Introduction to the Travel Softball Journey
I just want to start by saying being a parent of a child involved in travel softball is both rewarding and challenging. It involves a considerable amount of time, money, dedication, and preparation. I am a parent and a coach so I see both sides of fence. With that being said when you take your kid to their next tryout remember the coaches are trying to find a player that fits their needs, and a parent has a lot to do with it these days. Please do not coach your player at the try outs, coaches want to see what they know on their own without any help. Also if you are coaching your kid through a tryout you will probably be doing that all season and coaches don’t like that. However, you have to make sure the team you are trying out for is a match for you and your youth player as well. Please ask the coach a lot of questions. Here are some great questions to ask. 1. How many tournament are the coaches planning on playing in this upcoming season, and how is that broke up between fall, winter, and summer. 2. What is the cost per player for the season, does this include uniforms and any other equipment that my kid needs to play on this team? Will there be any other cost that each parent will have to pay throughout the season? 3. What are the coaches goals for this season? Will all players get equal playing time, or will it be where each position is earned. 4. Is this a parent coached team or a non parent coach? I am a parent coach and I have seen a lot of team that play Daddy ball or Mommy ball as they call it. It is a great question to ask and if it is a parent coach please ask questions like where does you kid play and is that spot available to be earned as well. If this annoys the coach or aggravates them then they are not a good coach anyways. You want to know as much information as you can upfront, since you will have to spend a lot of time and money with this team over the season. 5. How many pitchers are on the team and how many they plan on adding. This is a big topic in the travel world. If you don’t have pitching you will not make it very far in tournaments. My daughter is a great pitcher, catcher, middle infielder. She has had about 3 innings total in pitching and catching this season in a total of 6 tournaments/ 25 games. Which isn’t much but she knows she will play where the teams needs her not where she wants to play. The reason for this is we have some really great pitchers on our team and they have earned that spot. 6. How many days a week do they plan on practicing? A lot of the big organizations don’t practice very much they expect their plays to go to lessons on their own in-between tournaments. The main reason they do this is because most teams have girls from all over and it is hard to get them all together during the week. 7. Do they train over the winter and if yes where is the training. A lot of these questions will depend on your Childs development, and skill level. If they need more fundamental training you might want to find a local team that travels less and practices more. If they are already past that point and just want to travel with some of the top players in the states you probably want to find a bigger organization that just enters bigger tournaments against higher quality teams. 8. Are the coaches fine with them playing other sports. A lot of teams play through out the fall and winter. This usually conflicts with volleyball and basketball.
Essential Travel Items
Traveling for softball tournaments can be tiring and stressful. To minimize the hassle, pack essential items that make the experience more comfortable. Some must-have items include a durable cooler for snacks and drinks, comfortable folding chairs for long games, and a portable power bank to keep your devices charged. Don’t forget to pack sunscreen, umbrellas, and blankets for varying weather conditions! Depending on the tournament their team could play 4 to 5 games in one day. Make sure you are bringing health snacks and a lot of water to get through that day.
Self-Care for Players
While your Childs primary focus is always winning and succeeding in sports, softball has and always will be a failure sport. No matter how hard you train and prepare you will still fail at some point. As a coach I have seen this over and over again. Parents and coaches put so much pressure on these kids all they do is worry about failing, if a player is always worried about failing it is a lot harder to succeed. We just have to remember as parents these kids don’t want to strike out or make an error, or walk a batter. It just happens nobody is perfect, especially at a younger age. The more pressure we put on them it just pushes them to stop loving the game that we all want them to love and enjoy playing. I believe that failure is a opportunity to learn how to do it right the next time. So really it isn’t a failure at all its just a lesson. We all fail in life even as adults but we have learned how to deal with failure and they haven’t yet. So as a parent please don’t spend the whole ride home after a game talking about what they didn’t do correct, just talk about the things they did good. They need you for support, and love. Let the coaches work on their issues with them that is what they are there to do. If they feel like they have everyone against them their confidence level will keep falling until they will just want to quit playing all together.
Conclusion
Managing life as a travel softball parent requires a blend of organization, preparation, and self-care. By equipping yourself with the right tools and taking proactive steps, you can ensure that both you and your child enjoy this thrilling sports journey to the fullest.