Serious Competition at Friendlies...or...

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radness

Possibilities & Opportunities!
Dec 13, 2019
7,270
113
Not sure why friendlies started being called friendlies???
Do see some teams show up and treat friendlies as if no one's keeping score
vs. a game/sport that keeps score for a reason.

DFP what is your purpose playing in games that are called friendlies?
___________________________

Me, certainly like when teams show up to all games wanting to compete to win!

This ⬇️ is the type of friendly when players who want to be recruited add this to their
'Come watch us list' and live streaming games can gather college coaches attention.

Screenshot_20220930-170248_Messages.jpg
18u
 
Last edited:
Mar 10, 2020
734
63
Not sure why friendlies started being called friendlies???
Do see some teams show up and treat friendlies as if no one's keeping score
vs. a game/sport that keeps score for a reason.

DFP what is your purpose playing in games that are called friendlies?
___________________________

Me, certainly like when teams show up to all games wanting to compete to win!

This ⬇️ is the type of friendly when players want to be recruited they add this to their
'Come watch us list' and live streaming games can gather college coaches attention.

View attachment 26604
18u
Keeping score should matter because it reflects how the game was played. Certain coaches try to talk down the importance of winning at friendlies using the excuse they played everybody. Really undermining their own roster.

That's a heck of a group of teams in that friendly list.
Show up prepared for that one.
 

radness

Possibilities & Opportunities!
Dec 13, 2019
7,270
113
Keeping score should matter because it reflects how the game was played. Certain coaches try to talk down the importance of winning at friendlies using the excuse they played everybody. Really undermining their own roster.

That's a heck of a group of teams in that friendly list.
Show up prepared for that one.
Good point about roster depth!
 
Dec 19, 2021
259
43
I have heard the term used multiple ways:

- A set of games that amount to scrimmages.

- An unsanctioned tournament, usually but not always put on by a local org, often as a fundraiser. Shiny plastic trophy to the winners.

- A round-robin tourney with no bracket and no "winner". This is more or less a showcase outside of normal recruiting windows. Many teams treat this as a chance to play and bat the roster, especially early in the season (now) before the competetive tournaments happen, so they can get some work and see who they've got.
 
Dec 19, 2021
259
43
This ⬇️ is the type of friendly when players want to be recruited they add this to their
'Come watch us list' and live streaming games can gather college coaches attention.

View attachment 26604
18u

So basically, that one is a showcase. Personally, I could care less what you call it, especially with that list. DD has played several on that list with varying success. She pitched the best game of her life in January against the Boykin squad. 2 hits in 5 innings. Not bad for a kid that had decided she was done with pitching the summer before and was supposed to be just the emergency pitcher. Of course this was after getting pummeled the night before.
 
Jun 8, 2016
16,118
113
DFP what is your purpose playing in games that are called friendlies?
___________________________
I don’t play in fastpitch friendlies..I am a 47 YO male desk jockey..

That said I am sure coaches have different reasons for playing them (get the rust off, get some live ABs, guarantee you play good competition, etc) and how you would handle things (lineups,etc) would depend on said reasons. That said I would expect whoever I put out there to play their as$ off 🤷🏽‍♂️

From a player’s perspective my view was always to try and show everybody watching how good I was regardless of the type of game (in reality that often turned into showing them what a hothead I was but my intentions were in the right place 😂)
 
Last edited:

LEsoftballdad

DFP Vendor
Jun 29, 2021
2,838
113
NY
The friendlies my girls played in were mainly just unsanctioned events meant to get away from our local USSSA director, whom everyone hated. We had umpires, groomed fields, and even clean bathrooms, a rarity around here. Also, the cost was 25% of what the USSSA events were. They usually drew some good local teams, too.
 

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