LL softball coach, 10U, our league has combined with neighboring league, 6 teams in division (4+2). Last night we played hands down best team in minors division, lost 17-6 (first time face them lost 10-2). This team is the reason there are 4 teams in minors of 11 each, and 2 majors teams of 14 each (my older DD plays majors). He has a little clique that all request him, play travel soccer with him, and all basically decided that none of their 10 year olds would try out for majors (12U) so they can all stay together. 6 or 7 10 year olds move up, each division has three teams of 12 (ideal number for playing 10 in field). They even have an 11 yr old to accomodate one family in this clique's request that all for of their kids (blended family) be on same team (ages 8-11). He has like 5 assistants, while i have 1.5 basically. At draft, the one family of four girls (three will probably be allstars) basically only counted for one draft pick, he still picked again in second round, then once he had his ages all filled up, he let us pick the leavings.
I pitched one pitcher entire game (I really only have two, and I like giving them whole game as long as they do not seem to get tired, not enough help to warm a girl up properly mid game). He pitched 4/5 different pitchers. His one ace he pitched in the third (my girls scored one run in second, they 4 runned us each at bat in the 1st, third, 5th, and 6th), then again in the 5th and (my girls 4 runned them in the 4th), and 6th (last batter then top of the order coming up for my girls). Basically, if my girls got at all competitive, he threw the ace in, knowing it would pretty much shut us down (3 innings, two walks, 5 strikeouts, couple of weak grounders). We couldn't even win mathematically in 6th (8 run limit in last inning). He also had girls bunting to get on base with a 9-1 lead.
i will say I do not think he liked when in second, with two out and one of my best players on third, I basically had her keep taking bigger leads to bait a throw to third (we had used all our steals, we have limits), runner went home for our only run of the first three innings.
Basically, his clique runs (or ruins depending on how you look at it) whatever division they are in. Cherry on top is last year (I was still in 8U), 5 10 yo's played up in 12U, including my older daughter. At beginning of season, they were told they would still be eligible for 10U all stars. Well you know who was coach, the girls who played up all got screwed, because all the coaches in the division (who were the ones voting) basically colluded to make certain that as many players of theirs were on all starts, and froze out the girls who played up (who would presumably be the best 10 yos from tryouts, and playing up would only make them better).
Point of all this is next year, he has to move up (his GD is 10 this year), and he always acts friendly towards my daughter, and last year said he was looking for her and dissappointed she was not availalbe (majors drafted first, so she was off the board). My daughters coach this year and last will be moving on (if her girl decides to play at all next year, 50/50), I am afraid this a$$ will draft my daughter. I am thinking of cancelling our last game against them and holding scrimmage with someone else or do parent/daughter game, Not certain I can shake his hand again (and I will not play and then not shake hands). I don't want to move older daughter, because younger daughter has shot at all stars next year I think (and may look to travel ball in next couple of years, she is league age 7 currently), and we logistically cannot have them in different leagues.
??????
I pitched one pitcher entire game (I really only have two, and I like giving them whole game as long as they do not seem to get tired, not enough help to warm a girl up properly mid game). He pitched 4/5 different pitchers. His one ace he pitched in the third (my girls scored one run in second, they 4 runned us each at bat in the 1st, third, 5th, and 6th), then again in the 5th and (my girls 4 runned them in the 4th), and 6th (last batter then top of the order coming up for my girls). Basically, if my girls got at all competitive, he threw the ace in, knowing it would pretty much shut us down (3 innings, two walks, 5 strikeouts, couple of weak grounders). We couldn't even win mathematically in 6th (8 run limit in last inning). He also had girls bunting to get on base with a 9-1 lead.
i will say I do not think he liked when in second, with two out and one of my best players on third, I basically had her keep taking bigger leads to bait a throw to third (we had used all our steals, we have limits), runner went home for our only run of the first three innings.
Basically, his clique runs (or ruins depending on how you look at it) whatever division they are in. Cherry on top is last year (I was still in 8U), 5 10 yo's played up in 12U, including my older daughter. At beginning of season, they were told they would still be eligible for 10U all stars. Well you know who was coach, the girls who played up all got screwed, because all the coaches in the division (who were the ones voting) basically colluded to make certain that as many players of theirs were on all starts, and froze out the girls who played up (who would presumably be the best 10 yos from tryouts, and playing up would only make them better).
Point of all this is next year, he has to move up (his GD is 10 this year), and he always acts friendly towards my daughter, and last year said he was looking for her and dissappointed she was not availalbe (majors drafted first, so she was off the board). My daughters coach this year and last will be moving on (if her girl decides to play at all next year, 50/50), I am afraid this a$$ will draft my daughter. I am thinking of cancelling our last game against them and holding scrimmage with someone else or do parent/daughter game, Not certain I can shake his hand again (and I will not play and then not shake hands). I don't want to move older daughter, because younger daughter has shot at all stars next year I think (and may look to travel ball in next couple of years, she is league age 7 currently), and we logistically cannot have them in different leagues.
??????