by eddiez577 » Mon Feb 18, 2019 8:51 am
I get this question a lot.
It's a family decision IMO. First, is your player travel ready? Does she have most fundamentals down? Does she practice on her own, look forward to practice, enjoys working hard?
Second, can she take losing reasonably? Can she take making mistakes okay? A lot of former rec players who are used to being the top dog in their league get humbled real fast in TB.
Third, is she coachable? Is she willing to learn advanced concepts, new positions, new way of swinging the bat, or throwing new pitches on command? Rec will get you playing for playing's sake, but TB should develop you.
Lastly this is where family comes in. Is your family ready to commit to the team schedule? Are you financially ready for monthly dues, private coaches, expensive equipment (bats especially), travel costs (hotels, gas, food, snacks, etc). Can you handle criticism of your player well? Can you motivate your player when things start getting tough, physically, emotionally, etc?
When you really take all the questions listed above in consideration, play a few more rec games, join a TB open practice, and see if you're ready to leave rec behind.