Finding the right fit is hard. I've told this before, but we found ourselves on 4 teams between the ages of 11-12 (first was the town travel team we grew up on that moved up to 14U, a 12U club team that fell apart, a good 12U club team that moved up to 14U again, and then finally the 12U team that we've been with for a whole season that's a great fit.
My daughter grew up playing SS, and played there a good amount in the Fall. However, the team needed her in the outfield this season so that's where she's primarily played. Recently, due to an injury, she's been playing 1st base. Being versatile is one of the most valuable skills a girl can have.
I would say this - do your homework. Look for organizations that field teams at multiple levels for stability, look in USSSA to see how many girls they carry on their roster, look at performance to see how well the team is doing, go observe a practice before you bring your daughter to see how the coaches interact with the players. It's a lot of work finding the right situation for your daughter. It's definitely harder than just picking the name on the front of the jersey. Sometimes you have to go through trial and error and unfortunately the girls can suffer. If your daughter is having trouble connecting with the game, or is discouraged, maybe try to have her play on a team with some friends? Or a team with players that she has played against and respects? In our trials going through teams the most important lesson that I learned is that the best place for them is the place where they feel the most comfortable.
Good luck!
My daughter grew up playing SS, and played there a good amount in the Fall. However, the team needed her in the outfield this season so that's where she's primarily played. Recently, due to an injury, she's been playing 1st base. Being versatile is one of the most valuable skills a girl can have.
I would say this - do your homework. Look for organizations that field teams at multiple levels for stability, look in USSSA to see how many girls they carry on their roster, look at performance to see how well the team is doing, go observe a practice before you bring your daughter to see how the coaches interact with the players. It's a lot of work finding the right situation for your daughter. It's definitely harder than just picking the name on the front of the jersey. Sometimes you have to go through trial and error and unfortunately the girls can suffer. If your daughter is having trouble connecting with the game, or is discouraged, maybe try to have her play on a team with some friends? Or a team with players that she has played against and respects? In our trials going through teams the most important lesson that I learned is that the best place for them is the place where they feel the most comfortable.
Good luck!