Little League in on the decline but that's because of price IMO. You play 10 games for $150 or $15 per game MATH!!!! lol. Plus you figure in cleats, trophies (because everyone gets them and parents have to buy them), glove, bat and practice. Total cost for 10 games is close to $300. There are travel teams that only charge $300 for 12 months and 10 tournaments. Little League requires $50 per kid extra on top of the $150 incase you don't work the concession stand. So really what's the cost difference? When you look at the bill up front you have $200 to play 10 games or $350 to play year round. The $200 for little league is due up front in one payment and the $350 is due throughout the year and you can fundraise it off. Almost looks better to play travel ball.
What commitment level do you expect
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I like both.
DD #3 is a RHP and RH batter, and also plays SS, 3B LF and CF on her TB team, as well as C, 1B and other positions in rec league.
Rec league gives her a chance to try out new things. For example, she introduced her change-up in rec league before trying it out in TB. Last fall she batted LH sometimes, to try out slapping, LH bunting, and even just swinging away LH. She is skinny and fast, so she may wind up as a slapper, or some kind of switch hitter. She also has gotten plenty of chances to catch. Enough to know she doesn't really like catching that much, but she winds up catching a lot anyway due to a lack of better catchers.
DD #3 is a RHP and RH batter, and also plays SS, 3B LF and CF on her TB team, as well as C, 1B and other positions in rec league.
Rec league gives her a chance to try out new things. For example, she introduced her change-up in rec league before trying it out in TB. Last fall she batted LH sometimes, to try out slapping, LH bunting, and even just swinging away LH. She is skinny and fast, so she may wind up as a slapper, or some kind of switch hitter. She also has gotten plenty of chances to catch. Enough to know she doesn't really like catching that much, but she winds up catching a lot anyway due to a lack of better catchers.
I can only speak for our area, but TB (softball) had INCREASED by a significant amount in the past 5+ years. The rec leagues have taken a big hit, but softball in general is stronger now than it's ever been.
I say significantly, because I have no real data. Simply, there are more TB teams and more tournaments around here than 5+ years ago. If you subtract the number of players the rec leagues have lost, maybe the number of girls playing are around the same. But, there is a high number of rec players that do not take the game serious to any degree. That's fine, I'm not judging, but it's something to figure into the equation.
I say significantly, because I have no real data. Simply, there are more TB teams and more tournaments around here than 5+ years ago. If you subtract the number of players the rec leagues have lost, maybe the number of girls playing are around the same. But, there is a high number of rec players that do not take the game serious to any degree. That's fine, I'm not judging, but it's something to figure into the equation.
Again, I can only speak on my area, but LL is a whole lot cheaper. Even cheaper per game. You can pay $45 for about 16 games. Another $20 for the uniform, if you need pants. There's no gate fee for the games and you can get a bottle of water for $1 at the games. I've offered to pay the fee, find used gloves, and bring the kids to practice/games, all in the effort to increase the popularity of softball in our area. None of that has made ANY difference. It's not the kids so much as the parents. It seems there is a larger % of parents that aren't involved in their kids sports than when I was growing up.
There use to be arguments over who would coach teams when I was playing. Now, we have to go beg someone to coach.
I am not bothered even a timy bit by rec league players who don't take the game too seriously.
Last fall the mother of one of DD #3's teammates seemed a bit apologetic about her DD, mentioning her DD was really into swimming, and was playing softball just for the fun of it. I think that is fantastic!
I look at it this way:
A few years back, DD #1 really wanted to play some rec league volleyball. Her BFF was already playing rec league softball. So, they agreed to play both sports together that fall. Turns out DD #1 was a LOT better at softball than volleyball. DD #1 got her siblings to practice with her, and DD #3 really enjoyed it. DD #3 like pitching batting practice for her sister (they used tennis balls so as not to destroy the neighbors' houses), and decided to try pitching. So, even though DD #1 has quit softball, DD #3 is really into it. All because they knew they could play rec ball without the pressure of having to be good.
As far as other sports, DD #1 gave up volleyball after a couple of times playing rec league. DD #1 played rec league basketball for a couple of years, and one scored a basket! 2 points!! in 2 years.
It used to be interesting taking DD #1 and her BFF from their volleyball game to their softball game. There were often girls on their opponents' volleyball teams playing in the same softball game, on both teams.
I love the idea of kids trying out rec league, just to see if the game is any fun for them. As one girl said after losing a softball game, if you had fun, you already won no matter what.
Last fall the mother of one of DD #3's teammates seemed a bit apologetic about her DD, mentioning her DD was really into swimming, and was playing softball just for the fun of it. I think that is fantastic!
I look at it this way:
A few years back, DD #1 really wanted to play some rec league volleyball. Her BFF was already playing rec league softball. So, they agreed to play both sports together that fall. Turns out DD #1 was a LOT better at softball than volleyball. DD #1 got her siblings to practice with her, and DD #3 really enjoyed it. DD #3 like pitching batting practice for her sister (they used tennis balls so as not to destroy the neighbors' houses), and decided to try pitching. So, even though DD #1 has quit softball, DD #3 is really into it. All because they knew they could play rec ball without the pressure of having to be good.
As far as other sports, DD #1 gave up volleyball after a couple of times playing rec league. DD #1 played rec league basketball for a couple of years, and one scored a basket! 2 points!! in 2 years.
It used to be interesting taking DD #1 and her BFF from their volleyball game to their softball game. There were often girls on their opponents' volleyball teams playing in the same softball game, on both teams.
I love the idea of kids trying out rec league, just to see if the game is any fun for them. As one girl said after losing a softball game, if you had fun, you already won no matter what.
I agree completely. I get a bit aggravated at mindset the rec ball is something of a circus. I would love every kid to get to experience one year of play some type of rec ball. They don't have to be good, or even care much about it. As long as they give it a chance and have fun.
My oldest DD didn't want to play T-ball. I didn't push. She didn't want to play coach pitch the 1st year. Still didn't push. She came home one day and wanted to sign up JUST because a couple of her friends were going to play. Turns out she was pretty good.
Over the next few years, she's was recruited several times to play TB. She just didn't want to. Now, she's eat up with softball. Plays TB and HS ball. She would have NEVER gone this direction without LL. I would imagine her case isn't abnormal.
I live in a state with snow just south of you. We played a team from PA last year and they charge $300 per TB season. They have their own indoor facility and outdoor field. They fundraise a ton I'm sure but they almost passed out when I said we charged near $1000.
Obviously the hidden or often non considered cost of TB is what's expensive, but the upfront $250 for little league hurts more than the I can pay $100 per month of TB. While little league is cheaper it might not be more affordable during the course of the year.
Local Little League Costs:
Fall $80-8 games travel to neighboring little leagues to play (40 mile round trip)
Spring $175-10 games travel to neighboring little leagues to play (40 mile round trip)
$50 Concession stand fee fall. You don't work it you don't get the money back. You will work it on a night your child plays.
$50 Concession stand fee spring. You don't work it you don't get the money back. You will work it on a night your child plays.
$15 fall trophy
$15 spring trophy
That's $355 to play little league.
Most local little leagues care about baseball regardless of softballs popularity, there's no money in little league softball.
I find this kind of humorous because OILF questioned those same numbers last month. The Aspen report is based on multiple sources and the participation numbers in question came from an industry research group.
My son played Little League and IMHO there are a few reasons it's numbers are dwindling. The main factor to me is that the Little League game is falling behind times and has lost some of it's mystique as a result. The kids today are simply much bigger and stronger than they used to be. As soon as you can convince me that 7 year olds and 13 year olds should pitch from the same mound and play on the same sized field I might change my opinion. Little League needs to grow up and make the adjustment, but unfortunately it looks like someone will have to get seriously injured or worse before they make a change. Some 6' something 70mph throwing kid will take one of the melon from another 6' something kid smoking it back up the middle. It's already happened, but unfortunately the injuries haven't been severe enough to warrant a change I guess.
On top of that kids go directly to pony or jr's from there. Going from 60' bases to 80' and 90' overnight is no easy task on offense or defense. That is where a lot of the Little League players start to drop. It's very tough for them to compete with the kids who have gradually progressed to that level every 2 years. If Little league gets out of there own way, instead of grasping at straws and just trying to hang on, they may be able recover. Extend the bases, mound and field dims for older kids, and let them start learning legitimate steals. Heck, even softball does that. They better get a move on or it will be too late!
