JJsqueeze
Dad, Husband....legend
This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard in a softball game. can I assume this was a Firecrackers team?
Big Travel Ball Orgs - Watered Down Talent
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This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard in a softball game. can I assume this was a Firecrackers team?
We have the same deal going on here with travel ball teams. I can think of 3-4 big name organizations that have their fingers dipped into every major city in the state of Texas: Bombers, Impact Gold and Firecrackers...and maybe Texas Glory. Impact Gold has exploded beyond unrealistic means...especially in Houston area. You can ask me which Impact gold, and I would answer with another question of "Which one?" Where we used to face an Impact gold team with trepidation, we now face with a LOT less fear knowing that the talent is watered down.
True Maksoftball, Now here's the reasoning for the big organizations to expand. Think Ponzi scheme.... play on the dream of playing for the BIG team
To attract the best talent an organization needs to have a lot to offer.
-Great recruiting contacts.
-No cost(fully sponsored, gear, travel, etc.) to play at the top Gold/A/Elite/ i.e. the best team the organization has to offer. Someone's gotta pick up the tab right? 10 plus teams from 10U up through 18U paying organizational fees monthly, that's on top of the team fees. The $$$ adds up quickly but it's never enough when the organizational leaders begin to see the $$$ flowing in. Add in the 501C status, team logo gear, and lots of cash business on the side... Who's gonna say no thanks to that opportunity right?
So the fear of playing the big organizational team fades but the truth is each organization knows which teams from the other organization is going to attract college coaches to there games and that's the match ups that matter. Buy your way into those match ups if you can. Otherwise you're paying for the dream.
To attract the best talent an organization needs to have a lot to offer.
-Great recruiting contacts.
-No cost(fully sponsored, gear, travel, etc.) to play at the top Gold/A/Elite/ i.e. the best team the organization has to offer. Someone's gotta pick up the tab right? 10 plus teams from 10U up through 18U paying organizational fees monthly, that's on top of the team fees. The $$$ adds up quickly but it's never enough when the organizational leaders begin to see the $$$ flowing in. Add in the 501C status, team logo gear, and lots of cash business on the side... Who's gonna say no thanks to that opportunity right?
So the fear of playing the big organizational team fades but the truth is each organization knows which teams from the other organization is going to attract college coaches to there games and that's the match ups that matter. Buy your way into those match ups if you can. Otherwise you're paying for the dream.
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Great guess!
I know a girl who joined a start-up organization a couple of years ago that promoted itself as being big-time. They were out to be the best in the area, and their 18U team was a Gold team, mostly based on the strength of the founder's daughter who was a pitcher. Their promotional materials and website offered a lot of attitude - of the "if you want to play for us be prepared to work your butt off" type.
The girl, by the way, is a nice kid who loves softball. I never coached her or taught lessons, but at one point she was in an organization I was part of and I got to know the family that way.
Anyway, the family thought they'd hit the jackpot. It was what they were looking for - a serious program that would help the girl become the best she could be. But then it started. They brought in someone who is supposed to be a big-time hitting coach for group sessions every month or every other month. The program "strongly encouraged" all their players to participate - for an additional fee, of course. They'd have extra training sessions - for an additional fee. And the original registration fees weren't cheap.
The registration fees kept going up. Then the mom found out that they were only going up for some families (like hers). Others were playing for free, and not because there was a financial need. It started coming out that certain players were paying the brunt of the cost for the program, along with putting money in the pockets of the people running it.
Now, if you're playing in a top-level program you might put up with the shenanigans for the pot of college money gold at the end of the rainbow. But it turned out the only thing that was really big-time were the fees. The teams (outside of that one) weren't very good. I would put them as B at best. Once the founder's daughter moved on to college, even the Gold team was no great shakes. The girl played on the 16U team and most of the kids on there were maybe a step above rec.
The girl loved the founder - he was quite the pied piper - but eventually the family couldn't stand for being ripped off anymore and left. She wound up being much happier on another team that wasn't pretending to be a big time organization but actually was winning some games. And the kids were all there just to play ball.
It's a shame that this sort of thing goes on, but it always will as long as people as long as there are unscrupulous people willing to take advantage of the dreams of parents and player.
The girl, by the way, is a nice kid who loves softball. I never coached her or taught lessons, but at one point she was in an organization I was part of and I got to know the family that way.
Anyway, the family thought they'd hit the jackpot. It was what they were looking for - a serious program that would help the girl become the best she could be. But then it started. They brought in someone who is supposed to be a big-time hitting coach for group sessions every month or every other month. The program "strongly encouraged" all their players to participate - for an additional fee, of course. They'd have extra training sessions - for an additional fee. And the original registration fees weren't cheap.
The registration fees kept going up. Then the mom found out that they were only going up for some families (like hers). Others were playing for free, and not because there was a financial need. It started coming out that certain players were paying the brunt of the cost for the program, along with putting money in the pockets of the people running it.
Now, if you're playing in a top-level program you might put up with the shenanigans for the pot of college money gold at the end of the rainbow. But it turned out the only thing that was really big-time were the fees. The teams (outside of that one) weren't very good. I would put them as B at best. Once the founder's daughter moved on to college, even the Gold team was no great shakes. The girl played on the 16U team and most of the kids on there were maybe a step above rec.
The girl loved the founder - he was quite the pied piper - but eventually the family couldn't stand for being ripped off anymore and left. She wound up being much happier on another team that wasn't pretending to be a big time organization but actually was winning some games. And the kids were all there just to play ball.
It's a shame that this sort of thing goes on, but it always will as long as people as long as there are unscrupulous people willing to take advantage of the dreams of parents and player.
- Oct 22, 2009
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Back in the day........When I was coaching my DD, travel ball had just started to become big. The leagues were whining about the good players leaving to go play travel and leaving the league's weak. When my DD was in 10u we had 4 14U teams and a 16u team in our league! Today, league only goes up to 12u.
My DD went on to play at travel at 12U and there were dozens on travel team in the local area.
Going into the fall of her 14u season, a couple of coaches got together at a district meeting and discussed the watered down talent as every dad wanted to coach his own team. They wondered how good of a team could you have, if you actually were able to throw all the coaches ego's out the window and make a team out of the best players in the area.
So they went to work.
I was one of the first to get the phone call. All of us coaches and parents of the top players would have a meeting on this. We got together and decided to go for it. We had a vote over who would coach and the one with the largest ego would step back and be the manager, I was the only woman so I was voted in as a coach to control the other egos.
With the core of the team pre-picked, we had an open try-out and filled the remaining spots.
This scenario only lasted one year. But it was a heck of a year. Being able to play with a team just chock full of talent is a dream come true to every player and coach.
More have changed since those days, now it's become more about money than talent, and it's sad to see it go away. I've actually seen the money side actually destroy talent.
Ahh the good ol days, I guess you can't go home again.
My DD went on to play at travel at 12U and there were dozens on travel team in the local area.
Going into the fall of her 14u season, a couple of coaches got together at a district meeting and discussed the watered down talent as every dad wanted to coach his own team. They wondered how good of a team could you have, if you actually were able to throw all the coaches ego's out the window and make a team out of the best players in the area.
So they went to work.
I was one of the first to get the phone call. All of us coaches and parents of the top players would have a meeting on this. We got together and decided to go for it. We had a vote over who would coach and the one with the largest ego would step back and be the manager, I was the only woman so I was voted in as a coach to control the other egos.
With the core of the team pre-picked, we had an open try-out and filled the remaining spots.
This scenario only lasted one year. But it was a heck of a year. Being able to play with a team just chock full of talent is a dream come true to every player and coach.
More have changed since those days, now it's become more about money than talent, and it's sad to see it go away. I've actually seen the money side actually destroy talent.
Ahh the good ol days, I guess you can't go home again.
- Oct 22, 2009
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I have a pitcher pitching for Impact Gold. I think Houston Power is also setting up shop in several places.
Sounds like y'all had a fun season, but I don't know if this is a dream come true to every player. Being on a great team is less important to many kids, IMO, than playing time and being with teammates and coaches that they really like and who like them. If those other needs are met, then yes, every player will want to be a part of it. But this is partly why you have the tendency toward parity. Kids look for more than being on a great team.
- Oct 22, 2009
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I see that worked out well
You didn't expect something like to last did you?
Yeah, my DD had to quit the team after she had to leave softball for a year due to an injury. Most of the girls started high school the next season and another player quit to pursue another sport, she also took her sister. Then a couple more decided to leave to play with high school teammates on other teams.
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