Team Jumping

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yea coachjwb - I probably should have clarified my statement. When I said in most areas I didn't mean it was in all areas - including Ohio. I honestly don't know the situation there for the most part. But I do know that there are teams in Ohio that recruit and have tryouts after the fall season. It probably isn't that way for all teams and Organizations. But from what I am seeing the trend is moving toward the 2 season type sport at the top levels. When the fall opened up as a MAJOR recruiting season the need and desire to get in the best possible position as a player, family and team expanded. Good or bad???? Open for discussion. To me I want to go back to when my DD was a Stingray. The bulk of that team stayed together from the 12u age group till graduation. But I am old, and tend to live outside reality sometimes......

 

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BTW - I thought it would be interesting to take a look at the Ohio Teams needing to fill rosters thread - at that point there were 58 teams "looking for players to fill rosters" posted or bumped TODAY. As much as we don't want it, it might be here.

 

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No doubt, Mark ... there are many things which cause teams to be posting this time of year ... some because of players that have jumped (that could no doubt be the biggest reason), some because of players who were injured or decided to hang it up, some due to teams who never had enough desperately hanging on, some actually trying to "upgrade" what they already have, and I've seen a few of teams just starting up now. The more I think about it, the more the two season thing probably makes sense ... but it would be difficult to get everyone to look at it that way ...

 

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I have to say that every year this post gets more and more boring.

I do not think anyone likes teams jumping. But it is always going to happen. Unless the softball community drastically tightens controls you are going to have this problem. And by tighten I mean go to a hockey style where you are regulated on this stuff but you are also regulated on who is an A team and a B team. No one gets to proclaim this type of thing, it is all earned. So Mommy and Daddy ball is for the most part eliminated. SO careful what you wish for.

 

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You are right. It would be tough.

 

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I don't know if I would call it boring. I would probably side with "surprising".

Personally I don't think you will ever see tighter rosters than you have now. In fact for many events played these days teams don't have to worry about rosters. Unless you are qualifying for a real national who cares?

 

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I posted that southern teams use the 2 season format and don't have near the problems we have up here. Even though I'm one looking for a couple kids, I wish there was a better way.. Maybe the idea of a governing body to control some of this isn't so bad.. Limit organizations to one team per year group.. ( 11u 02's, 12u 01's ) ?? Maybe the classifications from A to B even maybe a C.. Maybe have organizations have to have certain things to be able to have a team.. " own facilities, own fields" access to larger places for games, I E- Spano Dome, GPlex... Ect.. .. There's some different things that can be done but I doubt any of it will work. If everyone works together we can fix all this. Maybe an organization meeting, everyone who runs one have a big meeting to go over all this.

 

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How about not trying to make rules and laws about holding players hostage and work on coaching the kids you do have and making a positive environment where kids won't want to leave. Of course there will always be a few you can count on leaving in the winter no matter how you coach, It's a fact of life. Poaching I think has been used in correctly at times on ofc. To me that means a coach calling other players that are committed and offering then to play for free, and telling them lies about the organization they chose. When players leave and approach a coach and ask if a spot is available and they take the kid. It is not poaching.... IMO

 

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I agree, I think there are enough rules already in place. I'm not a fan of over regulation, it takes the fun out of the game. There is nothing that can be done to stop players from leaving teams, whether the coaching is good or bad there are always going to be players/families that are unhappy....it's unavoidable. Trying to find a way to force them to stay on a team is probably not in the best interest of the team or the players, sometimes the best thing for everyone is addition by subtraction. I wouldn't want a player on my team who didn't want to be there.

 

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2 year commitment is interesting, but doubt it would work in some cases. We all have seen the kid who one weekend is in a qualifier and the next weekend with another team, another qualifier. Week to week kids/families move around(and how that happens amazes me, has to be hard to govern). I like the comment about kids being offered to play free to move.......Seen it, heard it and to take it one more level, coaches paying parents hotel/travel costs. It happens. Good formula to eat a team up with the message it sends to your players and families that have been there- Win At ALL Costs

Sad....but true

 

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Bottom Line - This is a Free market system...
If you are willing to pay your $1,200 to a team and then leave before the season is over and sign with another team and pay their fees So be it -
It stinks for the other girls but the $1,200 seems like a punitive fee for leaving.

Sort of like a collage coach having to buy out there contract to go to another school.

You would think the cost would be prohibitive but sometimes people feel it's worth it for the change.

Though IMHO; I would not let my DD leave mid-season ($1,200 notwithstanding) because it hurts the other girls on the team. UNLESS - there were emotional abuse or Absolutely NO playing time.

 

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An easy way to stop the jumping and have a governing body and its right in front of our faces... One assisotion. Because we have options to play NSA USSSA ASA and now PGF, kids have options.. We can play in different tourneys every weekend for different teams And even qualify with each team because we play different assisotions. So instead of all the organizations getting together and trying to form a governing body.. Why don't all the tournament directors get together and everyone run say ASA or NSA or PGF or USSSA. When directors give options, kids have options.. I lost a kid because she wanted to play with a friend from school and because of our schedule.. One fella stated who u play MATTERS. It does!! But when you are 2 or 3 good players away from playing the teams and tournaments that matter, as a coach you are obligated to the kids on your team to help them compete at the highest level. Maybe if all tourneys were just PGF? It would help with the watered down part of NE Ohio for sure! Have a blessed day.

 

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OK - here’s what we need to do ...
We get all the girls in Ohio - Maybe some from WPA and WVA and rate them all by age, Position and potential to play D1 then divide them evenly to all teams... that way we are completely fair and even... and we develop a governing body to decide infractions to the Fairness and girls can NEVER leave there assigned team (if they ever want to play organized sports again.. and then only if they decide to pursue academics)

Who’s with me - Viva the Revolution


PS: this guy looks like he'd be good to head it up... View attachment 1503

 

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OK - here’s what we need to do ...
We get all the girls in Ohio - Maybe some from WPA and WVA and rate them all by age, Position and potential to play D1 then divide them evenly to all teams... that way we are completely fair and even... and we develop a governing body to decide infractions to the Fairness and girls can NEVER leave there assigned team (if they ever want to play organized sports again.. and then only if they decide to pursue academics)

Who’s with me - Viva the Revolution

PS: this guy looks like he'd be good to head it up... View attachment 1503

Welcome to high school ball

 

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Welcome to high school ball

:lmao: NICE...Why didn't I think of that :cap:

 

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It sounds like some (maybe 1) want all the power to be coaches hands. Once they have you signed then you are theres no matter whether you fed a line of BS to the family during try out/ recruitment period. It is a 2 way street. If the coach doesn't fulfill his end of the bargain then be prepared for kids to leave. I am not talking about my little dd not getting enough playing time. I am talking about basics, like how often practices are run, tournament schedule and others that are escaping me at this point. As a parent you have to take a coach at their word on these things during try out time.

I agree with others that you should not expect any fixed costs back, but other fees that are not fixed, such as uniforms not purchased and so forth should be negotiable.

Just my 2 cents.

 

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Why is it that some of the big name teams feel it necessary to steal players from other teams? I understand this area is watered down with teams and talent. It seems like we need a governing body or rules in place to keep a level playing field. Big name teams looking for 1 more kid to sit on their bench. Is it the parents, coach, or athlete that feel its better to ride the pine or play periodically out of position for a big name winning team as a #2 or #3 instead of going somewhere you can be a #1 and play the position you should be playing and help one of those clubs that is 1 or 2 pieces away from competing and beating these big names? There are many opportunities out there. Hopefully somebody can fill me in on some of this. Why its ok for the big name team to contact players already signed and playing for an organization? If a smaller organization contacts one of their players they have a conniption fit and freak out.

Not much you can do about it. I have been coaching Fastpitch for 16 years 12 of these years travel. During this time I have lost a half dozen players and have been lucky enough to have players looking to join that we could fill holes as needed. A couple were due to family finances and the others by going to greener pastures or (so they thought).

At 15U I lost two ladies to another team that promised a stronger schedule, and no fees. They left over the winter knowing they would not get any refund but thought it was a wash since they did not have to pay fees. After joining the team they found out they had to sell items to cover the fees or pay the fees.The schedule was the same as ours and they did not play in the positions they had with me. Needless to say it was not the players but the parents that pushed the team change as I would suspect in many of these cases.

Sure enough they were back at tryouts the next season. I did bring one back and she played with me until she signed for college.
I am not aware of smaller teams trying to recruit our ladies but we have had teams pull profiles at tournaments and have parents/players contact ladies looking for jumpers. In both cases the player and parent told me what happened and we did not lose anyone.

 

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Why is it that some of the big name teams feel it necessary to steal players from other teams? I understand this area is watered down with teams and talent. It seems like we need a governing body or rules in place to keep a level playing field. Big name teams looking for 1 more kid to sit on their bench. Is it the parents, coach, or athlete that feel its better to ride the pine or play periodically out of position for a big name winning team as a #2 or #3 instead of going somewhere you can be a #1 and play the position you should be playing and help one of those clubs that is 1 or 2 pieces away from competing and beating these big names? There are many opportunities out there. Hopefully somebody can fill me in on some of this. Why its ok for the big name team to contact players already signed and playing for an organization? If a smaller organization contacts one of their players they have a conniption fit and freak out.

How exactly do "Big Name" teams STEAL players from other teams? Do they pluck them off the practice field against their will? Do they nab them at the bus stop? Do they hold them for ransom? No, no, and no.

They leave because either the player or the parents want to leave. They leave for perceived greener pastures. Maybe they're greener; maybe they're not. The coaches of the big name teams may offer an opportunity. Maybe the player of your team contacted the coach of the big name team. Who knows, but the player or the player's parents would not leave if they did not truly want to. Don't take it personally. It happens all the time, and there's a good chance they will leave said team due to lack of playing time, and end up jumping from team to team virtually every season.

Len