- Jun 20, 2015
- 859
- 93
and because i'm a jerk. U18 is soccer, 18U is softball
This !I think in college, so many parents root for everyone on the team since there are other factors at play. For example, You might only get to see your dd play a few times in a season and so, when the parent is there, they are just happy to see their dd play. Also, so many teams have roommates of 2,3 or 4 players and so, the parents get involved with everyone in the apartment or "house." Also, most parents see the bigger goals of gaining an education.
Great post hope everyone who reads DFP reads this!So I’m finally lucky enough to see DD’s college team play their first games this week and I imagine what I’m witnessing is how it is at the majority of schools. ALL of the parents cheer for each other’s kids! You could walk up to the field and have no idea which kid belongs to who because of the support for all of the players.
I guess it is ultimately because for the majority of college players, this is it for them. There is no more competition to get recruited from your travel team or to make the HS team. I mean, I’m sure there is internal competition to land a starting role but if there is on DD’s team, I don’t see it.
It is so refreshing to be associated with a team where all anyone cares about is a team win, not individual stats!!
Our high school is very much like that. The one freshman on Varsity is getting playing time in various roles and the coach is getting everyone in the games throughout the week. Of course the seniors are in their positions mostly, but it's been refreshing to see this. This coach has coached the team for close to 15 years and also coaches an 18u travel team which a handful of the school players are on as well. Several girls recently committed to college programs so, she's having success with her players. The seniors are very welcoming to the incoming freshmen and JV players, that began practices with them during try outs. It was all such a welcoming surprise. Nothing but support from the players for one another and the parents are that way as well. I guess we're lucky.Another reason College Softball is different. Team over the individual. I have noticed that DD's coach does an awesome job of using his entire roster. Pinch hitting, pinch running, etc. Other school's coaches do the same as well. If a player isn't getting the job done, coach will plug and play another player. You don't see that in HS or Travel Ball as much. During DD's recent trip to Cali the starters could not make the adjustments against the 2nd pitcher. The coach emptied his bench and sat almost all of the starters. The bench worked hard to pull out the W. DD told me that she asked to be benched. I really didn't care that DD was subbed for and I was really happy for the whole team. They won 5 out of 6 games which was a huge success. This was DD's one and only Spring Break trip since they do their trip every other year, and we as a family went too. We had a blast.