stuck between rec ball and travel ball choice

[bronco]

My daughter is a bigger kid, not fat, just usually the biggest kid on the team. should have made her a pitcher {jk} was a catcher, just to slow2 in my opinion to catch any more great defensively, just a step slow. plays first base now,she is very competitive and has a very strong bat, so i have been told. yes, i am her coach, so i am probably her harshest critic as far as thinking she can always give more than i am seeing. her birthday is in september of 99 so i am trying to decide what to do with her or where to start the process with her as far as travel and in what year and season of travel she should start at. Ihave been reading the posts on hear and its pretty brutal, hopefully i can get some solid advice without all the bullshit attached, this is my first time on. my daughter was doing travel basketball, finallly got her away from that and in the dirt. i would appreciate any good advice to get us on our way. thx to all who reply.. we are in 1o u rec ball right now and the team i coach is going to state in lancaster next week, so i am trying to figure out which direction to go with her after that.

[anonlooker]

Be patient, and you will likely get widely varied opinions.

You seem happy that you finally got out of travel hoops and in the dirt.

Make sure she wants to play travel fastpitch.

It's an enormous commitment, in ways I can't explain, and you can't imagine.

[SoCal10UDude]

My daughter is a bigger kid, not fat, just usually the biggest kid on the team. should have made her a pitcher {jk} was a catcher, just to slow2 in my opinion to catch any more great defensively, just a step slow. plays first base now,she is very competitive and has a very strong bat, so i have been told. yes, i am her coach, so i am probably her harshest critic as far as thinking she can always give more than i am seeing. her birthday is in september of 99 so i am trying to decide what to do with her or where to start the process with her as far as travel and in what year and season of travel she should start at. Ihave been reading the posts on hear and its pretty brutal, hopefully i can get some solid advice without all the bullshit attached, this is my first time on. my daughter was doing travel basketball, finallly got her away from that and in the dirt. i would appreciate any good advice to get us on our way. thx to all who reply.. we are in 1o u rec ball right now and the team i coach is going to state in lancaster next week, so i am trying to figure out which direction to go with her after that.

If your daughter wants to play at a high level year round then travel is the choice which after all-stars will be a first year 12U, no more 10U for her after this summer. One of the great things about travel ball is that is really about opportunity. No matter what level she is at, there is probably a team for her that she can help. Your daughter is also too young to provide her a label and please stop doing that. Your daughter is not physically mature yet, hasn't achieved her natural size, weight, and strength as an athlete. Girls change physically dramatically through second year 12's when they get their last major growth spurt. "Studs" at 10U can become mediocre 12U players and washout. Players below the radar at 10's and 12's often peak and blossom as they get older. And yes, some are studs their entire athletic career too.

Good luck.

[ontheblack]

Anonlooker and SoCaldude made some great points.

The travel commitment makes All Stars seem like a vacation, so be prepared. That said, fall is less intense than spring, so its a great time for both of you to test the waters.

IMO, moving to travel as a 1st year 12U is a good time to do so as many of the 1st yr 12U teams are more focused on development than with the expectation of winning nationals (Victory and FC98 are the obvious exceptions that come to mind).

If you are both up for the commitment, the difference in her development as a player at the travel level cant even be compared to what it will be if you stay in Rec.

[CatWoman]

So far, you have been given really good advice and your timing is very good. Three years ago my dd made the switch as a first year 14U and it was unbelievably tough at that age. We were clueless. Here are some things that you should take into consideration when looking for a team and they can break down into family considerations and finding a good fit in the team for your daughter. Family considerations include: 1) Money - the difference between rec and travel can be staggering, and 2) distance to where you practice and whether any younger siblings will be going with you to each one (this played into our decision to stay in rec an extra year). When looking at teams, find out what the dues and whether any additional fundraising will be done to help with travel expenses. If the team will not be travelling very far this may not be a big deal. Many teams through first year 14U have week night practices. My dd's first team had two, two 1/2 hour week night practices in addition to the weekend practices, add on an hour travel time each direction (in L.A. traffic) and it was tough (homework, eating, etc.) so be sure to factor that in.

Finding the right team after rec ball: Everyone starts somewhere and it is usually in rec. DD's a pitcher and some of the coaches were unnecessarily rude and arrogant because we had stayed in rec so long. When she made the move (we found the right team), dd had difficulty making it through the practices because she had never had such a long one but she worked very hard and caught up quickly. We thought that a 3 or 4 hour practice was nuts. We now like them and now that we are in high school value the travel ball schedules with no week night practices (other than her own individual training) which are unlike other sports. First of all, look for the team where your dd is going to get the best coaching with the most playing time. There are absolutely no guarantees in travel, however, if you get on a team in the Fall, you will see where your daughter fits in playing time wise. She needs to have decent playing time to get better in game situations. Sometimes having dd on a lesser team with an average coach and more playing time can be more beneficial in the long run then on a championship team where she sits most of the day and sees little playing time. She will probably have a progression of teams, so at this age, make sure she is happy and improving.

If your daughter is coachable and has a big bat, there will always be a place for her so really focus on the batting. My girl is very big and coaches love her size. Get her good training and it is not too late to think about pitching if it is something she really wants to try. We have seen girls start later, bloom later and do very well.

Try going to a variety of try-outs or open workouts. Also, if there are any friendlies that are going on locally, go check out the teams. Sit in the bleachers and listen to the parents and coaches and what they say. I cannot stress enough that you need to do your homework. Observe the coaches and the parents and players. We love travel ball and our transition has been extremely positive. We wish the same to you.

[Surehitter]

Remember - You only get better by playing - don't let your ego get hung up on the team name or organization. At this point you need your DD to get as much real game time as she can. Look for a team that needs your daughter. If she plays well and has the skills the large organizational teams will take notice and then the following year will be the time to fight for a starting spot on a cut-throat team.

Good Luck !!

[Skarp]

I'm usually drunk, so don't quote me, but I don't think I've ever heard anyone say "damn, we should have stayed in rec ball!"

[Wolf]

I have been debating the same thing with my daugther, do I move her out of rec and into a more competative enviroment or keep her right where she is at. Have been thinking about this more and more especially after a very frustrating All Stars season. She started the All Stars season as 1 of 2 pitchers on the team but during the first tournament it ended up being her sole purpose due to injuries to the other pitchers hand. No matter if it was a solo game or 3 games back to back games she stood up and gave everythign she had for the team. She is able to always have a couple of K's in every game (including a 5 inning game where she had 11 K's, dad had to throw in a little bragging), she showed that she could be as strong in the first game to the last game, a work horse for the team. She has good speed (getting faster) on her ball, a good rise and change ups and a great drop ball (her bread and butter). She also plays the corners where she is very strong, great glove and arm. For the last 2 years she has played none stop, from the regular season to All Stars to winterball (where she would play on 2 different leagues), she is use to always playing and loves every moment of it. With her being in the 14U (96) division I am a little concerned cause it is a lot later than what most do when transitioning from rec to travel. Any advice or comments would be helpful. Thank you Catwoman, your comments where very helpful.

[anonlooker]

I'm usually drunk, so don't quote me, but I don't think I've ever heard anyone say "damn, we should have stayed in rec ball!"

Even drunk, I'd wager the first time you saw CA Smith a few years back, or FC Arto last year, or Campbell's team, you simply said... "Damn!"

[anonlooker]

I have been debating the same thing with my daugther, do I move her out of rec and into a more competative enviroment or keep her right where she is at. Have been thinking about this more and more especially after a very frustrating All Stars season. She started the All Stars season as 1 of 2 pitchers on the team but during the first tournament it ended up being her sole purpose due to injuries to the other pitchers hand. No matter if it was a solo game or 3 games back to back games she stood up and gave everythign she had for the team. She is able to always have a couple of K's in every game (including a 5 inning game where she had 11 K's, dad had to throw in a little bragging), she showed that she could be as strong in the first game to the last game, a work horse for the team. She has good speed (getting faster) on her ball, a good rise and change ups and a great drop ball (her bread and butter). She also plays the corners where she is very strong, great glove and arm. For the last 2 years she has played none stop, from the regular season to All Stars to winterball (where she would play on 2 different leagues), she is use to always playing and loves every moment of it. With her being in the 14U (96) division I am a little concerned cause it is a lot later than what most do when transitioning from rec to travel. Any advice or comments would be helpful. Thank you Catwoman, your comments where very helpful.

If your kid will be 2nd year 14's, it's a good time to take her to tryouts and see how it goes. You have nothing to lose. (other than weekends for the next 4-5 years! ) If you wait until 16's, well, yeah, that might be too late.

Start with a couple of the better teams, get feedback, and go from there.