Team Time Off?

[Seven's Mom]

What is an acceptable amount of time for a team to take a break? DD is on a 14U team (7th-9th grades). Coach is a HS coach. How should the time off from team practice be used for personal growth? What about picking up with other teams? Clinics? We haven't taken off from team practice for more than 2 months in previous years, but I realize with high-school ball things might change. Input?

[looking in]

If he coaches High School, watch out!!Don't know about Texas, but not alot of big time HS coaches floating around! there are some, don't get me wrong! But 14U should be playing and practicing in the spring!(spring is your HS season,correct?) If your DD is not a freshman she should be allowed to play in other tournaments!! make sure it won't effect normal teams roster!! ASA,NSA so on! Shouldn't matter as long as it's not a National qualifier!

[dgorsuch]

What is an acceptable amount of time for a team to take a break? DD is on a 14U team (7th-9th grades). Coach is a HS coach. How should the time off from team practice be used for personal growth? What about picking up with other teams? Clinics? We haven't taken off from team practice for more than 2 months in previous years, but I realize with high-school ball things might change. Input?

Seven

All children need some time off to rest and be kids. We try to give our daughter two to four weeks off between seasons to recharge her batteries. Now, having said that, although she is not practicing and playing with her team we use this time off for some personal development. My DD is a pitcher. She throws once or twice a week to keep the rust off and started working with her pitching coach at week three of the off season. We are also working with a hitting coach once a week. This seems more fun like for her because she is not playing and practicing for tournaments. If your DD is on a team with HS players and she is not yet in HS you should find something for her to do while her team is down.
We are thinking about forming an 8th grade division in our select league this spring for girls or teams who are waiting for their HS players to finish their seasons. Several teams could combine players or individual players could join up with a team who need a couple of players while the balance are participating in HS ball. Is this a good idea??? We have been thinking about this for some time.

[DonnieS]

What is an acceptable amount of time for a team to take a break? DD is on a 14U team (7th-9th grades). Coach is a HS coach. How should the time off from team practice be used for personal growth? What about picking up with other teams? Clinics? We haven't taken off from team practice for more than 2 months in previous years, but I realize with high-school ball things might change. Input?

Seven

All children need some time off to rest and be kids. We try to give our daughter two to four weeks off between seasons to recharge her batteries. Now, having said that, although she is not practicing and playing with her team we use this time off for some personal development. My DD is a pitcher. She throws once or twice a week to keep the rust off and started working with her pitching coach at week three of the off season. We are also working with a hitting coach once a week. This seems more fun like for her because she is not playing and practicing for tournaments. If your DD is on a team with HS players and she is not yet in HS you should find something for her to do while her team is down.
We are thinking about forming an 8th grade division in our select league this spring for girls or teams who are waiting for their HS players to finish their seasons. Several teams could combine players or individual players could join up with a team who need a couple of players while the balance are participating in HS ball. Is this a good idea??? We have been thinking about this for some time.

dgor, we did this - not in the select league, but we formed a team out of the 8th graders who had been playing up with 18u teams and went and played all the spring tournaments. The girls had fun and made a lot of new friends, and won too.