Money and my mouth

[SoftSocDad]

You are too funny. Every couple of weeks you state that parents are idiots or have big problems because they choose to spend a little bit of money on very good softball equipment that will last a couple of years. I guess you would also be against spending money on hitting lessons for a 9YO? Playing youth sports, especially fastpitch TB, costs a signficant amount of money each year (including equipment costs), doesn't mean these parents have "big problems" because of it.

Well, at a minimum, you've got to give me credit for consistency.

One has to concede that TB is largely cost-prohibitive for most people, no matter how badly they might want to play. There are lower-cost alternatives, say the 'B' teams that never travel more than an hour away for games, but there's a veritable arms race which - outside of SoCal - tends to equate total miles traveled with the overall quality of a program. After all, the teams which travel the most garner the most higher-level exposure, correct? Of course not.

I bought my kid a good $40 or $50 Mizuno glove last year and she played spring and fall with it. I thought about surprising her with a new, personalized one that would've cost like $100-120, but now that last year's glove is nice and broken in, she's in love with it and plans to use it the rest of the year, maybe even into 2012.

At 7, she was the best 8u hitter in the league with a $20 bat. Now 8, she's going to play up in 10u this year with a $35 bat.

Different people, different values.

Despite the recession, 2010 was a good year for my company. I may not like my tax bill, but feel fortunate to be in a position where I don't have to worry about keeping the lights on or being able to feed my family. I've been able to hire a few new workers since the start of the year, something I'm especially happy about.

What makes me happier, though, is that for the first time, I've been able to contribute scholarships to the league my daughter plays in. Requests were apparently at an all-time high this year and I was very glad to be able to fund an entire roster of players. Although I'm mentioning it here, I gave the gift anonymously and don't even want to know who the recipients were. I trust our league president and treasurer to make reasonable decisions there.

I could've given my daughter a $200 bat and then only 5-6 scholarships, but at this age, I just do not agree that she's being held back by daddy being conservative with her equipment costs and deciding to direct more resources to the less fortunate.

I don't expect everyone to agree with my thinking, but while I do rail against the dangers and lunacy of excessive spending (after all, I live in California where keeping up with the Joneses is a full-time pursuit for many), there's more value in spending in a way that brings the game to more girls and their families. At least for me.

But like I said, different people, different values.

 

[newtotrav]

For the girls that you helped thank you for your donation. Wonderful that you could contribute to the rec league wish everyone that could help would. As a family we made the decision based on the rec league here to play tournament ball and travel as much as possible. The league just doesn't offer the same level of play due to the area we are in.

 

[FPMark]

SoftSocDad,

Nobody has ever critisized you for buying your daughter whatever type equipment you deem appropriate for her. I do take offense when you make blanket statements about other people being 'idiots' if they do not do exactly as you do.

When my DD was in 8U, she also used a $25 bat. She also went to 10U when she was 8. Just wait until she gets old enough to start wanting to play TB with tougher competition. She will be around girls hitting laser beams around the field with $300 bats. That dfoesn't mean you have to buy your dd one, but I promise you that a bat that costs less than $100- $200 will be unacceptable. It's not so much the price, but the quality of the bat I'm talking about.

My dd is 2nd yr 14U now and is on her 3rd '$300' composite bat. That does not mean I paid that much for them, but it does mean they are top shelf, quality bats. That is what is required to compete at the highest level. If your dd has no desire to compete at that level, then use whatever walmart has on sale. It's not up to me to determine whats right for you. And it's not up to you to determine what amount of money I can spend on a bat without being an idiot. If your dd shows a willingness to work hard to accell at a higher level, you may want to reconsider how much you spend on equipment. You can always find deals on last years models on ebay or local stores.

Also I would like to say that I do commend you for your generosity. I'm sure that your local league is very appreciative as well as the less fortunate girls who get to play this great game of softball because of you. Thank You.