I sat through a 2 hr. LL game last night

[Amy in AZ.]

Gosh, it barely resembled softball at all. The girls were 8,9, and 10, so it was minors. The team I went to see had one of my pitchers and one of my catchers. They did OK, but when girls can't catch the ball, it makes for a long night.

So, each team would score 5 runs and then, the inning would be over.

The visitors only had 9 players and their 2nd baseman was crying, so they put her in RF, where she sat down. They were ahead 15-13, at this point, so I don't think that they wanted to forfeit - but I would have.

The other pitcher threw 30 balls in a row and we tied it up, 15-15, so the little girl sat in RF, again. The umpire was very new and she is 13 YO, and she tried to get the coach to have the girl stand, but nothing doing.

I am sorry that this is what people think that softball is. It is no wonder that they drop out and go to soccer or LaCross or basketball.

One of my students talks about playing for UofA. She just has no idea that she needs to get to travel ball, quickly. I try to tell girls like this, but seeing and believing is what it is going to take. And I am not sure that the finances are there and if her skills level drops any lower, she isn't going to make a travel team around here, anyway.

I am generally in one part of the city where the brand of rec ball is better. I was sorry to see LL was so awful.

 

[grounded]

This is part of the reason DD still plays LL. While there are very few travel players in our LL area, we have decided to stay and participate and not flee. Thru hard work and our travel ball experience, DD has emerged as one of the best players in our leauge. I do realize thay we take innings away from lesser players, but at the same time I think she sets an example of what softball should/could be if you work at it. LL is missing leadership by example, at leat in my parts. If she is able to get just one younger player per yr to say "I want to be like her" we have repaid everything that we have recieved from LL. We are not a super stud player, just a good solid one. Coaches can try to teach execution all they want, but I just believe when you see a player who can do it, you are more inclined to mimic it. I do understand to rush to get out of rec ball, but sometimes I feel like without the examples set by the really good players, there emerges this game that kinda resembles softball but much slower and sloppier.

 

[Comp]

Ive been working out of town for a couple of weeks at a time and decided to see what they had in the way of softball where I am. I was told it was a 10U game, they were still doing coach pitch and I think each batter only got 5 pitches or obviously 3 swinging strikes or they were out. The field had hash marks half way between every base and I couldnt figure out what they were until I finally saw that when the ball went back to the circle if the runner had not yet reached the hash mark they had to return to the previous base, and if they had they got to continue to the next base.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

^ Makes perfect sense.

I have a 10yo student that has been with me a year. She played rec last Spring and then, made a TB team. They played 10U in the Fall and then, moved to 12U. They also have a 9 yo pitcher. Neither girl is a stud or big, or has outstanding genes, but they learned to catch and throw. This concept should not be foreign to girls that are 10yo.

But, I had the 10yo TB warm up, with my best 10yo rec pitcher and my rec girl missed the ball and got hit, right in the shins.

I know the 8,9 and 10s can play ball. I see them every day. But, put them on a field where they seriously aren't expected to succeed and that is what you get. Failure.

 

[straightleg]

I have 6 new girls all under 12. two 9 year olds. It really amaze's me the level of concentration these 9 year olds I work with have.
I give them praise for it.

They start around 5 years old in my area. We have a great rec league that both my daughters went through.
That is too bad about what you saw last night. Got to keep it short and fun



Straightleg

 

[redhotcoach]

My 8 yr old son's rec baseball games are 100 min games! Coach wants them there 45 minutes early to warm up. 20 min commute. No run rule. So 3 hours of rec baseball 2-3 evenings a week. They are getting bored with baseball really fast.

 

[SBmom8992]

Amy - I feel your pain. Out of 12 girls on DD's minor rec team maybe 3 can catch and hit consistently. It makes for a frustrating 2 hours but it is what it is. There are probably 4 girls who don't even care that they strike out every at bat or will actually duck when the ball is thrown their way. They have no desire to play or to improve. They are there because their equally untalented friend decided to play softball this year.

My DD is the best hitter on the team - very aggressive and can put the ball over the outfielder's heads. When parents ask me how she learned to hit I tell them we work on it practically every day as long as the weather allows. She asks when i get home from work if we can go to the field by our house for some BP. Most of the time its 30 min max just to get some swings in. Problem is that parents in my area don't take the time to work with their kids catching, throwing, or hitting on their own. The girls' only practice is our team practices and there's only so much 1:1 time when a practice is 1 hour with 12 kids and 2 coaches. I hardly focus on my DD during my own practices. She gets maybe 7 swings of BP because I know I should focus on the other girls who will get no other practice outside of our organized ones. We are in a big town where several fields are unoccupied on any given night so I don't think it's a matter of not having field availability.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

Anyone is able to help these girls. They just aren't trying.
Grandma can sit on a chair and bounce them tennis balls. Grandpa can roll them ground balls.
I used to set up the pitching machine, shoot the ball out into the street, where my kids would catch them and toss them into the net.
Set up a traffic cone and hang a tarp and encourage the girls to hit.

But - the mom and older sister that were sitting behind me, last night, were on their phone the while time.

 

[GunnerShotgun]

My 8 yr old son's rec baseball games are 100 min games! Coach wants them there 45 minutes early to warm up. 20 min commute. No run rule. So 3 hours of rec baseball 2-3 evenings a week. They are getting bored with baseball really fast.

My son must play in your rec league. Today was picture day and the had to be there an extra hour early. We were there four hours.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

So, the pitcher from last night, just came to a lesson and brought her catcher. I said "What did you think of last night's game?" My student said "I thought it was awesome!"