Benefits and best approach to join a national organization

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Jul 14, 2018
982
93
Reviving an old thread after noticing something at the WCWS. One of the JMU players is listed as being from one town over from me, so I looked up her team history on the USSSA site.

Turns out she played her whole travel career on an independent, parent-run team that no longer exists. I’m sure she did her share of legwork to get recruited, but it shows you can make it without the big name on your uniform.


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Nov 20, 2020
995
93
SW Missouri
Reviving an old thread after noticing something at the WCWS. One of the JMU players is listed as being from one town over from me, so I looked up her team history on the USSSA site.

Turns out she played her whole travel career on an independent, parent-run team that no longer exists. I’m sure she did her share of legwork to get recruited, but it shows you can make it without the big name on your uniform.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I’m glad you revived this thread. It’s a topic I go back and forth with in regards to DD. She (for now) has aspirations to play in college. She’s a 2026 and will move up to 14u in August. This year we will move to a much more competitive program but it won’t be national. We need to see how she handles the higher level of play. But, if she excels and enjoys it…..I’m trying to think what we do at 16u. If her skill level and work ethic justify it….do we look at a national or regional program. I’ll be rereading this thread for sure.
 
Apr 20, 2015
961
93
Its not necessary but it's an easier path on a team with a history of placing kids in the level she's interested in.

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Dec 2, 2013
3,410
113
Texas
I’m glad you revived this thread. It’s a topic I go back and forth with in regards to DD. She (for now) has aspirations to play in college. She’s a 2026 and will move up to 14u in August. This year we will move to a much more competitive program but it won’t be national. We need to see how she handles the higher level of play. But, if she excels and enjoys it…..I’m trying to think what we do at 16u. If her skill level and work ethic justify it….do we look at a national or regional program. I’ll be rereading this thread for sure.
In 8th grade my DD joined her first real TB organization. Team was started awful, but got good with kids quitting after they realized this is not what they wanted, pitcher parent drama and then replacements that were better because we were part of a National Organization. That is the difference. It's easier to replace kids because of reputation.

That team imploded during tryouts that following August. We saw the writing on the wall when the coach made no effort to secure the core players. 9th grade played up to 16u National program, and then played 18U the rest of the way in the same organization. All that to say we went from All star ball to a National program in less than 2 years. Don't wait! Give your DD the best opportunity to succeed and challenge herself and YOU. If you sit around wringing your hands wondering if your DD is good enough or if she excels, then it's too late. If your kid is good enough do it!!! If she doesn't and you are trying to protect her from rejection, you are not helping either. DD tried out for 5 teams that 8th grade year. 25 hours of try outs in 2 weeks! She got 2x better just from those tryouts and for whatever reason she changed something in her catching sequencing that all of sudden made her look like a pro at that final team tryout that got her a call back. Be patient...I'll start a new thread on this topic for you catcher parents.

Get on the best team that she can play on.....Not sit the bench and pay dues. You need to be the parent to make these hard decisions for her, it's not her decision until she says, she's done. Pedal to the Metal and stop playing baby ball.
 
Nov 20, 2020
995
93
SW Missouri
In 8th grade my DD joined her first real TB organization. Team was started awful, but got good with kids quitting after they realized this is not what they wanted, pitcher parent drama and then replacements that were better because we were part of a National Organization. That is the difference. It's easier to replace kids because of reputation.

That team imploded during tryouts that following August. We saw the writing on the wall when the coach made no effort to secure the core players. 9th grade played up to 16u National program, and then played 18U the rest of the way in the same organization. All that to say we went from All star ball to a National program in less than 2 years. Don't wait! Give your DD the best opportunity to succeed and challenge herself and YOU. If you sit around wringing your hands wondering if your DD is good enough or if she excels, then it's too late. If your kid is good enough do it!!! If she doesn't and you are trying to protect her from rejection, you are not helping either. DD tried out for 5 teams that 8th grade year. 25 hours of try outs in 2 weeks! She got 2x better just from those tryouts and for whatever reason she changed something in her catching sequencing that all of sudden made her look like a pro at that final team tryout that got her a call back. Be patient...I'll start a new thread on this topic for you catcher parents.

Get on the best team that she can play on.....Not sit the bench and pay dues. You need to be the parent to make these hard decisions for her, it's not her decision until she says, she's done. Pedal to the Metal and stop playing baby ball.

Thanks for the post OS. This is actually something I needed to see. I agree with everything you wrote.
 

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