What to expect from camp or acadamy?

[Mitch55]

Hello all,

since this is my first post (I have been reading a lot thoug), I will introduce myself before I go on.

I am from the Netherlands and have played both baseball and softball myself. Our daughter is 13 and has been playing since she was 8. She is pitcher and also plays 1st. Last season she was 14-1, leading her team to the championship. She recently started practicing indoor again because it is too cold to go outside. She wanted to try out for the Dutch U14 team last year but she was too young according to the coaches and not even inivited, while a girl she played against and beat 4 times, was invited and is part of the team now. She is very ambitious and we support her where we can, but only if it doesn't interfere with her school results. That's not always easy though

Now the question. Last year we were hostfamily to an american pitcher that played for our ladies team. We had a lot of fun, and now our daughter is invited to come and visit this girl and her parents in California. She will be going to attend a camp at SDSU and an acadamy at UCLA. In order for our daughter to be a little bit prepared, what can she expect? How intense are these camps/acadamies, and will there be a big difference between the american girls and our daughter? We know she is really looking forward to it, but she's also a bit nervous that she will not be good enough to participate. She will be 14 just before the trip starts..... Any thoughts?

Thanks, Mitch

 

[softballphreak]

Your daughter will be just fine. The camps are always player friendly and there is much to be gained. She will be so occupied that she won't realize how much fun it is until the end of the day.

She will also be popular with her accent. We love that!

 

[sluggers]

what can she expect?

If she likes softball, she will have a lot of fun. Obviously, she isn't going to be the best player there. But, so what? Why should she go to a camp where she is the best player?

And, I'm sure the coaches and the other players will enjoy having your DD around.

How intense are these camps/acadamies

I'm not sure what you mean by "intense". The kids play softball all day. It will be 10 to 12 hours of softball each day. But, of course, there is plenty of time for the girls to talk and hang out. The coaches politely push the kids, but the coaches won't be screaming at them.

will there be a big difference between the american girls and our daughter?

It is not so much "American girls" as Southern California softball players. The kids from SoCal are generally considered the best players in the world. It is a little intimidating, but it is a great opportunity for your DD (Darling daughter).

There will be some girls who will be as good as your DD. There will be some girls who will be much, much better than your DD. But, part of doing anything well is understanding what "good" means.

Just being around the girls who are better than your DD is going to make your DD a better player. I expect that when she comes back her game will be much better.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

See if you can facebook a pitcher named Taryne Mowatt. She played for a Dutch team just a few months ago. She is a native Californian and is a young college coach, in California, too. She was the championship pitcher at U of Arizona.

She is also on Twitter.

 

[Mitch55]

@Amy - I heard of her - she played for a team competing with our team, but she only stayed for a month and then went back to the States to play pro ball. The girl staying with us ( and who our DD is going to visit) was pitching for UCLA, maybe you heard of her, Donna Kerr? She practiced with our DD as well while she was here.

 

[Mitch55]

Thanks Amy, I heard of her but I haven't seen her play, she only stayed for a month playing for a competitor of our ladies team. The girl staying with us was Donna Kerr of UCLA, also a championship pitcher, maybe you heard of her? Our DD is going to stay with her in San Diego and she will introduce our DD to the UCLA academy.