Team hopping and recruiting

[wichita]

IMO I would never jump mid season if I was unhappy and it called for it I would take her off the team. My older DD has had a few head coaches call her after nationals are over and tell her "she should come to their tryouts" but never mid season

 

[Softball scholar]

I think most the reasons listed could be valid reasons to jump teams. IMO, if you jump midseason, I would really think it through and make sure the negatives heavily out weigh the pros of staying on a team. It does hurt the other girls on the team you're leaving. One thing to consider is the mental/psychological affect on the young lady of switching teams. It happens to girls where you put them an a team thats better, but the added pressure to make a spot and bonding with new girls puts the girl in a more uncomfortable situation that can seriously affect her performance. Definitely something to think about.

On other thought, my DD has subbed for a couple of teams the last two years. I was able to talk to the parents on the those teams, and just listening to them, I heard a lot of similar problems and complaints that were going on my DD team. Issues like playing time, coaches personalities, team not winning enough etc. I think in this world of travel softball, its very difficult to find a situation thats totally perfect.

 

[Little Angels Softball]

So many things not being considered here when it comes to switching teams mid-season. Remember, A-ball coaches almost universally have a disdain for team jumpers.... so there must be good reasons, right?

A couple of things not mentioned:

1. What does it do to the remaining girls on the team that is being left behind? How do they feel when one of their friends leaves them? If she is a top player, do they start losing more games?

2. What does it do to the girl who is leaving? Does it make her think she can just quit anytime things don't go her way? Does it make her feel bad about leaving her friends? Does it give her anxiety about making new ones? Is she afraid she won't get playing time on the new team or that the girl she replaces in the lineup will hate her?

3. What does it do to the girls on the team being joined? A team with good chemistry and happy families absolutely will be affected by the new girl. If she is good, she will take someone's spot and a previous starter (read: happy family) will now be struggling for playing time (read: unhappy). If the new girl isn't quite good enough to take a starting spot, then her family is still unhappy. You will have more unhappy families on the new team than you had before, no matter what happens. No good can come of this!

For me as a TB head coach, I (and most of my peers) see team jumpers as cancer. Why would I want a girl on my team who has proven through her actions that she (her family, more than likely) only cares about herself and has no problem flinging a couple of dozen other girls (her previous and new teams) under the bus so she can get what she (they) wants?

I want girls who practice the mantra of "team first" to play for me. The is no way in hell I am taking a girl who doesn't give a flying you-know-what about the girls on her previous team (she abandoned them!) or the girls on her new one (she is going to make some of them unhappy and upset the chemistry of all of them!). Selfishness in the form of disdain for your teammates has no place in team sports and will get no place in my dugout.

 

[FP26]

So many things not being considered here when it comes to switching teams mid-season. Remember, A-ball coaches almost universally have a disdain for team jumpers.... so there must be good reasons, right?

A couple of things not mentioned:

1. What does it do to the remaining girls on the team that is being left behind? How do they feel when one of their friends leaves them? If she is a top player, do they start losing more games?

2. What does it do to the girl who is leaving? Does it make her think she can just quit anytime things don't go her way? Does it make her feel bad about leaving her friends? Does it give her anxiety about making new ones? Is she afraid she won't get playing time on the new team or that the girl she replaces in the lineup will hate her?

3. What does it do to the girls on the team being joined? A team with good chemistry and happy families absolutely will be affected by the new girl. If she is good, she will take someone's spot and a previous starter (read: happy family) will now be struggling for playing time (read: unhappy). If the new girl isn't quite good enough to take a starting spot, then her family is still unhappy. You will have more unhappy families on the new team than you had before, no matter what happens. No good can come of this!

For me as a TB head coach, I (and most of my peers) see team jumpers as cancer. Why would I want a girl on my team who has proven through her actions that she (her family, more than likely) only cares about herself and has no problem flinging a couple of dozen other girls (her previous and new teams) under the bus so she can get what she (they) wants?

I want girls who practice the mantra of "team first" to play for me. The is no way in hell I am taking a girl who doesn't give a flying you-know-what about the girls on her previous team (she abandoned them!) or the girls on her new one (she is going to make some of them unhappy and upset the chemistry of all of them!). Selfishness in the form of disdain for your teammates has no place in team sports and will get no place in my dugout.

Some very good points and I will agree with this 95%+ of the time. But I think there are exceptions. Just my opinion.

 

[Little Angels Softball]

Some very good points and I will agree with this 95%+ of the time. But I think there are exceptions. Just my opinion.

You are absolutely right. There are exceptions. Couldn't agree with you more. Hell, I even know of a few myself. Great kids with great families in bad situations. There is even a girl I would take right now although she wouldn't be much of a help to my team just because I like the kid so much and her family is awesome. She is on such a lousy team that she is starting to not like softball and I really feel for her. I would rescue her in a minute if her parents asked. I don't think anyone would call her a "team jumper" for leaving this team, but they have decided to stick with it because she made the commitment.

About 99 times out of 100, however, I will let those exceptions play for someone else. Many of my peers will do the same.

Unless they are one of the very top pitchers in an area, team jumpers limit their options in a major way. I wouldn't do that to my DD when all she needs to do is suck it up for two months and get through the rest of the season before trying out for whoever she wants to with no career-long penalty hanging over her head.