Travel and Rec

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Aug 10, 2016
686
63
Georgia
In our area, there's a team that we always struggle against. When DD was in her first year of 10U, this team beat everyone. The next fall, it was one of the few teams we lost to. The next season, we still had issues with them. There's a girl on the team who is a really good player. She's fast and can hit and she's a pretty good pitcher.

In the Spring season she was on a TB team also. She had to miss rec games to play in tournaments but she was not allowed to play All-Stars because of it. Then this season, she's also on a TB team and playing rec. She's clearly the team's only good pitcher. During the regular season when we played the team (she was at a TB tournament) we beat them 12-2.

We had more trouble with them when she played in the end of season tournament - played them 3 times and lost 2. But I think she went like 4-5 hitting and had tons of strike outs. She also pitched all 15 innings that day.

I do know that her TB team isn't super great - they win some, but not dominating anyone. She's not even their #1 pitcher.

But my question is this - why would you play both TB and rec that long. I can see it for one season maybe but to do it multiple seasons? Especially when you're having to miss rec games. It doesn't seem fair to your rec team IMO. Especially if you don't have another decent pitcher.
 
Jun 12, 2015
3,848
83
I could see a mid or low level pitcher playing rec for circle time she's not getting on her travel team, trying to improve. A mid level TB pitcher will probably be the star of a rec team (at least around here - I'm in GA too). That's really the only reason I can think of.
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
I have only seen pitchers play both TB and rec. As grc pointed out, it's about getting additional circle time that they may not be getting on their TB team.
 

JAD

Feb 20, 2012
8,231
38
Georgia
But my question is this - why would you play both TB and rec that long. I can see it for one season maybe but to do it multiple seasons? Especially when you're having to miss rec games. It doesn't seem fair to your rec team IMO. Especially if you don't have another decent pitcher.

I have known some good players, especially pitchers, who play REC ball longer than they should for the simply fact they like being a dominate player...
 

Tom

Mar 13, 2014
222
0
Texas
I do know that her TB team isn't super great - they win some, but not dominating anyone. She's not even their #1 pitcher.

If she's a 2 or 3 on a travel ball team she's probably not getting enough circle time there and this a way for her to get better. Could be her friends are on the team and it's a social thing for her too.
 
Aug 10, 2016
686
63
Georgia
I can see that but still does seem unfair to her rec team. When we played their team (w/o her), they had to pull a 10U girl to pitch. They only had one 12U team this fall where they normally have 3 (but that was 10U). Guessing a lot moved on to TB...
 
Jul 2, 2013
381
43
My DD plays both. She'll play 12U TB and 14U rec this summer. She mostly plays rec because we live in a small town and the rec league needs all of the girls who love softball to play as much as possible. She also gets to play with her friends that she will play middle school and high school ball with. Honestly, it's expected for all of the girls who like softball to play.

She's a pitcher and gets most of the innings in rec and about a third of the innings in travel. There are other pitchers on the rec team but most only pick up a ball during the season.
 
Last edited:
Apr 12, 2016
316
28
Minnesota
I can see that but still does seem unfair to her rec team. When we played their team (w/o her), they had to pull a 10U girl to pitch. They only had one 12U team this fall where they normally have 3 (but that was 10U). Guessing a lot moved on to TB...

How is that unfair to her rec team? I am sure they are happy to have her there part-time as opposed to not at all. A lot of pitchers never even make a travel team as a pitcher. Many of those girls quit pitching altogether. In smaller communities, those girls can probably still be good high school pitchers. I think it is great that she is trying to pitch as much as she can.
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
How is that unfair to her rec team? I am sure they are happy to have her there part-time as opposed to not at all. A lot of pitchers never even make a travel team as a pitcher. Many of those girls quit pitching altogether. In smaller communities, those girls can probably still be good high school pitchers. I think it is great that she is trying to pitch as much as she can.

Teams generally count on some level of commitment from their players. When a team's success is hinged around one outstanding player (per the OP's description), and her priority is elsewhere, it can easily lead to some not-so-nice feelings.

Another possibility...A pitcher on the rec team is working her tail off to improve her game and earn time in the circle. She's committed to the team, attends every practice and game, and does all the extra workout time her coach asks of her, but when the TB girl happens to show up, she gets kicked down the ladder without a thought.
 
Feb 7, 2013
3,188
48
Another possibility...A pitcher on the rec team is working her tail off to improve her game and earn time in the circle. She's committed to the team, attends every practice and game, and does all the extra workout time her coach asks of her, but when the TB girl happens to show up, she gets kicked down the ladder without a thought.

To your point. Two weeks ago we played in a local 14U tournament with most of the teams with similar talent. However, one of the teams brought their 18U Gold pitcher (14U age eligible) ace to pitch most of the games. Needless to say they cleaned our clock and every other team in the tournament when she pitched. She is an awesome pitcher for her age (2020) but had no business pitching against average 14U travel ball teams. I don't think it was fair to her teammates (especially the other pitchers on that team). At the end of the day, you need to ask yourself what was the point of having her pitch?
 

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