Why do players play summer ball?

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I would like some different opinions on this subject. On another thread, it was mentioned that some players play summer ball to keep in shape for high school ball. That struck a cord with me, as I think it is totally opposite, and I wanted different view points on the topic.

Here is my opinion. My DD's play summer ball for the following reasons:

a) they want to improve their game with ideas from different coaches, especially travel coaches, who, as they put it, "are really into coaching and wanting to win";

b) they want better competiton than the HS schedule;

c) they want to play with girls that have the same goals as them;

d) As they progress along, they want colleges to notice them, which they rarely ever do in HS ball;

e) they feel that summer travel ball is where all the action is; they play HS ball to keep in shape for travel ball. Which is kind of opposite of some things I read on other threads.

f) travel coaches, in their opinion, study the game harder, take the game more serious (and still have fun), and try to find out ways to win games with not only talent, but coaching as well.

These are just my opinions. Yours??

 

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Mine play because they LOVE it!! They also like the mini vacations to different places each weekend.

 

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Flanagan,You hit most of it on the head.We are still in jr. high but the school ball practices are a waste of time they set the machine in the high 30s they have coaches who know nothing about the game,I think we play school ball mainly to have some fun and hang out with friends.Travell ball you play with and against the top players around and MAINLY WE PLAY TO BECOME A GREAT PLAYER.The coaching is great and your challenged and learning in EVERY PRACTICE.In a nutshell travel ball you compete against the best from 10-15 states and school ball is just basically watered down ball somewhat close to rec. ball.just my 2 cents for what its woth.

 

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Why don't we let the players answer this question!!!
To many parents filling their DD with Illusions of Granduer in the travel ball world. Most girls were pushed into travel ball by their overzealous parents at an age where they had no idea what their parents true intentions are.
I would say that most girls playing at the upper levels of travel ball have been playing for quite a few years. Their answers at 12u as to why they play travel would greatly differ from their answer at 18U. This answer greatly changes as their parents continue to push them, and they feel they have to live up to their parents high expectations. How many parents listen to what their DD is saying or what their not saying.
These girls only know what they have been repeatedly brainwashed into believing, you have to play harder and longer and against the best to be anything!!
Just let the girls play the games, sit back and enjoy their successes, you had the chance to be the best in your sports careers and failed, apperently you now have to live it through your daughters!!

 

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maverick - you are lumping too many parents into that category. Do they exist...yes. Are they the majority...NO. Do parents look to expose their kids to the best opportunities in sports, arts, community work, academics...I certainly hope so.

 

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I don't need a lecture about why I asked this question. I have never lived my youth thru my DD. Don't lump me into some of the other parents who do this.

This question can be answered by anyone on this site. Players, parents, coaches, I don't care, I just wanted to see what the opinions are of the people on this site.

 

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I agree with Our HS program pails in comarison to travel ball. We have a hard time getting a coach and then it's usually one with very little experience.

 

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Well, I can only speak about my DD. When she was age 8 and playing in Rec ball, she came to me and ask why some of the other kids were'nt trying hard like she and a couple of other girls were. She ask to move up to a more competitive program. Since she was a little toddler, she has had the I can do that attitude. She really enjoys playing softball. After a year of travel ball, she truely does enjoy the game. Last year at a tournament, we were waiting for the next game. It was very hot and humid. All of the parents were trying to keep cool. Where were the girls? They were playing a pick-up game on an adjacent diamond. That is a love of the game. No one can teach that. My wife and I have told her that as long as she enjoys it, then we will support her in softball. If one day she says I don't want to do that anymore, then we'll move on to something else. She also loves to hang with her friends at the tournaments. She has friends on different teams in different age divisions. She looks at the tournamnet entries to see which friends will be there. To me, and I am just a parent, is what it is about.

 

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To answer your Question!
Yes we started our travel team to build our high school program. The other coachs' wife just asked me that same question last week. Are we STILL playing travel ball to get better for high school?

And the answer to that question is NO All of the girls on our team can't wait til June 3.
Would like to here more right to the point answers!

 

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I plat to have fun and get to know a few girls. I have a great time and make lots of friendships through softball and wouldn't give it up for the world!

 

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If someone has a silly agenda way off the beat and path they should start thier own post,otherwise stick to answering the post were talking about.

 

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My daughter was so fed up with high school ball last year that she decided not even to play this year, her senior year. She has instead been playing travel ball year round except for the new break time during the high school season. She definitely does not play summer ball to benefit the high school program. I should clarify this a bit however. I have read many a good post from High School coaches on this, and other sites, who truly care about their players and do their best to foster a fair, competitive environment for them to grow in. I would like to salute those coaches. I have personally met a few of those as well. If we felt my daughter had one like this she would love to play to represent her community. As it is, she is going to enjoy the break. She might even go out for track this spring. Might be good cross training.

 

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GOOD POST bucket my daughter also has mentioned track its graet for you conditioning and develops other skills.I told her her team is counting on her and she needs to play cause shes thier only catcher. : :

 

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sbguru,

I wish your daughter luck with her season. At least she will be needed and she will be able to use the skills she has learned playing ball.

 

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Flanagan ... I think you nailed most of the reasons in your own post. I don't think its to prepare for high school ball ... the high school season is too far away at that point. I asked my daughter what her main reasons were and she said to have fun as she loves playing the game, to play with other girls who care about winning and improving their games, and to have a better chance of achieving her goal of a college scholarship. I was thinking about this and would add one of my own ... with each tournament, there's a championship on the line every weekend and the thought of playing for it in a couple of days is exciting.

 

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Maverick, if you knew flannagan as I do, you would have never written the last line of your post.

I guess I am one of the few that wear 2 hats (JoeA is another). as I coach both travel and HS ball, and they are two different worlds. Both have their redeeming qualities, but in all honesty, HS ball pales in comparison to travel ball for reasons already stated on this thread. This is not to diminish the value of HS ball, which is fun and exciting also.

I may have an unusal selection of girls on my travel team, but I do not get the feeling that any of them are pushed by their parents. If I had a pushy parent at a tryout with a daughter that looks as though she was grudgingly participating, she would not be offered a position - regardless of the talent.

I note a difference in atmosphere when comparing HS and travel ball. When the travel team gets together to practice, there is a level of excitement that is evident among the girls that you rarely see in a practice situation. Why the girls want to be there. The level of excitement elevates considerably when it is game time. The foundation for this excitement is clearly based in the undeniable fact that they are having fun both in practice and in playing with and against talented players. The atmosphere of travel ball has few comparisons.

I enjoy coaching both my HS and travel team and they are both very important and I give all for each team. It is just my observations that there is a big difference.

 

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When I started this thread, it wasn't meant to belittle HS ball at all. I know some great HS coaches (some of them have replied to this thread, some of them study the HS format AND Summer circuit) and I would be honored to have my DD's play on their HS OR Summer teams.

I just wanted to see how players/parents/coaches reacted to the question. Very interesting posts. No two alike, and I think that is great for dialog.

 

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I in no way directed my post toward anyone that had started or offered an opinion on this thread. You were asking for opinions so gave one that may be way out in left field but I'm sure hit close to some.
If there were not differenciating opinions then there would be no reason to have this board and we could all stagger around in our melodramatic, unimportant lives. What did I just say? Well anyway I'm not saying everthing that I wrote were my feelings, only observations from my countless hours Coaching HS ball, Travel Ball as well as Umpiring. So dont be offended by my posts, just stirring the barrel a little bit.

 

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I think an even better question would be why do some high school girls not play summer ball? Summer is the natural season for softball/baseball, so I would think anyone interested enough to play high school ball would also want to play some sort of summer ball.

Off of my varsity high school team from last year, eight girls played travel ball or in a outerbelt league with about 28 games, four girls played no softball or almost no softball, and one was a senior. Guess which eight will be back this year? And it's not coming from me, it's their own decision. I do make my desire for them to play travel ball or at least in the outerbelt league crystal clear.

Anyway, I think love or enjoyment of the game and the friends they make is the main reason for most girls to play in the summer. Maybe 10-20 percent truly want a scholarship or at least to play in college. You also have the better competition as a main reason, along with playing with girls of equal seriousness. Better weather doesn't hurt, either!

 

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maverick - please excuse me, but I just reread your post. It is my opinion that you did mean to offend parents of travel players. Don't hide behind the screen name just stirring up the barrell excuse. There was no need to do that within this thread. It was a simple question. Your points were well thought out and you got your opinion across. If those are your feeling stand up for them. Don't make your point and then waffle saying i'm not saying everthing that I wrote were my feelings, only observations. Sounds like backtracking to me.

edited to say...
The rest of the posts are good examples of why players play in the summer. That was the question posed.