With all the different options out there choosing a softball program can seem like a very difficult process. Parents and Players should really do their homework to make sure you find the right fit. In the metro area there are several great options and if you do your homework you can find a great fit. These are some of my general thoughts.
#1 Do you want to play on a Club Team or a Community Team?
To me the main difference isn’t so much about talent. There are several Club Teams that aren’t very good, while their are several community programs at 12U that still field strong teams that can compete with many club teams. Just because it is a “Club” doesn’t automatically mean it is better than a community team. To me Club Ball means they will be training throughout the year. What is right for you? Benefits of community teams is a substantial cost difference, closer to home, playing with players from your same schools which also can help high school team chemistry. Benefits of a typical club team might be non-parent coaches, training programs that go throughout the year and the ability to play with players that have the same passion and commitment for the game. Also some club teams tend to travel and get a chance to play in different areas of the country and against different teams. There are also several community programs that are running club teams. This is good in that the club team generally gets reduced costs on fields and benefits of being involved with a community program. The down side is these boards are generally run by parents that sometimes MAY have their own agenda’s.
#2 Does your daughter play #1, #2 or #3 sports?
If your daughter is a 3 sport athlete you may want to find a team that isn’t as active in the off-season. Many clubs and or community teams take time off in the winter of practice once a week. These teams still have a lot of talent as many multi-sport athletes still want to work hard on softball but just don’t prioritize it like some other do. These teams can often compete with the best. Or you may want to look for a larger club that has multiple training options and locations that make it easier to get that quick practice in on the days you can fit it in. Be careful not to get too burned out. If your daughter plays two sports you really have a lot of options. The year round programs generally have quite a few two sports athletes. Most club coaches I know are pretty understanding about letting high school sports take priority during the off-season. If your daughter only plays one sport I would suggest looking for a program that allows your daughter training options throughout the entire year. Your daughter will improve a lot if they put the time in. But I would also advise looking at playing another sport for fun if not high school but some sort of rec or intramural program.
#3 How Important is College Exposure?
To me this is a great divider between many Club Teams. Most club teams will say they have great college exposure but the proof is in the pudding. You need to do your homework to find out which teams really are helping with the college recruitment process and which ones are talking a big game. Ask them for names of players that have played in their program and where they have gone on to play college softball. Most college coaches will look for girls that are used to competing at the highest level. That doesn’t have to mean playing outside of Minnesota but finding the right tournaments in Minnesota and the surrounding areas. If you are a great player and go to clinics and showcases you will probably be seen/noticed at some point but if you play on the wrong team with the wrong schedule it makes it a lot harder. If you are looking to play D1 Softball this is also one thing that will drive the price up as generally the teams that travel more get noticed more by out of state D1/D2 Schools. This also drives up the cost as teams generally will be paying for non-parent coaches to travel and stay in hotels. But this will increase your odds of playing D1 Softball. Even the local D1 Schools like to see our players competing against the best teams in the country.
#4 What kind of Track Record does this program have for Player Development?
Who is doing the training? Are they experienced/proven coaches? Former players or parents? What kind of training have the coaches received? All have their advantages. Do players who come to this program improve? How many nights a week do I have the ability to train? What kind of space does the team train in? Do they train in a dome, a gym, batting cages or just outside? How many nights a week do I have options to train?
#5 Where is this program located?
Location can play a big factor as time is money. Some programs are located on one side of the cities while some programs try to have training options all over the city. It’s convenient to have nearly all the same players from the same area but the program’s that draw from a larger area generally will have a larger talent pool to draw from.
#6 Where does your daughter land on the team?
It seems that every parent is looking for the perfect situation. Generally it seems parents want their daughter to be one of the players that play all the time on the team. But they also want all the other players to be close enough in talent to make the team good but not good enough where they take Debbie Daughter’s place. Players can learn a lot from wherever they land whether they are the best player on the team or the #13 player or somewhere in between. I would advise against being in the same role two years in a row. If your daughter is the #13 player on a team one year then the following year I would make sure she is on a team where she can play more and have a more important role. By the same token if they are the best player I would suggest they try to find a more competitive team where she can grow her skills with more talented players.
#7 Does this team/club have parent or non-parent coaches?
Most parents think this is one of the most important factors in choosing a team. The benefits of a non-parent coach is pretty easy to see. Generally it’s a lot easier to be unbiased if you don’t have a daughter on the team. That being said having a parent coach can save some money as generally parent coaches aren’t paid as much. This works even better if they coaches daughter is one of the best players on the team to begin with instead of the #13 player who ends up batting #3 and playing SS.
#8 Does my daughter respond well to this type of coach?
Try to find out what the coach you will be playing for is like. Not just in tryouts but in competition. There are some players that respond well to coaches that like to be loose and joke around but their are other players that don’t do as well with coaches like that? There are some coaches that are very demanding and tough some girls excel in this type of environment but some players have a very tough time with this. Ask former players and observe different coaching styles to help find the best fit.
#9 What type of Competition do they play?
If someone trying to decide who to play for one of the most important factors is what type of competition do they play against? In Minnesota the tournaments that draw the best out of state teams are the tournaments with two umpires. To me it doesn’t matter whether it is ASA, PGF or something else. Out of state teams want two umpires and are used to paying for it. These tournaments are in turn much more well attended by college coaches. Also don’t think your kid always needs to win a trophy. Sometimes that but kicking is better for your team/kid than winning a trophy. They learn a lot more.
#10 Cost?
What are you getting for your money? There are many programs that are a lot cheaper than others. Generally you get what you pay for. Things that drive cost on a club program are coaches travel & pay, off-season training facilities & tournaments and more. The more you travel the better your chance at being seen by an out-state school. That being said if you are having your daughter play softball to try to make a financial gain on a college scholarship 95% of the players would be better off saving the money you are spending on softball, private lessons, traveling and putting it in the bank. That being said there are so many different things these young ladies can learn about life and working with a team that is hard to duplicate.
#11 Integrity?
Many coaches, parents and even players will tell you half truths and some will flat out lie to you to get you to play on their team. If you catch someone associated with a club lying about another club I would run as fast as you can. I would also avoid any team that tells you why other programs are bad more than why their program is good.
These are some general thoughts I have about choosing teams. We do have a lot of great options and I truly think nearly all of the coaches out their in Minnesota and the surrounding states care about their players and have a great passion for the game. Coaching these teams is very hard and takes a tremendous amount of commitment. I have a great respect for all the coaches out there that work so hard to help our wonderful young ladies get better at the sport they love.