- Jun 12, 2015
- 3,843
- 83
I'd rather my daughter PLAY on a solid B team than SIT on winning A team. She's 8, she just wants to play ball. She's not thinking about team rankings and all that nonsense. Pretty ridiculous that stuff works on anyone.
cut-throat travel teams
- Thread starter corlay
- Start date
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In a few year (it goes by a lot faster than you think) when you stop and look back at your DD's softball career you will laugh to yourself about the number of people who take 10U, 12U and 14U softball WAY too seriously! Enjoy it while you can and if your DD wants to play softball in college the grind begins at 16U. 10U/12U/14U should be used as stepping stones to get her where she needs to be by 16U.
- Jun 12, 2015
- 3,843
- 83
I'm definitely going to keep that in mind! It's nice to get input from those who've been through it already. 
I coached 4 years at 10U and 12U, and I inherited probably 3-4 girls over that time who had what one of my parents would call the battle scars of 'cut-throat' teams.
The biggest complaint they (the players) had was that these teams would take pickup players or make unnecessary roster additions throughout the season. So you've gone through tryouts, winter workouts and 6 tournaments and think you've earned the starting job at 3B, and 6 months into the season, somebody you've just met is playing your spot. And if you were not happy about it, you're not a team player. It's a common way to sap the fun out of the game for 11-year-olds.
The biggest complaint they (the players) had was that these teams would take pickup players or make unnecessary roster additions throughout the season. So you've gone through tryouts, winter workouts and 6 tournaments and think you've earned the starting job at 3B, and 6 months into the season, somebody you've just met is playing your spot. And if you were not happy about it, you're not a team player. It's a common way to sap the fun out of the game for 11-year-olds.
I think my choice of words ("cut-throat") was maybe a little too extreme.
My intention was to ask: Should all existing roster positions be safe *at tryouts*? And does the answer to this question depend upon the age-group in-question?
I thought JAD's response was closest to what I was asking.
Should a team with returning players look to "churn" the bottom 1/4 of their roster, year over year?
I wasn't intending to be advocating for un-ethical practices, bringing in hired guns, trophy hunting, etc.
Just wondering what the general consensus is for how most clubs handle returning rosters.
Do returning players get an automatic "pass"? Or do they have to earn their spot each season.
My intention was to ask: Should all existing roster positions be safe *at tryouts*? And does the answer to this question depend upon the age-group in-question?
I thought JAD's response was closest to what I was asking.
Should a team with returning players look to "churn" the bottom 1/4 of their roster, year over year?
I wasn't intending to be advocating for un-ethical practices, bringing in hired guns, trophy hunting, etc.
Just wondering what the general consensus is for how most clubs handle returning rosters.
Do returning players get an automatic "pass"? Or do they have to earn their spot each season.
- Feb 7, 2014
- 589
- 63
In one word - "No."
As a parent I would have little interest having my DD attend a tryout if I didn't think she would get an opportunity to play her desired position. Let the 'freshmen' push the 'upperclassmen!'
A travel ball season is like a one year contract. Once the season is over, everyone is a free agent and the players have no obligation to that team and the coaches have no obligation to any player. Once the season ends, all roster spots are open. That's how I've always viewed it because that's how it was explained to me 6 seasons ago when my dd tried out for her first travel ball team.
- Feb 7, 2013
- 3,186
- 48
Ideally, I think this is the right answer. No player should feel they have a god given right to be on any team after the season ends. The better coaches with a great program will attract plenty of talented and motivated kids who want to play for them. Just because a kid played with this coach previously doesn't mean they have a right to be a member of that team forever. I have no problem with making my DD earn the right to play for a particular team each season.
I don't see this as cutthroat at all but pure supply and demand. There is no "loyalty" once the season ends.
Now if you live in an area where there are very few players, I can see where it makes sense to keep the majority of your players each season because there are not enough kids to field a different team every year. But in large metro regions, tryouts are a must.
I agree with this, also.
The way it should be.
"travel" teams should always be looking to field the best team possible, IMO.
"Rec" teams have different criteria in determining a roster.
Last edited:
- Mar 28, 2013
- 769
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Early on I always thought that keeping an entire group together thru the age groups was the best way to go, then I had a conversation with a 30 year very successful TB coach and he told me flat out if you are not rotating out 3-5 players a year your not competing. back then it seemed a little heartless.4 years later I completely agree. Ability is not the only reason to rotate a player.
