Cannonball
Ex "Expert"
- Feb 25, 2009
- 4,882
- 113
Spent a considerable time this weekend watching an "elite" tournament for 14U. Here are some observations:
One of the parents came over and said that 14U ball must look like a major step backwards after watching college ball. Nope. It is fun to watch these young ladies develop.
- The umpiring was exceptional. I base a lot of my opinion on this because the umpires took the time to try to get all calls right, were consistent, and had a good sense of humor. They also worked with the young ladies trying to give them time to fix whatever (tie shoe, hair bow,...) but also keeping the game moving.
- Ok, so some teams should understand that by putting "elite" on your uniform does not make you elite. I don't want to be too cruel on this but the truth is the truth.
- There are some very good softball players out there at 14U and some are now showing why they are a step above. For example, one young lady that BB and I have coached since she was 9 showed today that she is a major step above all the others. For example, on a blocked ball in the dirt, she took off for second. When the catcher gathered the ball and threw to 2B, this young lady had already rounded it and was headed to 3B. She has that kind of speed. There was no real play at 3B.
- You can sit in the stands and tell which teams have veteran players who know their positions and responsibilities and those that don't. This is always easy when watching the various dads get on the fence etc. and yell out instructions. Come on, they are 14 now.
- This one really bugs me. Just how many times can a "coach" say MF on the field before he gets ejected? I heard one say it at least 10-12 times. Another coach got ejected for it and this guy stil kept doing it. If you can't coach don't stand out by having an absolute lack of class.
- It is good to see the fruits of so much work. I saw some of the young ladies we worked with this summer make adjustments in the game that we had taught during the summer. For example, one young lady hit a double down the right field line on a border line pitch with 2 strikes. It was obvious she knew how she was being pitched and that her plan was to drive the ball oppo.
One of the parents came over and said that 14U ball must look like a major step backwards after watching college ball. Nope. It is fun to watch these young ladies develop.