Here's a fun Poll: How many new teams and organizations.......

[basecrusher]

Will pop up around Ohio after the season ends, coaches couldn't cut it or parents are disillusioned?

 

[ValleyStorm]

Lol. This should be good.

 

[CARDS]

Lets hope there are more players wanting to play at "all levels" because the current trend is not good...

While ladies Fastpitch is not seeing the huge numbers drop as boys baseball it is just around the corner.
Here is one of many articles on the decline in youth sports.
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303519404579350892629229918

Look at the drop in bat sales...

Our local youth fastpitch league went from 12 teams at 12U in 2013 to 5 teams in 2014. HS team was a D1 final four team in 2009 and sweet sixteen teams in 2012&2013.
Averaged 65 at tryouts 2011-2013. This year we had 33 come out.Several area HS played less than 10 games while some others had to forfeit as amany as 8 games..

This scenario is playing out across the country in youth recreational and travel sports..Even at the college level softball being a non olympic sport is on the chopping block at some schools and other womens and mens sports that are non revenue generating may go away as well. This did not count college club sports.

Personally; I could care less about new teams it never hurt our numbers at tryouts and we were always able to field a talented competitive team when we were playing youth Fastpitch but it does concern me about the overall state of youth sports with the numbers dropping each year.

 

[Passion4theGame]

We started our organization up last year as a alternative opportunity for girls in our area to play competitive softball. It worked out great for us as we focused on a price of $250 for our '04 team and $150 for our 8u team. Both teams played in 9 tournaments and we had a lot of fun. Practiced all winter long indoors plus the Parents and girls enjoyed it. We had some pretty sweet full dye realtree camo uniforms and helmets to boot! We where not the best around but we stayed competitive and had a blast. We have now moved from a 2 team organization to now fielding 6 teams for the 2014-2015 season. As of today we have 57 preregistered girls for tryouts and looking to buy our own indoor facility by this September. Hosting our 1st tournament in October with the help of a great NSA tournament director Bill Moore.
I don't think its always bad with new teams but I will be honest I was a little worried at first and it all worked out so far with a great board in place and some good financial backing anything is possible. Its about giving these girls the opportunity and teaching them at that next level. We either win or we learn. We never lose.

 

[nac]

QUOTE=basecrusher;5012]Will pop up around Ohio after the season ends, coaches couldn't cut it or parents are disillusioned?[/QUOTE]

Where's the poll?

 

[BouldersDad]

Lets hope there are more players wanting to play at "all levels" because the current trend is not good...

While ladies Fastpitch is not seeing the huge numbers drop as boys baseball it is just around the corner.
Here is one of many articles on the decline in youth sports.
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303519404579350892629229918

Look at the drop in bat sales...

Our local youth fastpitch league went from 12 teams at 12U in 2013 to 5 teams in 2014. HS team was a D1 finad four team in 2009 and sweet sixteen teams in 2012&2013. Averaged 65 at tryouts 2011-2013. This year we hadd 33 come out.
This scenario is playing out across the country in youth recreational and travel sports..

Personally; I could care less about new teams it never hurt our numbers at tryouts and we were always able to field a talented competitive team when we were playing youth Fastpitch but it does concern me about the overall state of youth sports with the numbers dropping each year.

In 2007 when my dd was a freshman in HS there were 18,583 kids that played fastpitch. Fast forward to 2013 and that number drops to 16,329. That may not seem like a significant loss of kids to the sport but if you add in the fact there are new teams every year the number of skilled players drop sharply. Add to this that 18u players are all ready difficult to find if the trend keeps up in another 10 years there may not be enough kids to fill the slots of the 16u and up spots. There is already a pretty harsh attrition from the 16 to 18 level, This will only start to work its way down the ladder of age groups.

Info given here found on http://www.nfhs.org/participation/sportsearch.aspx

 

[HITTER23]

Daddyball, the bane of softball, ok, if i cant control suzies playing, ill make my own team.

 

[Ferrigno20]

In 2007 when my dd was a freshman in HS there were 18,583 kids that played fastpitch. Fast forward to 2013 and that number drops to 16,329. That may not seem like a significant loss of kids to the sport but if you add in the fact there are new teams every year the number of skilled players drop sharply. Add to this that 18u players are all ready difficult to find if the trend keeps up in another 10 years there may not be enough kids to fill the slots of the 16u and up spots. There is already a pretty harsh attrition from the 16 to 18 level, This will only start to work its way down the ladder of age groups.

Info given here found on http://www.nfhs.org/participation/sportsearch.aspx

in 2008/2009 it dropped to 15933. It happens every couple of years, has little to do with travel ball I would think. Pay to play has had more of a role then anything.

If my DD has to pick between $750 for travel or $750 for school its an easy one to pick.

 

[Pacerdad57]

Sometimes there are good reasons why some teams/organizations don't stay around.
Some do t work to better the girls.as a team, some foster cliques with their favorites against everyone,
and some coaches just plain don't get it or know the game.
attrition is common across everything , businesses, sports, entertainment. It's a cycle that is continuous.
the teams that get it and are in it for the players and not their own egos will continue to survive.
the ones that aren't wont. That simple.
let's face it, there are also a lot more choices for girls today than just a few years ago, giving them more opportunities
other than softball. The ones that love the game and have coaches/organizations that they love and respect
will still be there.

 

[CARDS]

Lot of good post with varying view points.

Bouldersdad posted some good info that I also think we will be seeing over the next few years with the 16s and 18s struggling for numbers dipping into the 13/14U age groups and getting the better talent at that age.
14u then looking for players will dip into the 12s etc?

I think this will happen more with showcase type teams since they are starting to drift from age specific to graduation year here in the Midwest having 3 to 4 GY on the roster.

Another area of concern is colleges dropping sports that are and some not Olympic sports.

http://http://articles.philly.com/2013-12-08/news/44908784_1_temple-university-the-inquirer-american-athletic-conference

Lots of articles and forum info on this trend if you want to sift through it all .The one above is a D1 program that cut 7 sports including softball...

Olympic sports do have advocates to push at the college level for their sport. If a sport is not an Olympic sport it could be on the chopping block especially; if it is a non revenue generating sport. I think there is enough interest in softball that it is not going to drop off the map anytime soon but we may see several schools decide to not field sanctioned teams down the road or cut back scholorship dollars as softball struggles with the College/Pro/ International game with ROI and getting attendance numbers.

As far as tryouts and new teams, like I said in my first post..If the Org and coach is doing what they need to be doing they should not have any worries about new teams taking talent from them and be able to field competitive teams in each age range.
With that said, I do agree, that having several teams in each age group like we did this summer with two 18Us four 16Us, three 14U and two 12U will be a challenge and will require tryouts in several citys to finish filling roster spots like we did last year. Good news is our teams should have a solid core group and more than enough tryout numbers to fill their needs..
Also; TDs will be very happy to see some more teams in the pool looking for events. especially; 16 and above...