Sue Trubovitz, Turbo wrote:.
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Looks to me like the original poster was asking the question, what is minimum playing time?
What if the question were asked like this-
How much playing time is needed to develop?
Are people complaining about playing time or not getting the opportunity to earn a position?
Playing time, "game situational" is critical to learn, think, react and grow!. How about the first year your daughter playing travel ball if you're not out on the field during game time or scrimmage game time that learning curve is going to be a lot longer. What happens... low developement. Then next year. And so on. The learning curve is slower.
There are also players who are putting in tons of work and lots of extra work who are talented players who don't get the benefit of opportunity to earn a spot.
I do think player should work hard and earn a starting 9 position.
*However the fact remains there are coach who coach their teams with favoritism, and do not give everybody the same opportunity to earn a position.
As an instructor who goes out and watch to support my students I am paying attention to coaches their strategies and their fall out.
I even watch when coaches will over play my catchers and not developed other catchers....so I'm not being one-sided.
I am being open minded.
We can also go into all the if ands or buts and talk about what the goal is of the team and the coach who's in 12u who only wants to win that doesn't see the importance of developing the other players. Revolving door teams that only last 10 months really don't care about the future they care about the now.
Communicative developmental coaches in the younger first four years in travel ball are critical.
Respect the decision of a parent who wants their children/ player to be on a team where they will be given the chance to develop, learn and grow.
Sometimes, often times , the knowledge to form better decisions
comes from watching and learning.
( learning curve) Think parents and travel ball have at least a two-year learning curve if not a bit longer. That includes coaches!!!!! To figure out, atleast a little better, what travel softball is going to be like. Then understand what there current and the future goals are.
Also this happens.... it can take couple months on a team for people to actually see "the real writing on the wall" to make a better decision for their children athletes.
Brings us back to the question...
What playing time is needed for development?
Find the team that fits goals.
75%
50% in primary position minimum
Well said.