Should we drop travel softball if DD is no longer in to it?

[Anonymous]

Yes. The team doesn’t want her if she’s not committed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD plays 12u travel softball (both travel and rec). She made travel team last fall but just is not in to it and made several comments last fall as well that it’s boring. I can’t tell if it’s the social dynamic with the players who have all played together for years but she has also been doing more lacrosse and seems to prefer it and has been asking to try out for a club lacrosse team and then stay on rec softball. I feel like once we drop the travel softball, it will be harder to get back in but at same time, she’s pretty strong at lacrosse. Any recommendations?

It isn't a "we" situation unless you are also out there playing. And yes if she wants to quit, let her quit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD plays 12u travel softball (both travel and rec). She made travel team last fall but just is not in to it and made several comments last fall as well that it’s boring. I can’t tell if it’s the social dynamic with the players who have all played together for years but she has also been doing more lacrosse and seems to prefer it and has been asking to try out for a club lacrosse team and then stay on rec softball. I feel like once we drop the travel softball, it will be harder to get back in but at same time, she’s pretty strong at lacrosse. Any recommendations?

She finishes the season and let her drop it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD plays 12u travel softball (both travel and rec). She made travel team last fall but just is not in to it and made several comments last fall as well that it’s boring. I can’t tell if it’s the social dynamic with the players who have all played together for years but she has also been doing more lacrosse and seems to prefer it and has been asking to try out for a club lacrosse team and then stay on rec softball. I feel like once we drop the travel softball, it will be harder to get back in but at same time, she’s pretty strong at lacrosse. Any recommendations?

Aren't most travel softball teams a year long committment (and spring has more tournaments than fall)? Will you be leaving her team in the lurch with too few players if you drop now, or is it a situation where there's enough bench riders to still fill out tournament rosters even if someone's sick or traveling?

Because that's the only reason I would wait until next year's tryouts to drop it.

If she decides she wants back in, she can always ease back in with house+, at least in most of northern VA.

[Anonymous]

Drop it. Just went through this with a talented soccer player that just hated it. We let her do what she wanted - picked swimming and is doing amazing. Loves it. She will find her path. Just give her a chance.

[Anonymous]

Dropping out on a travel team mid-season basically ends her softball career, she's burning bridges and it's a small community, the other teams will know. Tread carefully.

-- A-level travel coach.

[Anonymous]

Please let her drop it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dropping out on a travel team mid-season basically ends her softball career, she's burning bridges and it's a small community, the other teams will know. Tread carefully.

-- A-level travel coach.

"ends her softball career"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dropping out on a travel team mid-season basically ends her softball career, she's burning bridges and it's a small community, the other teams will know. Tread carefully.

-- A-level travel coach.

"ends her softball career"

Nope. I know girls who have hopped around a ton, including mid-season, and there are still plenty of teams who will take them. And in this case she would be takin a break entirely, not hopping teams.

No way would I keep my kid in travel softball if she did not love it with every fiber of her being. It is a huge time commitment for her and for us and that has to be kid-driven. That said, whether you make her keep her commitment through Spring would depend for me on how many girls are on the roster, how good she is, and what positions she plays.

[Anonymous]

I would drop. This isn’t life or death (for your kid or the team). If a 12u team were having midyear tryouts, many families would jump on that. Your kid is opening a spot, not letting down a team.

And she can always try out again, or try out for high school team. Will she make either? Maybe, who knows.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dropping out on a travel team mid-season basically ends her softball career, she's burning bridges and it's a small community, the other teams will know. Tread carefully.

-- A-level travel coach.

"ends her softball career"

Nope. I know girls who have hopped around a ton, including mid-season, and there are still plenty of teams who will take them. And in this case she would be takin a break entirely, not hopping teams.

No way would I keep my kid in travel softball if she did not love it with every fiber of her being. It is a huge time commitment for her and for us and that has to be kid-driven. That said, whether you make her keep her commitment through Spring would depend for me on how many girls are on the roster, how good she is, and what positions she plays.

+1

I have seen lots of team hopping or kids taking breaks from both travel softball and baseball. Especially at that (relatively young) age. It doesn’t hurt a kid’s future chances if it is done graciously (very important) and the parents and kid are nice.

It will usually ruin the chances of a return to the original team, but even that is not a given.

[Anonymous]

OP, I already responded, but I will say, if she is going to drop, drop asap so the team has several weeks to look for a replacement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dropping out on a travel team mid-season basically ends her softball career, she's burning bridges and it's a small community, the other teams will know. Tread carefully.

-- A-level travel coach.

"ends her softball career"

Nope. I know girls who have hopped around a ton, including mid-season, and there are still plenty of teams who will take them. And in this case she would be takin a break entirely, not hopping teams.

No way would I keep my kid in travel softball if she did not love it with every fiber of her being. It is a huge time commitment for her and for us and that has to be kid-driven. That said, whether you make her keep her commitment through Spring would depend for me on how many girls are on the roster, how good she is, and what positions she plays.

+1

I have seen lots of team hopping or kids taking breaks from both travel softball and baseball. Especially at that (relatively young) age. It doesn’t hurt a kid’s future chances if it is done graciously (very important) and the parents and kid are nice.

It will usually ruin the chances of a return to the original team, but even that is not a given.

Depends on the level, the C level teams will take anyone whose check clears.

[Anonymous]

Former travel softball coach here.

Let her quit and try something new. Don't force her to remain. Caveat is try to avoid doing it in the middle of a season -- that's a life lesson about seeing commitments through.

My own 12 yo quit softball and took up lacrosse, which she played in HS.

She needed to find her own thing.

Now she is in college. She doesn't play any sport, but playing in college was never an objective (except for maybe intramurals).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dropping out on a travel team mid-season basically ends her softball career, she's burning bridges and it's a small community, the other teams will know. Tread carefully.

-- A-level travel coach.

"ends her softball career"

Other coach here. The first coach is right -- kids, well families, get reputations. The worst one to have is being a flake. Or being a team hopper.

The exception here is I think it's OK to leave between fall and Spring. Yes, it's a year-long commitment, but this isn't as egregious as, say, quitting in early May.