Teams Changing Organizations

[finfan365]

What makes an entire team move from one organization to another?

This year my DD is looking at finding a new team so maybe I’ve just paid more attention to it and not noticed in the past. But, it seems like there are more entire teams making changes this year.

One organization we were looking at has had three teams leave already. Is that a bad sign or simply just typical end of year movement?

 

[TheSoftballZone]

John Kelly one of the regular guest on TheSoftballZone Radio Show talk about this very topic a couple time during the show. It been happen in California for at lease the last 10 or more years slowly.

Bigger organization can knock down doors a lot easier then smaller organization. This make it more attractive for Coaches and whole team(s) to move to bigger well known programs.

I'm personally aware of at lease 7 individual teams that are looking to leave there current organizations and merge into bigger program.

I'm also aware of 2 teams looking to joining the FireCrackers Inc Softball program. The FireCrackers program is one of the larger softball programs in the USA.

Anyone that's been a members on this site for a very long time is well aware that we have a organization basically model it's own program after the FireCrackers.

I'm sure you will see this happening a lot more in this region in years to come.

 

[SMc4SMc]

All well and good for the honest ones.

Too many are terrorists and thieves to the girls, parents, and honorable codes of conduct that disrespects what most try to live by concerning our young ladies.

Thankfully, the sport may still be bigger than the reachout and rob someone baloney and the adults might let the girls, I don't know,
EARN IT and have some fun.

 

[lewam3]

I watched 14u team play today, playing up at 16u and they were playing pretty well,
These kid were big and fast for 14u and seemed to be well stocked with some potential college players- then someone tells me that after this season they are heading to the Bev Bandit organization! What? Really? Anyways they must have made quite an impression to move lock stock and barrel to something as big as the Bandits.
But this is nothing new I guess... wasn't there a Gand Slam team that did the same thing a few years back?

 

[CARDS]

winning the franchise wars

 

[CARDS]

Name recognition does come into play but most of the high level events teams still have to play their way in or have a decent enough resume for the TD / review committee to get in.
I do think some of the franchise teams are decent and compete with the mother teams however "most fall" way short in tournament quality and player quality when the brand starts hitting 20 or more states and 3 or more teams in each age group.

You can actually over saturate a market and looking through the websites of three of the more well known franchise business model organizations and the team rosters/schedules it is evident.
One org has 5 teams in one city at the same 16u age group.when you look at 2017 most did not even play a national.
http://www.texasgloryfastpitch.com/
https://firecrackersoftball.com/#
https://www.batbusters.org/

Now in state home grown organizations it is easier to grow with acquisition by bringing in already established coaches and teams into the organization that may be coming from independent or smaller organizations. The main reason teams switch organizations is to try to get better talent = bigger tryouts and maybe coat tail some of the success of the organization with tournaments. For the organization inviting teams ensuring the pipeline of 10/12s are in the organization and in some cases can get talent for the other older teams. Most of these types of mergers however are not a pay to join situation like you find with the national clubs. Most teams still have their own financials, schedule etc. but may be required to purchase uniforms, equipment, spirit wear etc through the organization where the cost usually is less due to the quantities. Having 3 teams leave an organization can be a concern unless, the organization may be down sizing for quality. In years past teams were more age specific but as more teams look to compete in bigger nationals that do not offer a first year or mix first and second year teams a lot of organizations are going with 10,12,14,16,18 teams in order to get the strongest talent available in those age groups. Sometimes a team leaves an organization because the organization wants to keep age specific as well.

 

[Meemerthe beast]

I think head coaches are just name chasing hoping to get better talent they cant find on there own. IMO all they are doing is watering down those organizations making those organizations less appealing because they have 4 teams at the same age group. Its one thing to change organizations once but I know of a few coaches locally that have been coaches of 3 or 4 new organizations in the last 4 years. The real question is why?

 

[CARDS]

I think head coaches are just name chasing hoping to get better talent they cant find on there own. IMO all they are doing is watering down those organizations making those organizations less appealing because they have 4 teams at the same age group. Its one thing to change organizations once but I know of a few coaches locally that have been coaches of 3 or 4 new organizations in the last 4 years. The real question is why?

I do not know of any organization that has not lost a coach, player or team. Coaches like players/families ultimately are committed to an organization on a year to year bases. With that said, I like the consistency of team or as Karen stated the we instead of me mentality and instilled this in our teams as did the other coaches in the organization. Most of the coaches that I have seen that seem to travel from one organization to another like you described are the younger recently out or still in college coaches but I do know of some established coaches that have been with two or more organizations. My feeling is young coaches need to start with the younger ages and grow their coaching resume as they take a young team and grow with them but so many organizations place these 18 to 22 year olds in 14u and above groups where eventually they struggle with player, parent or basic team management issues so they move on sometimes during season. In some cases these non parent coaches are paid or have expenses covered so sometimes they move to another organization that may travel more or less depending on compensation.
Another issue that causes coaches to move on is money / team financing issues.