Is there any correlation or influence from having additional opportunities to play? For example, of the girls still playing how many played "all stars". It's been proven that the more they play and practice the better they get.
Projecting player development from 8U
- Thread starter CoogansBluff
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In the case of my daughter's original rec league, yes. We were a small park, and our all-star teams and entry-level travel teams were pretty weak because of the small talent pool. We'd get pounded. But the fact that they got a chance to play a higher level sooner than many of them would have had they ben at larger parks was an advantage in the long run. And then there are rec programs that are too small to have all-stars, or programs where travel teams are not encouraged.
ItsJustAGameCoach!
Softball Sponge
I am coaching my youngest now after having 2 older daughters play and I have a niece that is playing JuCo in Texas. That along with experience of myself, my brother and our friends, I would say that this is right on. I have seen too many kids stop playing because their parents just no longer have the time only to flourish in High School at a sport that the school can cover all the cost and even in that, I have seen kids just quit when the parents quit.
2 Examples: I look back at it all the time with regret. My brother boxed and played baseball, my dad coached him in both. He became a golden gloves boxer and would have went to college had he graduated high school. The year my brother graduated my dad started working nights and my mother did her own thing. I played ball for a few more years and then quit when I was about 16. I wasn't mature enough for myself so I quit.
My brother pushed his oldest so far that she quit when she was in HS, he let up on his youngest and she now plays JuCo.
This fall season, I was put in a odd place. One of girls on the team and my daughter's friend came over to play before a game so that we could take her to the game. While she was there, she took what she thought was a dry erase marker and wrote on my daughters easel, "I HATE PLAYING SOFTBALL!" I had already asked her grandfather to be quiet during the game because he kept yelling out ridiculous instructions and the Mom was the same way. I didn't want to mention it to her mom, so I let the Team mom (my wife) tell her.
2 Examples: I look back at it all the time with regret. My brother boxed and played baseball, my dad coached him in both. He became a golden gloves boxer and would have went to college had he graduated high school. The year my brother graduated my dad started working nights and my mother did her own thing. I played ball for a few more years and then quit when I was about 16. I wasn't mature enough for myself so I quit.
My brother pushed his oldest so far that she quit when she was in HS, he let up on his youngest and she now plays JuCo.
This fall season, I was put in a odd place. One of girls on the team and my daughter's friend came over to play before a game so that we could take her to the game. While she was there, she took what she thought was a dry erase marker and wrote on my daughters easel, "I HATE PLAYING SOFTBALL!" I had already asked her grandfather to be quiet during the game because he kept yelling out ridiculous instructions and the Mom was the same way. I didn't want to mention it to her mom, so I let the Team mom (my wife) tell her.
- Jun 29, 2013
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A. Athleticism at 8U
B. Ability/skill level in 8U
C. Love of the game at 8U
D. Their parents
Going with B. My rationale: Kids who are athletic at 8U are as likely to end up in soccer, basketball, or perhaps more likely as those sports are a bit more popular, even here in Northern CA. Kids who love the game at 8 are just figuring things out, what they love 4 years later is impossible to predict, let alone 6 years. Parents can be a deterrent to continued excellent play, kids need the prodding but not forcing, and that's a hard balance to strike. Here, most parents don't become travel ball coaches, it's way too competitive. But the kids who excel at 8U are naturally going to gravitate to that which they do best, all of us are like that. If we're good, we want to continue to be one of the best, that's why we work at something. If we really like the idea of trying something then find out we're just not good at it, it's rare that we keep at something long enough to become great at it. The ones who do just love the sport (or whatever activity), so therefore love of the game would apply
B. Ability/skill level in 8U
C. Love of the game at 8U
D. Their parents
Going with B. My rationale: Kids who are athletic at 8U are as likely to end up in soccer, basketball, or perhaps more likely as those sports are a bit more popular, even here in Northern CA. Kids who love the game at 8 are just figuring things out, what they love 4 years later is impossible to predict, let alone 6 years. Parents can be a deterrent to continued excellent play, kids need the prodding but not forcing, and that's a hard balance to strike. Here, most parents don't become travel ball coaches, it's way too competitive. But the kids who excel at 8U are naturally going to gravitate to that which they do best, all of us are like that. If we're good, we want to continue to be one of the best, that's why we work at something. If we really like the idea of trying something then find out we're just not good at it, it's rare that we keep at something long enough to become great at it. The ones who do just love the sport (or whatever activity), so therefore love of the game would apply
- Feb 3, 2011
- 1,880
- 48
Oscillating C & D in harmony. DD lives for softball, is most talented at soccer, and gives the greatest effort in basketball. Although MY belief is that she could "go further" with soccer, almost every really smart female athlete I've spoken to has said it's best to allow players to follow the path they love most, even if the ceiling might be lower than in another sport.
So, keeping that advice in mind, we've always done whatever necessary to make sure she gets ample opportunities to succeed - and fail - in softball. Her love of the game has guided us since she began playing.
So, keeping that advice in mind, we've always done whatever necessary to make sure she gets ample opportunities to succeed - and fail - in softball. Her love of the game has guided us since she began playing.
Its like learning to ride a bike, & or reading. You can't remember when you learned, but you'll NEVER forget how.
I faced this all the time early, people wanted DD to dable in all the other sports. I didn't. Because I taught her hand/eye and in the right time of her life. "If they can't throw by the time they are 10, they never will"~WT (My Coach)
And I just did it...catching 5-8 Throwing 9 & 10.
I really don't see where they are really getting a choise if they wasn't taught then.
Here's what it looked like...
[video=youtube_share;rNOybeHcHy8]http://youtu.be/rNOybeHcHy8[/video]
I faced this all the time early, people wanted DD to dable in all the other sports. I didn't. Because I taught her hand/eye and in the right time of her life. "If they can't throw by the time they are 10, they never will"~WT (My Coach)
And I just did it...catching 5-8 Throwing 9 & 10.
I really don't see where they are really getting a choise if they wasn't taught then.
Here's what it looked like...
[video=youtube_share;rNOybeHcHy8]http://youtu.be/rNOybeHcHy8[/video]
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