Travel ball and Rec ball?

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Since I assume OFC is mostly made up of travel ball coaches, parents players..., I am wondering what everyone thinks and does with the local rec teams? ( I am only concerned with 10U and 12U because I think at 14U and up, there is no question as to which you will commit to... )

comment on the following:

1- 10U players... do you play both or just travel ball?
2- 12U players... do you play both or just travel ball?
3- Coaches.. do you request or demand your players commit to one or the other and are you "ok" with players playing both?

What are the advantages or disadvantages?

 

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Ditch the rec as early as possible. Your kids will have a tough time adjusting from the slow dumbed down rec game to the faster pace and higher competition of travel - even at 10u. Been there, done that.

 

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8u...Played rec...and dominated except strasburg....she split with them

9u...played both.

10u..focus on travelball.


Have a dd that played 12u last year. 13u this year. Look at getting the showcase nod with her coach. Will be a D1 player next year as a Froshman... she will be the main focus cuz she deserves it! Is competing against high school players already...and she is working hard!

 

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Due to use already committing to rec ball my daughter played both at 10U and it was mixed. First I would not have taken her out of rec to just play travel because we had already signed up, I was the coach, etc. We got invited to play travel and as it turned out she missed very few travel practices and games.

What happened is that the rec ball hurt the travel, and the travel hurt the rec ball. She would be way ahead of the ball when hitting and developed some bad habits by letting her hands drift forward. When she went to travel it took her a game or so to readjust, etc.

It would have been best to have her play just travel but again we did not want to abandon the rec program which had been good to us.

The only reason I would ever advocate playing both is if you feel your daughter wouldn't get much playing time on her travel team. Maybe she is a valid travel player but just not one who commands a great deal of field time. Maybe she wants to continue to pitch but can't crack the pitching rotation just yet. Those are a few reasons to do it but be aware of the negatives. Balance it all out and chances are playing both isn't the way to go.

 

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Oh yeah.... you run the risk of burnout when playing both. Zero downtime, etc.

 

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Also as you ask the questions you are seeking answers to you will notice many snotty travel elitist parents that feel they are too good from where they came from. Learn to listen to some of the good stuff they have to offer and ignore their disdain for anything below them.

 

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Oh yeah.... you run the risk of burnout when playing both. Zero downtime, etc.

It's a team sport. Once games get under way and you're playing 2 days a week with your rec team and 3 days a week with your travel team....what options do you have to practice with either of those teams?

And is your absence fair to your teammates (of either team) who depend on you to be on the same page as the rest of the team?

 

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It's a team sport. Once games get under way and you're playing 2 days a week with your rec team and 3 days a week with your travel team....what options do you have to practice with either of those teams?

And is your absence fair to your teammates (of either team) who depend on you to be on the same page as the rest of the team?

In my case the travel team knew that we were signed up for rec and that was the priority. If you make the situation clear and everybody is ok with it then I feel that is fair. If I would have went travel first, rec second then that would have been unfair. When there was a conflict the rec came first. I'm sure my daughter doesn't remember but it was also a demonstration of commitment. We committed to rec first so we will see it through.

 

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If they are playing travel to get to the next level why would you want them to play against weaker overall talent and skill level. I understand the commitments and my dd played both a couple years ago. So with hindsight being 20-20..............the answer is easy. You get better playing against better talent.

 

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Depends on what the rec level is...all have to start somewhere. Have 8 out of 11 playing travel this year. Played and beat travel teams on the way. Was willing to lose to play the best!

All in all..11 of 11 girls on the varsity played travel, where i wanted the program to go.

 

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I agree with Hornet. I have seen it with my own 2 eyes with my own child. One does not help the other. The increased games do not equate to increased production. I don't look down at rec programs either, I am on the board of mine. We do a lot of good and provide a service to the community. There are several girls that do not/cannot play travel ball be it for talent, finances or not willing to make a serious committment. On the flip side, if your daughter is dominating the local rec circuit, chances are that everyone's parents are wondering what in the heck she is doing there.
It is a slippery slope for sure, while travel is making the game/girls/teams much better, in some ways it is killing the rec programs. Girls that are avg. travel pitchers dominate in rec. The other girls can't hit. The defense stands around and is board. Girls lose interest. They move on to something with action like ******.
As a manager, my team was 9 last year and even at that age, I thought that I was clear that it was OK to play both but my team HAD to be their priority. Long story short, 2 girls skipped a tournament of ours to play their rec tournament. You guessed it, their dads were the coaches, and they didn't even tell me till I was in the city of OUR tournament on Saturday morning.
The thing is this, Make the hard decision right now while your mind is clear and there are no pressures. If there is a rec/travel conflict, where will we go? If you are up front with either coach, it will clear up any hard feelings, or it could mean the travel coach showing you the door. In all reality, I pay $875 and practice year round with my travel team. I pay $65 for rec and 95% of those kids pick up their bat and glove in April and put it down in July. I think the choice should be pretty clear right there.

 

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I agree with many of the statements above. The biggest concern is burning out with playing both. My DD played both a couple of years ago and it was just way too much. Even though she loves playing the game, I could see the sigh of relief at the end of the season that year. By the time you play two rec games a week and practice with the travel team, possible 2 days, and then tournaments all weekend, it really does make for a long summer.

Also, playing both really did affect her swing. Rec ball pitching is completely different than travel ball. So, she would adjust her swing through the week to hit the slower rec pitching, then struggle on the weekends keeping up with the faster travel pitchers. Plus, because you are doing something everynight practically, there were no "off" days to work with her on the things she really needed to work on.

 

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Mine played a weekly Rec league all the way thru 18 Along with travel. She always used the weekly League to work on different issues. Used it as pratice. Never really saw any issues from it.

Tim

 

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If your dd is really into softball and can't get enough playing it, than I say stick with travel ball only and focus her efforts on improving her game and skills. If it is just another fun game and not something they are super serious about, stick with rec ball and let her explore other activities until she finds something she loves doing. If she isn't willing to put all her spare time and then some into travel ball, she is just wasting her time, your time, and the teams time.

I am not a big fan of playing both, although I always allowed my girls to play whatever they wanted as long as they didn't miss our team functions. You can't fully commit to any 1 team and the level of play is so polar opposite that it effects the players game. It's easier and better for everyone to just choose 1 team and commit to it 100%.

 

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here is another situation ~ if your DD is 3rd pitcher on her travel team, does it make sense to play rec. too so she can pitch all the rec games and improve where she wouldn't get the time on the mound on the travel.... the only thing is how do you not let her bat vs rec games so she doesn't mess up her swing... but then dont girls need to learn how to hit the off speed pitches too?? I agree with burn out for both parents girls and the entire family.... me, I have a 10u and 12u. Our 10u played both last year at 9 years old and pitched only in rec. but took her rec team to state semi's and bringing back 90% of the team in 2012- a state title is within reach here. Now she also is #2 pitcher on the travel team....so pithcing rec helped her work her way up to #2 spot on the travel rotation. on the other hand my 12u only played rec last year now playing travel and 3rd in the pitching rotation and wants to get more pitching time by playing with her school mates at rec.... GEESE! Is going after a rec state championship worth it, playing both? If both my girls want to play both------ i will lose all my hair and both have the chance to get burnt out~~~ oh and my 7 year old son ALWAYS get the short end of the stick because i miss most his weekday baseball games because I coach(ed) both girls rec teams last year, and this year coach the travel for one of them... I wont coach the 12u rec. but am head coach (if we play) the 10u rec. and coach the 10u travel. OMG
anyone know how to clone people yet??? help!!! wow--- thinking about it makes my head hurt.

 

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Hopefully I don't come off as one of those elitist travel snobs. I agree that rec programs have their place and are good for a lot of kids.

The reasons I am against both are well documented on previous posts. I have seen first hand kids who are true travel players that are absolutely MISERABLE at rec games but they are there because the parents feel obligated. I also know what it's like to feel pressure from people in the local community to keep kids in the rec program. I was even threatened once by the local director who also at the time happened to be the local middle school coach that and I quote: "I'm not saying she won't make the school team, but you really need to think about what you're doing with Xxxxxxx."

Yeah

 

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Mine played a weekly Rec league all the way thru 18 Along with travel. She always used the weekly League to work on different issues. Used it as pratice. Never really saw any issues from it. Tim

And his is one of the best hitters around, note the avatar!!! Being able to hit a 30mph change up after just getting a 60mph screwball will be VERY important and can't be done unless you see slower pitching. My DD loves the batter that practices hitting 63mph fastballs 250ft, because 9 out of 10 times she swings out of her shorts at the 30mph change up.

 

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WM83 makes some very valid points for both sides and I believe as always that each situation is different and needs to be considered on an individual basis. Personally, I see nothing wrong with playing both in our area. However, the family needs to be honest and upfront with the organizations about the summer plans and you need to choose 1 to be a priority over the other. I would suggest choosing travel over Rec because of the monetary & travel commitment that the travel families endure. It's quite possible that the Rec team has extra players and the exposure for another, even at the Rec level, would be a benefit to that girl. Travel teams normally have a limited roster.

If you are one of these parents and torn between your loyalties, ask yourself if you cleared the air before the season so everyone knows what to expect when schedules conflict. Why is staying home to play in a Rec team tourney so important to you? Are you that shallow that you would let a travel team hanging short of players without notice so you can show off your daughter to the neighbors? Many will reply that it was their daughter's decision to stay when we all know how influential the parents can be with 8-12 yr. old kids. If you dummy the situation up, those kids will be just as happy missing the league tourney and playing with the travel team in what is probably a higher level of competition. Make your commitment early and stick to your decisions.

I believe the more game/field time a kid gets early is very beneficial and while I understand the worry about burn out, I believe the attitude of the family is a main contributor to this issue. If you start whining about all the ball and time/travel, it's only a matter of time before the kids get tired of hearing it and rebel in your favor. Some actually get burned out, but if the experience is fun they will want to return without question.

I don’t believe playing both is a negative experience. Your response to it negatively may ruin your daughter’s chance to play at least some ball with her school friends. Don’t deny that if you can help it. She’ll see them daily throughout her educational and social life and it can be key to developing social skills while balancing her efforts with her other life----travel ball. While Rec ball in many cases is a less challenging atmosphere, it is still an adjustment that should be key to developing an all-round player. A player (and parent) that can adapt and perform.

Make the experience a memorable one for your child and have fun with it. Discuss with your family what is too much and how much you believe you can commit to the experience without regret. Then stick to a family plan that works. If it allows you to try out and play for BatBusters, have a great ride. If all your fun meter and finances can handle is Rec League in the backyard, volunteer to help make it the best league in town and watch your kid grow like a weed in front of your eyes.

 

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here is another situation ~ if your DD is 3rd pitcher on her travel team, does it make sense to play rec. too so she can pitch all the rec games and improve where she wouldn't get the time on the mound on the travel.... the only thing is how do you not let her bat vs rec games so she doesn't mess up her swing... but then dont girls need to learn how to hit the off speed pitches too?? I agree with burn out for both parents girls and the entire family.... me, I have a 10u and 12u. Our 10u played both last year at 9 years old and pitched only in rec. but took her rec team to state semi's and bringing back 90% of the team in 2012- a state title is within reach here. Now she also is #2 pitcher on the travel team....so pithcing rec helped her work her way up to #2 spot on the travel rotation. on the other hand my 12u only played rec last year now playing travel and 3rd in the pitching rotation and wants to get more pitching time by playing with her school mates at rec.... GEESE! Is going after a rec state championship worth it, playing both? If both my girls want to play both------ i will lose all my hair and both have the chance to get burnt out~~~ oh and my 7 year old son ALWAYS get the short end of the stick because i miss most his weekday baseball games because I coach(ed) both girls rec teams last year, and this year coach the travel for one of them... I wont coach the 12u rec. but am head coach (if we play) the 10u rec. and coach the 10u travel. OMG
anyone know how to clone people yet??? help!!! wow--- thinking about it makes my head hurt.

Why wouldent you let her get as many reps as possible. The rec allows her to work on her pitching game. Dont take what you read from everyone on here as gospel. Make your own decisions and do what is right for your dd. If she is getting little or no reps in travel its the perfect time to get them.

People will complain that rec will hurt a kids swing. If that is the case her swing wasnt that strong in her form to begin with. If you are allowing a bad pitcher to dictate her ability to hit the ball. She needs some reps.

I hear constantly from parents that my kid hits faster pitching than slower rec pitches. Thats because she either dosent know where to hit the ball or dosent do well at timing different pitches. A rep is a rep a good fundamental swing is just that whether it is from a TB or a RB pitcher. Use the time and the reps you get to work on her game.

Heck I even let mine play a slow pitch league after the TB season to work on waiting for the pitch. She has played at the least 10 months out of the year for the last 8 years. If your dd burns out then its as much her finding different things in life she likes as much or more than softball. There are ball players and then there are kids that play softball. Let her decide which one she is.


Tim

 

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My dd is a pitcher also and she pitched rec and travel when she was 9 and HATED it!! Once she got the taste for the skill and competition level in travel, rec ball was no longer fun. She was absolutly miserable and so were we, nothing worse than getting used to the fast pace of travel ball only to go back to the 2 hour walk fests associated with rec.

Now as far as being a snobby elitist travel parent, I think you have it backwards. I or my 3 girls have NEVER been treated so horribly as when we decided to leave our local rec league and go to travel ball. It sometimes amazes me how rediculous people, both adults and children, can act over the betterment of a child. I hear this same story over and over again from many travel parents and players....now who are the snobs??? There aren't many travel teams that won't open their arms to just about any player who comes along, but the rec parents are so busy turning their nose to anyone who is better than their kids that they wouldn't notice it.