time off? OR just go hard every weekend? You make the call.

[DanMaz]

i keep seeing players and/or parents posting for their kids to sub or guest every weekend their current team is off.

What do you think is best??
1) fill in every weekend you can and play as much as you can until schools starts again and tryouts will be next... play play play

OR -

2) take a weekend off, be a kid, enjoy time with family or friends you don't get to see all summer. go swim, go climb a tree, go to a weekend summer camp. Go to cedar point, go to the park, go spend time with Grama and grandpa....

my opinion is - the 2nd. go be a kid. You dont need to play every weekend trust me. you may regret it.

 

[Passion4theGame]

I was always play every weekend if you choose. If you have goals and know what you want.

But I see now that my daughter is entering college to play ball in the fall those missed birthday parties, sleep overs, pool parties, family reunions, and other family events paid off for her and all our other 2022s.

I feel they should have a choice as kids to play or take a break. It’s got to be fun for them #1.
Can’t feel like work.
Some kids get burnt out by 14u because they have played every weekend since 8yrs old and its not fun for them anymore.

The sport is really an all year around sport now.

I agree you DONOT need to play every weekend.
Maybe 15-16u seasons take one weekend off a month.

 

[CARDS]

Players and Families do not need to play every weekend for little Suzie to get better.

With that said we played a lot 10u to 14u. It was kind of our vacation as many of the families would stay a day later or go down to the events a day or two earlier.
Throw in the current state of softball, gas prices and inflation many could not afford to pay every weekend like we did back in the early 2000s.

Once we got second year 14U and 16U we schedule some weekends off because of the heavy travel/showcase schedule.

At 18U with the ladies moving on to college, work etc. we stayed more local scheduled off 4th of July weekend and a weekend in June so the ladies could vacation with family graduation parties etc..

We did 4 years of 18 and over 2 weekends a month over the summer and as the ladies graduated college and began their own life many went to slow pitch beer leagues one night to play while others stopped playing and went to work or raising a family. So as they age priorities and situations change.

 

[CWB1970]

I assume this post was in response to an influx of 07' (14u) players looking to sub. For my kid...we have been looking to sub on teams in the month of May because she plays on a team in Ky that has all but 3 girls playing HS ball until???? so our travel team has zero practices or games in the month of May. My kid played middle school ball here in Ohio, but has been done since the last Sunday in April. She (along with many others across the state) are in limbo until their teams are back together regularly. The only work we have been getting in has been hitting lessons and our own workouts. So subbing for us is not about playing every single weekend...its about seeing some live pitching and game situations. We actually have only played 1 tournament in the month of May. I hoped to be able to play in 2-3.

 

[Danno]

Last year, 14 u, we played 8 tourists in a row. By season end there was a lot of burnout and squabbling, parents and players.
Thursdays getting ready, Friday, sat, sun, driving and games.
Monday recouping and un packing.
Tues catching up on house and yard.
Wed same.
It’s a lot, even though I love it.
8 weekends should have two weekends off to rest, vacation etc.

 

[Kareninthestands]

Well, Well, Well. Subbing sure has worked out for a few this May.

 

[DanMaz]

I assume this post was in response to an influx of 07' (14u) players looking to sub. For my kid...we have been looking to sub on teams in the month of May because she plays on a team in Ky that has all but 3 girls playing HS ball until???? so our travel team has zero practices or games in the month of May. My kid played middle school ball here in Ohio, but has been done since the last Sunday in April. She (along with many others across the state) are in limbo until their teams are back together regularly. The only work we have been getting in has been hitting lessons and our own workouts. So subbing for us is not about playing every single weekend...its about seeing some live pitching and game situations. We actually have only played 1 tournament in the month of May. I hoped to be able to play in 2-3.

nope, this post is not directed towards anyone in particular. I am making an observation here. It brought up old memories when my DD played 13u and we traveld across the country from the IDT in Colorado, New Jersey Intensity, Atlanta legacy and all the other out of state and every weekend playing until the day before school started.... end results for us- she quit playing her 14u year because of burn out. Good thing we just let it be and she missed it to the point she wanted to play again by the next spring. just don't overdo it is all I am saying.

 

[DanMaz]

Well, Well, Well. Subbing sure has worked out for a few this May.

pot stirrer... or maybe disgruntled parent that team got beat by a team that was using a guest player (maybe mine)? lol "karen" stay in the stands.

If you are a disgruntled parent, lets remember, its not your game to play-- its the girls game and it takes a TEAM effort to win at this level.

 

[Passion4theGame]

pot stirrer... or maybe disgruntled parent that team got beat by a team that was using a guest player (maybe mine)? lol "karen" stay in the stands.

If you are a disgruntled parent, lets remember, its not your game to play-- its the girls game and it takes a TEAM effort to win at this level.

Wait….. @DanMaz are you saying Fastpitch Softball is a TEAM Sport???

 

[22dad]

Did someone join to post from a "Karen" POV? If so, that would be fun. Maybe a thread of Karen behavior is in order?

 

[brownsfan]

I think it's up to the goals and aspirations of each child along with the position they re playing. My oldest did not want the commitment whereas my youngest did. My oldest did sub on a couple of occasions and they just happen to be at the same tourney my daughter was playing at. 15U year (I think), she told me it was the most mentally exhausted she's ever been as a pitcher. One pitch can change the complexion of the game. As she got older, she rested more after she committed. But she was a pitcher. I know another girl who subbed every chance she got up until 18U and played 5 years (technically 4 with the beer virus) but she was not a pitcher.

 

[CWB1970]

Well, Well, Well. Subbing sure has worked out for a few this May.

As in subbing on a team then getting picked up by said team? Pretty standard these days right?

 

[Kareninthestands]

Well onto another weekend of softball. Should be hard to get that stud for subbing this weekend as most 10-14u teams should be playing this weekend. Back to reality for some, unless you got in a 'cupcake' tourney this weekend. Enjoy watching your girls play and remember it's just a game, not a chest thumping, plastic trophy chasing, scream at the umps event.

 

[Kareninthestands]

Oh! and see ya in the stands Big Boy.

 

[DanMaz]

not sure if Karen is taking jabs at me or not but thats Karen for ya!! lol stay in the stands and p-lease wear a mask so we dont hear your condescending comments.
as far as subbing goes. our org doesnt allow our player to sub for any other org but our own. this helps avoid the poaching to some degree. when you have girls missing for track or school ball or even confirmation, you need subs. we were missing 3 or 4 our 1st tourney and missing 2 on Sunday last weekend. I always alert my parents too beforehand; I tell them that we are not looking for players, we have a guest player or two. Thats it. so actually, just in case Karen wants to know..... we used 1 player last weekend and 2 the previous tourney from our org. and they were both 12u eligible players wanting to taste 14u. and they did quit well may I say. They proved they can definitely hang with the 14u group. And if you know me at all.... I am not a trophie casing, at the ump yellling, chest bumper, lets play cupcake tourney kind of coach. I dont boast on facebook or tweeter or nicknack tiktok whatever... hell I dont talk about my team much on here either but just for the record, I do like this team and i do think we are pretty good

 

[Kareninthestands]

So how did everyone's weekend go without the subs?

 

[Stedman00]

So how did everyone's weekend go without the subs?

last Monday? Had 23 players for our 4 games. Of course, that was my 03 and 04 18u squads combined for the day.

 

[DanMaz]

Karen-in-the-woods.... this is not a sub or guest player thread.
Plz feel free to start your own thread if your so concerned who subs where and who guests for what team. And by the way, what in your opinion is a successful weekend? Holding up a champ trophie?

I got news for ya! Teams have very successful weekends with or without making the finals. It's called developing players and learning from yours and other mistakes. Learning how to overcome failures, how to be a great teammate. Growing your softball IQ doesn't always mean you have to make it to the finals or bring home the hardware.
Softball is a process. Game experience alone vs. Competitive teams win or lose is something everyone can learn from.

Meanwhile... what's your answer to the question?

 

[Kareninthestands]

The starting post on here is asking about subbing on weekends off, so don't think I got off track asking how teams did without their subs they've been using. Just asked the question how they did now that the girls that have been subbing are now back with their teams. A successful weekend for me is a 12 pack of TRULY'S and a pineapple pizza. Lol.

 

[Spencer]

Who is passion 4 the game? Man this guy is a wealth of softball info.