Coach or mom... both???

[Sweet Lou]

If she'll be middle of the pack on the U10 team move her up and don't look back. Ask a few other other coaches in the league to give you their opinion of how she'll do so you get an unbiased opinion of her skills.

If she's going to be the 12th best girl on a team of 12 for your U10s, let her be a big fish at 8U and let her practice with your U10 team.

 

[GatorGirl]

I think if will def. help you schedule wise, but I wonder what your older daughter thinks. My younger DD is better than my older DD now and if they were on the same team, I know that would explode in my face.

IDK, from a mom's point of view, it would be hard for me to go from working with my 10 year old vs. 7 year old. At the end of the day, you have to do what you feel comfortable with. We don't all know all the facts so if you feel she can hit off a pitcher, hold her own and not cause the drama that most 7 year olds would among 10 year olds then go for it. Best of luck!

-GG

 

[Eric F]

From the HS side of things, we had only 2 travel players (other than pitchers) come to tryouts from 9th grade. The rest are rec players. All of them started at 6-7. All of them have bad habits that are impossible for the JV coach to break, they lack the basic knowledge of the game, ,and they think everything should be easy, standing around, and repetitive (throw to first!) like rec ball is (I guess, I have not seen rec ball; I thought the coaches would teach things regardless, why spend the hours? I was told they have doubleheaders on the weekend and 3 practices a week by HS age).


The JV coach has not gotten through a basic lesson plan, one that even non-players could do a year ago. We are trying to get them ready when the TB upperclassmen leave.

My advice is that 7 year olds should just play softball at home, attend softball and baseball games with mom and dad, watch their older siblings play bal, and just play in the yard. Lessons are fine.

I can't agree with this as a blanket guideline for all 7yo kids.

 

[Rocketech1]

My advice is that 7 year olds should just play softball at home, attend softball and baseball games with mom and dad, watch their older siblings play bal, and just play in the yard. Lessons are fine.

Not everyone can play "softball at home" especially if you live in a large metropolitan city. You seem to suggest that all of the incompetent players are the ones who played fastpitch at a younger age and have bad habits that are hard to break? Not sure about your area, but around here lots of girls and boys play t-ball at 6U and are pretty accomplished players by 12U and beyond. In fact, if you polled most travel ball players around here I bet the vast majority played organized softball by at least 8U (7-8yos). Just my experience.

 

[Sweet Lou]

OILF, many parents are also ill equipped to coach their kids at home and will introduce the same bad habits you are describing in many cases.

So when is a kid supposed to start playing and at what point travel ball?

Do you just play in the backyard until you are 10 and try out for 12U TB team when you turn 11?

I'm with rocketech on this one. In our area most of the travel ball kids were playing rec at 8U and often 1st year 10 U. It is generally 2nd year 10U and 12U that most of the kids serious about SB jump from local rec to TB.

 

[Eric F]

OILF, many parents are also ill equipped to coach their kids at home and will introduce the same bad habits you are describing in many cases.

So when is a kid supposed to start playing and at what point travel ball?

Do you just play in the backyard until you are 10 and try out for 12U TB team when you turn 11?

I'm with rocketech on this one. In our area most of the travel ball kids were playing rec at 8U and often 1st year 10 U. It is generally 2nd year 10U and 12U that most of the kids serious about SB jump from local rec to TB.

From my own observations of our small league, the girls who have played at home until 10U are a big step behind those who have at least one year of 8U under their belt.

 

[Greenmonsters]

From my own observations of our small league, the girls who have played at home until 10U are a big step behind those who have at least one year of 8U under their belt.

Unless there is an extrordinary youth SB program, you are better off starting your DD in baseball. They learn the fundamentals there much more quickly and its a lot more fun because the talent level improves so that they can actually play games long before that same level is reached in softball!

 

[inde53546]

In our rec league players are not allowed to play up. They can play down if skills are really poor but cannot pitch if playing down. Had a father complain about this re his 8 year old dd. said the league runs the risk of losing girls like his? Watched her catch and throw at an open gym and almost fell down laughing at how poor her fundamentals were. Haven't seen her hit, maybe she's hitting the softee ball 250 feet off of a spring loaded pitching machine they use in that age group?? Daddy eyes are funny sometimes.

 

[BrianMonk]

PS, We are trying to undo 4-5 years of reps doing things the wrong way in rec.

FYI! I've read somewhere that ....the concept of muscle memory is just a term of convenience to account for an athlete’s lack of improvement.

Therefore, good coaching should be able to overcome this with relative ease!!!!

What's the holdup?

 

[Greenmonsters]

FYI! I've read somewhere that ....the concept of muscle memory is just a term of convenience to account for an athlete’s lack of improvement.

Therefore, good coaching should be able to overcome this with relative ease!!!!

What's the holdup?

Positive happy feelings?