DD wants to quit softball

[NJZoo]

Finding the right fit is hard. I've told this before, but we found ourselves on 4 teams between the ages of 11-12 (first was the town travel team we grew up on that moved up to 14U, a 12U club team that fell apart, a good 12U club team that moved up to 14U again, and then finally the 12U team that we've been with for a whole season that's a great fit.

My daughter grew up playing SS, and played there a good amount in the Fall. However, the team needed her in the outfield this season so that's where she's primarily played. Recently, due to an injury, she's been playing 1st base. Being versatile is one of the most valuable skills a girl can have.

I would say this - do your homework. Look for organizations that field teams at multiple levels for stability, look in USSSA to see how many girls they carry on their roster, look at performance to see how well the team is doing, go observe a practice before you bring your daughter to see how the coaches interact with the players. It's a lot of work finding the right situation for your daughter. It's definitely harder than just picking the name on the front of the jersey. Sometimes you have to go through trial and error and unfortunately the girls can suffer. If your daughter is having trouble connecting with the game, or is discouraged, maybe try to have her play on a team with some friends? Or a team with players that she has played against and respects? In our trials going through teams the most important lesson that I learned is that the best place for them is the place where they feel the most comfortable.

Good luck!

 

[CoachJD]

Sports generally, and softball is no different, tends to reward those who keep showing up. I lost count of how many DD outworked and outlasted.

Nothing will ever be posted on this board that is more true than this statement, and I think it's true at every level/quality of play until you get to the point where everybody there is someone who kept showing up.

I can think of more than one girl who went from the player I thought would quit within a week Freshman year to a starter Senior year because she just kept at it. Some became pretty good players. Others just filled an open spot because they were good enough to get by. But they all kept showing up, and eventually, they got their chance.

 

[_MIA_]

I quit everything so I got nothin'..sorry.

 

[flash277]

Well, if she wants to quit, let her. If she plays another sport, even bette r. A lot of people get hooked into what you said " she's been playing since 5! ". Meaning that since a girl has playing that long, she should play all the way to 18 (and beyond). My DD played from 8 then decided she had enough travel ball at 16 after 1st year 18u. She did play varsity for school team, then that's it, no more softball. She's good with it, and so am I.

 

[JumboJack]

Playing only one position is not really a thing at higher (or even older) levels of softball. Learning to play multiple positions is a must if a kid wants to play in collage (Pitchers non withstanding). Even catchers better learn to play someplace else unless they want to rid the pine in more instances than not.

 

[KrisHur]

Well, if she wants to quit, let her. If she plays another sport, even bette r. A lot of people get hooked into what you said " she's been playing since 5! ". Meaning that since a girl has playing that long, she should play all the way to 18 (and beyond).

Good point! My DD played tennis from the age of 5. At 9 she started playing rec league softball. At 12 she moved to travel. After a few months, the time commitment to do both (well) was too much and she knew she had to make a choice. Despite being a regionally top ranked USTA tennis player and a fairly good softball player she gave it up to focus on softball and never looked back. Silly me thought I'd save some $$ as tennis is a seriously expensive sport - but it turns out so is softball! LOL

 

[Orange Socks]

With regards to these so called National Teams, the OP either got bamboozled or didn't do their homework. Maybe the program is a National Program, but the team was the 3rd team in that Age division that they were trying to cobble together. National teams don't just appear out of nowhere. They will have a solid core group of players that have competed and won many tourneys and are only looking to add a few to round out their roster.

It was my time to let others coach my DD in 8th grade. We hit tryouts hard. We finally chose a 14U team that was part of a National Organization. I did not know this team transitioned from another Hittin' Kittens organization and was moving up to 14U. My DD played up the season before playing 14U. After a couple of practices I realized my All star could run circles around this new team. Many of those original players flamed out while we steadily picked up better players. We sucked in the fall, but got better over the year. Long story short, the team dissolved at tryouts the following summer. I was a great learning experience and I had a better understanding of the TB landscape and who the real teams were.

 

[djcarter1966]

With regards to these so called National Teams, the OP either got bamboozled or didn't do their homework. Maybe the program is a National Program, but the team was the 3rd team in that Age division that they were trying to cobble together. National teams don't just appear out of nowhere. They will have a solid core group of players that have competed and won many tourneys and are only looking to add a few to round out their roster.

It was my time to let others coach my DD in 8th grade. We hit tryouts hard. We finally chose a 14U team that was part of a National Organization. I did not know this team transitioned from another Hittin' Kittens organization and was moving up to 14U. My DD played up the season before playing 14U. After a couple of practices I realized my All star could run circles around this new team. Many of those original players flamed out while we steadily picked up better players. We sucked in the fall, but got better over the year. Long story short, the team dissolved at tryouts the following summer. I was a great learning experience and I had a better understanding of the TB landscape and who the real teams were.

Yeah...unfortunately this is very true...yeah the NE scene isn't the best but find a local organization that has been around a long time with a good reputation and stop chasing national teams. I just wouldn't even think about it, if you are in a big tournament and a national team coach approaches you fine but I would never hunt them out. For now just let her enjoy her time doing other stuff especially if she is into other sports and will stay active.