Man...DD will play hopefully 60 games next season (will be 13 years old for the season which will run approx May 1 to Aug 20). Including fall/winter workouts she will have over 100 practices, not including probably a few dozen private lessons. Through the fall/winter the practices will definitely not have the entire team present (11 player roster) due to other sports, etc., but lack of practices certainly is not an issue!
I don't understand....
- Thread starter wjdempkowski
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Man...DD will play hopefully 60 games next season (will be 13 years old for the season which will run approx May 1 to Aug 20). Including fall/winter workouts she will have over 100 practices, not including probably a few dozen private lessons. Through the fall/winter the practices will definitely not have the entire team present (11 player roster) due to other sports, etc., but lack of practices certainly is not an issue!
- Jul 3, 2013
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DD is 16 playing 2nd year of 18U. 75% of her practice time is private catching or hitting lessons, or 1 on 1 work with me. Our team is pretty spread out with almost half of our girls 90+ minutes away. Distance combined with school, job and social events makes fully attended practices on a regular basis nearly impossible.
- Jun 22, 2008
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A team could easily carry a roster of 15 and get everyone pretty equal amount of playing time. All it takes is a little managing and parents who get the point that Lil Susie doesn't have to play every second of every game or she will miss her opportunity to snatch that almighty carrot.
JMHO
- Jan 31, 2011
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In reading the OP, I have to say I disagree with practically everything you said. First, lets clarify something...A kid learns in games. If your coach is not using games as learning opportunities, then that's a problem. Yes, I have read (& listened to) Mike Candrea on his opinion high level TB clubs are more concerned on showcase games than practice and it shows... He says the level of play in college is not what it use to be. This is a very complicated topic. If high level college coaches didn't recruit so heavily at showcase events, then TB programs would adapt to what college coaches want. IMHO, they are getting exactly what they want.
Carry 15-20 kids on a TB roster? No way. Families commit large dollars to get play time for their kid. You can say little Susie this or little Susie that, but in the end the kid is on the team because the coach offered a spot. A spot to play. If you are going to carry that size roster, you better let everyone know the plan or it will be a disaster.
If you only want practice, there are many many instructors willing to teach your kid the fundamentals of the game. Why even join a team if top level instruction is the goal?
I tell my parents that game day is "pay-day" for the kids. They need a reward for their hard work in practice. Just like parents get paid at the end of the week for their hard work, kids need to get "paid" by playing in games. Pay day is not sitting on the bench all weekend!
Carry 15-20 kids on a TB roster? No way. Families commit large dollars to get play time for their kid. You can say little Susie this or little Susie that, but in the end the kid is on the team because the coach offered a spot. A spot to play. If you are going to carry that size roster, you better let everyone know the plan or it will be a disaster.
If you only want practice, there are many many instructors willing to teach your kid the fundamentals of the game. Why even join a team if top level instruction is the goal?
I tell my parents that game day is "pay-day" for the kids. They need a reward for their hard work in practice. Just like parents get paid at the end of the week for their hard work, kids need to get "paid" by playing in games. Pay day is not sitting on the bench all weekend!
- Jun 22, 2008
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20 may be a bit much, but 15 is a piece of cake. Just because a player doesn't start doesn't mean they don't play. It is beneficial for a few reasons with, IMO 2 of the more advantageous is a little more flexibility in situational substitution and there is no need to scramble for a replacement should a player or two go down or just cannot make a tournament/game.
Not to get off subject, but did Candrea say the level of play is down? Or that not enough players know how to compete these days?
There's a difference there. I've heard him lament that he has to teach players how to compete, that they don't get that from TB with all the showcases. But to say that the level of play is down, I have a hard time believing that. The emergence of the SEC is proof that there are more really good teams (and players) than ever before. Not just a west-coast game anymore.
College teams have freshman, sophomores, juniors and seniors....TB teams are usually made up of players the same age.
Parents PAY for their DDs to play TB. College teams PAY (in the form of scholarships) for their players.
There are lots of TB team options for players..and players want to play, not sit on the bench.
Bottom line - in high level TB players are expected to practice on their own. If a player is not taking private hitting/pitching lessons outside of their regular team practices, and doing strength and conditioning on their own, they are falling behind. If you think your DD can join a TB team and just show up for their practices and she will play college softball quit now and put the money you would spend on TB into a 529-plan for your DD. 98.2% of softball parents would be better off financially with this approach anyway.
Large rosters in TB induce misery.
There is nothing wrong with picking up a player as often as needed, as long as it stays within the rules of the a-b-c.
There are SO many things wrong with having a row of subs/extras sitting the bench in TB.
I won't elaborate because it would get very long, but I do understand the reasons some coaches feel they need a large roster. The solution to these reasons lies in sentence #2 above.
By the older ages any decent coach has a phone list of potentially-available-fill-in players. Better coaches and more experienced coaches have pretty long lists. Most also have good rapport with other coaches who help each other out from time to time. It is pretty easy to get the body count you need if and when absences occur for any reason.
By and large, swelled rosters in TB breeds resentful feelings and misery looms.
There is nothing wrong with picking up a player as often as needed, as long as it stays within the rules of the a-b-c.
There are SO many things wrong with having a row of subs/extras sitting the bench in TB.
I won't elaborate because it would get very long, but I do understand the reasons some coaches feel they need a large roster. The solution to these reasons lies in sentence #2 above.
By the older ages any decent coach has a phone list of potentially-available-fill-in players. Better coaches and more experienced coaches have pretty long lists. Most also have good rapport with other coaches who help each other out from time to time. It is pretty easy to get the body count you need if and when absences occur for any reason.
By and large, swelled rosters in TB breeds resentful feelings and misery looms.
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