IS TRAVEL BALL leaving people/players/rec & school behind...OR...

[Vertigo]

Those are examples of people taking initiative!


As to the many tb teams diluting down the local talent in the community,
because there are so many teams it gives more players the opportunity to learn how to play and opportunity to get better.
if the people who are on those teams put in a little more initiative
they won't be c-level teams for long.

Agree to a certain extent. Unfortunately many of these girls leave SB because they get tired of getting run-ruled every weekend.

 

[cnardone]

Lots going on in a discussion like this. What I am seeing (2nd year 12U, seventh grade), is that kids (parents) can't do everything; between Travel, School and Rec something has to give. And Rec is the loser here. The best players will choose Travel and School. The overall level of play at the rec level might be worse than a decent 10U travel team. When there is still no pitching (because anyone that can pitch is playing travel), and catchers are still missing stikes, it makes it hard to foster the love of the game.

 

[radness]

Speaking only from my own experience, my town does not do a good job promoting the game.

Promoting the game at the youngest level!!!
Perhaps a critical element right there

What I recognize over the years is that there will be some instrumental parents who volunteer quality time for a rec ball program. Then will have a few good seasons then grow out of rec and then rec goes through roller coaster again until possibly another parent steps up who invest quality time.

Because the rec ball programs are left up to parents to facilitate them it takes finding the person who is willing to volunteer they're facilitation skills.

Which means that a person has to step up!

 

[_MIA_]

Single mom from Chicago works two jobs and makes 40K a year. Whenever she has free time she goes to the field (if there is one to go to..that is an entirely different issue which is more solvable..) with her stud athlete kid. Kid is great, progresses through the system to the point where she plays for a good local team. Mom sees that the Bandits are looking for a player (yeah I know this isn't how the Bandits operate..just bare with me). Kid goes to tryouts and makes the team. Mom discusses finances and sees that they will be playing 10 out of State tournaments that, along with every other cost that is involved with high level TB softbal, will cost her at least 30% of her salary. What is she supposed to do?

It is what it is, and it won't change. Just don't act like it isn't an issue.

 

[LHV_NY_SB]

Promoting the game at the youngest level!!!
Perhaps a critical element right there

What I recognize over the years is that there will be some instrumental parents who volunteer quality time for a rec ball program. Then will have a few good seasons then grow out of rec and then rec goes through roller coaster again until possibly another parent steps up who invest quality time.

Because the rec ball programs are left up to parents to facilitate them it takes finding the person who is willing to volunteer they're facilitation skills.

Which means that a person has to step up!

That's my point. Just to give an example, our town soccer club has a rec and travel program. On the rec side, at the younger levels (K-2) the 30 minutes of every match is spent with a travel coach doing drills. Then the final 30 minutes is a game. But there is a big emphasis spent on development WITH someone who is knowledgeable in the game. It also gives the club an opportunity to develop and identify younger players for the travel side.

On the opposite side you have rec softball. They make 2nd graders play a 90 minute softball game where, if you're lucky, a few balls get hit into the infield. If you're an outfielder you're sitting there pulling grass. Why not take the emphasis away from playing and make it learning the game instead??

 

[Vertigo]

Which means that a person has to step up!

I was that person - coached, umpired, and sat on the LL board for several years.

Formed a TB team for the girls from rec who wanted to continue on past 12U. It is like having a second job, The time, the money, and family sacrifice is a lot. I can fully understand why many can’t or won’t do it.

 

[radness]

That's my point. Just to give an example, our town soccer club has a rec and travel program. On the rec side, at the younger levels (K-2) the 30 minutes of every match is spent with a travel coach doing drills. Then the final 30 minutes is a game. But there is a big emphasis spent on development WITH someone who is knowledgeable in the game. It also gives the club an opportunity to develop and identify younger players for the travel side.

On the opposite side you have rec softball. They make 2nd graders play a 90 minute softball game where, if you're lucky, a few balls get hit into the infield. If you're an outfielder you're sitting there pulling grass. Why not take the emphasis away from playing and make it learning the game instead??

Great example's!

The example of the soccer program
Appears that is being facilitated by the more experienced coaching staff of the travel club team helping facilitate the younger players development?!
Starts with growing Little Seeds...

It is a program that helps develop itself from beginner to intermediate to above.

Perhaps if a connection were made between the substantial softball organizations and their younger rec Community efforts like that it could possibly foster better facilitation and development.
Instead it appears travel ball became its own entity that forgot about its roots
And then young family starting out Overlook the importance of younger development in players and jump right into travel ball without any application of development.
In an odd way it became easier for parents to just write a check and drop their kids off at someone else's practice.

 

[nixxy311]

DD grew up through Rec - she played from 7-15 - she started TB in 14U but still played Rec for a season or two after that. And played on her MS and is now on her HS team.

The director when she started is the same one it is currently. However the director has a Senior about to graduate and a sophomore who only plays TB now. They've both only played TB for a few years now but she's kept up being director. I don't know how she does it or who is going to take over when she eventually steps down. I hope someone does because I'd hate to see our rec program go away. It's already at a point now where we have so few teams - we used to have so many in each age group.

I feel like rec ball is where you get the love of the sport - make your friends - most of my friends now are just SB parents I met through rec ball. It was nice early on since a lot of the girls didn't go to the same school because we have 4 elementary schools that feed to our MS and HS. So she met so many people that she wouldn't have met otherwise. You can't really do that with TB since people can come from all over. I got a picture recently of DD's 8U All-Star team and the majority of them are still playing together in HS. We had a few that moved to diff schools but they actually came by to watch.

Because people go from team to team so much in TB I feel like you don't really get the same community you get with Rec. I hope people don't start TB as soon as the kid learns how to throw the ball - you need rec programs.

 

[_MIA_]

It occurs to me that for the people who are applying themselves and have work ethic there is no being left behind.

Just so you didn't think I wasn't "conversing" with your original post.

 

[radness]

DD grew up through Rec - she played from 7-15 - she started TB in 14U but still played Rec for a season or two after that. And played on her MS and is now on her HS team.

The director when she started is the same one it is currently. However the director has a Senior about to graduate and a sophomore who only plays TB now. They've both only played TB for a few years now but she's kept up being director. I don't know how she does it or who is going to take over when she eventually steps down. I hope someone does because I'd hate to see our rec program go away. It's already at a point now where we have so few teams - we used to have so many in each age group.

I feel like rec ball is where you get the love of the sport - make your friends - most of my friends now are just SB parents I met through rec ball. It was nice early on since a lot of the girls didn't go to the same school because we have 4 elementary schools that feed to our MS and HS. So she met so many people that she wouldn't have met otherwise. You can't really do that with TB since people can come from all over. I got a picture recently of DD's 8U All-Star team and the majority of them are still playing together in HS. We had a few that moved to diff schools but they actually came by to watch.

Because people go from team to team so much in TB I feel like you don't really get the same community you get with Rec. I hope people don't start TB as soon as the kid learns how to throw the ball - you need rec programs.

'The director' These are the type of people who deserve a life award recognition!