What is travel ball?

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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?

Soap operas, this coming from somebody with over 3,000 post. I don't think I'm the one that needs help. Get Real, Really! Do they pay you to be on here....lol?

Personally I don't watch soaps and if you saw the post count I had before moving and changing names I am scared about what you would call me.......

Wonder what she thinks of my post count?;&

 

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I have to admit, I dig the dancing banana!!!

Me too, and the little headbanger dude in the other post.

 

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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.

I agree parents that want guaranteed playing time in exchange for their money should find a team that offers it or go back to rec. However, it is dishonest for a team to take on a player to fill out their roster they know won't play without disclosing that up front.

I find it interesting I see the "best 9 play" credo frequently on here and rarely see/hear it in SoCal, yet Ohio teams seem to have very small rosters.

Can we all agree, there are alot of bad teams out there, that should not be in travel ball?

There is nothing wrong with a wide spectrum of travel teams and there are appropriate competitions for all of them. New teams unknowingly get themselves in over their head because they don't know better. Other times, it is a good team's fault for getting into something beneath them.

 

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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?

Thanks for your post, musty...Because I was starting to feel that way, actually. My DD is only in her 2nd year (11U) and I honestly have no idea if she really 'belongs' or not. I know this, though, beyond any shaddow of a doubt: She can't play rec ball any more. her skill and desire to play this game competitivley is beyond what the local rec league can offer her.

 

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I agree parents that want guaranteed playing time in exchange for their money should find a team that offers it or go back to rec. However, it is dishonest for a team to take on a player to fill out their roster they know won't play without disclosing that up front.

I find it interesting I see the "best 9 play" credo frequently on here and rarely see/hear it in SoCal, yet Ohio teams seem to have very small rosters.



There is nothing wrong with a wide spectrum of travel teams and there are appropriate competitions for all of them. New teams unknowingly get themselves in over their head because they don't know better. Other times, it is a good team's fault for getting into something beneath them.

I am one of those coaches who carries a small roster. I usually pick up 10 permanent players and one or two "swing" players. The swing player is a girl that doesn't want to or can't commit to a team full time for various reasons. Last year one of my swing player was a girl who was a good softball player but was more committed to travel basketball. Whenever I had a girl that couldn't make a tournament I would bring in this player for the weekend. This was agreed on up front and no team fees were charged. In the past I have had larger rosters, but there was no way you can keep everyone happy. But the last two years I've used the swing player concept I was able to keep most parents happy with playing time...although I certainly didn't run the team with that objective.

I think honesty is the important thing and each parent should be communicated with prior to the season start as to how you will run your team. I had a situation this year that I felt terrible about but I was able to live with myself for being up front with the situation. My starting catcher last year was returning to our team. She got the majority of time at that position and was a good player with strengths and weaknesses like most 12u players.

But during the winter a girl that I coached several years prior become available. (Another reason I carry a small roster is that sometimes over the winter a good player will become available.) This girl was the real deal from a catcher's perspective and had great speed and a very good bat. I knew that this was going to create a situation at the catcher's spot because I was going to have two players with expectations of the majority of playing time. Having watched these two players for several years(the new girl is on my LL team as well) I knew who was going to get the most playing time.

It wasn't an easy decision, but I called the returning player's father and met with him. I told him that based on my observation that there was a good chance that his daughter wouldn't get the majority of playing time. I told him that I was still committed to his daughter as a player on the team (we've had tryouts and selected the team at this point) and that I would find a spot for her. I just wanted to be honest up front. He said that he was okay with sharing time if his daughter got to play second base when she wasn't catching. I told him I couldn't make that promise. (She didn't have the quickness for that position) This upset the daughter which made me feel like the scum of the earth. They made a decision to move to another team. I refunded them their full entry fee. (This happened a month before first game was played.)

When I selected his daughter I was committed to her as a member of the team. I just couldn't guarantee a position. So...even though it isn't the most comfortable thing in the world to do, I think you owe it to your parents to be honest. Carrying 14 kids on a roster would be nightmare to me.