Biggest Dislike of Travel Softball

[tankerlab]

That it ends!!! What a fantastic journey!!! Softball has given SO MUCH to my daughter!!! Free college education, memories, see the country, mini vacations, meeting new friends, winning Championships, learning the game, playing the best competition, the recruiting chase! Learning responsibility and that hard work pays off! So there was a worst part... when it ended...

 

[her mom]

I’ve seen many missed signs with wristbands and they do slow the game down. Coach looks at wristband, calls play, players look to see and then play begins. Coach provides old school signal - play begins. Meanwhile while giving signals “old school” a coach can also look at defense or strategy for pitcher.

You’re down 1 run and need to start another inning in under 5 minutes - ditch the wristbands.

We have generic signals early but once in season we don’t have a signal stolen the old school way.

Just my opinion and I don’t care if others wear them. Just an un-needed additional cost in the sport for us.

Does feel better to beat teams that wear them though.

yes, I am not a fan of the wristbands. All it is is a distraction from that team to their opponent. Just play ball. forget #239 239 Lord. All that tells me is you are afraid you could lose and want to take up time. If your girls cant win the good ole fashioned way then they don't need to play.

 

[JoeA1010]

Wristbands properly used definitely speed up the game. I've coached for 20 years. I've used wristbands for the last four or five years. First, we don't give a signal when no signal could be put on or it's obvious there will be no signal, which is probably 75% of the time. When we do put a signal on, I simply flash three numbers (2-2-1 for example) and the hitter and runner(s) take maybe a half-second to check the signal. That's quicker than me going through a signal system with my hands. Of course, I immediately know the signal I'm going to give as soon as the previous pitch or play ends, so I'm not delaying things looking at numbers trying to figure things out.

We miss maybe one or two signals per year with the wristband system in a 50-game season. That's not bad at all.

Back when I coached travel ball, 8 a.m. games was my least favorite thing. I don't miss those at all.

 

[Ohio USSSA Pride 05]

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.

Exactly

Dislikes
Showcase before 16u
Players not being taught fundamentals especially correct throwing mechanics
Timed games
Female Pitchers held to restrictions that the male pitcher are not held to

 

[coachjwb]

Thanks for posting about the wristbands, Joe ... everyone accuses me of being biased on the subject, but perhaps they'll believe a college coach ... again, the keys are a good system, and proper use.

 

[MaddKennaMax]

Stay to play for sure but the one that really gets my blood boiling is the tournament that doesn't allow the girls to keep their HR balls. Don't give me the crap excuse of "we only have 2 balls per game" That's a load of crap. For an entry fee of $700-$1000 per team you can surely afford more softballs. If the kid hits it, they earned it.

 

[clv6963]

Coaches who oversell their team so you join a team thinking you're getting one thing and get something totally different.

Gate Fees. I already paid once... and paid a lot... for my kid to play.

No coolers. If your food is good, I'll buy it anyway. If it sucks, let me bring my own in.

Coaches/players/parents that don't respect the game and each other.

DADDY/MOMMY BALL!!!!

 

[clv6963]

The lack of good bathrooms

Yes!!! I always carry my own TP

 

[clv6963]

Simple enough.....Stay to Play. Hate everything about it. All it does is hinder teams/parents from allowing them to stay where they would like to. It's a scam/money grab for TD's.

What I love is how they try and make it sound like you're getting some big block discount. Um.... no Sharon.... this Hilton is the same price on Expedia.

 

[clv6963]

My biggest dislike is some of the changes. I started back in 1999 coaching fastpitch and while there have been many changes that have helped the game there also has been some that hurt the game.

The commercialization of tournaments, teams and organizations is my biggest dislike. Tournament, team and organizational branding is the buzz word the past 5 years or so. Back in the 90s and early 2000 the focus seemed to be more on growing the sport and players while having fun with one or two big events a summer. Now we have Mega high dollar events every weekend with some optiing to control sleeping arrangements.

Coaches use to work on their coaching now it seems like the expectation is they manage the game and have the player / parent seek private instruction to learn how to play at all levels and ages.

I was at a NCFA event several years back talking to a coach and the topic of private instruction came up. It is obviously needed and can help athletes but like she was saying todays instructors seem to focus on their signature first over mechanics. The quest for a college scholarship has also impacted the game. Some teams /parents handle it well while others will team hop in a second if they think a team/coach can give them an exposure edge.

I love what you said about coaches not coaching anymore. AGREED!! If a player is willing to do extra practice/instruction on their own, thats great. It shows their dedication. But when they are with their coach, they should be learning as well - not just going through the motions.

 

[BHaines]

Stay to play and no coolers. When it is 98 degrees outside, you can bet your bottom I am bringing a cooler with water and ice for my players to use to wet their cooling rags and keep my players hydrated.

 

[mamoneyoh]

The number one gripe..... Rain!

Stay to Play hotels that cannot accommodate the influx of guest. Our last Stay to Play hotel ran out of towels and we had to ask for toilet paper. The staff was overwhelmed but incredibly nice.

 

[#4mom]

Coaches not wanting to coach, but be a manager!

Daddy Ball/Favoritism

Belittling, threatening, and downgrading the girls

Not spreading the wealth, if one gets a ripping for doing something then that should be standard if someone else does the samething.

Build them up instead of knocking them down!!!

 

[1stbasecoach]

The drama for sure, and parents that scream about rules they don't know.
Wristbands are awesome and if you are slowing the game down you are using them wrong.

 

[Softballfamily]

Stay to play!! Ridiculous!

 

[ENeale]

Love it when parents or coaches blame td’s, they 99%control the games not the venue (coolers and grills) you want to blame them stop asking from for more games. Stay to play, you can easily pick out a organization, if they play “showcase” which is bs, you will pay more! If they play good quality tournaments you pay a bit more, you play rec all star you play less! My current team is playing 11 tournaments and payed $700. Coaching is good not college level, good tournaments not “showcase” but lots of games. Everyone plays, I did my research looked around and got the team that fit us!! So do the work, look around and don’t settle, ask any td “showcase” is a scam. If they say otherwise they want your money! If a team says “showcase” well you decide..... all I can say is you ask your dd’s to work on the field, you do the work off the field! #loveofsoftball

 

[josie]

TDs who use online brackets who don't update the brackets during the tournament! If you can't do it, have someone else do it....
(I will help ya! )

 

[dannyboy]

Getting subs when your entire team is there. Maybe you're not the coach you think you are when you need to go get "better" talent.

 

[Packrat]

Stay to play!! Ridiculous!

Stay to play is a big scam just talk to a hotel owner this week and he said that he has to pay them $10 per day for every room he books. He said that he doesn’t have that much markup in the rate and they told him to change more for the rooms. Said it the biggest scam out there. Not just with softball but every sport they all do it

 

[sftball follower]

...and I will continue to say it.....you DO NOT have to book through the tournaments website/links at these tournament. I have played multiple stay to play tournaments each of the last 7 years, and have never booked through their link. I was only questioned by 1 TD.......when I told him I booked on my own he wanted to charge me the extra fee. I told him they guaranteed lowest rate,,,he of course agreed. When I showed him what I paid on my own and for my families he walked away and we continued to play.