- Aug 22, 2010
- 2
- 0
DD finished her first season of comp ball at 10u. The team is stacked and she is the number 3 pitcher. She has played with these girls for a few years now and has made close friends. She loves her team and she has very good coaches. The entire team stayed together for rec season and is still dominant after our third week--despite the fact that we have now moved up to 12u. Problem is that she doesn't pitch much, and didn't in comp season either. Being realistic, I see why as the two pitchers in front of her are clearly better. However, she would be a starter on just about any other team in the state.
I have constant talks with the coach, who is a friend. He reassures me that she is doing fine. (I do not politic for more mound time btw!). I see her confidence waying a bit when she is on the mound. She guides her pitches and walks more batters and allows more hits than she used to. She has been a guest pitcher for a much inferior team, which performed very well for. No pressure there at all, she hit exceptioally well and played great in the field.
To be honest, she would have a lot more opportunities with another team. But we have comitted. It is painful watching her struggle now. My heart tells me that she would be better off elsewhere, my head tells me that she will never get the level of coaching that she has now. She has fun, but now her overall confidence is really suffering. She is struggling at the plate terribly, when she was a top hitter on this team most of the year.
Another issue, I have comitted for next year. Not much money out of pocket yet, but I gave him my word. DD says she wants to stay, but I am not sure if this is good or not. This softball community is close knit and I hate to burn bridges. The coach did not have tryouts because the team stayed in tact. I know that he would lose his mind if we left at this point.
Is it good to play up on a very successful team or get opportunities? She often benefits from playing deep into tournaments, but we pay a lot for lessons and spend a lot of extra time working on pitching to not receive much of a carrot at the end of the stick. Is this an investment in the future or is DD going to slam into a wall and be done with this altogether?
Not sure the coach is telling me what he really feels either. Anyway, I am rambling, but this is a major concern in the casa right now. Your input is greatly appreciated.
I have constant talks with the coach, who is a friend. He reassures me that she is doing fine. (I do not politic for more mound time btw!). I see her confidence waying a bit when she is on the mound. She guides her pitches and walks more batters and allows more hits than she used to. She has been a guest pitcher for a much inferior team, which performed very well for. No pressure there at all, she hit exceptioally well and played great in the field.
To be honest, she would have a lot more opportunities with another team. But we have comitted. It is painful watching her struggle now. My heart tells me that she would be better off elsewhere, my head tells me that she will never get the level of coaching that she has now. She has fun, but now her overall confidence is really suffering. She is struggling at the plate terribly, when she was a top hitter on this team most of the year.
Another issue, I have comitted for next year. Not much money out of pocket yet, but I gave him my word. DD says she wants to stay, but I am not sure if this is good or not. This softball community is close knit and I hate to burn bridges. The coach did not have tryouts because the team stayed in tact. I know that he would lose his mind if we left at this point.
Is it good to play up on a very successful team or get opportunities? She often benefits from playing deep into tournaments, but we pay a lot for lessons and spend a lot of extra time working on pitching to not receive much of a carrot at the end of the stick. Is this an investment in the future or is DD going to slam into a wall and be done with this altogether?
Not sure the coach is telling me what he really feels either. Anyway, I am rambling, but this is a major concern in the casa right now. Your input is greatly appreciated.