When must you make the move... or do you?

[h8weakness]

Thank you all for your thoughts and opinions.

Ultimately, what I'd like to see is for our whole team to switch over to the "big name" just to get the recognition, play on the premier fields and attend their organization only college recruiting events. The "popular organization" did offer up the chance to add our team to their organization as a whole team before ther start of this season. Hopefully that's still on the table next year.

I don't really want to be a big name. I'm proud of what this team has accomplished over the past 3 years from being a C level 11U team to a high A level 13u.

At this Juncture, I guess it's out of my control with what the head coach chooses but I do hope by 16U he's ready to move "up".

 

[Orange Socks]

If you like your team and you think they are competitive, y'all need to start playing more competitive tourneys. Since most of your tourneys are USSSA, you will by default accumulate more points than teams that a tourney here and there, and it makes your team look better than they are. I noticed that your team is not "Qualified" like other teams. Assuming that is for their Nationals. No one cares about your point status, but the parents. Meanwhile, real deal teams are playing in the big girl sandbox playing each other. And losing to each other. When I see that a team has won 99% of their games, that tells me they aren't playing a very competitive schedule. I know this, because your team sounds like a team I had years ago.

There are a handful of "one off" or lesser known teams that come in and do some damage and turn the status quo upside down, which by the way I love to see! Need to play National events to see where you really stack up, and you need to do it this coming year. If your team can beat the real deal teams on a regular basis then they will begin to earn credibility and will receive invites into better tourneys, invites to join programs etc. And by the time 16U comes around your team will have made enough noise that college coaches will come sniffing around. Colorado Sparkler, USA Nationals, Triple Crown Nationals and/or regionals, PGF nationals.

If this team does not, it runs the risk of imploding because some of the better kid's parents will want more than the team can provide. This team can either take it to the next level now, merge into a programs to utilize their resources or YOUR kid will need to find a program that can support her growth. Like others have said, maybe most of the parents are fat and happy and don't want anything more. But yeah, do your research and pay attention to what is really going. Keep an eye of the better teams in your area, follow what they are doing, where they are playing, and who they are playing. Does the team have a history of putting girls in the types schools your DD should be going to?

You should tune into the live streaming of the USA Gold Nationals. Lots of great competition from around the country.

 

[joe720]

My 2 copper, if your kids is a great pitcher, college coaches will find them in Fargo ND. Heck University of Washington found a girl in Australia.

Plus, what Orange said

 

[mmeece]

Here's my question.

At what time in a DD's career is it important to switch to a National team so that she's looked at by top college coaches?

My DD plays on a 13U team with amazing coaches and players. We've won our last PGF tournament, came in second place the PGF tournament prior and are ranked #1 nationally (points) in Usssa.

We have turned a lot of heads as of late but we're a team no one has ever heard of. We're not the batbusters, bandits, glory... whatever.

I honestly believe that her coach is the best softball coach around. I feel leaving this team would be a step back in her development, but going to a "national" team would get her in front of more college coaches. At 13u (going into 14u) we have no plans on leaving this team.

Am I doing my DD a disservice if we don't change in 16u or would just showing up to the college's camps she wants to play for be enough to get her noticed?
She wants to play D1 and I believe that she's got the ability and drive as a pitcher to get there.

Thoughts?

Thanks in advance

The answer depends greatly on her goals and how much effort you intend to put into recruiting. If she wants to play for a top 20 college program then the national teams MIGHT help her get there more easily. But, realize that you will also spend a great deal more money on travel, hotels, and generally dues as well. It's true that some of those teams will get more recognition from coaches. I know of a girl who is the #4 pitcher on a national team who has several D1 offers despite only throwing a handful of innings for them. Doesn't sound fun to me but to each their own.

If her goal is simply to play college ball and figure out the best fit for her, and if you are willing to send emails and attend the right college camps and showcases then it really doesn't matter much who you play for as long as the team is decent and you play good competition. I've known girls from every level of team who played college ball and from what I have seen there are very few teams that "get" you an offer. Most of the time the players get the attention of a college by emailing them and participating in camps and showcases. I think this is especially true for a pitcher.

 

[Vertigo]

I’d say that once she’s in HS it’s time to make the switch. Look for a club program that her goals align with. When my dd was a freshman she joined an extremely good 18U team that was a local org. This team gave top teams a run for their money but outside of part of the state, wasn’t well known. They’d get into good showcases but not at the main fields. Plus the team had about 8 seniors who graduated so we needed to find a new team.

DD then moved to a well-known regional team in our area - also well-known for placing girls at D1-D3 schools in the Northeast. Huge difference with field placement, coach’s relationship with college coaches, and recruiting assistance. Best decision we made. DD just committed to the high academic program that was her top choice.

If you had asked me a few years ago if the team you play for makes a difference, I’d have said no - but now from personal experience, it does. However, it also takes a lot of effort on your dd’s part to communicate with the college coaches and often. Find the team that aligns most with your dd’s goals and go there. DD knew she wanted a high academic school in the Northeast so this team was the perfect fit for her to help get her recruited by such a school.

 

[Orange Socks]

Team makes a huge difference and TB can make a bigger difference. Here is a perfect example of not what you know, it's who you know. DD sent an email to her now college program. 1st introductory email. And then 2nd email with schedule a week later. TB coach texted me. I didn't know your DD was interested in this college. Me: Just keeping options open coach. TB coach: I am friends with this coach, he likes her and is gonna come watch her play on Saturday. Saw 2 AB's against a JUCO and he left.

She only sent 2 emails. While sending countless emails the prior 2.5 years to many other schools. 2 months after seeing her, visit was set up and offered her at the end of the visit. College coach nearly fell out of his chair when my DD said she didn't need any time to think about and is ready to play right now!

If you want to play for the Hittin' Kittens, and want to go to school local, that is perfectly fine. You will save lots of money. But coaches really want to see how players stack up against each that have similar skill set that they are recruiting. Look at the profile sheets on the team's media platforms, and see where those kids are verballed/signed to go. My kid was never going to go to a P5 program but we wanted to play highly competitive TB ball. We found a program that had a long history of placing kids at all levels P5, D1, D3, Ivies, juco that included high academic schools. Coach has been a round the block....several times. Unfortunately, he had to retire and the program fell apart recently.

 

[BT3100]

We moved DD from a team at first year 14 where the exception was a kid or two may play in college to a team where the expectation was that every kid would play college ball. It worked. A lot of effort and time and money but it worked

 

[gator5]

Try to convince your coach to move the team to one of the big organizations. That is the easiest solution. You keep the coach and team and get the name recognition. We have all the big name organizations around here always looking to add teams.

Regarding name recognition, last fall we moved from a decent local team, with no name recognition, to a better more regional team with a known name (one of our teams won the Atlanta Legacy) It has made a HUGE difference on getting eyes on my daughter. In 3 months time on the new team my daughter went from only mid-level DIII interest to DI and DII offers with $$. The bigger name schools just did not show up to watch our old team.

 

[BigSkyHi]

Try to convince your coach to move the team to one of the big organizations. That is the easiest solution. You keep the coach and team and get the name recognition. We have all the big name organizations around here always looking to add teams.

Regarding name recognition, last fall we moved from a decent local team, with no name recognition, to a better more regional team with a known name (one of our teams won the Atlanta Legacy) It has made a HUGE difference on getting eyes on my daughter. In 3 months time on the new team my daughter went from only mid-level DIII interest to DI and DII offers with $$. The bigger name schools just did not show up to watch our old team.

Finally creating a DFP acronym. BKR = Booty Kicking Recognition. Just may be time to get that amazing team out there h8weakness.

 

[Traps71]

If you want to play for the Hittin' Kittens

This is a go to team name for Orange Socks and makes me crack up every time. LOL.