great two years in 10u- now moving up

[access2]

Not my dd sitting. I am lucky to watch her play every inning of every game....

Team is fully funded by sponsors.....never write a check for ANYTHING-food, hotels, equipment all picked up by sponsors. Just gas money to get to fields and back home.


My advice is go where she will play and not sit. No one is happy when kid sits most of the games.

Again, thanks to all. I agree with you all, it is not fun watching DD sit; so the homework is to find this ideal situation;

1) guaranteed playing time
2) coaches and organizatons with good track record and a reputation to teach to the age group level
3) coaches and organizations that prepares them for the upper divisions (14 and up)
4) Fully sponsored!
5) Drama free

I did not find any fully sponsored teams in 10u. To be honest I did not think that they were out there. How much luck will I have in finding one in 12u (south cal)?

[Phantom]

I could not agree more.....go to a team that is competitive but where she will also see significant play time. Nothing worse than a kid working their tail off but still not seeing time on the field. Well, actually, nothing worse than above statement than when the parents stomp off away from the other parents every weekend because they are going to blow their lids seeing their dd sit the bench for the third game in a row....

I really like what I read here a few weeks ago. Why is a girl sitting the bench 3 games in a row? #1 if her skills aren't good enough to play on Sunday, then it's the fault of the coaching for not making her better. #2 if her skills aren't good enough to play on Sunday, then it's the coaches fault for even picking her to be on the team.

I'm sure the coach didn't think twice about taking the check you handed him!!!!

yeah, and then the parents are the bad guys when they want to leave or do leave

[Phantom]

Not my dd sitting. I am lucky to watch her play every inning of every game....

Team is fully funded by sponsors.....never write a check for ANYTHING-food, hotels, equipment all picked up by sponsors. Just gas money to get to fields and back home.


My advice is go where she will play and not sit. No one is happy when kid sits most of the games.

Again, thanks to all. I agree with you all, it is not fun watching DD sit; so the homework is to find this ideal situation;

1) guaranteed playing time
2) coaches and organizatons with good track record and a reputation to teach to the age group level
3) coaches and organizations that prepares them for the upper divisions (14 and up)
4) Fully sponsored!
5) Drama free

I did not find any fully sponsored teams in 10u. To be honest I did not think that they were out there. How much luck will I have in finding one in 12u (south cal)?

and try to avoid a team where your DD will have to compete for the same position as the coaches DD, no matter how much better your DD is than coaches, you will never win

[Phantom]

Lots of parents can talk in the abstract about being OK with their kid competing for a position and being fine with her sitting if she gets beaten out by a better player....problem is that NOBODY ever really accepts that any other player is better than their own kid.

ESPECIALLY the coach in a lot of cases

[YellowBalls]

The best teams don't always have the best coaches, alot of the "top" organizations field younger teams with the same recruiting mentality as the older divisions and aren't always the best in actually developing their players.

Do your homework, watch teams in games and see how the coaching staff interacts with the players, are the players having fun AND playing the game well? Nothing worse than seeing a talented bunch of kids get beaten down by coaches and their egos when things go wrong. Your DD should be comfortable, willing to learn and WANTING to do her best because she loves to play, not in fear of making a mistake. Softball is a game of inches and players will only get better when they are allowed to make errors and learn from them, again, without fear.

In 12U, I agree this is the age where kids really start developing in the game. They are maturing and dealing with all sorts of change and adjustments. Find a coach that is patient, yet firm, focused on the fundimentals and TEACHES the game and your DD will have a good time, learn and be ready for the next step.

As far as playing time goes, if you find the "right" team, she will get the playing time needed to develop her skills. Come tournament time, every player must have a role - might be starter or relief, but all should play; not always EVERY game and if you have a good coach, he/she should be open to discussing your DDs role and what opportunities she may have to change that role as she progresses, etc...

Good luck..

[PDad]

Excellent post by YB.

Lots of playing time without proper coaching only develops individuals. Knowledgeable coaching is required to learn how to make advanced plays together as a team. Good coaches will give all their players enough playing time to develop.