When your daughter doesn’t think she good enough

[Admin]

If your 14-year-old daughter feels that she is not good enough to play at a higher level of girls Fastpitch softball, it's important to offer her support and guidance. Here are some suggestions on how to handle the situation:

1. Encourage and support her: Let your daughter know that you are proud of her efforts and that it's okay if she doesn't play at a higher level. Reinforce that her value and worth as a person are not determined solely by her athletic abilities.

2. Set realistic expectations: Help your daughter set realistic goals for herself based on her current skills and abilities. Encourage her to focus on continuous improvement and personal growth rather than comparing herself to others.

3. Provide constructive feedback: If she is open to it, offer constructive feedback on areas where she can improve her game. Encourage her to work on specific skills and techniques to enhance her performance.

4. Explore other opportunities: Encourage your daughter to explore other interests and activities beyond softball. There are plenty of other sports, hobbies, or extracurricular activities that she may enjoy and excel in.

5. Emphasize fun and enjoyment: Remind your daughter that sports should ultimately be about having fun and enjoying the game. Encourage her to find joy in playing, regardless of the level she competes at.

6. Support her decisions: If your daughter decides to continue playing at her current level or decides to take a break from softball altogether, respect her decision and support her in pursuing her interests and passions.

7. Focus on the life lessons: Emphasize the valuable life lessons that sports can teach, such as teamwork, discipline, resilience, and dedication. These qualities will benefit her in various aspects of life.

8. Consider coaching or training: If your daughter is genuinely interested in improving her skills, consider enrolling her in coaching or training programs that focus on individual skill development.

9. Celebrate her successes: Acknowledge and celebrate her achievements, both on and off the field. It's essential to recognize her hard work and accomplishments, regardless of the level of play.

10. Be a positive role model: Demonstrate a positive attitude towards challenges and setbacks, showing your daughter that it's okay to face obstacles and that learning from them is a natural part of growth.

Ultimately, the most important thing is to support and encourage your daughter's well-being and happiness. Help her understand that it's okay to pursue her passions, and she should always participate in activities that bring her joy and fulfillment.

 

[daboss]

Everyone's journey is going to be different but the points already shared really do a fine job of guiding parents.

We don't know what we are capable of until we try. Just playing travel ball in general is an "eye-opening" reach for many. Doubting ourselves if we stack up is normal. We have to see for ourselves so we can finally decide what we should do next. Do we work on ourselves to reach the level of others or settle on simply being "where we are" and "who we are" in this huge puzzle we call life.

Ultimately, we will all max out and no longer be able to advance due to our physical and mental limitations. I just read that a record by Michael Phelps, the world-class swimmer, was broken. A phenom that set the bar so high it didn't seem possible that a human-being could ever exceed his accomplishments, yet here we are crowning a new champion. Life as we know it sports the saying "Records are made to be broken". And they are.

There are more girls playing fastpitch that are at the "Sandlot Suzie" level than there are of the Finch and Osterman level of play. We have to decide if we are going for more. I contend that a mindset to constantly be striving for more, to be better, is the only way to ever find our maximum limit. In some cases, the game will be over before we ever reach our full potential.

The mindset has to be to accept the challenge. To discover your weaknesses and faults and improve on them. In fastpitch, it might be as simple as keeping your eye on the ball. You don't need to be on a California elite team to work on this. In fact, you won't make a team like this unless you overcome it. The circle of improvement some times comes from the simplest things. The baby steps that define you as a player. Being observing enough of your own self and your environment to know what to work on.

Doubting if you can do it should be a trigger to try--------not quit. Use it for fuel to better yourself.

Some of the greatest players in the game were discovered after they asked the question "Can I try that?" and somebody handed her a bat or a ball. A toddler walks over and picks up a ball wondering "what can I do with this" and tries to throw it. Those are the moments a player is discovered and a loving parent remembers years later when that lil girl says goodbye to the game.

Some of the greatest coaches are the ones that look around and see a girl sheepishly standing there watching and say "Hey you, why don't you see if you can do it. Just try."