Is this typical?

SOFTBALLISFUN

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We are new to travel ball and tried out for 4 teams. One turned into a 16u team, one collapsed, one turned us down, and the first one we tried out for we accepted their offer. I paid the money and signed a contract and began to practice and had one tournament. We only had 8 girls and they never tried to get anymore. Never had a tryout or open practice or a post to find more girls. The person in charge went and found a team of 10 and a coach to join our team for a total of 18 girls. Long story short we are down to 14 girls after a couple of girls were" taken care of". Still too many to really get a lot of playing time. If I leave the team I am out that money which is not my biggest concern, but rather it is late October and most teams are full. I am trying desperately to find another team for my daughter that isn't 3 hours away or a team she will not fit into either skill-wise or position-wise. Is this normal? What should I do? I never thought something like this would happen. I picked this team because I knew she would play. I never expected her to play every inning or be a superstar but I don't want to be driving around the state every weekend to have her barely play.
 
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Stedman00

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first question is what age is DD? That makes a huge difference as to roster size. And you are right, it's late October and depending on your location, locating another team my be very difficult.

Every team is different with fall schedules, but surely should have had ample time for practices and multiple tourneys this fall up until this point.
 

yocoach

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We are new to travel ball and tried out for 4 teams. One turned into a 16u team, one collapsed, one turned us down, and the first one we tried out for we accepted their offer. I paid the money and signed a contract and began to practice and had one tournament. We only had 8 girls and they never tried to get anymore. Never had a tryout or open practice or a post to find more girls. The person in charge went and found a team of 10 and a coach to join our team for a total of 18 girls. Long story short we are down to 14 girls after a couple of girls were" taken care of". Still too many to really get a lot of playing time. If I leave the team I am out that money which is not my biggest concern, but rather it is late October and most teams are full. I am trying desperately to find another team for my daughter that isn't 3 hours away or a team she will not fit into either skill-wise or position-wise. Is this normal? What should I do? I never thought something like this would happen. I picked this team because I knew she would play. I never expected her to play every inning or be a superstar but I don't want to be driving around the state every weekend to have her barely play.
Well, you're in luck so to speak. The first big move in the travel ball world is about to start now that Fall Ball either ended after this past weekend or will end after next weeks tourneys and families/players realize that what they were promised isn't what they're getting. Much like you in your situation. Keep your ears open for other opportunities. Post her age, positions she plays and the are you are looking for a team. Search on this forum for teams that are looking for players in your DD's age group in your neck of the woods. Make some phone calls or texts and ask lots of pertinent questions of the HC. Then go to a practice or 2 so your DD can meet the team and get a feel for the coaching staff.
 

daboss

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Well, you're in luck so to speak. The first big move in the travel ball world is about to start now that Fall Ball either ended after this past weekend or will end after next weeks tourneys and families/players realize that what they were promised isn't what they're getting. Much like you in your situation. Keep your ears open for other opportunities. Post her age, positions she plays and the are you are looking for a team. Search on this forum for teams that are looking for players in your DD's age group in your neck of the woods. Make some phone calls or texts and ask lots of pertinent questions of the HC. Then go to a practice or 2 so your DD can meet the team and get a feel for the coaching staff.

I couldn't have said it better. Great response!
 

M & R Davis

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Well, you're in luck so to speak. The first big move in the travel ball world is about to start now that Fall Ball either ended after this past weekend or will end after next weeks tourneys and families/players realize that what they were promised isn't what they're getting. Much like you in your situation. Keep your ears open for other opportunities. Post her age, positions she plays and the are you are looking for a team. Search on this forum for teams that are looking for players in your DD's age group in your neck of the woods. Make some phone calls or texts and ask lots of pertinent questions of the HC. Then go to a practice or 2 so your DD can meet the team and get a feel for the coaching staff.
Absolutely spot on. Will be lots of moving going on between now and April/May. Most important thing in my opinion to find the right fit for your daughter and your family. It is out there. Keep looking if needed.
 

DanMaz

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proof is in the puddin - I have a girl contacted us because they were not in a good situation for her or their family... sometimes it just doesn't work out the way you always planned or hoped. This is the time players make moves so DO NOT PANIC! -It's true. Now that most fall tourneys are wrapping up this is a "movement time" if you will. families have had a few months to get a feel of the team, the players and the overall situation you are in. Some may say, once you commit you should honor that commitment full out and usually I would agree BUT --- travel softball is a little different than most situations you will find yourself in. A lot of money (tons of $$$) a lot of time and a lot traveling for something your not happy with can be the determining factor for you to make that move. I would expect that you have not paid the full amount of player teams fees at this point. They are usually spread out over a 5 or 6 month period... if you paid the full amount already I would ask for a partial refund as your DD will be replaced with another paying customer. so the money hasn't fully been spent but depending on how the "exit" goes... you may get some back and you may not. look and see what your contract says about this. Again, dont panic but dont waste anytime looking for the right fit. Be honest and proactive in your search. remember one thing and this is a very big thing -- you are a package deal. players and parents are a package deal. If your a "crazy helicopter parent" or one that is vocal and "never seems to be satisficed" type... this might be an issue or could be an issue moving forward with a new team. I personally have and will not take on a stud player with a "crazy" parent. not worth the time and effort and not fair to the team. nothing worse than tension so thick in the dugout that you could cut it with a knife...
 

SOFTBALLISFUN

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She is 13. I was told if you leave you get no money back if you are kicked off you get some money back. Kinda trying to get kicked off! LOL In order to get the team down to 14 he just stopped using the group text and called the players he wanted individually. I was one of those people. There is a girl who didn't even know we had a tournament. She paid and everything. I know this for a fact because I saw the mom hand him the check. If he was straightforward with everyone and explained why he was doing this I would be more likely to stay. He could offer people their money back if they want to leave for whatever reason and I don't like the lies and deceit. I guess he needs that money that bad that he will sign a girl up take her money and they just stop notifying her when practice and games are. What is to stop him from signing up 5 more girls that are better players. Sign up 20 girls get their money and have 11 on the bench? I know he wants 2 more girls to leave. He never introduced us to the coach, he didn't let our team know about the pumpkin painting party. The girls are divided, the parents hate that these new girls came, and now their daughter is on the bench. We were told to be somewhere wrong 3 times this week which is SUPER frustrating. He expects us to not be frustrated and just smile like he is doing us a favor.
 

M & R Davis

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Based on what you are saying I would run so fast from this situation it isn’t funny. If it’s this way now imagine what it will be like come spring. This to me sounds like a recipe for a blow up. If you haven’t already I would be talking to someone in the organization about this and not the coach.
 

Stedman00

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Run, Run, RUN...... and don't look back. Go above this coach demanding funds, (but expect to scratch and claw to get anything back). Sounds like a complete cluster. Also, don't be afraid to name names when people are getting hose like this. Where's that Sam Kineson yelling face????
 

SOFTBALLISFUN

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Based on what you are saying I would run so fast from this situation it isn’t funny. If it’s this way now imagine what it will be like come spring. This to me sounds like a recipe for a blow up. If you haven’t already I would be talking to someone in the organization about this and not the coach.
It's the president that did this. I guess he will do whatever he wants and without any regard for what is right or fair. His favorite line is this is travel ball, this is just how it is at this level. You can leave if you don't like it! Travel ball or not I think when the score is 10 nothing you use your bench that last inning. FYI our rec ball team is run 1000 times better than this! You can call the Olympics or whatever you want doesn't make it better.
 

SOFTBALLISFUN

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So this isn't how it is in travel ball? See he keeps telling me that I'm the problem and I shouldn't be complaining!
 

jt7663

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Save the next family from this What Org. Team Coach
 

SOFTBALLISFUN

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We are in Canton. She plays 2nd pitcher and outfield. She has played 3rd and 1st too. She goes to school in New Philadelphia.
 

HITTER23

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DO WE LIKE SHITTY COACHES ?????????????? NOOOOOOO, NAME THEM !!! NAME THEMMMMM...... OHHHHHH, OHHHHHHHHHHH GET ME THE PHONE, BRING ME THE %$#^&*@ PHONE...
 

SOFTBALLISFUN

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Ok, no reason not to post what this asshole did all over the internet! Here it is. It is the Starz organization out of Mineral City. Mike Johnson is the president. His daughter Hayden is away at school and too busy to be the coach. We started with 9. A girl and her dad the assist left because it was too far and their little boy got sick. I am guessing they knew this was a shit show and left. That gave us 8. Not too hard to find 3 girls. Well, he didn't need 3 girls he needed a coach.

Last year he had a man named Jason Leasure be the assistant. Not sure what happened but from what I hear he doesn't know what he is doing and it was a shit show and was asked to leave, He left and took some girls and started his own team. Mike told me he was an idiot and the girls he picked were not very good and he never would have picked them. Well since Mike is too busy to coach or look for someone else he went back and asked Jason to basically change the name of his team to the Starz. The location of the practices changed the girls changed and the coach changed. There were people from our team that lived 5 minutes from the field and now had to drive 40 minutes. There also were people that lived 35 minutes from the field and now had to drive an hour.

Instead of coming to us and saying look, I have 2 options. I can get this other team to be the Starz and give you guys that live far or don't want to be on the team your money back or I need someone to help me find a coach and some more girls. I told him to have an open practice and post it on FB or here but he wouldn't. Looking back he probably didn't because he was afraid someone would say that organization is SHADY stay away.

He stopped using the group text so people didn't know what was going on. We were told we would be hosting a tournament on the 16th back in August. Several people messaged hey are we playing this weekend? Do we have a schedule? No response. He called me and told me what was going on. I told him my concerns. Why would you rehire someone you fired! Not smart. Do you think a young girl is going to come back in 7 months and take over after someone else has been running it and he is going to be fine with that? He also lied to me and said that they had 12 girls. He went and watched them and was only taking 8. Not true he took all 10. I believe they have paid money as well not sure. But I do know they think they are all on the team. He told me he was taking only 3 of the 8 from our team. Never approached these people he didn't want and say look this is what is happening I will give you your money back and let you know if I hear of a team looking. He simply just avoided them after he took their money and they signed a contract. One girl found out from me what was going on for real and tried to get their money back. He said nope no money for you. He also said with pride he took care of them that they were off the team. There is another girl who came to practice and the tournament and he told me he didn't want her on the team. She only played one game this weekend and was one of the only girls to get a hit. I told her mom that he is trying to get her off the team but I don't think she is hearing what I am saying. There was one girl who was older and he forced the other coach to take her and those parents were upset.

He thought that I was going to be ok with him basically stealing money from people and just smiling and nodding and waiting for him to weed out the girls he doesn't want. One of the girls who he does want who played every inning all weekend didn't pay. I guess the mom doesn't have the money but he doesn't care because he got money from these other people that he kicked off. The one parent told me that the first practice we had at the new location he just dropped his daughter off there. There was a new coach and 8 new girls had no clue what was going on. I would have thought I had the wrong spot. No one introduced themselves or explained what was going on. He of course told us at 4:00 practice at 6, 40 minutes from where we normally practice! No one but her came and then he is mad no one is showing up to practice. SMH

I picked the team because of the location the number of girls the number of pitchers the amount of money to play. I wanted my daughter to play. She will not get better sitting on the pine. It seems to me that he has no problem taking money from 25 girls and making their lives hell till they leave and then he keeps the money. It's not that much money just give people even half back to save your name.

Last night he called left a message saying"Jeff from velocity Heat reached out to me and asked if your daughter could be on his team. I said he could have her. Good luck to you guys." Well, I know Jeff and asked him WTF and he said he has never even talked to Mike Johnson before. The worst part is my daughter heard the message and was all excited thinking she was going to be on that team with her old teammates. I texted Mike what are you talking about? Jeff says he has never talked to you before. How much of my money do I get back and he of course has not responded.
 
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