need some advice. situation DD is 9, really good rec (LL) player (played with 9 and 10 yr olds last year). wants to pitch, needs to work on it. good glove, good arm, good bat, needs more power. think she is ready to move to travel, and she wants to as well (would like to play where when she makes a good throw, chances are teammate catches it, or where SS and 3B do not watch two balls in a row roll between them with no reaction when she is pitching)
coach of a local travel team (coached 10u last year), also local LL BOD member, set up winter (indoor, we are in Mid Atlantic States) softball workouts for 9-12 year olds this winter, first one was this past weekend. He and I have not always seen eye to eye, but I respect his knowledge of the game (knows way more than I do I will admit), but he has a history of manipulating things in LL to favor his travel team girls, which a couple of times has adversely affect my DDs.
I go and help out (all coaching is volunteers, all $ collected is for the facility), my DD attends. As we are leaving, I ask him when tryouts for 10u travel team are. Basically non commital answer, says he will work out roster, I ask him when he makes decisions, he says "we will have it sorted out by mid February" (he knows my DD as a player pretty well, and has always been complimentary and encouraging to her). This travel team, at least 12u and 10 u teams, most of the girls play LL as well. Asks me is I am interested in coaching LL 14u team (I have coached DDs team at coach pitch and 10u for 4 years now), as my older DD also has played softball, and would be on that team this spring. I tell him honestly that (A) older DD is not certain to be playing softball this spring (her primary sport is field hockey, starting to concentrate more on that now, she is 13), and (B) I honestly do not think I know the game well enough to coach that level (I think I could certainly help some of the less experienced/talented girls on the team, it is LL, but any travel players that come out would know higher level mechanics and game tactics better than I). He also indicates they need coach of 10u travel team, apparently he is moving up to the 12u team (his niece plays, looks like he is moving with her)
Dilemmas
- do I express interest in coaching the 10 u travel team? - downside, again, not certain I am knowledgeable enough to coach travel ball (LL, fine, most girls at 10u have very little experience, most of work is on very basics). upside, certainty that my DD is on team (although I think talent wise she easily belongs, and I know of most of the 10u players in this area, team basically draws only from three townships that all go to same middle and high school, so I am pretty assured in that assumption).
- do investigate other local travel teams in the area? downside, we would play in the same league, so I am certain there would be some hard feelings. upside, my DD avoids being left hanging.
- do I simply continue to coach LL (I am also on BOD), and see what happens?
- other options
mainly do not want DD to be left hanging because this guy likes to keep things close to the vest and not transparent, very much likes to have total control. I think she has the talent for travel ball, but needs to be pushed. She has been better than most of the LL players she has played with or against, and I think this is starting to get into her head, but if she really wants to be good, she needs to push herself more. I think playing at higher level will help he learn this better than I can explain (and oh how I have tried).
coach of a local travel team (coached 10u last year), also local LL BOD member, set up winter (indoor, we are in Mid Atlantic States) softball workouts for 9-12 year olds this winter, first one was this past weekend. He and I have not always seen eye to eye, but I respect his knowledge of the game (knows way more than I do I will admit), but he has a history of manipulating things in LL to favor his travel team girls, which a couple of times has adversely affect my DDs.
I go and help out (all coaching is volunteers, all $ collected is for the facility), my DD attends. As we are leaving, I ask him when tryouts for 10u travel team are. Basically non commital answer, says he will work out roster, I ask him when he makes decisions, he says "we will have it sorted out by mid February" (he knows my DD as a player pretty well, and has always been complimentary and encouraging to her). This travel team, at least 12u and 10 u teams, most of the girls play LL as well. Asks me is I am interested in coaching LL 14u team (I have coached DDs team at coach pitch and 10u for 4 years now), as my older DD also has played softball, and would be on that team this spring. I tell him honestly that (A) older DD is not certain to be playing softball this spring (her primary sport is field hockey, starting to concentrate more on that now, she is 13), and (B) I honestly do not think I know the game well enough to coach that level (I think I could certainly help some of the less experienced/talented girls on the team, it is LL, but any travel players that come out would know higher level mechanics and game tactics better than I). He also indicates they need coach of 10u travel team, apparently he is moving up to the 12u team (his niece plays, looks like he is moving with her)
Dilemmas
- do I express interest in coaching the 10 u travel team? - downside, again, not certain I am knowledgeable enough to coach travel ball (LL, fine, most girls at 10u have very little experience, most of work is on very basics). upside, certainty that my DD is on team (although I think talent wise she easily belongs, and I know of most of the 10u players in this area, team basically draws only from three townships that all go to same middle and high school, so I am pretty assured in that assumption).
- do investigate other local travel teams in the area? downside, we would play in the same league, so I am certain there would be some hard feelings. upside, my DD avoids being left hanging.
- do I simply continue to coach LL (I am also on BOD), and see what happens?
- other options
mainly do not want DD to be left hanging because this guy likes to keep things close to the vest and not transparent, very much likes to have total control. I think she has the talent for travel ball, but needs to be pushed. She has been better than most of the LL players she has played with or against, and I think this is starting to get into her head, but if she really wants to be good, she needs to push herself more. I think playing at higher level will help he learn this better than I can explain (and oh how I have tried).