Rec ball and Travel team too??

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This is why I hold "A" division and "B" division in our IFA tournaments... it seems to make everyone happy. The "B" teams that get shoved into the "all" division tournament never get a great chance to win an event... and then you hear the "A" teams say there is too much "B" in a certain tournament to enter....

So each has got their own event and both are happy. Just my theory.

 

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Our dd plays both travel (weekends) and league ball during the week. Her league is the North Coast League where we play against surrounding cities such as Sandusky, Bellevue, Milan, Castillia,ect.... League ball is where our girl will play and bond with her future softball mates for her high school. Also nothing wrong with getting game action in. With our league you do see alot of teams that do have travel players on their community team. You have your strong teams and of course at the bottom is your weaker teams.

As in our dd case she plays up in age for league ball. Moving up in age for league ball makes it closer to the talent level than the younger age. League is also a great time for her to work on all her pitches, hitting placement and such.
I have yet to run into a travel coach that told us we couldnt let our dd play in league ball.

As travel ball action on weekends is more intense,league ball they can kick back a tad more and enjoy being with their friends and really enjoy the game of softball. Also they are representing their town which they love to do.

When it comes if there is a league game on a weekend, tournament action comes first and our community coach is in understanding of this. Most league games take place during Monday thru fridays.

As long as the girls are having fun and learning,why not do both?

 

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egomaniac in my little world, hmmm-those that know me would say not here... I've been a rec ball coach for basketball for 8 years and love it and yes I live by "it's for the girls". I agree that both levels of play have value---again, asking for input on what others have to about this subject that has touched many quickly!

Just want to get other opinions on the subject and I paraphrased some general thoughts that have been thrown my way. Next time I'll be clear and use only my words. Thanks for the input and please keep the verbiage rolling!!! I want to make sure that I'm not hatin' on rec ball coaches-I'm no expert and not willing to judge on this forum. We just set forth some basic team guidelines to help us avoid the "phone calls" about skipping my practice for the local teams game night. Hard to say NO to a 10 year old.

Not to sure how to respond to the Pastime comment. I'm not a big fan of how that turned out or how we had to adjust to make it constructive. League play is hard to find. I would have like to seen more than 2 or 3 travel teams in the league instead of our 2008 experience. I hope the DOOM, Hawks, Slammers, Ky XPlosion, Bustos, Lil Hotshots (Xplosion, Bustos, Hot Shots played with us) and others in town can join in to get a better venue-maybe Patty's league will come through in 2009 and we can battle during the week too. And yes, playing the best we can find or at our level would be best to avoid "backwards" issues DoomsDad mentioned. First year teams are hard to guage early on.

 

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Play all the games you can play. The more you play, the more situations you encounter and the better player you'll become. Play "up" in the rec or local travel leagues to see the better pitching. 14U premier players playing 18U rec or local travel is usually a good fit. There's some very good pitching at that level and it's always a good thing to play against the older girls. It'll be that way in high school if you're on the varsity as a freshman anyway.

 

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How many coaches allow their players to play for their favorite local rec/church team and travel team?

We don't allow our players to do both. Many reasons to "make them choose" us or them...
1) pitching they face will be significantly better
2) player burnout-too many games at such a young age for most
3) 10 beer league dads teaching them "everything they know" and then our travel team has to work it out of them
4) Many scheduling conflicts
5) plenty of other reasons....to not allow this and many reasons to make sure the parents know the reason they should choose one or the other.

My position is to not allow this, regardless of situation. I'd rather see the players play for another travel team in off weeks before getting involved with community ball. This of course has issues as well.

Seems to me that you should be working for the OHSAA.;&

 

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LOL, it's not as serious as that wonderful situation

 

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Well, about OHSAA... in other states, organizations have sued the State HS Associations and won over the issues we have in Ohio. I have done a little research after talking to a few people from other states. OHSAA rules are so outdated and they make up more rules just to try and keep hold of their positions..lol

So until someone has the guts to go after them... then OHSAA will rule the day.

 

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IMHO when the players are playing 14U and up travel ball they can adjust their batting for Rec ball. The younger ladies 12U and down cannot adjust as well. If the 12u on down play rec during the week and then goto travel ball on the weekend the they are way behind on the pitches and usually strike out. when they finally get adjusted to the faster pitching the weekend is over. Now they goto play rec ball during the week and now they are ahead of the ball and strike out. It is a viscous cycle. So we ask that the ladies not play rec ball during travel season.

 

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I went home to get ready to go to Marion this afternoon and I just had to come back and post.

What in the world is "All-Star" rec ? There is three divisions: "A" "B" and "C". "C" is rec.. pure rec.

I understand there is some TD's out there (mostly Indiana in the Greenfield area) that has rec and all-star rec divisions. They did the same in Dayton, Ohio in 2007. The tournament had 50 plus teams until someone let in a bunch of trophy hunting "B" teams.

 

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All star rec is nothing more than "B" teams. If you have tryouts... you cannot be a "REC" team. No way, shape or form.

For example: I knew a Clinton County team that took the best girls out of their rec leagues and form a team and would go to these "All-Star" rec tournaments.... I shutter at the name All-Star Rec".

They would get win, place or show out in the events they entered. They wanted to get in my rec division at a tournament in Wilmington. I refused them and told them they have to play "B". They didn't enter which was fine with me.

Two weekends later, I was umpiring a tournament and here they show up.. at an travel team tournament. They ended up having 7 players... as some didn't show up... so the TD said they could play.. which was great. THEY RUN RULED TWO "B" TEAMS WITH SEVEN (7) PLAYERS in the 14u division.

Now, I know certain areas of Ohio where coaches go trophy hunting in rec tournaments. I know who they are. I watch.. I listen... and the greatest thing is... the teams tell on each other and point out teams like this to me...... Gotta love it.

To the coaches of these All-Star rec classified team: "Girl-up and go play where you belong. That being the "B" division".

I said my peace. I just couldn't go to Marion this afternoon without saying something. See you after bit Roger.

 

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Have you ever seen a U-trip or ASA C tourney, I have not...

 

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IMHO when the players are playing 14U and up travel ball they can adjust their batting for Rec ball. The younger ladies 12U and down cannot adjust as well. If the 12u on down play rec during the week and then goto travel ball on the weekend the they are way behind on the pitches and usually strike out. when they finally get adjusted to the faster pitching the weekend is over. Now they goto play rec ball during the week and now they are ahead of the ball and strike out. It is a viscous cycle. So we ask that the ladies not play rec ball during travel season.

The only question is....does the rec teams you face consit mainly of travel ball players...in our case yes and you see excellent pitching...our area seems to eat,sleep & breath competitve softball. You could alway's play your daughter up a year in rec.

 

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I am torn on this subject myself, with me wanting the best possible training and competition for my daughter, but she has some deep and sincere friendships that she has built over the years with her rec. league which is a year up. We have worked hard to develop her friends into some very solid ballplayers, in which I look for 5 of them to take varsity spots from upperclassmen in their freshmen years. But all we have is one of them on our travel team; the others just aren't ready to make that level of commitment.

What I see is that my daughter may boot the ball or walk a batter in a travel game and just shake it off. But in a rec league game she will almost cry for letting the other team get a hit off of her.

These girls almost seem to be robots when they play travel ball they are good and they know that they have good ball players behind them in every situation, but in the rec league they are bearing the weight of the world on their shoulders, they know the team is looking up to them to bail them out and lead them to new levels, and when they fail in any part of that expectations they break. There is no greater disappointment than knowing that you let your friends down when they needed you.

Travel = skill, talent, and muscle development
Rec = learning emotional development and passion for the game

In all honesty and reality I feel that for a girl to reach her true pinnacle in the game they will have to learn to be a master of both worlds.

 

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Well stated 4the

 

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IMHO when the players are playing 14U and up travel ball they can adjust their batting for Rec ball. The younger ladies 12U and down cannot adjust as well. If the 12u on down play rec during the week and then goto travel ball on the weekend the they are way behind on the pitches and usually strike out. when they finally get adjusted to the faster pitching the weekend is over. Now they goto play rec ball during the week and now they are ahead of the ball and strike out. It is a viscous cycle. So we ask that the ladies not play rec ball during travel season.

Well put...

 

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The problem comes with schedule conflicts. Last year on my DD's team, We had some players leave a tournament in Canton, Michigan to return to Northeast Ohio to play in their end of season rec tournament. What was really a sore spot is that one of those was our #1 pitcher who lied and feigned an arm injury in order to avoid pitching in a semi-final game in order to pitch for her rec team later that day. (Fortunately the head coach showed up at the rec tournament and while his was impressed with the miracle cure of her arm told her that she didn't need to worry about such conflicts in the future because she was off the team)

I think you need to have a policy of either no rec or travel comes first in the event of a conflict. (With the amount spent on travel for team fees, hotels ect, you would think this would be common sense but as the above example shows some folks just don't get it)

 

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Here's the thing with association having rec tournaments.... they have failed miserably in making a standard rule of what is rec ball. No association wants to take on rec... to which I feel is the biggest untapped market out there.... because they don't want to run an event...then an all star rec teams sneak in... and then it ruins their event for the following year and gives a bad taste in the rec people's mouth about the association and future consideration playing in their association's event later in the travel division.

To me, you just have to check them out when they enter your tournament. Require a contact number for their league director.. check that rec roster and put in the tournament rules.. if the team is found out to be "padding" their roster.... send them their money back and keep $50.00 for the checking of the "padding effect". That's my rule. Believe you me, I check them... and the aggrevation is worth the $50.00 I get to keep.....lol
Then the coach can explain to the parents why the TD kept $50.00 of the entry fee

 

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My opinion is that each area/league is differnet. I run the girls in my rec league and we we belong to OGSO. In my area, the travel teams are on the "extreme" side and practice a lot so it is difficult to do both. Of the 8 or so travel ball girls in my town, only 4 tried both last year. One worked very well, one went OK, the other 2 ended up not working well. My part of Ohio simply does not seem to encourage both.
However, other counties in our league do seem to encourage both. When we go to the State tournaments we tend to lose bad due to this difference. A rec team with 6 travel ball girls will beat a rec team with one/none every time.
Bottom line, it is not a question of "should you", it is a question of "can you" do both.

 

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OK, here comes acan of worms...

JD, what state tourney are you refering to? You should not be facing travel ball players playing against your rec team as I would think that they are already on a roster of that particular sanction?

 

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All star rec is nothing more than "B" teams. If you have tryouts... you cannot be a "REC" team. No way, shape or form.

For example: I knew a Clinton County team that took the best girls out of their rec leagues and form a team and would go to these "All-Star" rec tournaments.... I shutter at the name All-Star Rec".

They would get win, place or show out in the events they entered. They wanted to get in my rec division at a tournament in Wilmington. I refused them and told them they have to play "B". They didn't enter which was fine with me.

Two weekends later, I was umpiring a tournament and here they show up.. at an travel team tournament. They ended up having 7 players... as some didn't show up... so the TD said they could play.. which was great. THEY RUN RULED TWO "B" TEAMS WITH SEVEN (7) PLAYERS in the 14u division.

Now, I know certain areas of Ohio where coaches go trophy hunting in rec tournaments. I know who they are. I watch.. I listen... and the greatest thing is... the teams tell on each other and point out teams like this to me...... Gotta love it.

To the coaches of these All-Star rec classified team: "Girl-up and go play where you belong. That being the "B" division".

I said my peace. I just couldn't go to Marion this afternoon without saying something. See you after bit Roger.

Quaker

No disrespect but your facts are all out of hand.

We don't have to take the best players in Clinton County to form a all star team we train them, and there isn't just one team that is that good in the county we have several. And in fact we had one rec team that was 1/2 12u playing 14uA last year. The team you are refering to is not mine but I will assure you that our team would have split the victorys with them last year. Neither team holds tryouts we have just kept our foundation together for the past 5 to 6 years, and work with them consistently. And in fact they could combine with mine and we would give most select teams a real game.

I would also assure you that 1/2 of either team would make most select clubs if they would so choice to COMMIT. The one thing that sets these teams apart from your rec teams is that we have pitching (most of these girls go to the same pitching coach from several different teams) which is one of our best keep secrets, and guess what when you have these pitchers your team learns to hit the "fastpitch". Which is the name of the sport not loft ball.

Maybe if you feel this strongly about it you should host slowpitch tournaments.

You won't have to worry about us this year I have taken two of my players select permantly and exclusively, and one other girl has also followed suit. 4 of our girls is playing high school with prohibits more that 4 girls per team after their season, but if the other Clinton County team needs a couple of players for their all star tournaments and we were available I would be honored to help them out.