What to Do? Possible Cheating?

[default]

So - this is fall ball. We teach our girls to do the right thing all the time. We are teaching them good sportsmanship and how to play together like a team. We have 3 new girls and have moved up to 12U this year from 10U. Our girls are doing well together like playing and are having fun. They are learning and that is important.

Now, it is the playoffs. Another team is trying steamroll the action, change game times etc.. to fit their schedule. They do not have enough girls so they have 2 girls who they decided to float between 12u and 14u for playoffs. Excuse me but you cannot be on 2 rosters in this league, nor can you move down to play. This team has a bad reputation anyway and now they are just being plain out mean. We have complained to league director to no avail. We just hate seeing our girls and other teams in league play and try so hard only to be blindsided by this. How Rude.

Thanks for listening.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[default]

Fall ball rosters aren't watched too close. I think teams have a hard time fielding a team with all the other commitments that fall brings, so most leagues are lenient on pick-up players. I like it that way because I'd rather have a team grab a pick-up (even if she is a LITTLE older) than have them forfeit due to not enough players...I just want the girls to play. Although there is always a jerk or 2 who take advantage of it and exploit it to the point of cheating. People like that ruin it for everyone else and take the fun out of it. Time to look for a new league next year.

 

[default]

I'm with Klump on this one. I rather play than have the other team forfiet due to lack of players. Now if these 14u players were Elite and having them play down posed a safety risk to the younger kids I might have to rethink it.

 

[default]

In my opinion....anyone playing fall ball for any other reason than game time, keeping sharp, and getting to swing the bat a bit is in it for the wrong reason.....most coaches, players and parents understand what fall ball is...practice......heck....seen some girls play against each other one game and on the same team the next......great to see some good pitching, work on your defense, and enjoy the moment......

 

[default]

I always thought fall ball was a time for the girls that play serious all summer, to let their hair down. Get to play with friends, play out of their normal position, and just go out and have some fun. If you are there to win at all cost, relax. Like I tell both my DDs if you cant have fun doing it , why bother????

 

[default]

Fall ball is just that, fall ball, A time to have fun, see what you have for the next summer. Many teams have players that are playing school sports or out for other reasons like the flu. Or some organizations don't play fall ball so those players hook up with other team.
There are some teams out there that get all bent out of shape about teams with pick up players, WHY?
These coaches need to chill out and learn to take fall ball for what it really is.
Thats my thoughts!

Tim G.

 

[default]

yeah, we keep it loose and flexible. Helps get the ones that actually want to play the ability to play and give the others time off that want it... no harm done. Just keep the ages right for that particular calendar year. Jan 1 comes around... reset...

 

[default]

I will second that, a Fall Leauge is great for players to just have fun and do what they do. Its fun to watch them play with some of their friends and have a good time with the players and parents. Tournaments thou are a whole different conversation, Im sure we would all agree with that.

 

[default]

This team has a bad reputation anyway and now they are just being plain out mean.

What do you mean by "just being plain out mean"? What are a couple of examples of their mean-ness?

 

[default]

if your a 12 u and the two fill in players off the other team are 14u, just put them on base (walk them) when their up to bat .fr

 

[default]

Is it ok to use a girl for a fall tournament that is say 14u for 2009 (in a 14U tournament) but will be 16u for 2010? For ASA they are still age accurate for the 2009 season. But will need to be released for their 2010 rostering. Is this correct?

 

[default]

Is it ok to use a girl for a fall tournament that is say 14u for 2009 (in a 14U tournament) but will be 16u for 2010? For ASA they are still age accurate for the 2009 season. But will need to be released for their 2010 rostering. Is this correct?

I don't think it's okay if that team wins a berth at a qualifier in the fall for 2010 Nationals. I was of the impression they had to be age accurate by first week in August 2009 for those situations. If not a qualifier it's probably at the discretion of the TD.

 

[default]

Les, I could be wrong but I don't think anyone needs releases from a 2009 roster to be put on a 2010 roster, at least in ASA.

 

[default]

I am coaching in a 10U fall ball league, I have a few expierenced travel ball players reflective of their age and 8 girls who this was their first time playing in non coach pitch games. I got a call from a coach on another team asking if I would be interested in playing his team the last game of the year instead of the all travel team. There are 2 travel teams that have the best records that havent played each other, this coach thought since our records were similar we could let the travel teams play each other and our 2 teams of similar make up who havent played could play each other. I thought that was a good idea, the travel team he was to play against was for it, the team I was facing was not...the coach trying to set it up said, "it sounds like this team has a vendetta against a few kids on your team, I guess they left that organization to play for another one" I seriously can not stop laughing, a Vendetta in 10U fall ball!!!! hahahahahha

This softball expierence goes by very fast, before you know it your DD will be playing 18U ball, your going to meet some GREAT people along the way, and your going to meet some total "tools". Don't let the tools get to you, fall ball is suppose to be the time to work on things, have fun, "recharge" the softball batteries as in remember why our DD's are playing and thats to have fun. Your going to run into some people that take this stuff far to serious IMO, in the end it doesnt matter, your going to play the game, the season is going to end and your DD is going to start getting ready very shortly for the next season.

 

[default]

I think the reason I posted this is that we are doing what everyone here has said. We are playing to have fun-learning what positions our new girls are good at and getting everyone gelling together. The girls are having a great time. However, this is the playoffs and the girls in question have never been on this team the whole time and are pitchers at the 14u level. Our girls are all 10 and just moving up to 12u as are many of the teams. The team in question has been shall I say "talking smack" and just in it to win it. They lost several players to other teams because of their bad attitude and now they are breaking the rules to just get away with it. I feel like they are making a mockery of the teams who are playing to have fun and learn together. Does that make sense? They are not even trying to hide the fact that they are doing this. The worst part is that the girls on our team and other teams are trying hard and losing games because of this and don't need to, they could face the regular 12u pitcher and be fine and competitive with her but they are now getting discouraged. This team is not about the kids and rest of us are.

 

[default]

There is definately know good reason to bring down a 14u pitcher for the playoffs of a 12u fallball league.

 

[default]

I understand and appreciate the concept of Fall Ball. That being said, it does not give a person, team, or organization the right to break the rules, for any reason.

I'm sure that if a team is short handed, they could reasonably find a girl in their age group to play, maybe providing a future player with any opportunity to see if she wants to play the game of fastpitch. After all, isn't that what fall leagues are about? Learning new positions and trying out new players.

I agree with a previous poster...when the older girls come up to bat, just walk'em. It will get real boring real quick.

 

[default]

I understand and appreciate the concept of Fall Ball. That being said, it does not give a person, team, or organization the right to break the rules, for any reason.

I'm sure that if a team is short handed, they could reasonably find a girl in their age group to play, maybe providing a future player with any opportunity to see if she wants to play the game of fastpitch. After all, isn't that what fall leagues are about? Learning new positions and trying out new players.

I agree with a previous poster...when the older girls come up to bat, just walk'em. It will get real boring real quick.

I think its unclear on if the the girls playing 14U are to old to play 12U. It sounds to me like they are travel players that moved up in age to play against the 14's. Personally I would rather play then have a team forfeit. If we are talking rules etc. I am sure technically it would be to late to pick any players, it sounds more like the kids are good and thats why they dont want them to play. If the girls are 12U eligible next summer, I say quit complaining and play. If they are to old, I say they cant play at all, end of story thats why there are age levels. If the kids we were talking about were walking train wrecks on the diamond, this post never would have been started :lmao:

 

[default]

If a true 13U or a second year 12U the pitching speed cant be but a couple of mph difference, might want to say thanks for facing a more experienced pitcher, because it's exactly what you will face next summer pending on the type of tournaments you might attend. As everyone says play ball, any kid can play their current age until Jan 2010 then they have to move up to the proper age. That situation is really up to the parents and the kid and if it's the only way to get games, then it is what it is. As said in an earlier post about losing games they could possibly win and getting discouraged, FALL BALL IS NOT ABOUT WINNING, it's nice, but overall it's about innings and teams bonding preparing for the 2010 season and evaluating your talent so a coach knows what to work on over the winter.

 

[default]

Fall Ball , Summer ball, Winter Ball or rec ball once you hit the field your competive spirit kicks in and you want to win. I can understand where you are coming from but I would not lower myself and point fingers and accuse teams of cheating. As mentioned by others maybe they are short players and it's the only way they can play. If these two are not STUD pitchers then basically PLAY the GAME!! Don't put things in your own teams head that may not exist and then YOU are teaching them to be poor sports.