Why Don't Organizations have ???????

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When our oldest dd started playing ball (think 1990), we weren't even aware of travel ball. We were just trying to learn the differences between slow and fastpitch. Now that the youngest came along, we were still on a huge learning curve. If it wasn't for us stumbling upon OFC, and being friends with the local HS varsity coach, we never would have been able to provide the opportunity for the youngest dd to play as much as she has, as well as learn enough amnd improve as much as she has.
Quakerman's point about providing an opportunity for girls wanting to play travel, requires a more mass distribution of information.
It would also have to require a missionary type approach, and the cooperation of local rec leagues.
I don't think a "We'll provide it and they'll find us" approach would bring in enough numbers.

 

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Im impressed........ pretty soon youll be speakin like a real hillbilly

HA HA HA!!!!

 

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I know it won't Philbob. It does take mass-communications. I have been collecting rec legaue organization's info for three years now. That's in place already.

 

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OQM,

Definitely understand where you were coming from. The situation this year happen to be a unique one at 10U. As mentioned, we are trying to keep quality vs quantity in our org. Numbers have never been a problem for us (had 50 10U's at tryouts) but we don't take to take. The 6 coming from the Express happen just to have what we were looking for.

This past year on my 12U Black team actually took two girls coming from being rec All Stars. Both ended up being my main stays in the outfield with one who hit about .350 & the other ran like a deer to boot. Both girls now have continued up in our org to the next age group. Finally, for my '97 team this year we had another girl make the team coming from rec ball. It is amazing to me how some of these girls have gone unnoticed or really did not understand about travel ball & the opportunities.

So yes my coaches & I go watch a lot of games both in summer & fall looking for these players & typically always leave a spot just in case we find one who has what we are looking for & who wants to commit to becoming a better player & the rigors of our schedule (80 games plus).

I just like the idea of getting some of the rec girls that can be worked with by your coaches ... making them better with a little attention by the coaches because the teaching of the fundamentals is at that young age.

Talent at that age is limited.. but nothing better than finding a couple that WANT to be a part of travel and working to strive for that goal. There are a lot of them out there just waiting to be discovered with talent.

 

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And at a young age.... is where you want to find them before they get bad habits and that way the coaches can "polish up that gem" before she is passed on to the next age groups, etc....

 

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I just like the idea of getting some of the rec girls that can be worked with by your coaches ... making them better with a little attention by the coaches because the teaching of the fundamentals is at that young age.

Talent at that age is limited.. but nothing better than finding a couple that WANT to be a part of travel and working to strive for that goal. There are a lot of them out there just waiting to be discovered with talent.

My 10u staff took our entire workout, equipment, and time on 2 different occasions this past summer to work with a 10u Rec team here in Ross. We showed them so much in 4 hours that they were just amazed. We do this for many reasons... one I know the coach and he's been asking.... two it's a way for me to give back more cause thats my make up.... three.. these girls may eventually decide to come play for us or another travel team... and four... it continues to solidfy and strenghten the Ross High School program. I love this idea and will continue to do this. In a way it makes me (our staff) a better coaching staff cause we get new challenges and it even makes us go to different levels to connect with the girls to make the see, feel, fix their habits and makes them smile at the end of the day. All should try it.

And if finances are the issue... fee wise our first three years of 10u players paid just under $300 in year one...$150 in year two... and $138 in year three. Some paid zero (3 on this year's team). It's about what they want to do, how much work they can sign up for selling stuff or getting sponsors. I really have a tough time with the money side. I'm not rich and can afford it for now. Going into the older years or select... that will change with increasing costs for hotels, food, gas, etc.

 

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this would especially work with a local school. Develop the rec leagues, especially the pitchers and catchers, so that there is a semblance of girls ready to play come high school and junior high. There are lots of coaches wondering where all the girl athletes are and wondering why these girls didnt play sooner, travel or not

 

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this would especially work with a local school. Develop the rec leagues, especially the pitchers and catchers, so that there is a semblance of girls ready to play come high school and junior high. There are lots of coaches wondering where all the girl athletes are and wondering why these girls didnt play sooner, travel or not

Staty,

That is half the problem(Dis-engaged HS Coaches), if the HS Coaches aren't working with these FEEDER programs either, then they get what they've cultivated and in many cases that would be NOTHING. In our town, there are two High Schools. One has a Head Coach that has his field, gym, and coaches almost always avaiable with open gyms/ fields and are working hard to give their all to the up and comers. UNFORTUNATELY, the MIddle School is a black hole that could care less about TEACHING the game, so High School Coach does triple duty with those kids too on the side.

The other HS that does nothing, then harvests nothing every year, because any kid that can hit, pitch, catch, throw in town has learned from the other HS Coach and THEY ALL want to play for the guy that has given so much.

 

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Staty,

That is half the problem(Dis-engaged HS Coaches), if the HS Coaches aren't working with these FEEDER programs either, then they get what they've cultivated and in many cases that would be NOTHING. In our town, there are two High Schools. One has a Head Coach that has his field, gym, and coaches almost always avaiable with open gyms/ fields and are working hard to give their all to the up and comers. UNFORTUNATELY, the MIddle School is a black hole that could care less about TEACHING the game, so High School Coach does triple duty with those kids too on the side.

The other HS that does nothing, then harvests nothing every year, because any kid that can hit, pitch, catch, throw in town has learned from the other HS Coach and THEY ALL want to play for the guy that has given so much.

Agreed. My local community should be very thankful because they have a varsity coach that wants to be heavily involved. The first thing he asked me after he got the job was, "When can I have a clinic for the younger kids?" 2nd thing he did was invite the jr. high kids to open gym. He spent alot of time helping the 10u kids during their season. Every game night during the rec season, with the exception of his one week vacation, he was at our communities games (home and away) from 10u up to 18u. And sometimes driving many miles to get to 2 games a night.

 

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We seem to over complicate things at times. The best person I seen run a feeder/instructional program was Julie Barber When she was at Toledo St. Ursula. She seen she was getting kids into her program that had only played CYO fastpitch, which in our area is Fastpitch "lite" . She created an instructional program and entered them into the local spring/summer rec ball league, then entered them into a few tournaments. My DD played on one of her teams at 11U, she got the fastpitch bug, the tournament atmosphere really sold a lot of kids. Off my DD's 11U instructional/Rec ball team by the time these kids got to 16U they were on teams such as the Lasers, Buckeye Heat, NWO Irish, Ohio Peppers, SGS Magic and FAST Wizards.

So she took a team and exposed them to the travel world, a few lower level tournments that had mostly rec ball teams and a few trophy hunting travel teams and then some middle of the road tournments that had mostly travel teams.

 

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That's the approach I sure would like to see in our school district.

 

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We seem to over complicate things at times. The best person I seen run a feeder/instructional program was Julie Barber When she was at Toledo St. Ursula. She seen she was getting kids into her program that had only played CYO fastpitch, which in our area is Fastpitch "lite" . She created an instructional program and entered them into the local spring/summer rec ball league, then entered them into a few tournaments. My DD played on one of her teams at 11U, she got the fastpitch bug, the tournament atmosphere really sold a lot of kids. Off my DD's 11U instructional/Rec ball team by the time these kids got to 16U they were on teams such as the Lasers, Buckeye Heat, NWO Irish, Ohio Peppers, SGS Magic and FAST Wizards.

So she took a team and exposed them to the travel world, a few lower level tournments that had mostly rec ball teams and a few trophy hunting travel teams and then some middle of the road tournments that had mostly travel teams.

There's my point... IF organizations did this... and taking them to tournaments and working with the kids in July at events and finish in Rec League World Series ... not only did they get the "travel ball bug" and the joy of tournaments... coaches got to work with the young girls as see who has potential and bring them to tryouts .. making their org teams strong.

Lot of rec kids out there that know NOTHING about travel even going on.. let alone play the game. Introduction to Fast Pitch 101 .

 

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There's my point... IF organizations did this... and taking them to tournaments and working with the kids in July at events and finish in Rec League World Series ... not only did they get the "travel ball bug" and the joy of tournaments... coaches got to work with the young girls as see who has potential and bring them to tryouts .. making their org teams strong.

Lot of rec kids out there that know NOTHING about travel even going on.. let alone play the game. Introduction to Fast Pitch 101 .

OQM.... this is all good. The intent and the thought of doing it is all good in everyway. In reality... how many coaches have time in July to take time from their own team to promote this. I know you will reply and I'm not taking shots here... just hard to do and I'm one that already tries to help the local rec teams and won't go into more detail than I have already in earlier posts. Don't like tooting... just saying if time were available...I'm sure many would step up to grow it and work it for them.

 

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Nobody said existing coaches.... orgs can put another coach out there for this purpose...not ones already busy with teams.

 

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Tripethreat is correct about our organization working with HGS. It has helped our program immensely. Matter of fact, we are even taking it another step further in 2010 & 2011 & making it more officially. This year we have actually combined 6 girls from our 10U team & another 6 or so from the Southwest Express (HGS competitive program) to form a really nice team. More to come in 2011.

Our relationship with HGS has been made espeically easy since Coach Sonny (our 18U College Exposure Coach) is the president of HGS. I think we have found a nice little way of working together to meet the needs of young lady athletes. However, as Les stated earlier, we want to make sure our teams are competitive & have the right coaching so girls can grow year after year. The size of our org will vary depending on talent level so to not dilute the game further. As I have said a numerous times, you get nothing out of beating or losing to a team by a 1000 runs

Kav,

Let me know how it went last night at the meeting. Sorry I couldnt attend...too much to do last night to prepare for Saturdays HGS sign ups...call me.