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Nov 22, 2021
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Hello All,

This site has been amazing so far in doing research for my DD. She is 9 (2012) and recently tried out for 2 TB teams and got offered for both. She is super excited to start TB and I am just trying to help her as much as she wants. I HC her Rec team and she absolutely loves the game and I will also be AC on her TB team. Looking to upgrade some of her gear and the reviews on here have been awesome to widdle down the choices. My daughter recently started pitching lessons and is really loving it, her PC is amazing, and is the director for her TB team that she chose. She also plays short and OF but is better suited for OF IMO. Excited to go through this journey and share the experience with you all.
 
Apr 20, 2018
4,581
113
SoCal
Welcome. IMO, unless your rec league has absolutely zero pitching continue playing rec ball. Some/most of the best softball memories come from rec ball.... playoff games, making and playing all-stars, opening and closing ceremonies (shaving cream war), the draft night, movie night, Angel's game night, and much more.
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
A few things to keep in mind...
- It's her journey, not yours. Contributing by being a team coach is great, but what is right for HER must remain the priority. There may come a time when the best thing for her is for you to be outside the fence.
- Have fun and get better. This should always be the guide, at every level. If she's not having fun and/or not getting better, it's time to make a change.
- The best thing to do after a game - no matter what the score, or how she performed - is to say "I love to watch you play", and then go get ice cream. If you have advice/criticisms/coaching to do, save it for tomorrow. If she wants to talk about the game, that's fine, but let her lead the conversation.

Enjoy the ride. Take lots of pics/video. :)
 
Feb 7, 2016
117
28
A few things to keep in mind...
- It's her journey, not yours. Contributing by being a team coach is great, but what is right for HER must remain the priority. There may come a time when the best thing for her is for you to be outside the fence.
- Have fun and get better. This should always be the guide, at every level. If she's not having fun and/or not getting better, it's time to make a change.
- The best thing to do after a game - no matter what the score, or how she performed - is to say "I love to watch you play", and then go get ice cream. If you have advice/criticisms/coaching to do, save it for tomorrow. If she wants to talk about the game, that's fine, but let her lead the conversation.

Enjoy the ride. Take lots of pics/video. :)
Someone is dropping wisdom here! Love it. Some of the best advice I've seen....all 3 points!
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
Someone is dropping wisdom here! Love it. Some of the best advice I've seen....all 3 points!

My DD is in her last year of TB. We've been around the block once or twice. I've made mistakes, and I've seen a LOT of other people's mistakes.

A story...

Recently, there was a player on my DD's18U team who was a solid contributor on the field (starting IF), and a great fit with the vibe and chemistry of her teammates. Her dad is the HC on a couple of teams in a different organization for his younger DDs. Everything was just fine for a while. Then, dad decided that it didn't look good that his oldest DD was playing for a different organization when there was an 18U team in his organization. He pulled her off my DD's team, and did not give her any choice about which team she would play with. My still talks to her regularly. She's unhappy, doesn't have as good a connection with her teammates, and is getting less playing time. This decision was made for the dad's reasons, not hers.

This isn't the first time I've seen something similar.


Another story...

When my DD started playing TB in 10U, I was just a parent, but was often asked to help with warmups or practices. It grew into becoming a team AC, and over the next year, developed into a close partnership with the HC. I really loved being able to help the girls develop skills and confidence, while being able to share the journey with my DD. However, the friction between my DD and I was growing, and as much as I tried to treat her just like all the other players, she was becoming more and more irritated with my close involvement in her activity. At the end of 12U, the team folded, and she moved to a 14U team where I was going to be just a parent again. It's one of the best things that happened for my DD's journey. My eagerness to contribute to the team found a home with running the scorebook/GameChanger, live-streaming games, and on rare occasion, tossing for BP. Most recently, I've been the point guy behind the backstop for getting team flyers in college coaches' hands, and starting the conversation about what players might fit their needs. For my DD and I, this has been a great balance. There certainly are parents and kids who function well in a coach-player situation. My DD and I aren't those people.
 
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