Is this petite size bias?

Yes she has access to a weight room. We have a Y membership and she had training to use the machines with focus on her legs. We all use the Y regularly.

In addition she goes 4 or 5 days a week for sports performance training as I stated above...maybe I wasn't clear on how often she goes. I switched my days working from home so I could make sure I could bring her. This training is focused specifically on the needs of student athletes and is does a combination of sports conditioning and weight lifting.

She has muscle definition she simply has a small build. We talked to the doctor and she has muscle building ensure to supplement her as a result. She is extremely athletic...she can jump higher than I have most girls and has caught line drives that one would think she is too short as a result.

We try to be honest with her about which colleges to focus on (but I honestly do not know how much they look at size or if a D1 would immediately write her off because of it)... why we have her pursuing a division 1 that has just moved into division 1 rather than a top D1 school for example. Also trying to focus on the academics, size of school and environment that would fit her.

We are doing a search today for more schools just to see what else is out there. I have no doubt she will play college ball...just what level and what school, but obviously as a parent I would like to help her make the college of her choice.

So after being told at a mandatory meeting for showcase teams, my daughter was on one of the showcase gold teams, and we pay the initial $500 deposit for this team, we get an email. It is from her former coach talking about details of their team - this is a different team (regional team and not the elite showcase team) - this after being told she would be on the elite team.

Looking at the roster - the girls making the elite team (that were on her team last year) were weaker - one barely was able to hit and was out most of the season due to an injury. She also never started when she was playing and couldn't play the field. She was deceit at 1st, but did not start. I did hear a comment by the coach once - that said she was cut from another club showcase team and came to tryout that year for them - her comment was - well she is tall, we can develop her.

The other girl that made the this team again did not hit well. Many games, they had her not hit and instead put in a designated hitter for her - in softball you can have one DH in most games. She does have a strong arm, but makes a good amount of errors at SS. To the point that one time the coach pulled her and put in my daughter at short and made her sit because of all the errors.

My daughter started every game, and they only took her out occassionally because the coach felt that every player should sit sometimes. She was almost always the lead off batter (rarely did she not lead off). And got on base more than anyone else. Not sure her batting average, but it had to be the highest if not one of the highest.

I don't get it - I emailed the coach and asked if it was a mistake because my daughter was supposed to be on one of the elite teams. No she said, they changed the name and they will be showcase, just travel locally.

How did your daughter take the news? Will she still get looked at by division 1 schools by being in the league? I am not understanding how much this gets in the way of her dream to play at University.

It shouldn't on the surface but coaches will know it is a lesser team. So they may off the bat ...pun...write her off. She also won't be in all the tournaments...won't travel far and will play against lesser teams in tournaments..be in a different pool. So college coaches go see games where the stronger teams play more so.

This doesn't mean they won't come see her game, if they have an interest they will come, but there is a greater possibility they won't. Just overall makes it tougher to be seen.

So we contacted another organization in the area. My daughter actually tried our for them a few years ago. They were just starting up and they wanted to scoop her up in a heartbeat. But we thought this more established organization would be better for her - and we knew a couple of older girls from town that played for them. One played for another team this past year.

Any way it is tough because all the teams have had their tryouts for the coming summer. But this one organization my husband had talked to one of the newer coaches this past summer. He actually coached at the organization my daughter has been playing for. His daughter played there as well and he left because of the way this woman runs the league - one part because of her opinion of smaller players and some other things as well.

So he called us and wants to give my daughter a look at. We haven't told her yet so I honestly do not know how she feels about it.

We figure it cannot hurt - we simply though cannot let it slip out that they are looking at her -- especially as there is definate bad blood between them. More on her side - to the point she will not play against them in tournament.