What is travel ball?

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As I read through some of these threads, I get confused! What is travel ball? Is it recreational ball, where parents just have an overwhelming amount of money and want to pay high team fees and have social weekends? My thoughts of travel ball are, a girl stands out amongst others and is dedicated to take her skills to a higher level. Why can't people be realistic? My DD looked at a Piano and happened to touch one of the keys and it made sound, I think she will be performing live in a couple of years.......lol.

 

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You really have issues.

 

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Yep, we all drive Bentley's.

come on seriously, What's the beef?

 

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The only beef I have is when parent's start questioning a coaches decision regarding playing time. This is travel ball we are talking about, it is about the best players, playing the best players. Atleast in my mind it should be. When a team consistantly gets run-ruled in every tourney they play in, someone on that team should probably be on a city Rec-team.

 

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I guess you are unhappy with your DD's situation and want to vent right?

 

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The only beef I have is when parent's start questioning a coaches decision regarding playing time. This is travel ball we are talking about, it is about the best players, playing the best players. Atleast in my mind it should be. When a team consistantly gets run-ruled in every tourney they play in, someone on that team should probably be on a city Rec-team.

I see your point (within reason). Playing time is always a touchy subject when people are paying money to participate in a sport. The issues usually arise when parent thinks their DD is better than they actually are. It's a hard fact to swallow when you have to admit there are other "better" players on the team.

As for the RR issue you have to take a couple of things into consideration.
1. Is this a new team trying to break into travel ball and taking their lumps? Yes, no one likes to get blasted on the field but are the girls young and trying to build experience? I have no issue with a new org trying to build a program and getting out there every week busting their butts to get better.

2. Is this a local team trying to get a feel for what better ball looks like? Almost all of our kids started out in some form of rec ball and I bet it was their coach's idea to take the team to a travel tournament to see if they were really any good. Usually this ends up badly and the coach gets his answer. The good coaches stick it out and try to build upon what they learn and keep coming back. Thus getting RR'd more times than not.

3. Yes, there are those teams that are only put together because of daddy ball. They'll probably never be successful because the coaches are in it for the wrong reason. They'll never drop down to rec because it doesn't register with them that (reason in #1) their DD isn't a superstar. Therefore week after week they get hammered yet they don't care because their kid plays travel.

I'm sure the better organizations hate playing these undermanned teams because it really doesn't press or make their teams better. There is slack given to those undermanned teams that are obviously there to get better in the long run.

A good coach can usually tell a daddy ball team and will probably be less likely to take it easy on them in hopes they will realize this probably isn't where they should be.

 

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its a fair point that there are a whole bunch of travel teams that are no more than jr or sr league local all stars . and some are very very good, and some should just give it up. MD

 

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I am not venting at all regarding my DD's situation, very happy where she is at. I do want to vent when I read about parent's wanting to know why their DD is not getting playing time and should there be a rule regarding playing time, because they forked over a thousand to play. Can we all agree, there are alot of bad teams out there, that should not be in travel ball?

 

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As I read through some of these threads, I get confused! What is travel ball? Is it recreational ball, where parents just have an overwhelming amount of money and want to pay high team fees and have social weekends? My thoughts of travel ball are, a girl stands out amongst others and is dedicated to take her skills to a higher level. Why can't people be realistic? My DD looked at a Piano and happened to touch one of the keys and it made sound, I think she will be performing live in a couple of years.......lol.

To take your piano analogy further. There are some parents who would be fine with the instruction their kid get in their instrument of choice through the school band program. Others might choose to have private lessons for their kid and the driving factor may or may not be the talent or desire of the kid it may just be the wish of the parent to get more instruction for their kid with the hope that it will increase the kid's quality of life.

Kids don't go to travel ball because they are necessarily better, I know kids doing DI sports (other than softball) who played Rec softball and were extremely good but unwilling to commit to a travel ball schedule due to conflicts with their primary sport. Likewise I have seen kids with little or no physical skills play travel from 7 years old through high school and never make a starting line up for their Varsity team because their skill level never got there. Doesn't mean it was a waste of time for them to play travel if they got something out of it and enjoyed the journey.

 

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I am not venting at all regarding my DD's situation, very happy where she is at. I do want to vent when I read about parent's wanting to know why their DD is not getting playing time and should there be a rule regarding playing time, because they forked over a thousand to play. Can we all agree, there are alot of bad teams out there, that should not be in travel ball?

IME if your team is good enough to be making that statement, they should be smart enough to be in the tournaments with other like teams and let the lesser teams compete with each other at the lesser venues. If your team is that good but was not that smart then it's not the fault of the other teams that you are playing.

 

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I can tell you this... regardless of your team, the DD's talent, the coach, the transparency of the coach, the fairness, the roster spot she has... winning and winning... the coach will never get it right.

"All DD's are 10-0" behind the fence...

So... that's how travel ball becomes daddy ball, teams get started, teams fall apart, drama continues, and the rest (and my short list) is well.... been highly discussed on this forum.

 

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I can see your point. But; somebody has to sit. Coach can't roster nine players the entire season. Yes, some players play many more innings than others - sometimes it's justified, sometimes not.

Travel ball "is what it is...". Coach will never make everybody happy. It can't be done.

 

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I am not venting at all regarding my DD's situation, very happy where she is at. I do want to vent when I read about parent's wanting to know why their DD is not getting playing time and should there be a rule regarding playing time, because they forked over a thousand to play. Can we all agree, there are alot of bad teams out there, that should not be in travel ball?

It still comes back to matching a team/club philosophy with individual kids and families. There are teams/clubs that are all about taking the best local rec players and getting them more experienced and hardened for the local high school down the road, and there are clubs that are all about trophies, championships, dominence, and college exposure .... and many many in-between somewhere.

What you see and hear on OFC about the topic is really kinda interesting to me, because I like to see all types of kids find a "home", and play ball at the ability, pressure, and long term goal level, that is best for them. The people that ask these questions are either kids/parents trying to understand what might be out there for them, or coaches doing a reality check among peers because some "crazy" person is all up in their grill over something, lol.

We guarantee a high % of playing time to every girl on our club, but we selected girls that have the ability and commitment to give us what we want .... which is VERY demanding. But, we have a commitment to their development. And I have no problems whatsoever with clubs that sit a girl in Bracket play who hit .129 in Pool play ... if that is their "program" .....

 

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As I read through some of these threads, I get confused! What is travel ball? Is it recreational ball, where parents just have an overwhelming amount of money and want to pay high team fees and have social weekends? My thoughts of travel ball are, a girl stands out amongst others and is dedicated to take her skills to a higher level. Why can't people be realistic? My DD looked at a Piano and happened to touch one of the keys and it made sound, I think she will be performing live in a couple of years.......lol.

Why do you care so much what other people do? If you can't deal with what is none of your business seek professional help.

If some rec players want to have a travel team whats it to you? If some parents want to spend a bunch of THEIR money on THEIR kid...whats it to you? Jealous because you can't?

I know this is from the networks cutting back on soap operas so you need another place to be a busy body. Instead how about seeking help?

Fastpitch is a GAME for KIDS, girls, not for you. If they want to go out and have some fun playing ball, traveling to tournaments and making new friends,,,GREAT! A mental case who can't mind his own business shouldn't slow them down. If you have a problem with your team not finding enough competition then talk to your coach because they are doing a bad job of scheduling.

Simply said, seek help, you have problem.

JMHO LOL

 

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Why do you care so much what other people do? If you can't deal with what is none of your business seek professional help.

If some rec players want to have a travel team whats it to you? If some parents want to spend a bunch of THEIR money on THEIR kid...whats it to you? Jealous because you can't?

I know this is from the networks cutting back on soap operas so you need another place to be a busy body. Instead how about seeking help?

Fastpitch is a GAME for KIDS, girls, not for you. If they want to go out and have some fun playing ball, traveling to tournaments and making new friends,,,GREAT! A mental case who can't mind his own business shouldn't slow them down. If you have a problem with your team not finding enough competition then talk to your coach because they are doing a bad job of scheduling.

Simply said, seek help, you have problem.

JMHO LOL

Musty strikes again... and your "JMHO" was redundant...:lmao:

 

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LOL

Don't like the thought of some girl or her family reading a stupid post like that and felling like they don't belong because they are not a star on a "top ten" team.

Did you like the Dancing Banana?

 

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pretty sure I'm not commenting on that...

 

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I've been on both ends with teams on this debate. My daughter played as an 11 year old on a mostly 12 year old team. The coach had a daughter who was the weakest player on the team. She played second base and batted in the top 5 spots in the lineup EVERY game. Her season ending average was literally under .100. She played while more talented girls, including my daughter were rotated around the outfield playing 3 girls played one position. They were a competitive team, but that one issue always kept them from being a truly competitive team. The coach had very little to offer the players, and relied mostly upon the assistants to instruct. He was there for one reason, to promote his daughter. Needless to say, we stayed behind when they went to 14U this year. My daughter caught on with another 12U team this year. Again a coaches daughter was on the team. The difference is that this coaches daughter has the skills to warrant her position on the field. The parents all get along, don't mumble behind the coaches back, and the overall atmosphere is 1000% better. As a result the team is much more successful. If you are coaching just so your daughter has a starting spot on the team, you are in it for the wrong reasons. Get out.

 

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My DD is presently playing both travel ball and rec ball. There is a huge difference. With travel ball you have 11 girls with the common goal of getting to the finals on Sunday. With rec ball you have 4 girls who play hard and want to do their best, and 4 girls who can not make up their minds if they want to play that day. 2 girls who are there because the parent's are making them, and the 1 girl who you never know is going to show up or not. It depends on her social schedule. There is a difference of level of play, and most of the time coaching is much better.

 

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This is travel ball we are talking about, it is about the best players, playing the best players.

This means one team per state playing the other state's best. Or even less teams.... maybe one team per region?. Can your kid play on that team? If so, awesome. If not, put her back in rec. What is the cutoff? Qualify for a legitimate nationals or hang it up?