limitations

It has been hard for me to grasp the concept, but I was told "winning isn't everything". I'm sure we would all like to be a part of undefeated teams every year playing top knotch teams from all over the world but some girls just want to have fun especially if they feel they only have 3 or so more years left of ball. Some parents(yes, even moms) put entirely too much pressure on "lil Susie" (TBR name) to get a scholarship while playing for team X. I think it is great to make a sucessful team, sacrifice what you have to to be a part of something great, but that still does not mean all the players get into college playing ball. Too many variables in my opinion to take away from friends and just let them be a kid. Making that team is great, but what if a player was/is taking honors classes? How much is too much when it comes to "committment" for a sucessful team? Many people drive hours to practice multiple times a week, plus gas, plus homework....the list goes on.

 

If your daughter was good enough to make that team she could probably make most teams. My suggestion would be to find another team if she didn't want to commit to the rules of this team. There are many teams in NC that compete on the National level and most are a little more flexible than what you describe.

 

Tb coaches need to realize these are teenage girls who are still trying to figure out what they want in life not paid pros.Coaches can demand what the want but parents need to guide them into what is best for them.There are alot of awesome softball players who are also awesome volleyball players as a parent you should never let your dd limit herself to any one thing if she excells in more than one.Just wondering what tb coaches would tell her if she needed to miss a practice if it was for acedimic reasons (like the debet team or math team) probably nothing because there would be no fear of losing a good player to another sport.Or are they just egotistical coaches who are selfish for thier own reasons.Come on ppl they are kids who parents pay alot of money to play glorified rec ball called travel ball. Just wondering one more thing? If your employeer said you could not work any other side job while you worked for them how would you feel? I know you cannot miss practice if you want to become a solid player on a team but when coaches demand 3 to 5 days a week you don't leave much time for anything else and remember one of the most important things you have to do as a parent or peer to teach a child to become a responsibile aldult one day is you have to let them be kids and make more than one choice in life.I sure would'nt want my dd to limit herself to one thing at a age as young as 14.

 

What the coach described is how you become the best at your chosen activity. In fact 2-3 times a week is a moderate commitment. If you want to be the best you can be at something(forget the scholarship bs for a moment) then you need to commit to that "something".

 

Maybe...

That isn't the TB team for you!
I personally think players cross training in other sports is a great thing! There is a thing called asking too much! The TB season offers plenty of time to prepare for the season, (teams pratice all year around here, they just have to make allowances for the HS sports during their season) any player that wishes to play HS sports should have the opportunity!
Sounds to me like a power trip, or control issues, or some goofy dispute with the HS or something!
You only get one shot at HS and life, this isn't a dress rehearsal, do what you think is best for you! JMO

 

It depends...

As the kids get older and into high school, they probably need to be whittling down to focus on one sport....or possibly two....IF they want to play in college.

If they just enjoy playing the game, then play all the sports that you want and enjoy the experience. Find whatever team that you want to play on.

The key to your post, Cheeze, is that you imply that it is a national team that puts a serious empahsis on winning and playing these larger stage national tournaments. To perform well at those tourneys and to have the best "value" for the $$$$$ spent, the girls need to practice together and they all need to be healthy. Many, many times a year, great softball players break/jam fingers, sprain/break ankles, tear MCLs/ACLs, incur wrist injuries playing other sports. Oftentimes, that keeps that player from being able to play in the big tournaments that they need to get "seen" and recruited. It also prohibits the coach from putting their best team on the field, which isn't fair to the other players who are trying to get recruited.

For a coach that keeps a fairly "lean" roster in order to guarantee a lot of playing time to all their kids, it is not fair to the other players, and the parents, who pay big bucks, to put their kids on the national stage.

It depends on a kid's priorities, I guess. If she wants to see how far she can go in softball, she needs to place more emphasis on her TB team, and be a good enough player to be on a top notch TB team. If she wants to be a great all-around athlete, she should play whatever/whenever she wants to. In a lot of ways, it is selfish for 12 kids to be focusing on softball, practicing and conditioning together, while an absent teammate is playing another sport. Again, it is about choices...

What do you think?

 

Every team has it's own culture. Maybe she doesn't fit the one that she's looking at. TB is like a shoe store.....there are many different types of shoes to match many different types of feet.

 

JMO....

.....I'd tell the coach to KMA! Unless he's paying for my DD to play, travel, eat, insurance, bats, gloves, gas, etc. then how dare ANYONE try to dictate a mandatory schedule. And that includes the HS coaches slingin snot about TB as well.
Diversity in life includes sports as well.
If just by eating carrots everyday would make my kid see 10/10, then she'd be eating carrots everyday.
If playing softball, or any sport everyday makes one possibly his/her best, then go for it.
But when He/She is burnt out and leaves the game because of some coach who "thinks" his way is best, finally makes them quit, well....look in the mirror and you'll see who was wrong.
My DD has hit damn near everyday for the last 5 yrs., and beleive me, she didn't want to on numerous occasions.
So what we did was this, treat it first for fun, and then like a job. Her job was to hit or workout someway or another, and in return, Momma and I would pay for gas, kid stuff, etc.
Was she allowed to miss a day or 20?......absolutley!
In the end, WE learned that overdoing anything is a recipe for burn out.
When a weight lifter crushes 2 hrs of bench presses on Monday, doesn't it make sense for him to let his chest muscles rest? Bam! Pick up a basketball and play for fun.