Anyone watch the Little League Softball World Series

[CoachPete]

Was going to watch the Olympics then sure enough got sucked into watching softball. LLSoftball is pretty much a non-entity in Colorado so was wondering what your thoughts were. I was impressed how the Texas team got out of a bases loaded no outs jam. I didn't hear any talk about how these teams are near as good as travel teams but they sure had some rabid fans watching the game.

 

[Mangler II]

I watched some of it. Surfed between Olympics and that game also
Olympics are boring, too many commercials...to much political innuendo

LLSWS was sorta fun to watch and their parents were having a large time of it.
It is what it is based on it being a recreational league.

 

[RubberBiscuit]

Darn - I forgot to record LLWS!...

I have fun watching it every year as it brings back memories of my team & DD almost making it there.....

It's fun,....It's pageantry,....but nothing more. It aint scholarship-cut-throat like getting on the national TB circuit.....

For the Olympics:
- I fast-forward ANY of their talking-heads and only normal-speed true competition (only way to tolerate)
- US volleyball YES
- Sprints YES (Bolt is amazing)
- Rugby YES (makes the soccer players look even more pansy - I think I finally understand the rules)
- Martial arts YES (includes wrestling)
- I fast forward to the distance markers in rowing. (I have to mute the squeaky rowing announcer)
- I can't watch boxing since it appears they are wearing socker-boppers,...does anyone get even a daze from a punch? (UFC-spoiled I am)
- I can't digest Olympic golf/basketball/soccer/field hockey/handball/diving/synchronized swim/cycling/kayak/anything on a horse/sword fighting/shooting (should have paintball!)/pingpong/tennis/trampoline (are you kidding me)/water polo/weightlifting

 

[SoCalASABlue]

I was rooting for Texas so I was very happy they won. Both pitchers - if they stay with it - have bright futures.

Those teams may not be the same caliber as the Beverly Bandits or So Cal Athletics but I've certainly seen "travel" teams they could beat. I seem to recall a team from somewhere in the Southwest that mopped up at USSSA tourneys before becoming the LL "All-Star" team a while back.

How else do you explain 9 girls from LAST YEAR'S championship team from North Carolina being on this year's North Carolina team? They just happened to be the best at "All-Star tryouts" that week?

It is what it is and - despite all the commentator BS about teams being made up out of random kids that show up for league games during the regular season and then "make" the All-Star team - I watch the LL softball and baseball games every year.

 

[FP26]

Was going to watch the Olympics then sure enough got sucked into watching softball. LLSoftball is pretty much a non-entity in Colorado so was wondering what your thoughts were. I was impressed how the Texas team got out of a bases loaded no outs jam. I didn't hear any talk about how these teams are near as good as travel teams but they sure had some rabid fans watching the game.

Not sure about other areas, but here, the little league all star teams ARE travel teams. Or at least mostly travel teams. My DD was involved in this for one season. Our All Star team was basically made up of players from 2 local travel teams, with the exceptions of DD and one other girl. 2 of the 3 coaches were also travel ball coaches. We were able to win our district. We ultimately lost in sectionals to another team that had 8 girls from the same travel team (plus 2 coaches). Several of the teams we played against throughout the tournament were also filled with travel ball players.

ADDED: There was a baseball team from PA that did fairly well last year. Most of the players from that all star team play for the same travel baseball team.

 

[GoCaboNow]

We were at the game with dd's team. Fun atmosphere!

I don't know if Oregon is a competitive softball mecca of the U.S., but even here most have moved on to strictly travel by 12u. DD's team has some pretty strong parental connections to little league so we play league and travel. We saw a fair amount of kids that play both during our league play so some games were not much of a drop off from weekend travel play. I would bet the U.S. teams that made it to the World Series got strong contributions from kids that play travel as well.

 

[Vertigo]

It's actually pretty common in this area to have girls in LL who play on the 9-10y/o All-Star team skip the 10/11 y/o tourney the next year and play up on the 11/12 y/o team two years in a row due to drop off in numbers. You will see a lot of girls leave LL for travel after they get their first taste of All-Stars at the 9/10 y/o level because they enjoy playing more competitive softball which All-Stars provides. In our LL District there were 4 teams in the 10/11 y/o tourney just 2 years ago. This year only one entered. Many LL's around here only have 2-3 Majors teams in their LL's. The numbers just aren't there to field 2 competitive teams at the Majors level; hence why you'll see many of the same girls 2 years in a row.

This is also such a travel ball saturated area that almost any girl who wants to play travel can make a team; therefore you see the mass exodus from LL here.