LL Regionals vs. Nationals with travel team

[goinglefty]

My DD is playing for a 12U travel team that qualified for and is going to a National tournament. DD has never gone to a National tournament before.

She also will play for her LL All Star team in July. Now this is a bit presumptuous but her LL all star team is stacked with some upper level travel level players; they expect to go far, possibly win the state and go on to regionals. While regionals will be difficult to win, if they did win they could go to the Softball LLWS that is televised.

The problem is LL regionals is the same week as Nationals.

I told her all star team coach that if the team did win the state and had to go to regionals she would not join them. He didn't seem to think I was serious and thought it was ridiculous that she'd give up that opportunity to play in LL Regionals. He thinks she will change her mind when the time comes.

She would be the main pitcher on the LL All star team and is a main part of the offense. While the LL all star team is strong; since she is one of the two main pitchers and they probably would not really have a chance to win regionals without her.

I've been getting pressure from a lot of parents for her to skip Nationals and have her go to regionals and try to get to the LLWS. They say it would be a once in a lifetime experience and that PONY/ASA Nationals etc will be there for her next year and the year after. The feeling is that this group of girls at this age could really do something special and maybe get to the LLWS. I keep telling them, none of that is guaranteed and they are putting the cart before the horse, but they still bring it up and think they can convince me to have her skip Nationals. This really may all be moot if we don't win the state or even the section (which I don't think will be as easy to win as the other parents think).

DD & I know her answer already... I guess I just wanted to talk about it and hear other opinions on what others would do or what she is potentially giving up. The tough part of the decision is she is great friends with both her LL teammates and her travel teammates and she would be letting someone down.

 

[starsnuffer]

Two travel programs is too much for a 12 year old.

-W

 

[chinamigarden]

Any little league all star team that has one player identified as the "main" pitcher and who is identifiable as a main part of the offense. Is probably not going to regionals. With LL's pitch count and rest rules It takes 3-4 very good pitchers to make it through a LL tourney. On top of that the best LL teams generally have a pretty stacked offensive line-up. You say you have 2 pitchers, you would be hard pressed to get out of states.

Some of your best LL programs are all girls who are all top level travel talent. A team from my state recently went to the LLWS and their team played together year round and went as a team to a different travel team tourney just about every weekend in the spring and summer. They had 6 girls who pitched and 4 of them were very good. Its never a given that you are going to win a State yet alone your district.

But to answer your question. If she can't commit to go all the way, do not accept the invitation to be on All Stars. Have them play without your daughter so they can go as far as they can with the team they have.

 

[goinglefty]

One is her year round travel team that will attend nationals. The other is not a travel proram. It is the LL all star team that really only plays in july until they are eliminated.

 

[goinglefty]

I think LL softball rules only require a days rest so if you have two top pitchers and strong offense I think you have a good chance to at least get through the state. Not sure how the regional tourney is setup. Maybe we do need 3 or 4 pitchers; then we'd lose there anyway.

I don't think it will be easy to win by any stretch.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

Where did her allegiances stand prior to this dilemma? Generally, parents would tell me something like "travel ball comes first."

I like some aspects of LL and I like their world series. But, if she is serious about softball, I would tell the coaches not to put her on the All Stars. If she just enjoys playing with her friends (my DD did), I would tell the travel team, now, that she isn't available.

 

[starsnuffer]

Dont' LL rules have a 2 inning max on pitchers? It's something crazy. I know watching it every year it looks more like rec then travel ball and they have strange rules like that.

Let the kid pick, is my suggestion.

-W

 

[Amy in AZ.]

By trny time, I think they are allowed 9 innings a week, but I don't have the rule book. Anyway, if i recall, you could pitch 9 innings on Sunday and then 9 on Monday - because it was a new week. But, yeah, pitching time is limited.

 

[goinglefty]

Where did her allegiances stand prior to this dilemma? Generally, parents would tell me something like "travel ball comes first."

I like some aspects of LL and I like their world series. But, if she is serious about softball, I would tell the coaches not to put her on the All Stars. If she just enjoys playing with her friends (my DD did), I would tell the travel team, now, that she isn't available.

It's basically been decided we are skipping all stars. Her allegiance is with her travel team. I just wanted insight into if she was missing something about not being part of that team that tries to make it to the LLWS.

 

[goinglefty]

Dont' LL rules have a 2 inning max on pitchers? It's something crazy. I know watching it every year it looks more like rec then travel ball and they have strange rules like that.

Let the kid pick, is my suggestion.

-W

Last year LL softball tournament rules were you cant pitch more than one inning on back to back days. However you could pitch full games every other day. Since LL Softball only does one game a day you really only need two pitchers.

The boys rules are the ones that are confusing.

She picked her travel team. I was just looking for insight into her missing something which sounds like not many get a chance to do.