Wonderful advice for TB Coaches

[BT3100]

Duh, parents are spending a lot of money. Think about forking out thousands of dollars to travel cross country to an "elite" tournament, and your DD only gets one or two at bats the entire tournament... It won't take many of those before you start looking for a "better fit" for your DD.

Seen it a ton. And invariably the "better fit" is with a lesser team that gets zero exposure and doesn't place kids at the level the "team hopper" desired.
I've also seen situations where those 2 at bats sent a message that the kid needs to improve. And it's happened. If those two at bats resulted in line drives that split a gap you better believe that kid is now in the mix for more at bats. In reality the parents who team jump live by the premise that if she gets more at bats she'll get better. They swear it's confidence, but confidence comes from day in and day out pounding on your craft. Game day is just there to reveal the hard work.
What the parents need to be asking is how girls on their DDs team have gotten so good that their DD can't get a spot in the lineup. Oh and remove the coach playing favorites stuff

 

[BT3100]

18 is too many for a TB team. That’s 9 subs for every game. You could have 18 players that are equally talented and all hustle the same amount and all have great attitudes. There would not be enough playing time for them to be happy.

Spend thousands and thousands on TB, travel out of state and get 2 or 3 at bats over the weekend. That makes a lot of sense.


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IMO that's outcome based thinking.
Playing time depends on skill and skill is relative to the other athletes on the team. My DD will pitch one out of 3 games in travel. That's enough as she faces top teams. Now if I wanted her to get a ton of time I could move her to a lesser team but what will that accomplish? Her goal is to face the best teams she can to get her ready for college ball. It is all about the goal of the kid. I assume this coach was addressing kids who want to play at her schools level. If that's the case 18-22 kid rosters are commonplace and all the athletes are good. Everyday is a competition and that readies them for programs like Washington.
Also if the kid is that good she will play every game in HS. That's 30+ games there too.

 

[Ksphenom]

So your DD sat one game and handled it real well?......How about sit her for about 5 games, 10 games, heck, sit her for the whole season, see how she handles that mental test.

Only had 4 games played for the Fall of 2019.
4 games played in 8 months. That was more difficult but for different reasons but she survived. It was a team issue. Not sitting because she wasn't competing for playing time as we just couldn't play. That was probably worse as she could change anything no matter how hard she worked on her game.

If players are always getting playing time on hittin kitten, Daddy ball team they probably haven't had to compete for time on the dirt. Sooner they hit adversity and overcome it the better off they'll be.

Funny how when parents wearing those glasses looking at their DD don't see the weaknesses and help the player by being honest about where they're at in softball universe.
8.5% of Highschoolers advance to play at any college level.

Only 1.7% of players play D1 after HS and with 20+ player rosters the need to compete is paramount.

My DD's performance metrics, athletically positions her at or above the average D2 player. She'll need to put more work to reach 1.7%.
Does she know this? No because she's working on GPA and I'm working on drills/training to help her close that gap.

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[Towny9]

Only had 4 games played for the Fall of 2019.
4 games played in 8 months. That was more difficult but for different reasons but she survived. It was a team issue. Not sitting because she wasn't competing for playing time as we just couldn't play. That was probably worse as she could change anything no matter how hard she worked on her game.

If players are always getting playing time on hittin kitten, Daddy ball team they probably haven't had to compete for time on the dirt. Sooner they hit adversity and overcome it the better off they'll be.

Funny how when parents wearing those glasses looking at their DD don't see the weaknesses and help the player by being honest about where they're at in softball universe.
8.5% of Highschoolers advance to play at any college level.

Only 1.7% of players play D1 after HS and with 20+ player rosters the need to compete is paramount.

My DD's performance metrics, athletically positions her at or above the average D2 player. She'll need to put more work to reach 1.7%.
Does she know this? No because she's working on GPA and I'm working on drills/training to help her close that gap.

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I am grateful that my DD has a strong middle school program to try out for next year. If she is fortunate enough to make it, she will almost certainly never leave the bench as a 6th grader. If she doesn’t make it, the lesson will be learned ones way or the other.

 

[erniekru]

Duh, parents are spending a lot of money. Think about forking out thousands of dollars to travel cross country to an "elite" tournament, and your DD only gets one or two at bats the entire tournament... It won't take many of those before you start looking for a "better fit" for your DD.

OK, please don't take this as an attack on your situation. I have no idea about your or others situations, but I have lots of experience with DD and hers.

When parents pull "Sally" from the "Hittin' Kittens" because they spent thousands of dollars on an "elite" tournament and Sally only got two at bats, make no mistake about it, the player is QUITTING that team. She (the parents and/or the player) couldn't hack the adversity and instead of getting better, they just got bitter. Does this really seem like something that Coach Heather Tarr wants? Be honest with your answer.

That being said, I'm not saying that every travel team needs to operate like this, that is unrealistic. You're initial comment was that competition CANNOT happen on TB teams, I countered with that's not true in all conditions because there are teams where the players WANT (bordering on NEED) to be on that team and will work their rear off to stay on the team, playing time or not.

I've walked this scenario, DD travelled to FL from SoCal and got zilch playing time. She was so far down the batting order and 3rd string catcher (on a roster of 18) that even in friendlies, she was getting squat for playing time. It was a DARK time for sure and I was ***this*** close to pulling the plug. Decided to go the other way with the negativity and remember that DD made a team where over 100 players tried out. They saw something in her.. So I doubled down and paid for 3 batting lessons a week, gave DD an opportunity to work her butt off and it paid off huge. She found a gear that would've never been discovered had we pulled the plug.

I've often heard a saying that resonates, obviously not taking it as gospel, but...

"Never quit a team when you're not starting, quit the team where you never sit"

 

[Shiloh]

I don't think it's wonderful advice - I think it's very self-serving and myopic. Coach Tarr wants her bench players to be happy and inspired while they spectate. So she can have options when she needs them.

If kids want to compete for playing time, they can and they will. No need to sh--can them onto the bench to "inspire" them.

DD once played on a team of 26. TB coach they would break it up into 2 teams, but never did. Was misery. She pitched 15% of the innings, #1 pitcher threw 30%. Constant subs and very little team chemistry. They weren't all that good either. Rationale was "you have to compete for playing time" but it was obvious that some players were more skilled and others were competing. There was a whole roster who barely left the bench. Coach raked in $3000/player/season.

Contrast that with her current club, where they have 30 12U players and the HC told me "I'll only keep the 12-13 best ones".

Current team - nationally ranked.
Old team - not nationally ranked.

DD aboslutely blossomed when she got on a team that wanted/needed her and she could PLAY!

All this does is show how stupid the sports system in the USA is.

It is a load of BS. It is a sport. It is meant to be fun. You are mean to be able to play the game. There is meant to be a place for you to play the game if you want to. Every other country gets this - I am not sure why the USA does not. You should be able to play until --YOU-- want to stop - not because there is nowhere left for you to play.

Not saying there isn't a place for the big roster/cutthroat team - but it should NOT be the default.

And like most college coaches (nothing against Coach Tarr) it is self-serving. It would make HER job easier. And lets face it - basically, NONE of the players Coach Tarr is recruiting has EVER sat on a bench - certainly not in the two years before they attend her school.

Same for the 'over pitching' and 'over playing' comments college coaches make - they are just annoyed that someone got to use the player up physically before they did.

And the 'more competition, less showcase' and 'mutil-sport athlete' BS crowd - it is YOUR recruiting system. People are just playing within it.

Sopabox off...

Can I like this 10,000 times?

Totally nailed it marriard.

 

[radness]

Goals are defining factors in how society's facilitates itself.
To speak for myself , am glad to NOT have a one size fits all.
Prefer choice!
Cannot define what is fun for one is fun for everyone.
=People have different goals and idea's of fun!

People players looking for the right fit is evidence of this.

 

[GunnerShotgun]

From the NFCA Convention

TB Coach asks Heather Tarr: What is one thing Travel Ball coaches can do to help you.

Heather Tarr's response: Carry bigger rosters and teach your girls how to compete for playing time.

I practice this. I preach this. I love this. Let's help her out.

So out of touch and self serving. I hope someone called her out for it.

 

[Rolling Hard]

" NONE of the players Coach Tarr is recruiting has EVER sat on a bench - certainly not in the two years before they attend her school. "
Think about that.

 

[marriard]

OK, please don't take this as an attack on your situation. I have no idea about your or others situations, but I have lots of experience with DD and hers.
When parents pull "Sally" from the "Hittin' Kittens" because they spent thousands of dollars on an "elite" tournament and Sally only got two at bats, make no mistake about it, the player is QUITTING that team. She (the parents and/or the player) couldn't hack the adversity and instead of getting better, they just got bitter. Does this really seem like something that Coach Heather Tarr wants? Be honest with your answer.

Garbage. At best you can say that they MIGHT be quitting the team. But it isn't black and white.

1) Who cares what Coach Tarr wants if your kid is miserable
2) Sometimes it doesn't matter how hard you work, you can be out talented/out politically maneuvered/not mesh/out biased/etc, etc.
3)Sometimes what the team says it is, isn't. Sometimes it just sucks.

I will take a basketball saying "You can't teach height' and you "the first step in playing like Michael Jordan is being Michael Jordan".

And it is great your kid was talented enough and you were willing to commit those resources for her and that you got a result you and her with happy with, but it could EASILY have gone the other way. In those sorts of teams often because they bring in the next 'best thing'.

I've often heard a saying that resonates, obviously not taking it as gospel, but...
"Never quit a team when you're not starting, quit the team where you never sit"

Sure, but make sure it is not "lets stop having lots of fun for less fun somewhere else."
Fun is however you define it. Your goals can be different - being the 'best' isn't everyone's goal - and that is absolutely fine.

My DD had plenty of D1 offers but in her Junior year decided that a D3 school was for her. She played EVERY inning for a very good (but not national stacked D1 commit team) and had an absolute blast. She had an open door to go to most of the stacked teams but she would have hated it and it wasn't what she wanted or needed.

I will add to this: I umpired a 10U rec game last night. Talent/skill wise it was terrible - but every kid and parent and coach had more fun and enjoyment out of that game than some travel teams have in a season. Take from this what you will.