Advice for 1st year travel player

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Our family is new to travel ball.Our DD has joined a team that we are very happy with.The OFC has been the biggest help when we have a question about travel ball.
Our DD is a 12u pitcher,outfielder with a good bat.
She has a pitching coach and a batting coach
She has subbed for 3 other travel teams last fall and this winter.She would play every day if she could.
If there is one piece of advice you could give a 1st year player and family.What would it be?
Thank You The Allen Family

NO SUPPER UNTIL YOU FINISH YOUR SOFTBALL

 

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Our family is new to travel ball.Our DD has joined a team that we are very happy with.The OFC has been the biggest help when we have a question about travel ball.
Our DD is a 12u pitcher,outfielder with a good bat.
She has a pitching coach and a batting coach
She has subbed for 3 other travel teams last fall and this winter.She would play every day if she could.
If there is one piece of advice you could give a 1st year player and family.What would it be?
Thank You The Allen Family

NO SUPPER UNTIL YOU FINISH YOUR SOFTBALL

Make sure you do your homework and make a educated choice as to what team youre going to play for and that it provides you with what you were looking for.

 

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Thank you HITTER 23
Our DD has very high goals when it comes to softball,and we will do what ever she needs to reach them.
What do you look for when you choose a team or org.

 

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Hitter 23--- said it

 

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Hope im not crossing boundries i shouldnt.
And i hope this post helps other 1st year players.
Help me do the homework.
Where does a player and family start when looking for a team?
Do you try out for what you feel is the best team and work your way down?
If so what in your opinion are the best teams and organizations in ohio to play for?
Im sure it depends on your DD skill level and dedication.
Thank you for your advice.Im impressed with with how much people are willing to help each other in the fastpitch community.

 

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How high are your DD's goals and will her skills match those goals? If they are what many girls in travel ball aspire to then it's to play someday in college so without more definitive information that's what I'm basing my advise on. If she wants to play Div.1 college then she must have superior DEVELOPED skills. Having a coach for pitching and batting certainly helps obtain the extra level of development. The other is academic. If you want to play in college what I've found is a 3.0 cumulative grade point average in high school is pretty much the cutoff point on what a coach will accept and they prefer higher if possible. Only in rare exceptions will they go below this average so developing your mind is critical too. Starting at 14U and most critically at 16U will the team your daughter plays for go to a number of TRUE college exposure tournaments so you DD will be seen and scouted by coaches? Right now at her age travel ball can be mostly for fun but if she does want to someday be a college prospect then the level of commitment required beginning no later than 14U can be a hefty one, not just for your daughter for the amount of time and effort for her development but yours as well financially. As far as looking for a team, most post for tryouts happening in early August after travel season ends but many don't fill rosters or lose girls in the off season and continue to post to fill those needs. Also where in Ohio do you live and how far and often are you willing to travel for practice? There are many good organizations out there but it would help to know approximately where you live to name the one's in your area. There is a lot to learn, but knowing about these forums is a great place to start and you have plenty of time.

 

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Sit back and let the coaches do their work, but evaluate the head coach closely. Does the head coach teach or just hit ground balls and coach third base? Does the head coach try to control the girls' every movement? If so, that's bad.

I could go on and on, but try to educate yourself about what good coaches in any sport generally do. Then find the best coach you can find for the summer of 2010, but still giving your daughter a huge say in where she wants to play.

As far as a player, the best advice I could give at 12-U would be to work on your game as much as possible and just have fun with the game.

 

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With Joe's experience in the sport you can always take his advise to the bank.

 

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Lora,

Do your homework. Try to talk to as many people as possible to find a good fit for the DD. She is a pitcher and she has to pitch. Sometimes on established teams it can be difficult for a new pitcher to fit into the rotation and get enough pitching time. Make sure she is going to get an opportunity to prove herself.

At this level its still about development of the player. Find a coach that is about skills development and one that shows that they have real knowledge of the game of softball. Sometimes that can be hard to find in any given area of the country.

Determine what you think you can afford as far as cost. Some really good teams will travel all over the country to many tournaments. Some will only play in local, state, or surrounding state tournaments depending on where they are based out of in their state.

Finally do a true assessment of the DDS skills as a pitcher. If the potential is there that is great but if the DESIRE is not there then you may just be waisting your money. It takes a lot of time to become a great pitcher. Based on my own experience as a pitchers dad, coach and instructor your DD is at the age where it wont be long before pitching starts impacting her social life. This is when they often decide if they really want to be a pitcher.

Last but not least remember that her goals and yours may change in the course of the next 3-4 years. You many want her to go D-1. She may not want that and she might not even want to play in college. Do not look at it as money waisted if that is what happens. I would not give up any of the time and fun I had with my daughter when she was playing.

Today she is a 3rd year college student on her way to a nursing degree. The discipline she learned from being a pitcher is being applied to her studies right now and its going to pay off for her in the future. She went to her college with the intent to play softball but when she found out nursing and softball were to demanding together she quit the team.

Your DD wont make a living playing softball unless she becomes a high level coach.

Just some things to think about.

Elliott.

 

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All of the above are excellent perspectives and I would add this to it. Even if she is a pitcher, she will need to learn other positions and be proficient at those as well. It will make her a more well rounded player and an added value to any coach. Think of each weekend as a mini vacation with your child as well, as that time spent cannot be measured, nor replaced. Wherelse can a 16 year old have a real conversation for 2.5 hrs or more in a car? Not many places with todays youth....Yes it does get costly as she goes higher up in her skill level and tournament levels, but again well worth it. As she gets older, yes winning is nice, but if she truly wants to play College ball, a team playing exposure tournaments are the teams to be on. Winning them isn't important, but being seen at those is.

Sit back, enjoy your time with her as it will fly by in a blink. The biggest most important item that has been stated again is Grades! One more thing, she is still a young kid, give her space to be a kid as well, as the time commitment is huge for travel and there always is the possibility of burnout before they are done in HS.

 

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Be prepared to be gone most weekends in the summer. Bring lots of sun screen. Packing a picinic can save on some expense.

The speed of the game is much different than rec and the weakest travel player is usually better than 95%-99% of rec players.

Most important-enjoy the time with your daughter.

 

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Don't go and spend thousands of dollars on hitting lessons. the cheapest and most cost effective way to raise your kid's batting average is to become the bookkeeper. Statman's kid hasn't batted below .647 in 8 years.

Also, since you are new to the OFC, Don't believe anything Statman posts

 

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As i set here on monday morning reading these posts,i know it sounds dramatic but but once again i cant help but feeling deeply touched with the responce from everyone in the fastpitch community.
We have four children,the other three are in collage and gone with lives of thier own.None of them continue to play sports.
Carly is our last child so we are able to focus all of our time and money on her.
We understand how children change as they grow.I am not a parent that thinks thier child can do no wrong.But for now we feel extreemly blessed.
Her is more background on my daughter so the advice i am seeking can be more percise.
Carly just turned 12 11/13/08,she is 5ft 7 in and 195 lbs and will be a very big girl when she becomes an adultShe has been playing rec ball since she was 5.She was always a big fish in a little pond.She has always pitched but had very little training.She now has a very good pitching coach.She throws three times a week and pitches very consistant with a 45 to 50 mph fastball and is learning to throw a change with good results.Her bat is good her glove is good.She lacks the speed of a smaller girl on the base pads and while playing the field.At this point in time she would play or practice every day if she could.We have subbed her out to teams over the fall and winter throgh posts on the OFC with great results.We know we have made the right choice with the team we have chosen for our first year of travel ball,and we hope it meets carlys needs for next year.We will also do our best to meet the needs of the team as player and parents and fundraisers.We are located close to dayton ohio.Traveling and money will not be a problem because she is the only child living at home.Grades are not a problem she is in most gifted programs at school.My cocerns are phyisical damage from pitching,missed opportunitys and player burn out. Thank you for all the advice.

 

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I have been thinking about your question because I think it is important to hear from the seasoned veterans on this issue. I commend you for seeking out their advice. A few things came to mind. I am looking at this from a coaching standpoint...
* Be involved with a group that can look beyong their own dd and see the team
* Play for a coach that keeps the lines of communication open. You should hear from him/her throughout the year, not just during the summer
* The coach should know ahead of time the type of schedule the team will play - local, out-of-state, exposure, etc. Know this before making a decision so dd is playing the level she is comfortable with
* Your team may not be practicing together, but every girl should be swinging a bat and throwing. It becomes obvious to the coaches real fast who is putting in effort outside of practice and who isn't
* Coaches are out there because they love the game. No coach is out there to embarass, hurt, humiliate, or be a negative influence on you dd. You chose to have this person as your coach, so allow him/her to coach your dd
* If you have questions about coaching decisions, call a day or 2 later. Don't do it when emotions are running high. Try not to email because so much is lost on a computer screen, and left to interpretation. Don't give in to the temptation to bash the coach in front of dd
* You never know who is around you at the fields. Appreciate all players for the skills they bring to the game, and don't look for flaws to bash on. You wouldn't want parents doing that to your dd.
* Know that while your dd is working to improve skills, so are the other girls. Don't get caught up in the, "She's worked so hard so she deserves __________" or, "She was the best player on her other team" way of thinking. Dangerous! Unlike rec ball, playing time will not be equal. Performance determines who gets the playing time. If you don't like it, work harder.
* Do your homework! Talk to current players' parents at tryouts to get a feel for the atmosphere. Watch the boards. Watch other teams during the summer. Watch girls in the dugout and after games, especially after a loss. This will tell you tons!
* You will be spending loads of time with these people. Avoid drama! Let it go! Many very good teams have folded because of behind-the-scenes drama. It has nothing to do with the girls, yet they are the ones who will get hurt.
* Stay out of the dugout
* You are not a coach, so don't coach! Nothing worse than parents yelling instructions contrary to what coach has taught. If you want to coach, find a team to coach. But not this one.
* If your dd has proper mechanics, damage should not occur. Be sure to keep talking to her about any aches or pains. These girls tend to lie alot so they can play!!!!! Be very familiar with her mechanics so you can spot problems. Most coaches have a working knowledge of pitching mechanics, but rely on dd to work herself through problems.
* As far as burnout goes, as long as you continue to talk with dd and find the team that best meets her goals, this should not happen. The hard-core player wants to play every weekend, and will find to team to play with on her team's weekend off (#2!!!). Not for everyone. There are plenty of quality teams that will play a 5-6 tourney schedule, and those that play during the week, and only play in 2 or 3 weekend tourneys.
* Invest in a cooler with wheels, and a membership to Sam's Club. Buy in bulk because it will get used!
* Pack extra. Hopefully it will become a family mentality and you will feed everyone else's kid at some point Girls are always looking to see who brough what.
* Light swimming schedule
* Good, quality chairs
* Your car will be dirty. Learn to love it!
* Vacation. What is that? Games every weekend mid-May to end of July. Week at nationals. Tryouts in mid-August. Fall ball Sept-October..........

That's all I have for now.

 

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Well said Heat:yahoo:

 

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Thank you HEAT,we seem to be on the right track.

 

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I know for this year you are with a team. But an easy way to see how a coach, team and organization really is, watch them at tournaments. See how the parents, players and coaches behave during games. Real quick and easy way to determine what type of organization they are. Then if you have an interest in the organization you can talk to parents and coaches. Just make sure you are watching the age group you are interested in. Some orgs have great coaches at some levels and not at others.

Just to make sure that everyone knows that I am NOT saying ALL!

 

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Thank you EVIL DAD that brings me to another question.
There seems to be a few teams that have not filled thier rosters for 2009.This has given my DD a chance to sub for teams in fall and winter ball.This has given us a chance to do as you recomend,look at what other teams are doing.We always let the teams know up front that we are very happy with our team and are not looking to change teams.Our coach is ok with this but reminds us we take the chance of injury any time she walks on to the field.
So tell me your opinion.Is there a point in the season we should not offer to sub for teams that need help?

 

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Play whenever you want or just stay in the house, as she can fall off the porch on an icy day is what I say. Don't worry about what if's....

 

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In my opinion the Primary team always comes first, even if that means they scheduled a practice on a off weekend. Also keep in mind, kids will be kids and they can just as easily fall off a bike and break an arm on an off weekend as they could playing ball for another team.