The Worst Thing About Select/Travel Ball

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Watching the dog have an anxiety attack every Friday when he sees you loading the car and he knows it's another weekend of Grandma coming over to let him out to tinkle.

That's funny but true.

 

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OHSAA rules...so the math teacher can debate what your DD has been taught/coached since she was 5 years old.

 

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Tryouts are done as of Wednesday. Had the bulk of the players there on Saturday and the rest (and a few call-backs) on Wednesday. Tuesday night I got little sleep, as do many coaches trying to do the right thing and parents worrying about their players. Wednesday night's sleep was barely better as I now knew who was going to be offered the last slots and who was going to be turned down. Agony.

I ended up keeping more than I wanted. One player, who was on the "cut side" going into Wednesday just would not let me cut her. Everything she did was all out, hustle all over the place, looking for some brick wall to run through or a fence to run over. The 14U and the 16U team had combined for these few players (probably 12 there overall, 4 of them for my team) and the 16U players were slacking. When I called them in to tell them about the next station I reminded them that they were at tryouts and it would be good if they hustled everywhere they went. I told them that to see who would do it. The one player who refused to be cut was already hustling but now she sprinted everywhere she went. When it was time to go to the outdoor cage for some hitting I told them to get their hitting stuff and meet me there. The cage was about 100 yards away. By the time I had gone over to get my stuff and walked 15 feet I looked up and she was just arriving at the spot. She had ran hard the whole way. The rest of the team was walking as a group. When I got about 50 yards away I started to loudly praise that effort and a few girls then took off jogging to get there. How can I cut that kind of player? The other coaches said "Yeah that's how she is all the time, she just hasn't had much instruction.". Well now she will. I pulled her and her dad aside and told her that I was offering to her and she almost hyper-ventilated. "Oh my god oh my god THANK YOU!". The good thing is that she is not a BAD player, she was just a bit off on her fielding, enough to put her below the cut line. I think with some practice on her mechanics she will catch up just a few tournaments into the season. I went home and told my daughter that they are in trouble because they had ALL better hustle like her else I'd let this player pitch, catch and play the field all by herself while they sat on the bench and watched.

 

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Tryouts are done as of Wednesday. Had the bulk of the players there on Saturday and the rest (and a few call-backs) on Wednesday. Tuesday night I got little sleep, as do many coaches trying to do the right thing and parents worrying about their players. Wednesday night's sleep was barely better as I now knew who was going to be offered the last slots and who was going to be turned down. Agony.

I ended up keeping more than I wanted. One player, who was on the "cut side" going into Wednesday just would not let me cut her. Everything she did was all out, hustle all over the place, looking for some brick wall to run through or a fence to run over. The 14U and the 16U team had combined for these few players (probably 12 there overall, 4 of them for my team) and the 16U players were slacking. When I called them in to tell them about the next station I reminded them that they were at tryouts and it would be good if they hustled everywhere they went. I told them that to see who would do it. The one player who refused to be cut was already hustling but now she sprinted everywhere she went. When it was time to go to the outdoor cage for some hitting I told them to get their hitting stuff and meet me there. The cage was about 100 yards away. By the time I had gone over to get my stuff and walked 15 feet I looked up and she was just arriving at the spot. She had ran hard the whole way. The rest of the team was walking as a group. When I got about 50 yards away I started to loudly praise that effort and a few girls then took off jogging to get there. How can I cut that kind of player? The other coaches said "Yeah that's how she is all the time, she just hasn't had much instruction.". Well now she will. I pulled her and her dad aside and told her that I was offering to her and she almost hyper-ventilated. "Oh my god oh my god THANK YOU!". The good thing is that she is not a BAD player, she was just a bit off on her fielding, enough to put her below the cut line. I think with some practice on her mechanics she will catch up just a few tournaments into the season. I went home and told my daughter that they are in trouble because they had ALL better hustle like her else I'd let this player pitch, catch and play the field all by herself while they sat on the bench and watched.

I'd kill for ten girls just like this even if they weren't as talented as the "prima donnas" who are real good but won't put the effort or hustle into their game. Actually for me, rather than being on the bubble of being cut, she would be the first girl I would offer. I can teach a girl anything to catch up to the more "talented" ones if she has the burning desire to play like she does! Also the hustle and desire eventually rubs off on some of the other girls as well.

 

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Tryouts are done as of Wednesday. Had the bulk of the players there on Saturday and the rest (and a few call-backs) on Wednesday. Tuesday night I got little sleep, as do many coaches trying to do the right thing and parents worrying about their players. Wednesday night's sleep was barely better as I now knew who was going to be offered the last slots and who was going to be turned down. Agony.

I ended up keeping more than I wanted. One player, who was on the "cut side" going into Wednesday just would not let me cut her. Everything she did was all out, hustle all over the place, looking for some brick wall to run through or a fence to run over. The 14U and the 16U team had combined for these few players (probably 12 there overall, 4 of them for my team) and the 16U players were slacking. When I called them in to tell them about the next station I reminded them that they were at tryouts and it would be good if they hustled everywhere they went. I told them that to see who would do it. The one player who refused to be cut was already hustling but now she sprinted everywhere she went. When it was time to go to the outdoor cage for some hitting I told them to get their hitting stuff and meet me there. The cage was about 100 yards away. By the time I had gone over to get my stuff and walked 15 feet I looked up and she was just arriving at the spot. She had ran hard the whole way. The rest of the team was walking as a group. When I got about 50 yards away I started to loudly praise that effort and a few girls then took off jogging to get there. How can I cut that kind of player? The other coaches said "Yeah that's how she is all the time, she just hasn't had much instruction.". Well now she will. I pulled her and her dad aside and told her that I was offering to her and she almost hyper-ventilated. "Oh my god oh my god THANK YOU!". The good thing is that she is not a BAD player, she was just a bit off on her fielding, enough to put her below the cut line. I think with some practice on her mechanics she will catch up just a few tournaments into the season. I went home and told my daughter that they are in trouble because they had ALL better hustle like her else I'd let this player pitch, catch and play the field all by herself while they sat on the bench and watched.

Nice! That is what it should be all about,

 

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tryouts are done as of wednesday. Had the bulk of the players there on saturday and the rest (and a few call-backs) on wednesday. Tuesday night i got little sleep, as do many coaches trying to do the right thing and parents worrying about their players. Wednesday night's sleep was barely better as i now knew who was going to be offered the last slots and who was going to be turned down. Agony.

I ended up keeping more than i wanted. One player, who was on the "cut side" going into wednesday just would not let me cut her. Everything she did was all out, hustle all over the place, looking for some brick wall to run through or a fence to run over. The 14u and the 16u team had combined for these few players (probably 12 there overall, 4 of them for my team) and the 16u players were slacking. When i called them in to tell them about the next station i reminded them that they were at tryouts and it would be good if they hustled everywhere they went. I told them that to see who would do it. The one player who refused to be cut was already hustling but now she sprinted everywhere she went. When it was time to go to the outdoor cage for some hitting i told them to get their hitting stuff and meet me there. The cage was about 100 yards away. By the time i had gone over to get my stuff and walked 15 feet i looked up and she was just arriving at the spot. She had ran hard the whole way. The rest of the team was walking as a group. When i got about 50 yards away i started to loudly praise that effort and a few girls then took off jogging to get there. How can i cut that kind of player? The other coaches said "yeah that's how she is all the time, she just hasn't had much instruction.". Well now she will. I pulled her and her dad aside and told her that i was offering to her and she almost hyper-ventilated. "oh my god oh my god thank you!". The good thing is that she is not a bad player, she was just a bit off on her fielding, enough to put her below the cut line. I think with some practice on her mechanics she will catch up just a few tournaments into the season. I went home and told my daughter that they are in trouble because they had all better hustle like her else i'd let this player pitch, catch and play the field all by herself while they sat on the bench and watched.

great post wm

 

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Tryouts are done as of Wednesday. Had the bulk of the players there on Saturday and the rest (and a few call-backs) on Wednesday. Tuesday night I got little sleep, as do many coaches trying to do the right thing and parents worrying about their players. Wednesday night's sleep was barely better as I now knew who was going to be offered the last slots and who was going to be turned down. Agony.

I ended up keeping more than I wanted. One player, who was on the "cut side" going into Wednesday just would not let me cut her. Everything she did was all out, hustle all over the place, looking for some brick wall to run through or a fence to run over. The 14U and the 16U team had combined for these few players (probably 12 there overall, 4 of them for my team) and the 16U players were slacking. When I called them in to tell them about the next station I reminded them that they were at tryouts and it would be good if they hustled everywhere they went. I told them that to see who would do it. The one player who refused to be cut was already hustling but now she sprinted everywhere she went. When it was time to go to the outdoor cage for some hitting I told them to get their hitting stuff and meet me there. The cage was about 100 yards away. By the time I had gone over to get my stuff and walked 15 feet I looked up and she was just arriving at the spot. She had ran hard the whole way. The rest of the team was walking as a group. When I got about 50 yards away I started to loudly praise that effort and a few girls then took off jogging to get there. How can I cut that kind of player? The other coaches said "Yeah that's how she is all the time, she just hasn't had much instruction.". Well now she will. I pulled her and her dad aside and told her that I was offering to her and she almost hyper-ventilated. "Oh my god oh my god THANK YOU!". The good thing is that she is not a BAD player, she was just a bit off on her fielding, enough to put her below the cut line. I think with some practice on her mechanics she will catch up just a few tournaments into the season. I went home and told my daughter that they are in trouble because they had ALL better hustle like her else I'd let this player pitch, catch and play the field all by herself while they sat on the bench and watched.

Now track this for next summer and update us on her progress! Great story and she also just might be going through that goofy stage they all go through....

 

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The worst thing about travel ball is Daddy ball!!!!!

 

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I'd kill for ten girls just like this even if they weren't as talented as the "prima donnas" who are real good but won't put the effort or hustle into their game. Actually for me, rather than being on the bubble of being cut, she would be the first girl I would offer. I can teach a girl anything to catch up to the more "talented" ones if she has the burning desire to play like she does! Also the hustle and desire eventually rubs off on some of the other girls as well.

I do know one of the side benefits of having a player like that is bringing up the rest of the team, if they have it inside them at all. I'd like to think I didn't pick any lazy, self-centered players but you don't know until you get into it with them.

 

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Now track this for next summer and update us on her progress! Great story and she also just might be going through that goofy stage they all go through....

I will.

 

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The best comment I ever heard of a girl we had once was "she makes the dirt bleed" a kid like that becomes contagious to others, for the ones who think those types are showing off--- those ones can sit....

 

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Worst thing for me: Lack of true team attitude and sportsmanship. Too many parents/coaches compromise integrity to win. As Lou Holtz once said:

"If you burn your neighbors house down, it doesn't make your house look any better."
Read more at Lou Holtz Quotes - BrainyQuote​

 

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Parents rank at the top for me. Don't get me wrong you meet a lot of great people in travel ball, but I could do without the following parents-
I will only cheer for my kid.
When losing- everyone ****s on this team except my kid.
My kid won't be back next year-while the season is still going on.
Parents that purposely root against player(s) because they're better than their kid

 

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Parents are crazy!

I had a parent tell me and several others, with a straight face and on more than one occasion, that his daughter was the best batter on her 10u team until one of the coaches purposely taught her bad mechanics so that his own daughter would be the best batter on the team. :lmao:

I'm sure that if you ask him when it's all over with, and even if you don't, he will tell you that she fell victim to an equally sinister plot on every team she ends up playing for. It's a shame because she's a pretty good kid.