, I was thinking of travel players, those who would say softball is their main occupation. For rec players, you probably do have more types. Also would think the types are ends of a spectrum rather than distinct types.

 

[CoogansBluff]

She would be thrilled to have another pitcher that is as good as she is on our team, to share the pressure.

That's how she would respond to getting help.

But how would she respond to getting demoted? To the #2 pitcher who gets 30 percent of the innings?

There's no right/wrong answer, but that might be a check mark into one type or the other.

Also, in defining Type 2, I don't mean these players are necessarily more casual and indifferent about winning and losing. Type 2 players might be highly motivated to do well and work hard. It's what drives them that makes them different. Type 2 wants to be part of a team effort where everyone has each other's back. They're playing more for each other.

 

[CoogansBluff]

-Also motivated by doubters and haters. (This is huge for DD)

This is an interesting one because that was always a big motivator for me, but for DD, she thrives in situations where the coaches and teammates believe in her and is quick to exit coaches and teammates that don't. Wonder if it's a gender thing, but I haven't thought much about it.

 

[grcsftbll]

That's how she would respond to getting help.

But how would she respond to getting demoted? To the #2 pitcher who gets 30 percent of the innings?

There's no right/wrong answer, but that might be a check mark into one type or the other.

Also, in defining Type 2, I don't mean these players are necessarily more casual and indifferent about winning and losing. Type 2 players might be highly motivated to do well and work hard. It's what drives them that makes them different. Type 2 wants to be part of a team effort where everyone has each other's back. They're playing more for each other.

I really don't know how she would respond. She was the #3 on her first 10U team, #2 on her second, and #1 on her third. I don't know what she'd think about going back to #2.

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[CoogansBluff]

I really don't know how she would respond. She was the #3 on her first 10U team, #2 on her second, and #1 on her third. I don't know what she'd think about going back to #2.

It also will be fun to see how it evolves over time. Yours is still young. When mine was 11-12, I really don't know what motivated her. Honestly might've been playing for dad, who was the coach at that age. Thought that if dad coaches a team, it must be important, and when I do well, he's proud. But as she got older, she got way more competitive in certain situations and not others. She's most competitive on a team where she likes everybody and they like here and there's this sense of ''us.'' When that doesn't exist, she's not very competitive at all.