Roadtrip! Trying to make this work...or is this too much?

This crosses the boundaries of being a parent and being a coach so I'm posting it here...I'm really testing the waters before I propose this to DW as I think I'm going to get a frying pan to the face when I try and make the case for this...

Let me lay this out...

My 12U team is playing the ASA 12B Nationals in York, PA July 22-26th

Here's the wild card
DD2 was just asked to pitch for another team at the USSSA 12B in Hartford, CT July 27th - August 1st. Pool play starts the 28th.

DD1 is playing 14U Dawg Daze in Sandusky, OH July 31st-Aug 2nd.

The original plan - already DW approved - was to take the whole family to York, PA play (and hopefully win!) the 12B Nationals then drive up the road to go to Hershey Park on the 27th & 28th.

Drive home on the 28th.

Unpack\repack on the 29th and drive to Sandusky for DD1's last tourney of the year.

Now...if we add in the wild card of the USSSA Nationals...the itinerary looks like this:

Take 2 cars to York, PA play (and hopefully win!) the 12B Nationals then drive up the road (whole family) to go to Hershey Park on the 27th. Leave Hershey, PA in 2nd car with DD2 and drive 4.5 hours northeast to Hartford to play USSSA tourney that start s on the 28th. DW and DD1 & DD3 drive home.

July 29th: DW, DD1 and DD3 leave drive to Sandusky.

USSSA double elimination bracket play is 7/30 and 7/31. I would expect we would be eliminated by 7/31.

Jump in the car and drive from Hartford to Sandusky, OH (about 10 hours) to catch DD1's games on 8/1 and 8/2.

Is this feasible? Is this too much? Will I end up in the ER if I propose this?

I'd love to hear your thoughts...CP

I would skip the USSSA 12U guest spot.

Go for it. And the youngest needs to make sure mom knows that she wants to play in the USSSA nationals, not because you are pushing her to. To me, that is the difference. If it was you or someone else dragging her to the USSSA event, then that changes things. Maybe get rid of the Hershey trip as you can do Hershey just about any other time, but softball playing time is limited and you need to take advantage of it when you can. And if you end in Sandusky do Cedar Point after you're done.

I would turn down the opportunity to guest play. Not worth the hassle unless DD2 wanted to join that team full time next season and you were looking for some "bonus points" from the HC.

By August DD and I are ready to be done and I know I'd be cursing myself for picking up the extra tourney. Sounds like you have quite a trip already planned. Will 5-6 extra games make your season? Are you guaranteed a number of games in CT?

Some good points here...

The family doesn't want to skip Hershey...between the park and the factory...we love our chocolate (and our roller coasters)!

We did Cedar Point last year after my 10U team won Dawg Daze. We may still keep that open as an option too.

DD2 was invited to pitch at NSA Nationals last year (and we would have gone right from Tennessee to Sandusky) but that team bailed at the last minute due to the lack of teams playing. DD2 was bummed!

You never have to drag DD1 or DD2 to the park.

USSSA 12U tourney is a 5 GG. 3 pool play before double elimination bracket play.

My 12U team will play ~65 games this year spanning from September 2014 - July 2015.

I'm the HC for the 12U team so there are no bonus points to be earned as DD2 won't be leaving my team.

I'm still up in the air on this...The extra games won't make\break the season but the extra experience in a bigger tourney could be beneficial.

Keep 'em coming...CP

chrispots said:

I'm the HC for the 12U team so there are no bonus points to be earned as DD2 won't be leaving my team.

Click to expand...

The HC is always the last to know......LOL

We were in a similar situation last year at 14U. We left on a 12 day excursion for three tournaments. First tourney was an 8 hour drive. We left directly from that one to drive 8 hours to the second and then 8 hours to the next which was in our back yard so to speak. Between the trips there was driving to the various facilities since the tourneys were big and held at various sites, plus dinners, plus lunches, plus back to the motels, plus to wally world for emergency supplies, plus trips to the sporting goods stores since it seemed as if every girls glove on the team needed relaced between games during the 3 weekends, plus...well, you get the idea. By the time we got home, I knew every little defect in the car, wrinkle in the fabric on the seats, every scratch in the paint and so on. When we pulled into the driveway at home, I didn't want to see the inside of my car for another month at least. On top of that, DD was beyond mentally exhausted between all of the travel, games played and not being able to sleep in her own bed. I also need to mention the fact that, although doable at the time, it put a little bit of a financial strain on the family since it was 12 nights of hotels and about 10 tanks of gas. The total trip cost us a little under $3000 for motels, gas, meals and wally world/sporting goods. If we had to do it all over again, I probably would have left out the middle one and book ended an open weekend.

Reasons I would play in the USSSA:
1. It's in a place I haven't played before
2. More games for my DD

Reasons I would not play in the USSSA:
1. After 3 years of teams that played in USSSA WS in Salisbury MD I'm very disappointed with their tournaments
2. Too much money for not enough games
3. How much is your DD going to play as a guest player? I'm looking at cost vs play time. if you go 0-5 how many innings would she get? Average USSSA game is 4-5 innings long due to 80 minute pool play and 90 minute bracket play. So say 2 innings a game. 10 innings for about $1K out of pocket for gas, food, hotel, guest play cost (if any), tournament shirt and lots of water.

For me if it was around the corner I would say no brainer but being that you are going to miss the other DD play for the chance at 10 innings I would pass.

Eh. YOLO.