If I had it to do over again..........

[Lunatic Fringe]

Regrets, I have few. But there are a few...

1) I'd say "no"more often

2) Quit buying in to marginal teams and marginal coaches. Get with the proven programs from the earliest opportunity at 16U and 18 Gold for sure

3) Recognize and run from assholia. Not everything is a character building neccessity

4) Get what you pay for. Or leave. It's OK to leave. We should have left bad deals more than we did

5) The girls should have more fun. Nobody is curing cancer out there in the dirt. Softball is a game and should be fun most of the time

[fasterpitch92701]

Well said.

[justthinking]

Absolutely LOVING this!!! So glad you all are taking the time to post. Keep it coming........ It is terrific insightful info!!

[ontheblack]

Thing 1 is done. Thing 2 quit last year, then after 9 months, decided she wanted to still play and is having the time of her life.

What I will do differently is put far less emphasis on the team name/org, and more on the individuals coaching.

What I am doing differently is making sure she is feeling no outside pressure. If she doesnt want to play, I get to surf more.

What I have done differently is change my perspective. It took a few years because I didnt fully appreciate the advice of a stranger watching an over the top group of parents watching their kids have an off day at a meaningless 12u tournament.Thank you Artomatic. I now view every game Thing 2 plays with the attitude that this is nothing compared to what it will be. The beauty of that approach is that "what it will be like" is always in the future, so enjoying the present is so much easier.

What I will do is not worry a wit about the scholarship that may never come. Any pressure Thing 2 feels with regard to "getting to the next level" will be self imposed.

What I will do the same is cherish watching every pitch, at bat, inning, game, and hour spent driving to who knows where. Those moments with Thing 1 have bonded us together like nothing else.

Remember that it is only an effing game. Nothing more.

[jonriv]

Asked my DD the question yesterday while playing golf(if she everlearns to put I'm dead )

she said these things:

1) she would have stopped catching earlier and concentrated more on outfield(Hurt her back at 14)

2) Started TB earlier(Started at 14u)

3) Attended more college camps and have started earlier

[DonnieS]

If I had it to do over again, I would have started having kids earlier - and had more of them. We may still have a few years left with these two hardheads, it would be great to have a few more. That being said, the "keeping it fun" was our team motto when we started it - and the girls also agreed that "Nothing was more fun than winning" - kind of hard to go wrong when you had a team full of girls like that.

Regarding the recruiting adventures, DD1 kind of fell into everything - everytime a coach was looking, she was doing great, everytime she was screwing up , no one was looking. DD2's luck went the other way, getting mono in the end of the soph. year - prime recruiting season - really ragged her out for about 6 months and her primary school - which we had understood for the prevous 2 years , that she was a sure shot at - changed their minds. Then a lot of off the field issues came up - and softball, while she was still playing, our priorities changed for a while. Great growing experiences - and now, as a junior at a small D1 school , she is getting some great leaderships opportunities .

[3'sDad]

Donnie: and these two both received great educations!

[Bookend]

Thanks so much for the insightful replies. HB definitely takes the some of the curve out of the learning.