As we head into tryout week there will be thousands of girls trying to make the team of their dreams. A lot of girls will make the team they are dreaming about, yet many will be left disappointed and discouraged. As parents we often want the BEST for our kids. But sometimes the top team isn’t the best thing for your daughter.
If your daughter is a “BUBBLE” player, playing on that 2nd Tier Team could just save her career ESPECIALLY with a positive attitude from herself, her coaches and most importantly her parents. Most parents will be tempted to go down the road of consoling their daughter and giving her excuses like “it’s all politics” or the tryout wasn’t fair. Yes, sometimes these things are true, but this doesn’t help your daughter. Try to get your daughter to look in the mirror to find out what she really needs to improve on to take that next step as a player. Let her know you will be right there with her. If you can turn the frustration of not making the team into fuel to “show them”, you are now on your way to making it a great year. There will be many players that make the desired team that will rest on their laurels. Now is the time to start working to pass those players up.
My favorite example out of thousands of players was Chrissy Sward. Chrissy was on the North St. Paul “C” Team at 14U. Chrissy wasn’t the most coordinated player but had all sorts of athletic ability and speed. She worked extremely hard with her father Bill to get better. Eventually Chrissy grew into her body she became very coordinated. Fast forward 4 years later and Chrissy was the Metro Player of the Year and had a scholarship to play softball at the University of Minnesota. I was lucky enough to Coach Chrissy for two years at North St. Paul.
Here are benefits of a bubble player playing on a Lower Tier Team.
1. More playing time at prime positions.
2. More at bats and being near the top of the order.
3. More innings for pitchers and catchers.
4. Great opportunity for working on leadership skills.
5. Less stressful situations. Making it easier to go out and have fun playing. This makes it easier to perform.
6. The higher the level the more teams are focused on “winning”. This isn’t necessarily good for skill development.
The only downside I see is that you might not be playing against the same competition as the “National/Gold” Team. Therefore, I love it when I see teams challenge themselves and play against the best competition. I have a lot more respect for a coach/team that goes 2-3 in a “Gold” Tournament than a team that sandbags down and wins the “B” Tournament.
I also think if I am the 13thplayer on a national team. One year it’s great to play on the national team because you will learn a lot but if that player is near the same position the following year, playing on a lower team would be a better option.
If your one of those players/parents that didn’t make the team that you wanted take the High Road. “Look in the Mirror” and get to work. It may be the best thing that ever happened to your daughter. Good Luck!
P.S This logic works the same for community “A” and “B” Teams