DD started softball with a spring season in 8u rec ball and she was hooked. We did rec fall ball in 10u and then found a travel team for the following spring. Very few choices for teams unless we drive at least an hour so I naively picked a new team with an established organization that was close (30 min) from us. Coaching was less not good and coach was replaced for fall 10u ball. New coach at least showed up on time, but quickly resorted to negative punishment for every mistake. Miss a catch, run the foul poles, miss a sign at the plate, run the foul poles, make a bad throw, run the foul poles. DD was absolutely dreading practice and games. Seemed like this was a track team not a softball team if you watched how much running they did in practice. We left at the end of fall ball. Really wanted to try and find a new team for this spring, but my work travel got in the way and we missed tryouts. We decided to go back to rec ball for her last 10u season. A bunch of girls signed up at the last minute so they were short a coach. I was asked to coach (only have been an assistant before), and they found a former head coach who could help mentor me some. Even though there is a draft, the coaches can preselect 3 players which locked up the 3 good pitchers and the 2 average pitchers. We were left with scraps since it was a last minute 4th team. Our team is total cannon fodder. So far our combined scored over four games is 3-36. I have two pitchers that can't hit the broad side of a barn and a third pitcher in training that isn't ready to try pitching in a game. None of the three pitchers were in lessons until after the season started. On top of that my DD (our best hitter and catcher) was injured in the very first game and is out for 3 weeks. We faced the best team last night in our 4th game and there wasn't a single ball hit last night other than one foul ball by either team. Our pitchers either walked or hit every batter they faced, and our entire team only swung three times the entire game. One hit the foul ball the other two swings were misses. The rest of the girls just stood there and struck out looking no matter how much I encourage and pleaded with them to swing. My one catcher is getting smoked trying to chase down every wild pitch and I'm frantically trying to train another catcher. At this point I want to just forfeit all our games and hold extra practices instead. Without any pitchers the ball is never put in play so the team just sits there and doesn't learn anything.
My DD is trying to stay upbeat about it and I keep telling her it will get better, but I just can't seem to make a decent decision on finding her a team. I'm not looking for some stud team that wins every tournament, just a good coach and a team that can go 50% W/L on the season. I feel like I am totally failing at this.
My DD is trying to stay upbeat about it and I keep telling her it will get better, but I just can't seem to make a decent decision on finding her a team. I'm not looking for some stud team that wins every tournament, just a good coach and a team that can go 50% W/L on the season. I feel like I am totally failing at this.