community travel woes

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Has anyone experienced problems playing for a community based travel team? If so what are some of the negative experiences that you have encountered? Just curious as to others experiences.

 

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What do you mean community based? Like an All-star/travel team.

 

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No its a tournament travel team, takes kids from all over, but alot of the kids are local.

 

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My DD has played on a community based travel team since she was 9. She is starting her 4th year in community travel. Games are 2-3 nights/week- no weekends. Since she is a pitcher, it keeps her pitching all week and more prepared for her weekend travel team. She understands that it is a different level of playing, but has fun with her friends and is still throwing 100 pitches 3 times per week. Her community coach and travel coach have always respected her dedication to each team. Never had any woes!

 

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my daughter plays on a travel team, their practice place is in one community, but the girls are from several different areas. weve never had any problems, If anything this is one of the positive things travel ball offers. The girls make friends with girls from all over. I guess it depends on age too, Good Luck

 

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I have dd's that play travel ball and sometimes i've noticed that some kids just don't fit with a group. Then for what ever reason they seem to blame everyone one else for the problems. However if you really feel that you are not getting what you have paid for then it is time to move on!!!!!

 

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sometimes with community ball, you get the feeling that the girls sometimes dont know how to play against that next level of competition, the parents are unwilling to make a more serious commitment to winning (travelling more, practicing more) winning, and the girls go-through-the motions during practice

community travel is good for keeping the high school coach happy so that he gets a chance to see his upcoming varsity squad...yes, the girls are "friends" and hang out well, but that sense of competition for ones spot on the field is never up for grabs, it's always a given since no one wants to step on anyone elses toes

and then there's the obligatory "you-have-a-spot-with-us-since-we've-known-each-other-forever" scenario, or the "even-though-your-daughter-would-never-start-on-another-summer-ball-team-she-can-play-third-base-with-us" mentality...not good for everyone, but for each his own

 

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I agree with Statman and in addition I have known communities to build 2-3 teams in the same age group with only girls from that area schools. This tends to (for a lack of better words) water down each team to a point where they are not nearly as competitive as they could be.

 

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Another thing you contend with are the girls who make the team every year either because their dad is the coach or because they have always been on the team. I have seen many girls passed up for girls whose skills never improve or they don't work on their game.

 

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Have been in a situation before where a weekend travel travel team was made up of mostly (all but 2 or 3) girls from the same two school districts. Two dads from these school districts were coaches and another mom and dad from these districts did stats/travel and meal arrangements. The focus was more on the future high school team than the present travel team. It became very frustrating at times.

 

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backstop08,
That sounds like the current situation we are facing. Their is a parent that seems to go out of their way to stir the pot as well? I have to dd's that play for this organization in dif age groups. One is happy one is not---ahhhh :-?

 

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JSAD , we played community travel ball for a couple of years before we moved on to Club Ball and let me tell you Big difference in my opinion. Community travel you have parents telling coaches what to do , what tournaments , when to practice .There's alot of back-biting ,parents stirring the pot .In club the parents and kids are more dedicated to playing in more ?tournaments , I think. Just my opinion! ?;D

 

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We started as a community based team and evolved into a state wide club. We now have very few girls from the same area. The parents are committed to the club, however you will always have some stirring and back stabbing IMHO.

I repeatly tell our members if you are not happy to leave and go somewhere you are. I tell parents not to ask tuff questions if you can not take the tuff answers. I have seen some very fine community based teams out there and we don't take them as easy wins at anytime.

I think it comes down to Managers and Coaches must have people skills period.

I think as always you have to look at the instruction you get and if the coaches are keeping up with the lastest skills of the game. I know we see pretty much the same coaches every year at the NFCA's Coaches College. I think it shows the commitment they have to the game and to becoming better at coaching it.

I know when we play against them its always a great game.

Remember its about the girls and nothing else....

Good Luck, God Bless and See ya at the diamond.

 

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Agree with what Statman Ray said about keeping the High School Coach happy. Also- we feel that community is where our DD learned to love the game in the first place. If there were no community ball- where would all the Elite players get their start?

 

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I agree with sporse. If your dd is not happy, it may be time to move on. It may just not be a good fit. Having an older dd in the same org. complicates things. If she wants to play there are teams out there that needs players. Good luck.

 

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Hey, I undersstand what you mean about pot-stirring. Last year I had a dd playing 12u and there was a family that just didn't try to fit in. Our dds both played short-stop and when my dd would be out there the other mother would actually keep stats on how many errors my dd had. Some people are just not cut out for travel ball

 

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Thinking about it, I did have a mom that was a pot stirrer, she kept stats on everybody elses kids, she told her daughter not to throw with another girl because that girl sucked, and every time we had played she thought her daughter should have had more playing time than the other girls, and let me tell u she made everyone aware. It had gotten so bad that after every play she screamed at her daughter, Hope this isnt what your experiencing . All of the other parents and girls got along well. In the end that family left and everbody else was better off for it. Especially the girls. Best of luck

 

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Define "community travel teams".

Would most people out there consider a team that has players from 6 different towns (5 of players from over 40 miles away) and 3 coaches that are from 3 different towns to be a "Community Team" ? The team that i am referring to also has 12 players on the roster: 3 each from three different towns and then 1 each from three other towns.

Also how many community teams play in the following tournaments:

Stingrays
Sluggerfest
Two State Tournaments

10 or 11 tournaments in all including World Series


Just curious what most folks out there consider "Community"

 

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Community based travel team: a team that is comprised of at least 5 girls from the same school.

How is this bad? It limits the tournaments and the time that the team can participate. After July 31st, the team is done (there are special circumstances). No fall ball, no winter ball.

I have also seen that girls on such teams get comfortable with their skill level and do not strive to get better because they know what the community has and that there is not a threat of being replaced (this can also be said about all teams but more so with community teams because parents/coach will not allow a better player). Suzy Shortstop's parents will complaint and raise holy **** if a new shortstop is invited to join the team, threatening DDs playing time and position.

This is not all bad. If the team goal is to keep girls together and active for the summer, then so be it. Let the kids and parents know at tryouts or the beginning of the season. There are a couple of community based teams that are pretty competitive. For the parents, when looking for that next step for your DD, ask questions. Is the team developmental, competitive, or a blend? Will the best players play or will it be equal playing time for all?

 

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Re:travel woes

Community should mean all the girls live in The same school district. IMHO It is only good for younger girls(before they fall under high school regulations)

If managed correctly community travel should be a real plus for the lucky High School coach who inherits seasond players, who are used to playing with each other. There is definitly an advantage to ?girls playing together year after year. The problem lies in the unavoidable politics, parent coaches, ect.. But, I think you will get that where ever you go. I have a hard time getting my own family to get along on weekend trips. Getting 12 family's together is bound to be problematic at times(you need to have a short memory). Every team is diffrent so the hard part is finding the right fit for your family. The sad part is that wherever you go there will be 1 or 2 family's who think there daughter should be a starter, is better at a given position, ect.. It ?would be nice if a team could function with 9 players and avoid the inevitable bench players.