New to travel softball

[Lovemykiddos]

Our 8 yr old DD was recently asked to try out for a travel team in the pittsburgh area. Our family may have an unusual attitude towards this but we are not interested in getting her involved in something that will absolutely consume our lives and leave no time for her to just be a little girl. She is a very good player and has so much fun playing for the community team. We would like to keep it fun for her but still let her play in a level that is competitive for her. Is it possible to strike a balance while playing travel ball? Any input would be appreciated.

 

[Slappers]

It sure is possible. You just have to find the right team for her. Some teams like to play a lot, others are just out there to get more games in before school ball. There are travel teams out there for every type of player.

You need to ask what their schedule is. Practices, tournaments, travel requirements etc. We are playing in 7 tournaments in the fall, but only 1 of those requires a hotel. The rest are only 45 minutes away.

 

[RubberBiscuit]

I call them TB-A thru TB-C teams.

TB-A travels all over the place and requires heavy family investment.

Find a TB-C team that plays their schedule that does not require overnight stays and you should be set. TB-C still should be like a LL All-star team (better than rec ball)

(of course everything is relative but this is how I scale things that makes sense to me)

 

[sluggers]

We would like to keep it fun for her but still let her play in a level that is competitive for her. Is it possible to strike a balance while playing travel ball?

First, let's assume you do a good job and make sure your DD's coach is not a grade A wacko. If so:

"Fun" to an adult and "fun" to an 8YOA are two different things. An 8YOA child experiences softball as being recognized as special by being on a special team that no one else can join, making new friends, traveling to exotic places, eating out with Mom and/or Dad, and getting praise 24x7 for playing softball.

The tournaments are experienced like this: Your DD goes to a weekend tournament. The team plays a few games. They might win or lose. In the down time between games, your DD is a little girl with a bunch of other little girls. They color. They draw. They bring toys. (Once, my 12U team got into "Trolls", so there was this endless pile of troll dolls in cars and bat bags. They would line them up watch practice. It was unbelievably stupid and oh so cute. I also had a 16U team that got into coloring books. Go figure.) "Pin trading" is rampant with the little ones.

In other words, your DD doesn't stop being a little girl because she plays softball.

An adult sees travel softball as endless driving, waiting, visiting the equivalent of dog runs, eating bad food, and spending wads of money--your DD doesn't. She sees it as "extended play time" with a bunch of new friends and a bunch of adults who treat her like a niece. There are worse ways to spend weekends...

As to this, "Oh, but my child will have no childhood..."

My DDs are now 33, 31 and 28. All three of my DDs played TB--all but two played through college. They get asked, "Oh, but didn't you lose your childhood?" And their reply is, "Are you kidding? All I did was *play* every weekend. It was wonderful."

So, it really isn't about her having fun...she will. It is about you finding a team that fits your family. As the others suggested, clearly understand the travel and time commitment.

 

[Coach JV]

A key word here is 'play' and another 'game'.

Like Sluggers referenced, coaching is a big part of the game at every age.
The right situation is a lot of fun while she learns, socializes, grows and can 'play'
a 'game'. She will transform from a little girl into an incredibly mature young
woman all the while being tired enough to not get into mischief. She will have team mates she
loves and others that she hates, she will continue to play with them as they
have a common love and passion for softball. She will bond with all of them
whether she wants to or not-it's part of the growth and socialization.

8U thru 12U can be spent with a team who plays locally, beginning with 14U
and then accelerating exponentially thru 18U, time and money are spent on the road.

Prepare yourself as it is one heck of a ride. My DD is playing her last summer of travel ball
and I would not have traded the last 7 years for the world. We have developed a lifelong
bond and she is quite literally "living the dream" she has had some very good coaching
and some not so great but has a love and passion for a game that I never knew was possible!

The rainouts, game delays, shortened games, and flat out cancellations are some of the lumps
we take while building a lifetime of memories. Good luck and start catching up on your rest now
the ride is exhausting.......

 

[inde53546]

You know OILF I took my kids to Disney and gulf Shores in the past couple years and much of what you decsribed relative to TB is what I experienced on Vacation. I guess it's all in how you choose to remember the experience. Are there ups and downs, of course. I wouldn't let my dd play at 9 for the same concerns expressed by the OP, but I wouldn't change the last 2 years for anything. My dd has very few good school friends but she has several from TB that call and ask her to do things to go places ride bikes etc outside of the season. Sluggers post is great from a guy who has been there, My experience thus far has been exactly how he describes.

Edit: Dad's help with emotional support too!! That's crazy, "that's why he doesn't remember?" OILF you're usually pretty good about pointing out posts you feel are sexist. You might want to put that one in that category.

 

[sluggers]

No other kids in the family get attention or get to see their parents.

What planet are you from?

I have 3 DDs. If you want in-depth parenting suggestions, here it is: Every child is special. Every child has a unique talent set that a parent should appreciate. One was great at art, one was great at basketball, one was great at softball.

Kids crying when they get hurt, whining about it being hot, not liking the port a potties, and getting upset because coach (daddy) yelled at them for something they thought was fun (picking daisies).

Exactly how is that different from going to Disneyland or the beach? The kids whine no matter where you go. They always complain about the bathrooms. Dad and Mom always get cranky.

It is called, "Going on a family trip."

But mommy handles alot of this emotional and support stuff, and that is why sluggers does not remember.

I'm having trouble figuring out why someone who supposedly is against sexism would write something so sexist. I've dried enough tears to fill the Grand Canyon. (By the way, I did the 2AM feeding for all three of them.)

 

[riseball]

Gentlemen, have you forgotten that sexism band wagon, like many of the PC conveyances only goes down one side of the street?

 

[Classof2020]

I am going to try to stick to the original question from the OP and not fight with you know who above :/

Yes it makes life busy, but like Rubberbisquit says you can find the level you are willing to tackle. The girls have a lot of fun doing fund raisers together, braiding each others hair between games, going out for pizza after a win, going out for ice cream after a big loss, sleepovers, etc. They still get to be little girls and they learn life lessons along the way. But yes if you get on a serious team that is trying to prepare girls for college at a young age you will be busier then you are now probably, you will spend more time in the car, you will be up late washing uniforms and preparing the ice chest for the next morning, you will be putting ice packs on bruised knees, having chats about playing time and probably buying more new gear then you were planning to buy, and of course spending a lot of time on DFP!!

But you will also have experiences together that will bond you and make a lot of memories along the way.

 

[ASAVipers]

Biggest thing is to look at the teams practice and game schedules. I'm the HC of 8u TB team my DD plays on and we practice twice a week and play 2 Tournaments a month, we try and make it every other week so were not playing back to back weekends. In my opinion it still allows my girl to be a "kid" we go to the movies,amusement parks,beach etc... Only you can truly judge what will be enough time away from Softball, for your DD to be a kid. I'd imagine there are many teams set up similar to mine around the country.