Player Development or College Exposure?

[teammom]

At what age is it more important that the team you pick is developing dd's skills vs. giving them the best opportunity, or future opportunity for college exposure? In other words do you pick the coach in a newer organization that teaches the best skills or the coach with the connections to get dd seen?

[Skarp]

At what age is it more important that the team you pick is developing dd's skills vs. giving them the best opportunity, or future opportunity for college exposure? In other words do you pick the coach in a newer organization that teaches the best skills or the coach with the connections to get dd seen?

The answer in any particular case turns on whether the player's skills are sufficiently developed to warrant college exposure, irrespective of age. But, generally speaking, 2nd year 14U and on seems to be where exposure starts becoming a more important consideration.

[Hawk17]

I think it really depends on the athlete. Quite frankly, I think the teaching and coaching NEVER stops.

Once you become a freshman in high school, you need to have college exposure AND the athlete needs to continue to work to keep up her skills with hitting instruction, pitching instruction on her own as well as during the season with the team.

In my opinion, you pick the coach with the connections. If they have connections, chances are that the coach also knows how to teach skills.

[coolstuff]

In my opinion, you pick the coach with the connections. If they have connections, chances are that the coach also knows how to teach skills.

Agree with everything said here, but I will caution that there are coaches out there who are living off of an organization's reputation. They use the team's reputation of getting exposure to attract decent talent, and their teams are competitive, but the players don't make progress during the season. When you go to a tryout, find out how many of the players are returning from the previous season. While some move up, obviously, if there are only 3-4 returning, and three of them are coaches' kids, you should start asking some hard questions.

[Hawk17]

Good Point.

[Sam]

At what age is it more important that the team you pick is developing dd's skills vs. giving them the best opportunity, or future opportunity for college exposure? In other words do you pick the coach in a newer organization that teaches the best skills or the coach with the connections to get dd seen?

8U

[Clean_up]

In my opinion, you pick the coach with the connections. If they have connections, chances are that the coach also knows how to teach skills.

Agree with everything said here, but I will caution that there are coaches out there who are living off of an organization's reputation. They use the team's reputation of getting exposure to attract decent talent, and their teams are competitive, but the players don't make progress during the season. When you go to a tryout, find out how many of the players are returning from the previous season. While some move up, obviously, if there are only 3-4 returning, and three of them are coaches' kids, you should start asking some hard questions.

Yes, be careful of the revolving door teams that attract top talent and then continually look for the next best player and upgrade every chance they get. As a parent you have to make decisions on what's more important to you - to say you won Nationals and then get replaced the next month because another kid came along that hit the ball 15 feet farther or to consistantly be competitive on a top 10 team and have the opportunity to grow as an athlete. To some, being the best means to be on a team that wins it all, to others success is defined by growth and improvement within a positive and competitive environment.