Too Many Travel Ball Teams as a Player

Trooper, don't know how old your DD is, but as they get older, you need to be sure there is a balance in her life, besides ball. Burnout will happen real easily. Also, when she makes that dumb mistake, just bite your lip. She doesn't need to hear about it, I'm sure she knows what just happened. The best thing you can do is stay with the positive. Have been through all this, it is a learning experience.

 

An old friend of mine once told me this when I was in a difficult situation: "God wants you to bloom were you are planted." We all know that there will always be exceptions to any situation but let's keep in mind that it is possible to rise above difficulties that life will bring us whether in sports or life.

 

We have firm footing on faith. It keeps us going when all else fails.

 

I Agree With Mic !!

I've known Mic for years,and he speaks from experience, and so have I, let your DD be a girl or you will regret it later !!

Guru

 

Scal wrote: Pheak, very well said. Especially when a DD is working her way back from an injury. Sad to say though there are those who will kick a DD even when she is down.

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There are times when editing is better then retaliating and leave things alone.

 

micweiser wrote: Trooper, don't know how old your DD is, but as they get older, you need to be sure there is a balance in her life, besides ball. Burnout will happen real easily. Also, when she makes that dumb mistake, just bite your lip. She doesn't need to hear about it, I'm sure she knows what just happened. The best thing you can do is stay with the positive. Have been through all this, it is a learning experience.

She is 13. I am not the one who is saying, "c'mom, lets go practice". Thats my DD. Sure she lives, breathes and eats softball. This is what she wants and we work hard at it. She also plays volleyball and when it comes to biting my lip when she makes a mistake, your right I should. There are times I get on her for a mistake and regret it later.
Micweiser, I appreciate what you said. I respect your concern for my over aggressiveness when it comes to my DD. Thanks

 

Wow...I can introduce you to many: Where kids no longer have a relationship with their overbearing father. Young men that were emotionally scarred by the father living out his dream through his kid, and they no longer communicate. It has been a cause for divorce, fractured families and stressed out kids.

Fortunately, those people are the minority, but I bet anyone that his been around sports for awhile have witnessed the families I have described. These incidences are not rare by any means.

EDIT: Oops, I missed this: "trooper wrote: I have seen some (SOME) parents, but not many as Scal was saying who ruins kids."

 

I think I may be in a unique position to expound on this issue of whether you can push too hard, practice too much etc...

As many of you know I have two daughters both Juniors. They both have played travel ball for many years and at a high level at 12 and 14 ball. They both had to work very hard to be good ball players. Both were worked with, "pushed", the same amount. We talked about and set realistic goals for playing in college when they were entering their freshman year in HS. As sophomores one was all state the other was all district in 2008.

BUT.. despite all the blood sweat and tears one continues to SACRIFICE (and let there be no doubt it is a sacrifice) to keep her eye on the prize and the other is content just to play HS ball. I have no doubts the one could have played college ball... possibly low D1 if she had wanted to make the required effort.

Bottom line is... with basically the SAME SET OF FACTORS I have one who has stayed with it and one who hasnt... so parents you may push your kids too much and they will punt OR you make not work them hard enough and they will not gain the skill set necessary to play college ball. Please dont beat yourself up over it or be critical of someone who plays it differently than you do because in the end IT IS THE YOUNG LADY HERSELF who must adapt, overcome, sacrifice and work hard to make it happen... whether she is being pushed too hard or not hard enough. I stopped being as vocal with my daughters some time ago... not because I was afraid to push but because I knew they (and my son) had to LEARN TO COACH THEMSELVES. It was the last thing they needed to really "get" IMO.

I have told this story before: several years ago at the fall Myrtle Beach tourney we had played all day the first day and pulled in as a team to Mickey D's about 10:30. There was a coach from another and older team there and we struck up a conversation. He told me then that when they got their DL's 50% of them would loose interest. He was right... it happened to me!