When is a good time for travel softball?

[Sam]

2nd Year 12U at the earliest. 10U travel should not exist. Once you start TB it becomes a job for her. She needs to understand that....you are signing her up to 5 days per week of softball between practices, lessons, and games.

[McGee]

Part of the issue is finding a team that matches your families goals and objectives. Compared to years ago, there are now hundreds of teams and coaches to choose from. There are so many teams it is hard to find and make a quality team with good coaching. The average travel teams today would struggle with the rec league all stars teams of a decade ago.

Coaching is a huge concern. I watched a tournament last year where the best coaches of the 15 teams I saw were leading a very weak team. The lost every game but the other coaches were so over the top I would want my kids on the weak team with good coaches. The team and players will get better and become better people as a result.


In the end, if it isn't fun it isn't worth it.

[jonriv]

My daughter di not begin playing until second year 10u and did not play travel until 14u. It was good to get experience in rec and rec all-star before the move. My recollection was her 12u all-star team was not only competitive against travel teams in a few tourneys, but also beat several- Did not see a real separation until 14 and older.. For her I think we made the move at the right time.

My daughter went on to continue in travel, play in HS and had a successful DIII college career. She is now "retired" from softball and is a very successful Financial Professional at a leading Financial firm

[Sam]

My daughter di not begin playing until second year 10u and did not play travel until 14u. It was good to get experience in rec and rec all-star before the move. My recollection was her 12u all-star team was not only competitive against travel teams in a few tourneys, but also beat several- Did not see a real separation until 14 and older.. For her I think we made the move at the right time.

My daughter went on to continue in travel, play in HS and had a successful DIII college career. She is not "retired" from softball and is a very successful Financial Professional at a leading Financial firm

Good on ya, Jonriv. Great to hear these kids succeed in life. We don't hear about it often enough.

[jonriv]

My daughter di not begin playing until second year 10u and did not play travel until 14u. It was good to get experience in rec and rec all-star before the move. My recollection was her 12u all-star team was not only competitive against travel teams in a few tourneys, but also beat several- Did not see a real separation until 14 and older.. For her I think we made the move at the right time.

My daughter went on to continue in travel, play in HS and had a successful DIII college career. She is not "retired" from softball and is a very successful Financial Professional at a leading Financial firm

Good on ya, Jonriv. Great to hear these kids succeed in life. We don't hear about it often enough.

I think the point is not to be in such a rush to travel at too early an age- I am just not sure the benefits are there at the 10u or many times at the 12u level. Obviously it is very dependent on the player, the parents and the location. I think too many times it is the parents trying to "keep up with the Jones'" that is the motivator-IMO

[Fastpitch4Life]

These are the kind of exchanges that make HB a great read. Different family objectives, varying levels of parental involvement and relate able experience from those that have gone through the grind, good or bad. One size doesn't fit all and in So Cal you have all kinds of choices as I expect the same throughout the youth softball universe to some degree. My kid started TB as a second year 10u after having a great experience in 10U rec all-stars. A local team was being formed with one of the Big 5 orgs back when each org only had 1 10U team. It was adjustment at home, but not as crazy as some of the schedules I have read here for younger girls. All the hitting lessons and fielding lessons were supplied by the org and were optional at 10U as they should be. A very good team with good coaching and relatively free of overbearing parents, with a couple of exceptions, of course. It was the right time for my kid as she is still playing 8 years later and will go to college compliments of her grades and softball skill. A happy ending for our family and my DD as this was her dream.

One bit of advice I would give looking back is to check in with your daughters at the start of every season and ask if they are having fun. Do they want to go through another year? If so, go for it. Memories of good friends, great trips all over the country and a college scholarship can happen for you as it did for us.