Benefits and best approach to join a national organization

[Manager18]

Our 16U travel team is diving deep into getting the kids the opportunities to be seen from college staff. Our team is composed of kids within an hour of each other and has 8 of the 11 have been together for 4 years on this team. The discussion has come up if it is their best interest to join a nationally known organization. We are just an individual team. We do well at tournaments and later turn heads but don't initially get looked at because we are a no name team.

If we should try to join an organization as an established team, how do we go about doing that? We are located in KY. Our team also relies on fundraising and sponsorships. We try to keep the money as low as possible because most parents are teachers or government workers. No one can just write a check and go on.

 

[uncdrew]

It's gonna cost ya.

But might be worth it. And while I try hard not to fall for marketing and hype, it's kinda cool to wear the jersey of a powerhouse.

I think our dues to the Org were $2500/year.

 

[Manager18]

It's gonna cost ya.

But might be worth it. And while I try hard not to fall for marketing and hype, it's kinda cool to wear the jersey of a powerhouse.

I think our dues to the Org were $2500/year.

What do you get with your dues?

 

[uncdrew]

What do you get with your dues?

You get the privilege of being able to pay extra for uniforms from their exclusive provider.

 

[Strike2]

What level do you play at? If you're a local weekend tournament team, changing your jersey probably won't do much for you. If you do well in higher-level tournaments, there's something to be said for being distinguishable from the various Athletics, Batbuster, Texas Glory, or Bombers affiliates in the bracket. Compete well against a legit team from one of those orgs, and I doubt that any college coach will ignore your kids because you're an independent. Lastly, I think that college coaches realize that someone can pay to wear a jersey. I've lost count of how many teams with big names that DD's independent "no name" team has beaten.

What is the status of the HS programs your kids play for? Although many, including myself, complain about school ball, the truth is the many kids get recognized at the city and state level for their play, and THAT gets noticed by college coaches. Look at the player bios on college rosters, and you're more likely to read about what they did in HS than on a travel team, unless it was really big. For whatever reason, coaches seem to gravitate to players who get their name in the paper for more than just softball...especially track stars.

 

[ang2bmd]

If you are looking to place your kids in division 1 coaches want to see them playing similar skill competition. Is your team traveling to the IDT, sparkler, PGF, alliance championship, d9, stl I and II etc. If they are and you doing well then you will probably be seen. If you aren't playing in those tournaments then you need to take a hard look if its because your players really aren't that level or because of your name. If you decide its because of the name then thats your answer. If its because your caliber player is aiming for a lower level you don't need a big name for that. Take your team to team camps local showcases etc

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[Top_Notch]

DD joined one of those National teams last year (16U). She was asked to try out, but based on their scouting the only real decision to be made was up to DD wanting to jump teams. The upside? Former D1 standout as coach (@ DD position), competent assistants, college recruiter, player personell development coach, access to good fields at tourneys, a more talented team, and a lot of help with recruiting for college (including sign up to a website).

The downside? Cost. Not cheap.

 

[Lance Steckler]

I know of a local team near Cincinnati that paid over $4500 for a year of a franchise fee. And since the vast majority were not D1 skill level and the team was not traveling and playing a true national schedule, it was pretty much waste of money, IMHO. And I believe they dropped the franchise and switched to different org this year.

Not to be cruel, but the tourney fees get larger for these big exposure tourneys. I believe the Sparkler is close to $2K for entry fee. Plus the travel, the stay to play, etc. Do all the families have funding to play in 4 different states on 4 straight weekends, tourneys that start Wednesday afternoon, ending on Sunday?? It's not cheap.

You could have tried to move en-mass to a larger org last August, but tougher to do now.

How active are the coaches in talking to colleges near you? How many of the girls are actively attending camps and emailing college coaches??? Are they actively being seen by smaller schools? Are all the girls all truly D1 skill level??? I mean, really and truly that good. Not rose colored glasses good. There are very solid programs all over KY, IN, TN, OH, etc that are NAIA, D3, D2, Juco that all have programs.

Further, If none of the girls have interest in playing way out west or South, why travel that far?? A large portion of coaches at those tourney are local to that area. Sure, college coaches travel and recruit. But smaller percentage versus local. Example, I know that Louisville had numerous girls on roster from California several years ago. Head coach was obviously traveling out west and recruiting girls. But that's 1 school and ~5 girls. D1 is different world.

And honestly, most college coaches are very skeptical of high school programs, records, stats, etc. Plus, since the colleges are playing the same time as HS team are, very little actual viewing of HS games occur (unless HS is very close to the college). And again, are the girls reaching out to the coaches with schedules??

 

[Manager18]

Our team has 2 potential D1 athletes, however, they don't want to play D1. Our players are looking at options other than D1 because most of them want to major in the medical field or something that requires a rigorous school schedule. Our team is made of mostly high school freshman with a few sophomores. They are beginning to to focus on what college best fits them. We have no plans to travel out west for tournaments. There isn't a need for us. We do have many college options within 3 hours of us and will focus on those.

Our high school team is very competitive and our region and state do a good job about recognizing players. The school team has a former D1 and D2 player as coaches. The travel team has excellent coaches as well. While none of them were college ballplayers, they have sport IQ that is unbelievable. They also have an excellent ability to motivate the kids. One of the coaches is in the KY Softball Hall of Fame. It is for her school coaching record and achievements.

Last summer and fall (2020) was the first year that we traveled to some larger tournaments and showcases. We were able to beat a few of the elite national teams. The rest of the time we were able to hang with the teams. Confidence is what got our girls. Our schedule is 3 tournaments a month. We do our best to give one weekend a month off for family, friends, and fun. It is important to not burn them out. Many of them go from basketball to school softball to travel softball back to basketball. Also interchange basketball with track, cross country, volleyball, or mountain biking. That one weekend a month is important to have. It keeps them focused and hungry.

This year we plan to focus on getting them seen and interacting with the colleges that fit their wants and needs. We have a very realistic group of parents and players. They are not looking at LSU or UCLA or Oklahoma. However, they all would love to play at UK (just because). I do have one that has interest in Baylor and Florida but those schools are top in the program she wants to major in. We are focusing on academics first.

That is enough ramble. I am wordy sometimes. Thanks for everyone's input. It sums up what we thought.

 

[Rolling Hard]

I guess the question is:
Is D-1 (or as high as the player can climb on the college ladder) the main goal or is getting an education is a field of choice (hopefully a marketable one) the main goal. In baseball, football, basketball, golf, soccer and tennis there is a possible pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Not so much with softball. (There should be but that's another thread)