How Soon Is Too Soon to start planning out a new organization

[Hustle LI]

My DD dropped out of softball after 12U travel. she was never one of the top players, but played well enough. I really feel she fell out of it because attention was mainly given to the top few girls on the team and the rest were ignored to a point where they just sort of idled without getting much better.

I have really picked up a passion for softball though, especially the younger levels. I am looking to start a travel organization (mostly in region) that plays tournaments, but will be a 10U and 12U team. There are plenty of 14U and over teams. I feel those tams that go to 18 are less likely to care about the average or below average girls when they are young and this leads to many of the average girls never developing and just leaving.

My goal would be to have a 10 and 12U team levels and concentrate on trying to develop all the girls. the elite level ones will have no problems moving on to older teams and we do not need to concentrate on them, . we want the elites to be themselves while working on the others girls just as much. i feel the teams would be fun, can still be competitive and end up with providing the desire for more girls to continue on to the older teams. in short, the team is really for all level of player. Coaches will also need to be honest with certain players and their parents periodically as they year goes on about individual growth.

How long in advance should you begin to seek out coaches (and how do you attract any)? I expect them to be volunterrs at the initial phase. Field permits for practices and tryouts? Insurance? etc. Note my DD will not be in the game anymore... this is a passion that i have to give something back to the community myself.

 

[GunnerShotgun]

The odds of you finding coaches and parents that share your views in the long term will be the difficult part. There aren't enough pitchers for all of the travel teams so unless you have some insight on how to develop pitching you will always struggle as a developmental organization. Pitchers want to pitch and will be in demand so you have to be competitive. Thus the current cycle of almost every org.

Bring something unique to the table (indoor facilities, free pitching/hitting lessons, etc.).

 

[RADcatcher]

Try to find coaches who aren't parents so they can stay at that 10/12u age bracket while players age/ move up.
Coaching stability has value!

Never too soon to plan.
It's the plan in action that needs a date/ time frame.

 

[The Man In Blue]

Like @RADcatcher said, never too early to plan. Just make sure it isn't too early to execute the plan.

 

[LEsoftballdad]

Okay, judging by your moniker and location, I can guess the organization you're affiliated with currently. You should know the state of softball on LI is not good, and the primary reason for this is a lack of good coaching. Bill Edwards says we don't have a lacrosse and soccer problem. We have a coaching problem, and I believe he's right.

The problem where we live is there are very few quality 10U teams. In fact, most organizations don't even have any, let alone 8U. My suggestion would be to get involved in your local LL to see if you can help develop the town teams. If possible, see if you can have an in-house rec team formed from that group of girls, but open it up to anyone.

You can always contact a few of the better run organizations to see how you can help, but egos will get in the way. Stay away from TLI. They're a group of teams who wear the same uniform. The Chiefs and Rebels are strictly rec ball players. You can look towards the Surge or Nitro. Both have good structures and paid coaching, but they can always have more.

 

[uncdrew]

Okay, judging by your moniker and location, I can guess the organization you're affiliated with currently. You should know the state of softball on LI is not good, and the primary reason for this is a lack of good coaching. Bill Edwards says we don't have a lacrosse and soccer problem. We have a coaching problem, and I believe he's right.

The problem where we live is there are very few quality 10U teams. In fact, most organizations don't even have any, let alone 8U. My suggestion would be to get involved in your local LL to see if you can help develop the town teams. If possible, see if you can have an in-house rec team formed from that group of girls, but open it up to anyone.

You can always contact a few of the better run organizations to see how you can help, but egos will get in the way. Stay away from TLI. They're a group of teams who wear the same uniform. The Chiefs and Rebels are strictly rec ball players. You can look towards the Surge or Nitro. Both have good structures and paid coaching, but they can always have more.

That's a good point. I've seen many people start towards the bottom. Coach 8U rec, help form the All Star team, take the All Star Team to Travel. You'll obviously be focusing on development in rec, continuing with that same community to All Stars, then moving most from that team to Travel. Perhaps by the time you've reached Travel the concept of development first is firmly entrenched.

You get to Travel within 6 months or so, depending on the calendar.

 

[_MIA_]

The reason the "elite" kids are "elite" usually has little to do with their team coaches. You want all the kids to develop you need to tell the parents they need to be working with them a minimum of 3 times a week on their own. See how that goes over with some of them..