Coaches opinions needed!

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I have some players that play rec in the fall. Some just for the social aspect of it. Once our tournament season starts I do not allow it. Originally I was concerned about injuries but like others have said if a kid is going to get hurt they can do it millions of ways. The reason I don't want them to play is I have seen the effect of playing rec ball during the week hurt us in weekend tournaments. The girls for the most part see less talented pitching and the game is slower. They get into a tournament game and for some it takes a game to catch up for others it can be most of pool play. I would rather they just worked out on their own vs. starting a step behind each Friday/Saturday at a tournament

 

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They are much better off practicing with their travel team than slopping in the mud with the Rec team if the goal is to improve. IF that is the case. Not all LL and Rec teams stink. Or leagues for that matter.

Additionally, I do agree playing with friends is a plus. My oldest DD still talks fondly about playing in MS (LL or REC level) with all her friends. While my 2nd and 3rd DDs are not at all interested. So it does depend on the kid.

 

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Not a coach but a parent. I let my dd play both travel and rec this past year....priority with conflict always went to travel ball. The rec coaches were aware and supportive if her playing both. She's a new pitcher....was third pitcher for travel ball and therefore was limited on mound time as the other girls were older and had pitched 3 years. My purpose for letting her do rec was to help with extra mound time. Game time no matter rec or travel is better than just with catcher on bucket. I feel it helped her a lot. Now she could have been injured playing rec or travel or whatever but life is life and you can't deny yourself opportunities. Just my two cents worth. FYI she also loved playing with her friends....very happy and relaxed 12 yr old so that says a lot to me that in many ways my choice was good for my daughter.

 

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I agree with Stingrays, it was never about the girls slowing down or getting injured. It was the quality of pitching we saw in rec league that was the problem. Two years ago when we played rec ball we were actually sub 500 in pool games and above 500 in bracket play. And like stingrays said it took a game or sometimes two for us to get caught back up to the speed and movement of the pitches.

 

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It all comes down to the quality of Coaching. I have coached at Rec, Elite Travel and Middle School (often at the same time). My DDs did it all, because they loved to play...period. It is the parent's expectations that make or break the experience for their DD. If your DD has a pitching or hitting coach...tell the Rec Coach politely that your DD does not require assistance in that area. Help the Coach understand what the paid lessons are teaching. My advice is that if the Coach's ego keeps him from learning, my DD shouldn't participate. Help your DD understand why.

Your DD playing on the Rec team can have a greater purpose than records. They can learn to be Role Models...and Leaders. Those attributes WILL carry back to Travel Ball...College Coaches WILL notice. PLAY!!!!

 

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What kind of Travel teams are we talking about? Why do we have travel teams? The whole reason we put our girls on a travel team is because somewhere we saw something special in our girls, their natural ability, there desire, their passion for the game. We wanted to help them to that next level, to give them the oportunities to reach those dreams of playing in high school, college, and in my daughters case the Olympics(what 9 year old didnt want to be an Olympic player.... back when we had an Olympic softball team).
Rec ball serves a purpose. It allows girls to play a game they love. It allows a girl who maybe because of financial reasons wouldnt play ball otherwise. I am not knocking on it at all.

Travel ball is a full time summer sport, if your serious about it. Here is what I mean.... Monday , is a rest day to rehydrate from a long weekend of ball playing. Tuesday, is a practice day either with the team or individual hitting, pitching etc. Wed is a team practice, individual hitting, pitching or maybe a scrimmage with another team. Thursday, team hitting , fielding, working on specific plays etc. Friday its most likely an evening game, Saturday, 2 games maybe more depending on the tournament. Sunday, play as late as you can in the day, hopefully you get 2 to 4 games in.
So i guess my answer to the big rec question is ....where in the heck would you find time to play rec ball anyway.
How many of the teams you see getting deep into Sundays games week after week have girls playing rec ball? I would guess not to many.
My opinion(remember its just my opinion) .....is unless your rec teams are filled with talented softball players, why would you put your daughter in an enviornment that is not going to challenge her , make her excell, push her to a higher level of ball playing?
Letting a talented softball player play with the local rec team just so she can play with her friends is like letting an honors student take General math next year instead of an advanced mathmatics class because she will be with more of her friends, forgetting the fact that it might not help her score so well on her college entrance exams for that college she has been wanting to go to for so long. Would you let her do it???????????

 

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Letting a talented softball player play with the local rec team just so she can play with her friends is like letting an honors student take General math next year instead of an advanced mathmatics class because she will be with more of her friends, forgetting the fact that it might not help her score so well on her college entrance exams for that college she has been wanting to go to for so long. Would you let her do it???????????

My rules:
Bad grades......no softball.
bad at softball doesn't mean I would stop them from going to school. Hope kids pick school for their academic desires and not for softball dreams. Seen and heard too many softball players changing their major so they can play softball.
people ask me if I'm proud of my kids because they play college ball and my response is I'll be more proud when DD becomes a dentist and lawyer respectively while playing a GAME they love.

fortunately their schedule wasn't as busy as your DD so mine had a chance to play rec ball with their friends and had a great time doing it.

 

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I have mixed feelings about this. My DD enjoyed playing a little "rec ball" from when she was about 13-15. She didn't start pitching until she was 13 and to be honest she needed the mound time. Plus, she did enjoy the social aspect of it. With that being said, every year I have seen girls playing travel ball whose hitting seems to deteriorate when they're playing rec ball at the same time. They can be undisciplined in their hitting and still be very successful (sometimes perhaps even more successful) in rec ball and, like Bill said above, it takes them multiple games or the whole weekend to readjust to hitting competitive travel ball. As a travel coach, I would not forbid it as I personally think that oversteps my boundaries, but I would highly recommend against it.

 

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My rules:
Bad grades......no softball.
bad at softball doesn't mean I would stop them from going to school. Hope kids pick school for their academic desires and not for softball dreams. Seen and heard too many softball players changing their major so they can play softball.
people ask me if I'm proud of my kids because they play college ball and my response is I'll be more proud when DD becomes a dentist and lawyer respectively while playing a GAME they love.

fortunately their schedule wasn't as busy as your DD so mine had a chance to play rec ball with their friends and had a great time doing it.

Wise words indeed! We had a very similar set of rules - and there was NO compromising on the grades. Yep, I was very proud of my DD having the opportunity to play college ball... But seeing her achieve her career goal because of her college education (and degree) shines brightly above that! Softball is STILL a kid's game any way you slice it, but a college education... that's a priceless part of preparing for life AFTER softball.

As far as a little rec ball now and then (or going to the pool, or sleepovers etc.) - Remember... "All work and no play..." Let them be kids!

 

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Letting a talented softball player play with the local rec team just so she can play with her friends is like letting an honors student take General math next year instead of an advanced mathmatics class because she will be with more of her friends, forgetting the fact that it might not help her score so well on her college entrance exams for that college she has been wanting to go to for so long. Would you let her do it???????????

Ever heard of summer break? Kids still need some down time. I don't disagree with you during the summer but fall ball is another thing. Let them have fun and be kids. My daughters play volleyball during the fall and I am glad they do. They need a break from travel ball. Other kids might play fall ball, there is no pressure and they are having fun hanging and playing with their friends. There are people who think kids should do nothing but eat drink, sleep a sport 24/7 365 days a year. To me that is not healthy. Kids get burned out and stop playing altogether.

 

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so putting Corvettes in parades are somewhat useless... tooo some people. At times, this comment could be seen as an elitist comment. Those that know me know otherwise and its just a discussion statement, not my belief. Some see a corvette in a parade and say "show off"... or statements like "why would you run that car in the parade other than to brag" and others would say, "heck yeah, that's his Sunday car and he's having a good time" and "this is my everyday car so it's no abnormal thing for me to take it grocery shopping" when you worked really hard to purchase one. So, applying this to players, similar context is surely applied.

Elite to better than average ballers availability have been described in this post quite well. If they are playing very competitively, there isn't time for that. They can go and watch the games and that's their down time or recovery time. I've taken some players to their old rec teams to help run practice. They loved it. But to play, these players said no way just not competitive enough, just wouldn't be fun. So, in the early years I see it ok to get quality reps, not a rep count. I see plenty of poor drills by travel teams so it's all relative. The old quantity vs quality debate isn't a debate to me. Max out the quality and the time required to maxing out this requirement will take care of any free time.

I do and have recommended 8u-10u players (especially pitchers starting out) to get as much time pitching as they can if using good mechanics. So, if rec ball can help a player get some game reps and the rec team is ok with her being a game player only, do it with a written plan. You may only get one season out of the deal and it may show others what hard work gets a young lady and that is a benefit too. Playing up, even for rec kids, could be a great thing for our sport.