What commitment level do you expect

[Jquick823]

This is a general topic to help me understand what most people on here expect the commitment level of their team to be, and if others share my frustrations.

So at the 14U A/B level playing mainly NSA/ASA what commitment level would you expect from players? This team is preparing to move to 16U Showcase play next season.

I get extremely frustrated (I keep it private) with the parents who don't show to fundraisers and don't send their player to them either yet complain about practice locations/times/tournament travel distances. Is this a common issue around all areas of TB? I'm in the mid Atlantic area of the US so I'm not in a softball hotbed. My area is more, Soccer/Field Hockey for girls than Softball.

My wife often tells me that not everyone loves the sport like I do and that I can't expect them to put so much into it. I do coach but the Manager is the only true decision maker within the organization.

 

[CoogansBluff]

I don't have a clear picture of the commitment level that exists on the team. All you've said is that some parents don't show for fundraisers and complain. Most all teams have some parents who don't do their share in fundraisers and complain. I, for one, rarely complain, but I do not like most fundraisers because they rarely pay off in money for the time that I spend on them. Would rather write a check, or work extra on my job, which pays more per hour than fundraisers.

 

[Jojo]

Tough one.
Especially 14u. Such a crazy age with so much starting to happen in their lives
I'm like you, I always give anything I'm involved with 100% or I'm out.
And I agree with your wife, not everyone feels the same way.

I guess when the season starts have a parent meeting and explain what will be needed for the season and if you don't pull your weight, don't complain. Easier said than done, I know.

 

[Jquick823]

Tough one.
Especially 14u. Such a crazy age with so much starting to happen in their lives
I'm like you, I always give anything I'm involved with 100% or I'm out.
And I agree with your wife, not everyone feels the same way.

I guess when the season starts have a parent meeting and explain what will be needed for the season and if you don't pull your weight, don't complain. Easier said than done, I know.

We just had a parent meeting and some didn't show lol. frustrating.

 

[AndyS]

We just had a parent meeting and some didn't show lol. frustrating.

All I can give you is my experience. Around this age both parents and kids tend to take one of two radically different paths. The first path is the winding down softball direction. They may continue to play for a while but really the writing is on the wall and they are for all practical purposes done. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this path. The second path is exactly the opposite. Softball becomes a HUGE part of what they do. The kids start to own their own "careers". They start working out on their own. Pitchers get together with their catchers without parents having to get involved etc. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this path either.

The problem in my experience is when you have a team with some parents/girls headed down one path and other parents/girls headed down the other. The reason I lump in the parents is because you need both on the same page regarding the path they are headed down. I have seen parents wanting their daughters to take the serious route when the athlete herself is headed the other way and even vice versa.

So the key for you is to get a team of parents and athletes that are on the same page with themselves and are committed to heading down the path you have set for the team. Until you do that you will be fighting an absolutely very uphill battle. Hope that helps.

 

[riseball]

AndyS - I deleted my post before I hit the button because I did not like the way I articulated my point. Meanwhile you hit it out of the park. Well done!

As they get beyond 14U they all say that they want to play college ball. Unfortunately they have no idea what that really means which is why there is such a high attrition rate in the Freshman year. I see so many players who when playing TB everyone expected them to set the world on fire in college. Quite a few are are done after the Fall of their Freshman year, and then more leave at the end of their first season. When the realities of a life of 4 years of college ball sets in they find that irrespective of their skills it is not what they want.

 

[SB23]

All I can give you is my experience. Around this age both parents and kids tend to take one of two radically different paths. The first path is the winding down softball direction. They may continue to play for a while but really the writing is on the wall and they are for all practical purposes done. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this path. The second path is exactly the opposite. Softball becomes a HUGE part of what they do. The kids start to own their own "careers". They start working out on their own. Pitchers get together with their catchers without parents having to get involved etc. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this path either.

The problem in my experience is when you have a team with some parents/girls headed down one path and other parents/girls headed down the other. The reason I lump in the parents is because you need both on the same page regarding the path they are headed down. I have seen parents wanting their daughters to take the serious route when the athlete herself is headed the other way and even vice versa.

So the key for you is to get a team of parents and athletes that are on the same page with themselves and are committed to heading down the path you have set for the team. Until you do that you will be fighting an absolutely very uphill battle. Hope that helps.

That is a perfect synopsis of travel softball !

 

[JAD]

I get extremely frustrated (I keep it private) with the parents who don't show to fundraisers and don't send their player to them either yet complain about practice locations/times/tournament travel distances. Is this a common issue around all areas of TB? I'm in the mid Atlantic area of the US so I'm not in a softball hotbed. My area is more, Soccer/Field Hockey for girls than Softball.

So is your only complaint that some parents/players do not show up for fundraisers? What I have found over the years is 80% of your parents would prefer to just write a check vs. doing fundraisers. Therefore, we made our fundraisers optional and each player can do as much or as little fundraising as they would like.

A good example is selling raffle tickets. Tell all of the parents their DD is on the hook for 50 raffle tickets apiece at $2 each. Some parents will just write a check for $100 and be done with it and their DD's account gets credited $100 (minus a portion of the cost of the raffle item). If a kid is motivated and wants to sell 300 tickets then she gets credit for $600 (300 x $2) minus her portion of the raffle item.

If you want to do a car wash as a team fundraiser that is great, but you are kidding yourself if you think you will get 100% participation. And the most frustrating thing for me was the families that needed the fundraising the most seemed to do the least....

 

[AndyS]

AndyS - I deleted my post before I hit the button because I did not like the way I articulated my point. Meanwhile you hit it out of the park. Well done!

As they get beyond 14U they all say that they want to play college ball. Unfortunately they have no idea what that really means which is why there is such a high attrition rate in the Freshman year. I see so many players who when playing TB everyone expected them to set the world on fire in college. Quite a few are are done after the Fall of their Freshman year, and then more leave at the end of their first season. When the realities of a life of 4 years of college ball sets in they find that irrespective of their skills it is not what they want.

I have used a couple of your posts like this one and my own experience to prepare my DD for the reality she will likely face. Basically that just because you did well in TB even at a national level it does not guarantee success at the next level. I know I was in for a shock when I moved from what I thought was the greatest football on the planet (Texas high school) to a Division I-AA school. I was stunned at how hard the game was for me. I almost felt like I was starting over!!! Now I had friends who hopped right in as freshmen and killed it but that was NOT me.

So your post is right on and I tell my DD what you are saying...many athletes SAY they want to play college sports. But how many people BEHAVE (workout, eat right, practice their craft, etc.) like they want to play at that level. Again my DD and I have learned alot about what may be ahead including the taking her verbal not as anything guaranteed from your posts. Appreciate it.

 

[Jquick823]

No my only complaint would not be fundraising. There are many things that show a lack of commitment. I'm guessing becoming an elite type org is finding the girls and families that truly want to get there.