What is the goal of all of this? Your goals will change year to year and season to season depending on the age. You can have a pie in the sky dream of playing in college, but your goals will need to be reassessed continually. The biggest goal is does my DD want to play again this upcoming season? Yes (goal accomplished). Did my DD get better? Yes (goal accomplished) No (keep working, seek out outside help). Did DD make the All Star team? As she gets older. Do you want to make the Hittin' Kitten' local TB team? Is she getting better? Does she just want to play for the HS team? This will happen to most of the kids along the way as their goals change from REC, All stars, TB then quitting. My DD is 1 of 3 girls that will be playing in college out her entire 2019 class from her Rec league. There are others that could have gone on to play but decided that being a NARP (non athletic regular people) was their path.
There is a kid that was my last pick on my 10U All star team. She did not do very well at all that summer. She actually stopped playing for a bit and only played for her private school, but I kept in touch with the family and coaxed back to playing. She got better! Fast Forward to her Senior Year. She led the district with 14 HR's! She will be going to a great D3 school in Texas. Her goals changed year to year and they adjusted.
I agree with some of the posters above. You can spend so much money on TB over the course of time that would have paid for 4 years of college, but the time is well spent with family and good friends. Some of these National 14U teams that have potential D1 talent that travel every weekend out of state. Think about those costs? If that's your goal, and you can make it work and you are okay with getting a 50% scholarship at an out of state school, then that's your goal. Keep it all in perspective and don't get caught up in the hyperbole. Parents will say the weirdest things to justify their decisions.
Has anyone seen the college transfer portal???? Wow! Sounds like lots of goals have changed for those players/families!
There is a kid that was my last pick on my 10U All star team. She did not do very well at all that summer. She actually stopped playing for a bit and only played for her private school, but I kept in touch with the family and coaxed back to playing. She got better! Fast Forward to her Senior Year. She led the district with 14 HR's! She will be going to a great D3 school in Texas. Her goals changed year to year and they adjusted.
I agree with some of the posters above. You can spend so much money on TB over the course of time that would have paid for 4 years of college, but the time is well spent with family and good friends. Some of these National 14U teams that have potential D1 talent that travel every weekend out of state. Think about those costs? If that's your goal, and you can make it work and you are okay with getting a 50% scholarship at an out of state school, then that's your goal. Keep it all in perspective and don't get caught up in the hyperbole. Parents will say the weirdest things to justify their decisions.
Has anyone seen the college transfer portal???? Wow! Sounds like lots of goals have changed for those players/families!