When to move a player to a higher level team?

[Softballmom2008]

My dd is 2nd year 10u. She’s been playing travel ball for 31/2 years, she’s a left handed starting pitcher, 1B, and either a lead off batter, or bats 3/4. They are trying to develop a couple new lead off batters on her team so they moved her to bat 3rd this season, but in their last tournament they had her bat lead off on bracket day because she can get on base and doesn’t strike out very often,

She is on a B level team with dad coaches. They are mostly ok, but her pitching and batting coaches, along with college player coaches, camp coaches etc. have been telling me for over a year to take her off this team and put her on an A level team. She likes this team, but it is the typical expensive daddy travel ball team. For ex. When my dd started pitching on the team last year, the head coaches wife asked me to take her off the team and put her on an A level team, because my DD surpassed her DD in velocity and accuracy, and was a threat to her self esteem and progress. I told her DD liked the team (dd has actually been on the team longer then her DD, but her DH took over coaching the team) and I wasn’t going to drive out of the area for a 10 yo to play on some A level team, I don’t think at 10u, they need to play A ball, but that’s just me.

Well...now that she’s going into 12u in the fall, my thoughts have changed a bit. She’s been recruited to play on a local A level team with a non dad coach whose own DD is a starting pitcher at a D i college and he is also a lefty! The team just formed this past year, but my dd didn’t want to leave her team. He assured me he would be coaching the team in the fall and move them to 12u. I think 1/2 the team stays on 10u.

They need pitchers. He’s watched DD pitch in games, and he’s been emailing me on and off all spring season to have her come play with them but we are already committed for the summer. I’m leaning toward fall, but just worried to leave her team. It’s the only TB team she’s ever been on, and I’m worried if we leave, they won’t let us back on the team if it doesn’t work out just to be spiteful even though many other players on the team opt out of fall ball to play other sports.

 

[Jj malone]

I would start by watching a few of his games and practices. You can see how he conducts himself and organizes his games/practices to know if it would be a good fit or something you would even be interested.
Anytime HC's DW asks you to leave, thats never a good sign.

 

[EcoT]

You promise your Daughter that she will still be friends with her old teammates.

Your going to crush her little heart strings and tears will flow but you assure her the move is for playing with better players and against the toughest competition around.

But it is your job to keep moving her to a better playing environment if you so wish.

She cannot see down the road next year or their after.

If you can make the moves or commitments good for you.

As she gets older, it is harder and harder to make it on an A Team.

Some coaches may want to keep a core group and tryouts aren't going to happen after awhile.

If you are reaching out and writing to all of us, you must have that knot in your stomach when you wake up in the morning.

Ease into it, try a practice workout or two, see how things look and feel.

7 game tournaments in a weekend, your going to need more than one pitcher on a team.

 

[denise_anngolf]

Does the other team have any tournaments that fall on a weekend that you don't have a tournament? If you could guest play on the team to see what the team dynamic is like, that would help in the decision making process. Like EcoT states above, the opportunities to get on an A team become harder to accomplish as they get older. Teams tend to stay together for the most part or coaches already have a player in mind to fill a vacancy.
My DD moved to an A team this season for 2nd year 12U. Your DD would need to be okay with the possibility of no longer being the best player on the team. That has taken a while for my DD to adjust to, but we have no regrets. Being surrounded by girls that have the same love for the game changes everything for the better.

 

[Strike2]

If your DD likes playing on that team, there's no hurry at 10U, or even 12U. Apparently, you've got her with pitching, hitting, and camps(?)...so she's probably getting the instruction she needs to progress. There's plenty of softball ahead; pay attention to what she wants to do so you don't burn her out. Nothing says you can't occasionally pick up with that allegedly higher level team.

If you think that some "B" level team is expensive...just wait. That team with the non-parent coach will probably make the other look like a bargain.

BTW...There's nothing inherently magic about a non-parent coach. Just because a coach doesn't have a kid on the team doesn't mean he/she can even form a viable team much less be effective. I've seen many "A" level teams and even organizations full of good players fold rather suddenly. Some of the best run and most competitive older teams that I know of are independent teams run by a couple of dads who know something about playing ball AND coaching. Their kids are excellent players, their teams have been together for years, and they regularly beat all the name brand organizational teams including the ones with non-parent coaches.

Don't be scared by the "it gets harder to get on an A team as you get older" stuff. I know kids who were playing "C" ball as 12yos who are now playing in college. So many things change when they hit puberty...my DD is nearly unrecognizable as an older teenager compared to what she looked like as a 10yo.

 

[sluggers]

I’m worried if we leave, they won’t let us back on the team if it doesn’t work out just to be spiteful even though many other players on the team opt out of fall ball to play other sports.

Wow. You are a newbie. I've been around TB for more than 30 years, and the last time a team turned down a talented pitcher was....never.

Don't worry about her finding a place to play.

If your DD is "good", thing will get very serious very fast.

This is hard to believe, but your DD is running out of time. She has to "separate" herself and find out what she can really do. She has roughly 4 seasons to get on a really good team.

Don't waste time.

 

[Softballmom2008]

She asked us to leave over a year ago. Since then, she’s become accustomed to DD pitching on the team and it actually works to her DDs benefit because the coach gives his DD even or lower competition to pitch, and gives my dd games his dd doesn’t want to pitch. Usually the toughest teams or 8am games or both. My dd doesn’t mind pitching those teams/games but would like to be warned in advance to prepare, occasionally he will give DD the 1st bracket game, which she’s won several times.

This last Memorial Day tournament we played, the thurs before the tournament, coach told her at practice, she wouldn’t be pitching the first Game at 8am, so we didn’t go down Friday night. My dd doesn’t do well when she’s missing sleep. So driving down in the AM she’s lost 2 hours sleep.

Sure enough when we get there, the HC dd didn’t feel like pitching the 1st game so they put in DD. They lost the game, but her pitching was ok. Definitely not the best she’s ever done.

Im getting sick of this kind of thing. I would appreciate a little more honesty and communication. . If he thinks he’s going to put in DD for the first game, just let us know even if there is a slight possibility and we will plan for it.

We just had an amazing rec coach who really helped her mental game. Was very honest with her and communicated with us when he wanted her to pitch in games to give her time to prepare etc. it was such a great experience. I know it’s rec but my dds played 15 total seasons of softball on various teams and coaching staffs and this coach and team was one of the best experiences we’ve ever had. Unfortunately he only coaches rec.

Would love to find another experience like this.

 

[Softballmom2008]

We have no issues with parent coaches if they are communicative, fair, my dds skills are growing and improving, and they are not just focused on helping the weakest links or their own kids, which happens. Stronger players also need to advance their skills and be challenged so they don’t stagnate. Not sure what to do if this happens.

We’ve also had ex college girl coaches who the players absolutely love, but we don’t have one this summer, they couldn’t find one.

Our reg fees for this team is $795 for the summer, 5 tournaments, no paid coaches, no clinics, and uniform package is $250. Fall Ball is $500, and spring ball is $700 and only includes 2 tournaments, and a few indoor practices. I don’t think our B team is much cheaper then other A teams.

 

[Softballmom2008]

Oh....here’s another thing....the president of our travel league told me he doesn’t was my DD to guest play on any other team for any reason...even a friendly. I think this is unfair. It will give her experience with playing on another travel team and see if she can handle pitching to higher level teams, which I think she will be fine, and how she stacks up with the rest of the team.

 

[efastball]

Why is she playing travel ball?

Does she want to play HS or college FP? Does she want to pitch there?

(You don't have to answer any of those questions here, in public)

If so, is she working on a path to HS velocity? What teams are the HS drawing from?