Thoughts on teams that have players from multiple states.

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Aug 19, 2015
1,118
113
Atlanta, GA
Although having a "super team" will probably accomplish its purpose (win national tournaments and get lots of exposure to D1 coaches), I also think these girls miss out on so much. It's like playing with a bunch of strangers. Other than prepping together immediately before a tournament, I assume these girls are just home doing tons of lessons. The camaraderie from practicing together is priceless. It just seems like a bunch of individuals playing as opposed to a real team.
 

JAD

Feb 20, 2012
8,231
38
Georgia
When you look at how much money the parents of the players from 9 different teams are spending to play on a marquee team, I would bet 50% will spend more on TB than the value of the scholarship their DD will receive to play in college.
 
Dec 20, 2012
1,085
0
Although having a "super team" will probably accomplish its purpose (win national tournaments and get lots of exposure to D1 coaches), I also think these girls miss out on so much. It's like playing with a bunch of strangers. Other than prepping together immediately before a tournament, I assume these girls are just home doing tons of lessons. The camaraderie from practicing together is priceless. It just seems like a bunch of individuals playing as opposed to a real team.

From the outside looking in it may appear this way. But these kids are just as tight as any other team. If a kid is playing for the Beverly Bandit, GC Hurricanes or the likes they are not seeing each other for a couple of days at a time twice a month. These teams are together practically the whole summer and several weeks in the fall/winter. And what better way to prepare young people for the "real world". No mom or dad, meeting 15-20 new people from different parts of the country, traveling, being responsible for packing and managing money,... talk about taking on the role of an adult. And this is not just for the huge club teams, if your kid has a chance to be a guest player and experience this type of environment then you should welcome it with open arms(that is if the host team is a trustworthy).

I'm not sure some of you realize what all these club teams entail. First and foremost, the majority of these team have little to no shot at winning PGF, Independence Day,..... you see the same handful year after year. But they do have the common goal of getting in those tournaments in order to showcase those kids. And those teams would not exist if there was not a need/want for them. Parents want them because they(parents) do not have any idea what to do in terms of recruiting do's and don'ts. Players want them because it is there path to fulfilling their dream of playing college ball. College coaches want them because they prepare the players for college athletics and give them a point of reliable contact. They would much rather deal with credible tb coaches that will give them honest opinions on players than get a thousand dad coaches every year trying to sell them on their dd.
 
Mar 20, 2014
918
28
Northwest
I guess I look at TB teams as all-star teams. The national level organizations just have a bigger reach so they have more players to draw from. My DD plays for a TB team that is based on the other side of the state 4 hours away. We made the decision to be on this team because the local teams only competed locally with no exposure and at a level of play that was below DD's so she wasn't challenged. She only gets to practice with her team on the weekends but I can tell you that the team is very close with her and with each other (there are two other players from outside the area but not as far away as us).

Pick up players always cause heartburn. As a parent who has been on both sides of that it is a tough one. If your kid is the pick-up player, you are giving up your time and money to help a team out so you have expectations (which I always confirm with the coach beforehand) about positions, playing time etc. and I am not afraid to speak up if they are not met. If your kid is the player and a pick-up player is there you are thankful for the extra player but not at the expense of your DD's playing time since you are the parent that is paying fees, buying uniforms, paying travel expenses, etc. Slippery slope for a coach IMO.
 
Jun 12, 2015
3,848
83
Pick up players always cause heartburn. As a parent who has been on both sides of that it is a tough one. If your kid is the pick-up player, you are giving up your time and money to help a team out so you have expectations (which I always confirm with the coach beforehand) about positions, playing time etc. and I am not afraid to speak up if they are not met. If your kid is the player and a pick-up player is there you are thankful for the extra player but not at the expense of your DD's playing time since you are the parent that is paying fees, buying uniforms, paying travel expenses, etc. Slippery slope for a coach IMO.

I tend to have lower expectations when my DD is picking up. I've only been asked to contribute financially once, which I didn't mind doing; otherwise, it's been a free weekend of ball. If they only have her pitch and sit when not pitching, whatever! Free ball! It's always more of a concern to me where she's playing on her own team, particularly when pick ups are brought in - after last fall we wanted to choose a team that shared our pick-up philosophy. I believe teams in general should pick up only when they're short, not just to grab stronger players and bench their own so they can win. But it does create internal conflict for me, since DD loves to guest play and in reality, she's never had to sit much. One team we pick up with sometimes is truly short players; they have I think 6 or 7 and then pick up to play for the rest right now. That's my favorite because she's not taking anyone's spot. It's more of a conflict when she's brought in to pitch because they really need a pitcher, then she plays infield all day when not pitching. Whenever that happens I feel a little guilty that a kid who's actually on the team is not playing and she is, having been on the other side of that equation as well.
 
Jun 27, 2011
5,089
0
North Carolina
... these kids are just as tight as any other team. If a kid is playing for the Beverly Bandit, GC Hurricanes or the likes they are not seeing each other for a couple of days at a time twice a month. These teams are together practically the whole summer and several weeks in the fall/winter.

I think you're right. What makes teammates close is like-mindedness, not proximity. My DD went to the USSSA nationals in Orlando in 12U with a team of girls who all lived within 30 minutes of each other. It was fun, but some girls were more competitive than others. Some were there to win. Some were there to be on vacation. You had more cliques because some girls went to school together and were too familiar with one another.

Today, DD is on a team of players from 3 states. Her closest teammate is an hour away. Players who get on teams like that tend to have a lot in common. Everybody wants to play college ball. They all work hard on their own. There are fewer if any cliques because nobody has enough history together and because they want to be a good team and have good team spirit and they don't want to exclude or isolate. They're their to play softball, not find a new best friend.

Keep in mind that I'm talking about stable teams with little roster movement. Teams that have several hired guns are a different matter. The pickup player factor can throw a monkey wrench into it.
 
Last edited:
Dec 20, 2012
1,085
0
I think you're right. What makes teammates close is like-mindedness, not proximity. My DD went to the USSSA nationals in Orlando in 12U with a team of girls who all lived within 30 minutes of each other. It was fun, but some girls were more competitive than others. Some were there to win. Some were there to be on vacation. You had more cliques because some girls went to school together and were too familiar with one another.

Today, DD is on a team of players from 3 states. Her closest teammate is an hour away. Players who get on teams like that tend to have a lot in common. Everybody wants to play college ball. They all work hard on their own. There are fewer if any cliques because nobody has enough history together and because they want to be a good team and have good team spirit and they don't want to exclude or isolate. They're their to play softball, not find a new best friend.

Keep in mind that I'm talking about stable teams with little roster movement. Teams that have several hired guns are a different matter. The pickup player factor can throw a monkey wrench into it.

I agree with you! My dd has been played for or has been a guest on several out of state teams that she absolutely loved and only one she really didn't care for most of the players. The fact that all the coaches were experienced and looking out for the girls' best interests was the constant on all the teams.
 
Mar 25, 2011
304
16
In many cases guest players on these teams aren't paying anything. Flights & hotels are picked up by the team through sponsorships or fees from their other teams. On the very top teams some, if not all don't pay anything.

How are the girls able to keep an amateur status if they are being compensated like that?
 
Jun 27, 2011
5,089
0
North Carolina
How are the girls able to keep an amateur status if they are being compensated like that?

Amateur status is lost when you take prize money, earn a salary, sign a contract, make a profit, etc. Don't think it applies to somebody paying travel expenses or waiving team fees. I would hope not. Otherwise, poor kids have little chance these days in a variety of year-round sports. In tennis, the USTA provides grants and free training to top prospects. Long as you're not profiting, I don't think it's an issue.
 

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