by Diesels_dad » Thu Mar 28, 2013 5:28 am
The PARENT should start at 10u if one does not have the background or history… that is, there is a lot of info to sort through to determine the best plan for player, especially if parent does not have such experience with past sibling.. This plan will continue to change and evolve. I’m baffled by those who say we r taking it slow or not worried about topic until junior year.. they must be a lot smarter than I am (but that is not saying much)
Attach yourself with parents who have gone through ropes at different levels and pick their brain…. A checklist if you will… watching (not playing) expo tourneys and camps helps with more questions/answers.. Ridiculous to ask daughter what she wants to major in and possibly narrowing down college pool… your objective is to learn the process. You will be overwhelmed and confused, by starting now you have the luxury to walk away and regroup (for a short period). Time is on your side in regards to educate yourself..
Know expectations prior to attending any tourney or camp.. Also, be honest with ability of athlete/player… For my DD, she guested on her first couple of expo tourneys. No letters, no contacts, just helping a team because pitcher was going to prom.. real relaxed. Just play the game attitude….. Her best college responses have been when she thought she played her worse game and or when she thought no coaches were watching. Presentation or what we call “poker face” takes years to fine tune—n college coaches love it.
Finally, Gurus on Heybucket have been very helpful with DD road to take. Do not deny the foundation of such a young player… FUN. This is the biggest lesson I’ve learned, especially if your daughter, like mine, excels at everything under the sun… pulling the reins back on “sea biscuit” is very draining but this is your job…. Choose tourneys wisely, playing every weekend can burn out player n family. Also, remember this is not your race or your miss opportunity from years back… It goes fast… faster than you can imagine..