Advice to starting Travel Program

Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch

Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.

I broke out into a cold sweat just reading this.

If there's enough demand for a new team in your area, you'll likely get off the ground. It's staying airborne that's the challenge. From observation and personal experience, the teams that last are the ones where the coaches bring at least some of the pitchers and catchers. That's the "sine qua non" of both baseball and softball teams. Everything else will likely fall into place if you have some "coach's kids" who are good at those positions.

Thanks, I have 2 pitchers and a catcher (my DD) that currently play with me in rec that I am testing those waters with. Traditionally our rec org has some angst towards travel due to politics between organizations. I just want the kids to play, get better, and be competitive. There is a catcher I have reached out to from another org In our rec league as well so hopefully stars will align as all 4 of the kids are leaders and would form a strong corner stone to a team. Also a huge joy to work with.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Jun 27, 2021
418
63
Get with an organization that develops as opposed to takes money for the franchise.
Don't carry friends, know if you do those relationships more than likely take a hit.
Get a 3rd person who does not have a kid on the team to help run the team.
Know your dream of what you want to do will be altered quickly at the pressure of winning/losing.
Equal time is not equal, it's a saying.
Have standards for your team and let parents know on the front end.
Expect your players to get outside help
Keep cost low on the first year and don't be a coach that wants to focus more on uniforms, bat bags and unnecessary team fee cost.
Get your girls in a big tournament early to expose your weaknesses as well as humble parents/players on what it takes to get where you want to go
Keep it fun
Run practices efficiently. And at that age less is more in all areas.
Never take for granted game scenarios and going back over those in practice.
Development of pitchers, everyone wants to pitch until they realize what it takes to pitch
Outfield is not an insult regardless of what mom, dad or kid think.
Lastly, read the https://mikematheny.com/sites/default/files/pdf/MathenyManifesto.pdf (pass it out at your tryout as well)

Good luck. Having a kid on her way to play D1 these are items I learned over the years. In the end, know it does not last forever and be confident enough to know when to walk away.
 

Strike2

Allergic to BS
Nov 14, 2014
2,044
113
Thanks, I have 2 pitchers and a catcher (my DD) that currently play with me in rec that I am testing those waters with. Traditionally our rec org has some angst towards travel due to politics between organizations. I just want the kids to play, get better, and be competitive. There is a catcher I have reached out to from another org In our rec league as well so hopefully stars will align as all 4 of the kids are leaders and would form a strong corner stone to a team. Also a huge joy to work with.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'll caution you about expectations regarding the jump from Rec to competitive. In my area, that move is pretty big.

I had a 12U Rec that dominated within its league with just a handful of kids with a bit of competitive experience. We were able to hang with the lowest level competitive teams, but would have gotten sliced up against anyone decent. By making that jump, you'll probably need to leave most of your Rec team behind, and you'll take some early lumps. However, I do remember more than a few teams that were eventually pretty decent after initially getting pummeled.
 
One of my big concerns is in regards to no one showing up to tryouts lol.

I guess I shouldn’t worry about that if it happens it happens, what will be will be you know.

So far the program and I have been on the same page with expectations of a season etc. We are fully aiming to be developmental and work on the girls. I want to get a good group that buys in to the mission and the culture and wants to stick together. This is one of the things that I struggle so hard with in rec is every season I get new girls, which is good but in the same token I also want to keep my kids together.

We are still working out costs, and I have opted to go with t-shirts for jerseys etc to try and keep the costs down. I am planning on most of my cost being in tournament fees.

But thanks to everyone for their comments I love them and they are great as they confirm feelings or help shine light on things I haven’t thought about. Keep ‘em coming!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Jul 31, 2015
761
93
Get with an organization that develops as opposed to takes money for the franchise.
Don't carry friends, know if you do those relationships more than likely take a hit.
Get a 3rd person who does not have a kid on the team to help run the team.
Know your dream of what you want to do will be altered quickly at the pressure of winning/losing.
Equal time is not equal, it's a saying.
Have standards for your team and let parents know on the front end.
Expect your players to get outside help
Keep cost low on the first year and don't be a coach that wants to focus more on uniforms, bat bags and unnecessary team fee cost.
Get your girls in a big tournament early to expose your weaknesses as well as humble parents/players on what it takes to get where you want to go
Keep it fun
Run practices efficiently. And at that age less is more in all areas.
Never take for granted game scenarios and going back over those in practice.
Development of pitchers, everyone wants to pitch until they realize what it takes to pitch
Outfield is not an insult regardless of what mom, dad or kid think.
Lastly, read the https://mikematheny.com/sites/default/files/pdf/MathenyManifesto.pdf (pass it out at your tryout as well)

Good luck. Having a kid on her way to play D1 these are items I learned over the years. In the end, know it does not last forever and be confident enough to know when to walk away.

Emphasis added.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
42,831
Messages
679,489
Members
21,445
Latest member
Bmac81802
Top