Rec / Travel at the same time

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• May 10, 2010

• #1

I know many of you have daughters that either do or have play rec and travel at the same time. Usually just during the first year of travel I would expect.

I find it very difficult to get her used to the speed of the game (pitching, etc) constantly going back and forth. In rec she just destroys as a hitter but in travel she is a smidge late on the swing and isn't used to the tight umpiring on balls/strikes.

When I work on the increased pitching speed it takes her a rec at-bat to slow herself down. When she leaves a rec game and we drive her to the tourney she is late on the swing, etc. During rec she is more aggressive on defense but in travel she hangs back a bit.

Overall my major concern is that the coach is happy (as happy as coaches can be) that she is on the team. So far they are very encouraging to her and the other girls so I'm sure my fears are more mine.

So.... nothing really to do except prepare her the best I can and let her work the rest out.

 

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• May 10, 2010

• #2

Last year dd played on rec team I coach, and very good organization from Perry, we both decided not to do that again way to much running around 7 days a week between 2 teams got to be to exhausting. In full blown travel this year with 1 team and its great!

 

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• May 10, 2010

• #3

Use a drill when in the cages or facing pitching machines called the Barry Bonds drill. After every swing or couple of swings take a step forward. Once the hitter is to close to the machine or the ball has become so high it is out of the strike zone do the reverse by taking a step backwards. This will develop her sense of timing. I will let others explain in more detail if you need it.

 

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• May 10, 2010

• #4

BucketBrigade said:

Last year dd played on rec team I coach, and very good organization from Perry, we both decided not to do that again way to much running around 7 days a week between 2 teams got to be to exhausting. In full blown travel this year with 1 team and its great!

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We are going to do the same thing assuming she wants to continue in travel, which right now I'd say is a 100% yes.

 

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• May 10, 2010

• #5

'Tried it one year.

Louuuuise loved all the playing time. But we eventually realized that there was Zero "down-time" for her and Zero grass cutting-time for me.

Exclusively Travel Ball is the way to go.

 

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• May 10, 2010

• #6

bh2424gh said:

Use a drill when in the cages or facing pitching machines called the Barry Bonds drill. After every swing or couple of swings take a step forward. Once the hitter is to close to the machine or the ball has become so high it is out of the strike zone do the reverse by taking a step backwards. This will develop her sense of timing. I will let others explain in more detail if you need it.

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I know that drill and do it a similar way, good suggestion. I didn't "overtrain" her to prepare for rec because ..... well there wasn't much of a reason to. I was going to start implementing this part way through the season to get her ready for tryouts. Suddenly she's on a travel team! My mistake!

I use over training with my son all the way up to 100mph. I slowly incremented him up until his mechanics started to fail. Soon I could take him higher and higher and before long he is stroking the 100mph. Sure, a consistent pitch is expected but it allows the other speeds to slow down for him.

 

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• May 10, 2010

• #7

Louuuuu said:

'Tried it one year.

Louuuuise loved all the playing time. But we eventually realized that there was Zero "down-time" for her and Zero grass cutting-time for me.

Exclusively Travel Ball is the way to go.

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Agreed. Add to the mix that my son plays HS baseball and each day I'm running in a different direction.

 

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• May 10, 2010

• #8

It isn't worth the extra innings unless she is a fairly new pitcher. Drop the rec and concentrate on travel.

 

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• May 10, 2010

• #9

DD has played high school rec and travel for years. NO issues, but it sure keeps you busy. Only day off is Monday, to play for her other high school sport in a high school summer team.

 

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• May 10, 2010

• #10

Play up in age at rec. This year our dd is a 13u player travel ball but she has been moved up to 18u summer ball to play on her future high school varsity coaches team.

Before at 10u travel she played 12u summer ball. Then at 12u travel we had her at 14u summer ball.
Basically last year when we did cross slower pitchers I told my dd to treat it as working on off spead pitches. Work on hitting the ball to all sides of the field, ect.........

As you do want to win games at rec/summer league ball, it is a good time for your daughter to work on things for travel ball.
For us we NEVER had a problem with the coaches at rec/summer ball when there was a conflict with travel ball. They know travelball comes first.

 

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• May 10, 2010

• #11

Last year, my dd played both rec and travel. This year exclusively travel. This past weekend's tournament convinced me I was doing the right thing. If I treid both, she would be hindered and not grow. She's raised the level of her game, and wants to move up. I do have to agree with Klump, if a new pitcher, reps are important. Once she gets it, drop the rec.

 

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• May 10, 2010

• #12

Klump said:

It isn't worth the extra innings unless she is a fairly new pitcher. Drop the rec and concentrate on travel.

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I won't this year. She signed up for rec before we found a traveling team so she will finish the year and then decided for next year.

 

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• May 10, 2010

• #13

When working on timing, remember - it's NOT the pitch speed, but the TIMING you're working on. The Barry Bonds drill takes care of that; just move closer to the machine. Cranking the machine up to 150 mph makes no sense - just leave it at about 55 or so and move closer or farther away.

As your DD gets older, she'll notice the kids who have worked on vision and timing a lot. They're the ones who can sit back on a change-up and drive it UP THE MIDDLE of the field. A RH batter with poor timing skills will pull changes and off-speed left (usually foul) and will be late on fastballs.

If your DD cannot drive different speeds consistently up the middle, practice until she can. Then, she'll understand what's needed to be able to hit opposite, behind runners, etc.

 

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• May 10, 2010

• #14

As far as driving the ball, I have her drive the ball according to location of the pitch.

Good advice. I don't use a machine with her unless we are working on form bunting. For everything else I move up or back.

 

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• May 10, 2010

• #15

DD really wanted to play OGSO again this year with her school friends in addition to playing travel ball. This will be her third year playing both OGSO and travel ball: 2 yrs at 10U and now 12U.

As her parents, we had alot of the same concerns as previously mentioned by others but because she really wanted to do both -we agreed. As far as hitting and timing- depending upon the pitcher, dd is using these "at bats" to work on her "switch hitting" and slapping, keeping her weight back etc. ALSO, she is getting a chance to try out other positions that she otherwise probably wouldn't play in travel....

I guess it depends on the situation....her specific OGSO team does have 9 girls on the team who play travel (for either Explosive, Lasers, Diamond Chix, Tidalwaves)...and so far, it seems to be working out for these girls... JMHO

 

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• May 10, 2010

• #16

I used to do that until my last year of 12U.
HATED Rec ball, thought it was boring, and gave me NO free time, i would suggest just playing Travel. If she is serious about being a "Good" ball player.
Rec ball just holds you back as a Pitcher and Batter.

 

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• May 10, 2010

• #17

played good pitchers all year junior high game dd ran into a girl throwing 35 but strike every time really struggled did not strike out just no solid hits.drives me crazy looks as though it should be so easy i am about to pick up a girl like that and throw her an inning here and there lol just kidding

 

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• May 10, 2010

• #18

So with this Barry Bonds drill when at a batting cage you would have her hit a pitch, move up a step (closer), hit, move up a step and so on and then at some point start stepping back? How many steps forward before changing gears?

 

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• May 11, 2010

• #19

We decided to try travel ball for the first time this year with my 9 yr old dd. We let her still play rec ball thinking that since she has only been pitching for about 10 months it would be good to have the extra game time. In our case it has not worked out very well. She has picked up some really bad habits from the "rec" girls. This will definately be the last season for rec ball.

 

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• May 11, 2010

• #20

Well if you can handle the lack of time off its a good thing IMO. Pitchers pitch at different speeds and if you cant make an adjustment your only going to be able to hit pitchers at one speed lol. My oldest did both all the way through until now she is a senior. She has and is playing on some very good summer ball teams, I think its made her a much more well rounded player. She's a slapper but also swings away from the left side, pitcher, middle infielder on her summer and high school teams, the college she is going to is looking at her at 2nd and Outfield ( which just a few years ago she learned to play) . I'm not sure without Rec ball she would have been as well rounded as she is. I guess if your only a pitcher or Catcher, Rec ball might not be good for you.

I have an 8U DD who is playing 10U travel and 10U spring/summer Rec. She needs all the reps she can get, playing catch during warmups, throwing drills before games, front toss, being a teamate of kids of verying degrees of expierence, talent and ages. In game situations, getting a bunt down, stealing, sliding, base running, really getting a feel for the game.

You know the 10,000 hour rule lol, This is all just IMO, its not for everybody, but I really just read a lot of excuses for not doing it. Really pitching is to slow, daughter picking up bad habits are just excuses not really reasons. They are going to see slow pitching in travel, they are going to play with kids with bad habits in travel, they need to battle through that. If it takes up to much time, kids are burnt out or as dropballprincess said she gets bored, its not for you lmao. But if your kid wants to play, really you should let her the more reps the better, if she comes to you and says I need some free time or this stinks I'm bored, let her quit lmao