Competitive Fastpitch Softball Teams

What is a Competitive Softball team?

A team of players committed to becoming and then playing excellent fastpitch softball with a high level of proficiency as a team. Competitive softball players and teams are constantly challenging themselves to reach for the next level, and the next level, and the next …, in their development as a player and a team. These goals are achieved over a span of years of commitment and hard work.

What are the requirements from coaches, parents and players?

A positive attitude! A commitment to the sport. Players giving their full attention during practices and games. Players giving their full effort in practices and games. A willingness to commit the time necessary to become a good fastpitch softball player and team. A willingness to commit to the financial requirements of your daughter’s participation on the team.

When should a player start playing competitive Fastpitch softball?

The best age is when she is 9 years old. She has a lot to learn, and learn quickly. She “can” do it as a 10 year old on a 10-U developmental team in a more instructional situation. But by starting as a 9 year old, she and her team will have the chance to experience competitive fastpitch softball in a more low-impact, instructional setting for the first year.

Then, in their second year at the 10U Division, she and her team have the opportunity to build on and refine the skills they learned the previous year, while still playing in a low-impact, instructional setting. The extra year of 10-U Competitive play makes a big difference.

The next best age to begin competitive Fastpitch Softball play is as a 10 year old. New 10 year old competitive players are older and bigger as 10U players, which helps to offset the missed opportunity to play 10-U competitive softball as a 9 year old. The 10 year old softball player can be coached at a more accelerated rate. The 10 year old player, new to competitive softball, can play well and learn quickly at the 10-U level.

But the effect of the reduced competitive experience shows up the following year when they have to move up to the 12-U division. In the 10-U division, most of the players are fairly new to competitive softball playing on newly formed team. Fielding and throwing errors are not uncommon. Pitching and defensive play can be an adventure sometimes. Usually the hitting is not real strong.

In 12-U competitive softball, pitching is much faster and better, defensive play is crisper and more error-free, and most of the players are way better hitters. So the difference between 10- U competitive softball and 12-U competitive softball is pretty significant. While the difference between 10-U Rec and 10-U Competitive softball is not such a drastic culture shock for new 10-U competitive players and their parents. Starting competitive softball as 10 year old is doable but not as desirable. When players wait until they are 11 years old or older to play competitively, they are at a huge disadvantage compared to their more experienced teammates or opposing players who have been playing for 2 or 3 years competitively. The differences in skill level, game knowledge, and intensity are significant. There is a very steep learning curve. So the sooner they start playing competitively, the better.

What is needed for a successful competitive Fastpitch softball team?

A solid coaching staff. Strong, positive parent support. Team unity, parent unity, and team-parent unity. All of these elements focus the entire effort on excellence in softball.

How are competitive teams formed?

Competitive teams are formed as new teams in two ways. One way is for a coach to take a group of players he or she has been coaching and form a competitive team. Usually that core group is not enough for a complete team. So more players are needed to full out the roster. Another way is for a coach or an organization to form a brand new team. In both situations, they will advertise the team is looking for players.

In either way that teams are formed, or when an existing team is looking for players to fill openings in a roster, and at all age levels, there is some sort of try-out and evaluation process. This process can be a group try-out and an individual try-out and evaluation.

How do I get my daughter on a team?

Teams that are filling a few roster spots are usually very selective on who they pick up. They will sift through a lot of prospects to find the few superstars they want. Girls who don’t mae the team get told they are not good enough.

Newly formed team, especially at the younger age level, are typically looking for players with potential to develop quickly into competitive softball players. Part of that process is developing team unity while building up skills and game knowledge.

In either situation, it is important to find the right fit for your daughter. Playing time in games is crucial to a player’s skill development. Players chosen to play for a top level, super- competitive team may become an integral part of the team’s offense and defense. Or they may find themselves sitting out a lot and/or playing in positions they don’t care for when they do get into games.

On the other hand, having your daughter play on a more developmental team, especially at a younger age level, would allow her to get more game and defensive position experience. She and the team would have a chance to grow, together, into a top level, super-competitive team.

When your daughter does try out for a team, she needs to give her utmost effort, without dwelling on her fear of failure. Her chance for success will increase dramatically.

How do I prepare my daughter for competitive Fastpitch softball?

1) By being willing to make the move to competitive softball at a younger age, or at an age when you’re no quite sure she’s ready. When you do this, she will be well coached and will learn the game quicker and better.

2) Enroll your daughter into camps and clinics whenever possible. As much as possible, watch what she is learning and how she is doing the drills. Then continue working with her on those drills afterward on a regular basis. Remember that a little bit of drill work a lot of times is way more beneficial than a lot of drill work once in a while.

3) Set up some regular times during the week when you spend 20 to 30 minutes throwing and catching, and tossing pop flies and grounders to your daughter. It also becomes a bonding time as you share your support for her softball effort.

4) Periodically take her to a place where she has a chance to hit off a pitching machine to keep her timing and hand-eye-bat coordination for hitting up to snuff. If you feel there are certain skills, such as pitching, being a catcher, or hitting, that you feel your daughter needs individual instruction in, locate a coach or instructor to give the one-on-one instruction your daughter needs.