- Jun 8, 2016
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Are the other rec only players subsidizing some or all of the TB player's costs? If so I can see why they would want the TB kids to play rec.
I definitely don't see the point of having kids who are good enough to play A level travel dropping down to play rec. That sounds like a bad idea for everybody.
At 12u and 10u the difference between the average A player and the average Rec player isn't huge.
Our travel team is connected to a rec league, but the past few years, travel ball started when rec league ended. All Stars is made of coaches kids and top travel players. It’s separate from travel and rec. but still part of the rec league. It’s just 1 tournament weekend, before rec playoffs. Now they added a more elite team considered B level that will start playing in January. They will play in A level and open tournaments in addition to the B tournaments. They will still have a C travel team that starts at the end of May when rec season is ending. The C team will only be on 1 team during rec season, their rec team, up the B team will be required to play on a rec team, likely All Stars, and their travel team. I think it’s too much. Plus those players will be on rec teams with newbies and casual players which is competitively unfair to both types of players. Not sure how that will work out since it’s the first time they are doing it. The reason they are creating this team is so these players don’t leave the area to play on more elite teams which is what started happening the past couple years.
You must have some good rec leagues in your area. In mine I can tell you the difference between my 12uA player and the better rec players is enormous.There are many reasons as others have mentioned in this thread. At 12u and 10u the difference between the average A player and the average Rec player isn't huge. Now if you took an 'A' team and put them against a Rec team that would be bad.
A lot of those "Rec" players will go on to play Varsity softball at the High School. When you mix the travel players in with the Rec league I bet I couldn't pick out all 12 if I watched all of the games played.
It's good for the Rec league, it's good for all players, it's good for the community. It's not that many games compared to a travel season. I am all for it.