Not sure if they formally name the rules, but there's a guy we've known since DD was 6 that must have a whole chapter, and he's probably proud of it. Shame doesn't really work for some people.
Tell me something good about rec ball!
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Greenmonsters
Wannabe Duck Boat Owner
Maybe a forehead tatoo?
- Dec 7, 2011
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Goes both ways:
Avoiding rec ball you don't have to tolerate low skills and limited desire to compete.
The ones that drive the stereotypes on both sides are equally annoying to their polar opposites.....
How strong is TB in your area? If enrollment in the rec leagues are down because players are moving to TB, then the rec league is doing a great job of developing players and creating a love of the game.
After throwing 10K+ front toss pitches without a catcher, I do not view not having a catcher as being a distraction, but the catcher starting from a standing position gives them a competitive advantage to make a defensive play in the field on a short ball or bunt. A good coach pitch pitcher throws BP to his/her team and learns were each players "sweet spot" is and pitches to it - BP is done without a catcher!
Slappers
Don't like labels
This brings up a good point in my mind....you have to be in there to figure out how I got to what I am going to say vs what I am quoting....
But is there a need for rec league divisions 14u and above? Where do the kids (I say kids because I think this to be true of any sport) fit in that actually want to play for enjoyment and not have all the stress that TB supposedly has. Why do all TB teams have to have the goal of college scholarships?
I've seen so many stupid posts about rec vs tb, hs vs tb and everything in between. And yes, I have said my share of stupid stuff too.
The posts that get me going the most are about daddy ball and starting your own team because it waters down the talent pool for other teams. God forbid girls that don't make your team still have a desire to play at a high level. But don't even think about playing for another team because we may need a player to fill a spot due to injury or ahole parents.
What? You don't want to play in college???? Well then you should go play on a B or C team because you are getting in the way of anothers dream. Or better yet, go play in a rec league that can't cater to your ability.
Where do these types of players go? Rec can't handle them and the TB elitists don't want them until they need them.
JJsqueeze
Dad, Husband....legend
Great observation slappers. 14U in rec looks pretty bad if you judge by our league. Our 12U all stars would have killed the 14U all stars. !2U is often the jumping off point to TB so there is a big talent drain at that age. So the choice for a good player becomes kind of all in or nothing. Since all travel teams I have seen have pretty much the same philosophy of playing at the highest level they can, getting girls recruited etc. it leaves a vacuum for the girls that are clearly better than rec but not quite ready or willing to go full bore all the time. They still find homes on TB teams, but they tend to not play as much as they would like since they don't fit the mold. I mention it a lot but Ken's IOMT team experiment where he took these types of players and made a team of them is a great concept and I think serves a segment of the softball world that is underserved.
My older daughter would fit right in on this type of team and it would fit our family well. I don't know how good my girls are going to get, even if they were the best players around, I don't want them on the D1 track though because of the time commitment that level of college ball would take. If they choose to go for college ball, I would prefer they find a quality program at the DII-DIII level at a really good academic school where they would have the time to excel at both. I can't be alone in this type of thinking, but in TB around here, everyone is after the same goal, get to PGF do well, recruit better players/fill gaps, get them all signed to the highest level they can and then rinse and repeat.
My older daughter would fit right in on this type of team and it would fit our family well. I don't know how good my girls are going to get, even if they were the best players around, I don't want them on the D1 track though because of the time commitment that level of college ball would take. If they choose to go for college ball, I would prefer they find a quality program at the DII-DIII level at a really good academic school where they would have the time to excel at both. I can't be alone in this type of thinking, but in TB around here, everyone is after the same goal, get to PGF do well, recruit better players/fill gaps, get them all signed to the highest level they can and then rinse and repeat.
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@JJsqueeze - The top level definitely gets the most attention, but there is a lower-level travel circuit in SoCal that may fit your bill. Look into teams that are playing AFA and USSSA events - heck, look at ASA too.
There are travel teams for just about every skill level. Find a well-run one that competes in appropriate events for them. I think this applies to just about every area of the country.
There are travel teams for just about every skill level. Find a well-run one that competes in appropriate events for them. I think this applies to just about every area of the country.
JJsqueeze
Dad, Husband....legend
Thanks....she's squared away on her team. I was commenting more on how even the low level teams claim the same aspirations as the top level teams, there just does not seem to be much differentiation in how they present themselves. It seems that even the low level teams either have delusions of grandeur or are constantly trying to upgrade the roster etc. I have yet to see a team that is stating their goal as creating a space for that player that is above rec all stars but not quite the big baller. Basically finding the girls that are slated in the bottom half of a typical team and grouping them together to continue to learn and grow but not with a goal of using any success to recruit higher level girls, just for the goal of either having these girls move up and replacing them with the next group of bottom half kids, or just keeping them together. Not all TB families are chasing a scholarship, we aren't.
What's good about rec ball?
Almost every travel player once played rec ball. It give them a chance to play some and decide how much they like the game.
Go watch low level games and the kids are having fun. It also gives kids whose parents don't make a lot of money a chance to
place for a reasonable amount. I've seen some rec players who could easily play A ball if the parents had the money. Finally it
gives kids something to do rather than sit on the computer. After watching Travel games, the rec games are tough to watch, but once
you get past the mistakes, you often find a competitive game.
If you live in a city that has adult softball you see A games through D games. Just because the D players aren't as good as the A ones, doesn't mean they don't have fun.
Almost every travel player once played rec ball. It give them a chance to play some and decide how much they like the game.
Go watch low level games and the kids are having fun. It also gives kids whose parents don't make a lot of money a chance to
place for a reasonable amount. I've seen some rec players who could easily play A ball if the parents had the money. Finally it
gives kids something to do rather than sit on the computer. After watching Travel games, the rec games are tough to watch, but once
you get past the mistakes, you often find a competitive game.
If you live in a city that has adult softball you see A games through D games. Just because the D players aren't as good as the A ones, doesn't mean they don't have fun.
