Biggest Dislike of Travel Softball

[Dawgsdad]

We use coach's wristbands for defense and offense. Its all one number hand signals and only a few verbals for defenseive situations. Very few missed signs, definitely faster if you and your team practice with them prior to going live! Many returning players have many call sequences memorized for each color card, which speeds up the process. Some go way overboard with colors or code names to go along with a number and hollar every pitch. We usually have 2 calls in mind already depending on the count and situation per pitch. Like someone said earlier, calls only get signed about 1/3 of the batter's at bat.

 

[josie]

I love almost everything about it! But clean up that bathroom once in awhile or suck the %$^* out of the porta-potty!! (BTW....I always keep a spare roll of TP in the truck! Learned that trick from travel baseball years before DD started to play....)

 

[coachjwb]

Players learn the strategy of the game from their coaches. Wristbands are just one way that coaches let players know what strategy is appropriate for the situation, and actually helps them learn game strategy. If you say wristbands take away strategy, then what you're really saying is that coaches take away the players learning strategy. Coaches give signs at the highest levels of softball and baseball ... in a good system (wristbands or old fashioned) many of the signs are just decoys to keep the other teams guessing whether something is on or not. They're a potentially big advantage to the teams which use them, actually help teach game strategy to young players, and they definitely don't slow down the game if properly designed and used.

 

[brownsfan]

Back to back to back games and that's not double elimination. Umpires not knowing the rules on whether it's drop dead or finish the inning at the same tournament. At one tournament where an ump thought it was finish the inning only to hold that field back while the game across the way finish the batter. Then both teams faces the teams on the other field. You get the picture.

 

[DJB11]

Parents that don't understand why/how wristbands are used. lol

 

[streak2010]

They slow the game down. They’re legal so wear on. But somebody selling them wouldn’t see it that way. Same with the stay to play tourney directors - they say stay to play is good or stay away from the topic.

 

[DJB11]

Properly used, they speed the game up. But you have obviously seen them used improperly. I have seen that too.

 

[streak2010]

If they speed up the game then I haven’t seen it yet. Seen them worn by a lot of teams the past few years too. Maybe just haven’t ran into one team using them properly then. Quick analysis (20 total games) the past two years of timed games that I remember a team using them and not has yielded 10 less total pitches a game in our scorebooks. I’ll go back and figure the time we played/and mercies too. But that also didn’t include the fact that one team wasn’t wearing them....us. If two teams wear them it probably doubles. Also these aren’t full games so factored over 7 innings has to be even more time. I would ask others to sample total pitch counts on timed games where they are worn by both teams, one and none and compare. But again they are legal and in a non timed game shouldn’t be as concerning.

I know some pitchers are up-tempo pitchers. You know the kind that eventually you have to slow down while batting. These pitchers can’t be as up-tempo, which is time in some games.

A catcher relaying signals should be faster then a coach sending them in and even faster then looking for signals on wrist.

 

[Captain_Thunder]

If they speed up the game then I haven’t seen it yet. Seen them worn by a lot of teams the past few years too. Maybe just haven’t ran into one team using them properly then. Quick analysis (20 total games) the past two years of timed games that I remember a team using them and not has yielded 10 less total pitches a game in our scorebooks. I’ll go back and figure the time we played/and mercies too. But that also didn’t include the fact that one team wasn’t wearing them....us. If two teams wear them it probably doubles. Also these aren’t full games so factored over 7 innings has to be even more time. I would ask others to sample total pitch counts on timed games where they are worn by both teams, one and none and compare. But again they are legal and in a non timed game shouldn’t be as concerning.

I know some pitchers are up-tempo pitchers. You know the kind that eventually you have to slow down while batting. These pitchers can’t be as up-tempo, which is time in some games.

A catcher relaying signals should be faster then a coach sending them in and even faster then looking for signals on wrist.

Not taking any side..........But have you never witnessed a game where a coach takes forever to call in a pitch to his Catcher. Where the Batter goes several feet down the line to get a signal from Coach every single pitch. There are all kinds of factors that drive me crazy with the speed of the game. My teams have never used wristbands, but I have not seen anyone using correctly slow the game down any more than dozens of others who don't use them!

 

[streak2010]

Have to agree - tying shoes and delaying because you have a lead and don’t want to start a new inning may take the cake.

 

[Rex Tiller]

Umpires not knowing what an illegal pitch is or even paying attention to players leaving early, with 2 umpires. Why they wear numbers but when an error on the lineup card is noticed, the rule says only names matter. Then everyone should wear the same number.

 

[coachjwb]

We have to differentiate between using wristbands for hitting and base running and using them for pitch calling. They should never slow down the game for hitting and I absolutely acknowledge they could for pitch calling especially at the younger age levels ... anything 12u or less for sure.

 

[TheSoftballZone]

People, fill in the blank.

1.) ______________; that seem to know what's best for everyone else.

2.) _______________; that think you have to play the best competition to become the Best. Just look at Alabama Football who just won another National Championship. Didn't see them playing the Best of the Best, but they are Champs again. How could that happen?

_______________; the guys that said I wasn't the voice of softball. Never claimed I was the voice of softball until you pointed out that I'm almost never wrong.

"THE VOICE OF SOFTBALL HAS SPOKEN"

 

[Doom Leader]

Stay to play
Tournament cost(crazy out of control) then they only play 75-80 minuet games? Hate it
Playing at multiple parks, all goes back to these showcases wanting to get rich.

Why did all us travel ball coaches switch to wristbands? Simple cause college coaches did and it our job to get players ready for college. I don’t mind them for offense but drives me crazy playing a team that uses them for pitch calling and they have no clue and takes the coach forever to get numbers in to pitcher or catcher.

 

[DJB11]

If they speed up the game then I haven’t seen it yet. Seen them worn by a lot of teams the past few years too. Maybe just haven’t ran into one team using them properly then. Quick analysis (20 total games) the past two years of timed games that I remember a team using them and not has yielded 10 less total pitches a game in our scorebooks. I’ll go back and figure the time we played/and mercies too. But that also didn’t include the fact that one team wasn’t wearing them....us. If two teams wear them it probably doubles. Also these aren’t full games so factored over 7 innings has to be even more time. I would ask others to sample total pitch counts on timed games where they are worn by both teams, one and none and compare. But again they are legal and in a non timed game shouldn’t be as concerning.

I know some pitchers are up-tempo pitchers. You know the kind that eventually you have to slow down while batting. These pitchers can’t be as up-tempo, which is time in some games.

A catcher relaying signals should be faster then a coach sending them in and even faster then looking for signals on wrist.

I did not pay close attention to your name. I assume Streak2010 means you are coaching really young players. Mine are 1999s.

Stay to play
Tournament cost(crazy out of control) then they only play 75-80 minuet games? Hate it
Playing at multiple parks, all goes back to these showcases wanting to get rich.

Why did all us travel ball coaches switch to wristbands? Simple cause college coaches did and it our job to get players ready for college. I don’t mind them for offense but drives me crazy playing a team that uses them for pitch calling and they have no clue and takes the coach forever to get numbers in to pitcher or catcher.

100% agreement with Tim.

 

[Creek01]

•stay to play
•cost of showcases
•coaches/players focusing on their plans for new team or players rather their summer season
•losing at mini cornhole to Jason Barnes

 

[TheSoftballZone]

Stay to play
Tournament cost(crazy out of control) then they only play 75-80 minuet games? Hate it
Playing at multiple parks, all goes back to these showcases wanting to get rich.

Why did all us travel ball coaches switch to wristbands? Simple cause college coaches did and it our job to get players ready for college. I don’t mind them for offense but drives me crazy playing a team that uses them for pitch calling and they have no clue and takes the coach forever to get numbers in to pitcher or catcher.

Ain't the team Charging a lot more for teams fee's now. I've watch team fee's go up for 3 year without any real adjustments to tournament entry cost.

 

[Creek01]

Our Summer Tournament Cost
Dayton Metro $550
Scenic City $1175
Outlaws $875
States $475
Midwest Firecracker $975
Stars & Stripes $725
Stingrays $850
Great Lakes $800
PGF Midwest $775

I don’t have fall tourney costs in front of me but we played 6 events in the fall as well. So tourney costs have certainly effected our team budget and rise in fees

 

[Doom Leader]

Tournament fees go up every year!

 

[Davemy]

I love reading this post because it helps me make my Tournament better! Because I do care about what makes a Tournament better. Maybe that's why our Tournament has been around for 30 Years. I can't wait to meet all the new Teams and Coaches that I will meet this summer!