The only team we have left mid-season was my DD's first fall of 16U. The team was the wrong fit for her, and it got to the point of her not wanting to play the game any more. She took a break for a few months, played the next HS season (soph year, cut short by COVID), and played the following summer with the team she is still with. Not long ago, she told me she is loving the game more than she has in a very long time. For my DD, leaving that 16U team was the right choice for a lot of reasons, including gaining some clarity on her college path.
When you quit your team mid-season
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Yep - posted about this in another discussion. DD was 10u. HC’s style was to drop F bombs, yell/threaten girls to motivate them, etc. My DD was 10 - I didn’t want her to be too scared to make an error for fear of being publicly humiliated and also I want to DD to like playing the game next year. The coach forgets that these are 10yo girls. Lucky for us we had a few options. We ended things amicably by saying that we just don’t think this is a good fit. We didn’t feel the need to go into every detail with him and he got the hint that we weren’t a fan of his style. It’s not like we expected him to change his style/personality overnight.
- Oct 14, 2016
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As a travel ball coach, I had this happen to me.
We are 12U mix in a decent sized organization. We have the same core from fall to summer, add a few, lose a few during normal season changes, end of fall, end of winter, end of spring. Comes to the end of summer and we start planning tryouts. Come to find out, my core girls go to many different organizations and tryout. When I say many, I mean at least four. Mind you, these are big named organizations with gold and elite teams.
Come to our tryouts now, and I have to start over, as all the core girls were selected by one or more of those big organizations. Now, each told me what they were going to do before they went to tryout for these other teams.
Me, personally, I was so proud of them. One, for telling me. Two, for showing confidence and giving it a try, and Three, for challenging themselves in their goals to get better. I was and still am happy that I did my job well enough to give them the opportunity to excel in a game they loved to play.
I don't get hurt or discouraged because an athlete chooses to leave. Life has many challenges, and my style, their goals, may not line-up. I never understood the loyalty argument. If you, as a coach, create an environment that is safe, encouraging, and team-centric, athletes won't leave because of not being loyal.
We are 12U mix in a decent sized organization. We have the same core from fall to summer, add a few, lose a few during normal season changes, end of fall, end of winter, end of spring. Comes to the end of summer and we start planning tryouts. Come to find out, my core girls go to many different organizations and tryout. When I say many, I mean at least four. Mind you, these are big named organizations with gold and elite teams.
Come to our tryouts now, and I have to start over, as all the core girls were selected by one or more of those big organizations. Now, each told me what they were going to do before they went to tryout for these other teams.
Me, personally, I was so proud of them. One, for telling me. Two, for showing confidence and giving it a try, and Three, for challenging themselves in their goals to get better. I was and still am happy that I did my job well enough to give them the opportunity to excel in a game they loved to play.
I don't get hurt or discouraged because an athlete chooses to leave. Life has many challenges, and my style, their goals, may not line-up. I never understood the loyalty argument. If you, as a coach, create an environment that is safe, encouraging, and team-centric, athletes won't leave because of not being loyal.
Doing it right ^^^
The sport needs more like you. Isn't that one of the main goals? To develop these girls in the game of softball. You did it obviously. Job well done.
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