I plead Ignorance...

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For some of you this may not come as any great shock, either. :lmao:

But I have to ask because I am still way too new to this game.

What is the difference between travel ball, as we know it, and the game that is being played in Oregon this week called 'little league softball'?

is one better? how do the rules differ? I'm watching these girls between the ages of 12 and 13 and they are all a half a foot taller than my 99 birthdate DD and the teams I'm watching look pretty fundamentally sound.

I'm sure this has been discussed before on here but I'm too lazy to look at this hour.

 

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Well, I can tell you pretty much what happened when an Elyria team went to the Portland, Ore., WS. The players were pretty well-known travel ball players in the area. I am sure the Little League softball roster rules were followed, so the girls were legally on the all-star team, but it's difficult to believe the girls were playing fulltime on local LL teams before they were selected to become part of the city's all-star team. About half the team was from Elyria and the other half was from LaGrange, which doesn't have a Little League organization. I'm sure this is something that's repeated all around the country. I wasn't involved with this, but we live in area, and I recognized most of the girls who were playing for this all-star team. And it was a team of fine ballplayers.

 

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If the rec ball as we know it in Ohio was organized under one league then that would be like Little League Softball. Add in that many of the players also participate in games and tourneys outside of Little League and that All-Star teams get consolidated as they move through the tourney (to a certain point) and you end up with some fine teams. Add in that not as many girls would totally leave the organization to go play travel exclusively.

I would say that if Little League Softball was larger in this area many of the girls that play travel ball would find it would provide to them what they need. But only if it had deep roots and was widely accepted.

 

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Yes, it would be like an extension of school ball, in that it would be community-based. The tournament teams consist of the top players in each city's league.

 

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I never even knew this existed till last night! Would do well in many communities around here, I should think.

It was a lot of fun watching the kids play. I needed a softball fix.

 

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Little league softball is community based ball. Not every town has little league. Like Columbus, it has the 270 league, for NE Ohio it has both OGSO and Little League. I'm sure other parts of the state has their thing.

Anyway, a city has four or five teams and they face off against each other. Some cities have agreements with other cities that have Little League and they face each other so they don't have to face the same team over and over and over again. The managers then nominate the best players on their team and the other coaches then vote after facing them. The top players then represent their town and head off to play in districts. Depending on the age, depends on where it ends. At 8-11, it ends at state, then starting at 12, it is the WS.

What's making these girls good, and Elyria is phenominal at it, is take their girls who just represented the city, and throw them to the wolves as a select team. Like LadyKnights mentioned in another post, to be the best, you must face the best. As a result, when they start the little league, they have the confidence that they're heading to the WS since they faced the best. Then that also transfers to their high school careers and trying to go to state.

Here's a small listing of teams from Ohio who try and go the show in Oregon-Elyria, Avon, Poland, Bucyrus, Wheelersburg (who has a fantastic program), Tallmadge, Barberton. There's about 20-30 towns involved with Little League.

 

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Our community in Pa has Little League. My dd started playing little league baseball in the 2nd grade and didn't move over to softball until she was 10. Every kid gets to play and no one is turned away. Our community and a few neighboring communities each have a few teams and they play each other during the 'regular season'. At the end of the season an "all star" team is picked and they start the district playoffs and it goes all the way to the world series from there.

The [Little League] Junior League PA State championships were held at our local fields. This is the 13, 14 age group. There was some very good softball being played there.

Little League is a very good organization. My dd has always enjoyed playing in it. I think this was her last year tho. Travel ball will be taking over.

 

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I helped coach the Junior World Series Team for Elyria. Which after regionals became the central team. This team had Elyria, LaGrange and Midview girls playing on it. Girls can play from different communities as long as they fit within the grid that has been established. There is no consolidation with the teams as you go through the tournament. Once you turn in the roster-there is no turning back. The juniors which are 13-14 years old play their world series in Seattle Washington. Awesome place. Everyone of my girls were on a travel team.

Some differences are that you can't lead off until the ball crosses home plate. Everyone must play 3 defensive outs and 1 at bat consecutively. Only two I can think of, but it has been awhile-more rules may have come in.

From one of the posts it was mentioned that they don't believe the girls played enough time. This is false-We have to prove it by turning in our scorebook for the head person to count the games. There is a certain number, but I can't remember-it has been awhile.

The team that I coached played that year nearly everyday of the week. These girls were amazing. They were playing/practicing with travel and their Litlle League team. They committed all the way until the end of the summer to do nothing but softball. They truly amazed me. I look at them now (they are beginning their 18U season and they are on some of the best travel teams. Most of them have also committed to good colleges. Everytime I see them play I feel a sense of pride and respect for these girls. I look at them now as if they are still the little 14 year olds that gave up their summer for me and the other coaches and most importantly their community.

While there is a difference in Little League and travel, by the time these games that you see on TV are played they are mostly travel girls. Travel has all good players and little league is designed for girls who just play community ball for fun and to get out to learn.

Sorry Little League is very close to my heart and those girls that played that summer will always be in my mind along with the other two coaches and the parents of those girls.

By the way those girls played (and some still play) on Tidalwaves 94, ESO-Howser, and one played for Diamond Dogs at the time of the world series. Some have moved on to other travel teams.