Play down or stay home?

[Judd]

DD was asked to play pick up with a team here and help pitch for them. She is taking lessons and a decent rec pitcher but not ready for 12U travel pitching. I told them sure, she could use the time. We went to their practice and its easy to tell they are a new team with mostly rec players, but hey they have to start somewhere. They played this weekend in a "C" bracket against some other C and all star teams. They got pretty hammered but mostly due to the other pitchers walking a boatload of girls. Pool game went 16-0, DD didnt pitch. Last bracket game went 11-0 before DD came in and finished 13-2 I think. She wasnt throwing hard, just strikes. Most of these girls are from rec, and my DD has played with some good players and has had a taste of success with a couple trophies so these hammerings in "C" ball were tough, I admit that.

DD just doesnt want to play with them anymore but I told her it was good practice to pitch and try out her recenly picked up slapping. She probably would have pitched more this coming weekend as last weekend 4 girls pitched and its obvious there was only 2 that should have pitched. A 65 minute game going 2 innings is a big clue.

So now she probably wont play this Saturday. Am I wrong having her pick up on a team where she is probably the best player? She begs me to find her a team to play p/u with since her team quit so its not like she doesnt want to play. In all honesty she hasnt been so hot all summer. She did very well Saturday but its not like someone was going to say hey, shes not a C player (shes not leaps and bounds above these girls)


So should she just stay home or get some game time in? I think the decision has been made but just wondering what the other HB'ers think

[artomatic]

So should she just stay home or get some game time in? I think the decision has been made but just wondering what the other HB'ers think

I think she made the right call....not sure of your situation, or how many opportunities around your area, but it sounds like she wants to be challenged, and that she wasn't this past weekend...
jmo...

[SoCalFPDad]

In my opinion one should never play down. You always want to play up

[Lefty's Dad]

This s a good time of the year to figure these things out. Tryouts are right around the corner. I would say find her a team that she can be challenged on but still get some pitching time in if that's what she wants. A couple years ago my DD went straight from rec to a very good travel team and learned a lot really quickly. Ultimately we learned that she wasn't ready for that good of a team and we went looking for playing time and got it on a mediocre team. Finally we found her a home away from home where she fits in perfectly, a very good team that she matches well with the other players. They will learn something (positive and negative) with every team they play on at every level so don't fret too much.

[tiltman]

what ever you do dont "make" her play with someone she doesn't want to , that does no one any good.

[SDSUXO]

Am I wrong having her pick up on a team where she is probably the best player? She begs me to find her a team to play p/u with since her team quit so its not like she doesnt want to play. In all honesty she hasnt been so hot all summer. So should she just stay home or get some game time in? I think the decision has been made but just wondering what the other HB'ers think

Hi Judd, we are in a very similar situation - dd having played rec through this last year as an old 12. She just ended all-stars (a very VERY disappointing season based on a bunch of drama and garbage from players AND parents) and has been picked up by a mediocre travel team as well.

For us....it is about getting her experience and a taste for travel ball. It's about her getting clocked - so she understands that travel is NOT rec ball and that some of her bad habits that she was able to get away with in rec, won't stand in travel. And part of it is because she tells us how much she wants to play in college - well...she needs to get time on the mound to work on her mechanics and play, and that's what she will get during the month of July.

We do not intend to stay with this team after Western Nationals - partially because it's a half 95/half 96 team that will be requiring some moving up of players and what will happen with the 95s is questionable, but for now, it works. She likes the girls, she likes the conditioning and she's having fun...and that is the point!

Good luck in whatever is decided.

[anonlooker]

We went through a similar deal when starting TB, and from experience I've learned to go with the best coach you can find. Learning the game is critical, and a seasoned TB coach simply knows more than a rec, LL or HS coach (with rare exceptions).

Try out for as many teams as you can. Have a good heart to heart with the coaches of the teams that offer your daughter a spot on their roster. Ask questions, as many as you can think of. Let the coach know what your DD wants. Go in with all your cards on the table so there are no unwarranted expectations, or disappointments.

I wouldn't recommend playing up. First year TB is hard enough without being the youngest, smallest, newest, etc etc.

Definitely don't play down, meaning a team on which your DD steps in as the best or nearly best player. Get her with kids she can look up to... she'll learn from them.

Once you decide, stick with that team. You don't want to bounce around, especially if there aren't a lot of teams in your area. You don't want to burn any bridges you might want to cross down the road. (Of course if it becomes a total disaster, sure, leave, but be prepared for some bumps in the road, and don't split over minor issues.)

It's no coincidence that a team with a quality coach will likely be pretty good, and provide plenty of challenge for your DD to improve.

[artomatic]

We went through a similar deal when starting TB, and from experience I've learned to go with the best coach you can find. Learning the game is critical, and a seasoned TB coach simply knows more than a rec, LL or HS coach (with rare exceptions).

Try out for as many teams as you can. Have a good heart to heart with the coaches of the teams that offer your daughter a spot on their roster. Ask questions, as many as you can think of. Let the coach know what your DD wants. Go in with all your cards on the table so there are no unwarranted expectations, or disappointments.

I wouldn't recommend playing up. First year TB is hard enough without being the youngest, smallest, newest, etc etc.

Definitely don't play down, meaning a team on which your DD steps in as the best or nearly best player. Get her with kids she can look up to... she'll learn from them.

Once you decide, stick with that team. You don't want to bounce around, especially if there aren't a lot of teams in your area. You don't want to burn any bridges you might want to cross down the road. (Of course if it becomes a total disaster, sure, leave, but be prepared for some bumps in the road, and don't split over minor issues.)

It's no coincidence that a team with a quality coach will likely be pretty good, and provide plenty of challenge for your DD to improve.

Great info!
adding to the "burning bridges" - don't burn bridges, you never know when you might need to cross them in the future...

Learn it
Know it
Live it

[Judd]

Thanks.

This is only a team she is playing pick up on, I believe we have plans for fall. Last week was the teams first tournament and their main pitcher left to attend to some personal issues (her dad was asst coach). So I got an email if my DD could play and pitch for them for a couple tournys. I figured its better than sitting at home and she can get some pitching time in. She pitched rec ball in spring and hasnt gotten much time in travel, which I understand, no complaints.

Shes also learning to slap and figured this was a good time to get in some real live slapping practice.

It was hard for her to swallow loosing 16-0 against girls she played with in the past.

She is playing tomorrow, hopefully the girls will have their 1st tourny jitters gone and the 8 walksaninning pitchers will be at a different position. That was the tough part, just watching walk after walk and past ball after past ball.