choosing the right team

[keyyoung1]

My dd travel team recently disbanned and is very unlikely to remain together. We do have two offers from other travel teams and would like some help. Unfortunatly we are first year travel player/parents and had to go through this. Of the two teams we have to play for we dont know which one we should choose. The first team is an established team that has great coaches and a good group of girls competively. My dd would be the #3 pitcher/#2 1st baseman and probally play outfield some. This team is also an hour drive each way and she does have other activities she is involved in. We are unsure if we can make the total commitment that we need to since it is so far away. The other team is a first year local team that got a late start in the season. They do not have the competiveness that the other team does but my dd would be the #1/#2 pitcher and would get alot of pitching/playing time. The coaches have plenty of experience in rec league but not travel. Most importantly i want the best fit for my dd but we are also concerned with the out of town team that we dont want her academics to become an issue with the possibillity of traveling so much. I would really welcome any advice that anyone can give me. We are only a few days away from having to make a decision and we want to do the best/right decision for all of us.



thank you

 

[jinjet95]

What age group?

 

[fastpitch]

What age is this? It might change my reply... but probably not.

I'd say it depends on what is important to you, your DD and your family. If its for her to become the best softball player she can be... the farther team will probably push her toward that if she can commit fully to them. Sacrifice is important to learn if softball (or any activity) is what she wants to excel at. If you/she cannot commit to the other team; she will end up not playing as much and you will undoubtedly start to question if its really worth the extra travel time. If the priority is fitting in her other activities along with softball...go with the local team. She may not be pushed to be the best she can be there... but at least she will be able to play and still do other things she likes.

“Walk on road. Walk left side, safe. Walk right side, safe. Walk middle, sooner or later squash like grape." - Mr. Miyagi

Its like TB softball. Be all committed; or not committed. If you are half-committed... you get squashed like grape.

 

[joemcq51]

I think you should involve your DD in the decision process. If she wants to be a pitcher, she needs to pitch. JMHO. Lay it out to her like you did here and she can make the informed decision.

 

[Goobie]

You don't mention the age of your DD... but in my personal opinion it is better to go with the team that will give your DD the best opportunity to play. You don't get any better by sitting on the bench. Since your DD is a pitcher, she needs innings and to face batters in order to improve at pitching. Same thing with infield / outfield / hitting. You just don't get any better being the #3 anything (IMO).

You also need to think about what is important to you and your DD... Wins? Or developing your DD? If wins are the most important thing, go with the competitive team, and let your daughter enjoy the wins from the bench. If developing your DD is the most important, then go with the team that gives her the best chance of playing every inning and minimizes bench time. Sure the team may take some lumps and losses, but at the end of the season your DD will have a bunch of experience. If the 2nd team coaches are decent and committed to learning and developing the team.... AND they have communicated to the parents that they are "developing" a team and to expect some losses (and the other parents buy into it), then I personally would choose team 2.

Good luck! Let us know how it ends up. Hope this helped.

 

[fastpitch]

You don't mention the age of your DD... but in my personal opinion it is better to go with the team that will give your DD the best opportunity to play. You don't get any better by sitting on the bench. Since your DD is a pitcher, she needs innings and to face batters in order to improve at pitching. Same thing with infield / outfield / hitting. You just don't get any better being the #3 anything (IMO).

You also need to think about what is important to you and your DD... Wins? Or developing your DD? If wins are the most important thing, go with the competitive team, and let your daughter enjoy the wins from the bench. If developing your DD is the most important, then go with the team that gives her the best chance of playing every inning and minimizes bench time. Sure the team may take some lumps and losses, but at the end of the season your DD will have a bunch of experience. If the 2nd team coaches are decent and committed to learning and developing the team.... AND they have communicated to the parents that they are "developing" a team and to expect some losses (and the other parents buy into it), then I personally would choose team 2.

Good luck! Let us know how it ends up. Hope this helped.

Wins and bench with the more competitive team vs. developing and playing with a lesser team (lesser coached team also) isn't how I see this at all. I'd say not being the number one should motivate her to work harder and become a better player to become number one. While game experience is important... practice outside games is what really makes them better. Playing with kids better than her makes her better. Learning to earn your spot makes them better. There are some benefits to being the best player or pitcher on a weak team; but how good can they really become?

 

[PA SB Dad]

Good coaching trumps everything. You are paying a premium for travel ball to be coached well, and your DD's play as a result of that coaching will determine playing time. It does your DD absolutely no good to get more playing time if she is being poorly coached. Watch out for first year teams that "spring up". Most are no better than rec league teams, and sometimes worse, because they have the aura of being a "travel team" to justify why certain kids (read coaches' DDs) get more playing time than the others. Just my 2 cents.

 

[fastpitch]

^^^^what PA SB Dad said.

 

[absdad]

Based on it being her first year.. I'd be inclined to go with where she's going to get some experience. Pitching requires alot of time, and a #3 pitcher just wouldn't get it. If she's a higher need player, on a lesser team, she'll have more field time to develop skills, than being a #2 or #3 postion player on a better team. You can always move to a more competitive team after the season is over, or even guest play for more competitive teams.

 

[druer]

My advice for travel players is to go ahead and play "pick up ball" with multiple teams so that she actually has the chance in games/practices to get to know what the coaches, players and parents are really like. Once you feel you know what the rest of the season would be like you can commit.

Usually teams/coaches are on their best behavior in a tryout situation and they can make all kinds of promises, then suddenly it all changes when practices are like daddy ball and in the games the current #1 pitcher starts playing right field because your daughter takes her spot and most of the team is best friends with her. Unfortunately many families commit after the first date and assume floating hearts in their eyes will last all season, having no idea what the coach/team dynamics are really like in tournament situations when the team loses.