The down side to tournaments

[Slappers]

I agree to a certain extent that things can change but if we are playing 4-5 games a week spread throughout the week, wouldn't that take up even more time? Also around these parts, we don't have to pay a gate fee so i guess we save a bit of money there. Utrip has C level tournaments in VA going down to 2 games on Saturday and however many on Sunday. They are roughly $90-100 cheaper than 4 game guarantees too.

 

[canyonjoe]

I had to laugh about splitting up the parents. We played on a 10U Rec all star team a few years ago. About halfway through the season I was having pizza with my DD and another family and one of the kids asked my DD if she lived with her Mom or her Dad. She said both. The girls thought for a moment and said she thought we were divorced because we never came together to anything.

 

[canyonjoe]

While I generally like the tourney formats, I have wondered if it wouldn't be better to play 2 7 inning games on a Saturday versus 3 4-5 inning games. After looking at some results I'm glad it's the 3. I think that because some many pool games are mismatches. I always hope at least 2 out of 3 are good games.

The other benefit of tourney teams is that you get to know your team a lot better. Spending all day Saturday and then having pizza and maybe a cocktail or 2 at the pool after the games can be a lot of fun. We have made some good friends on the past teams we've played on.

 

[CoogansBluff]

I agree to a certain extent that things can change but if we are playing 4-5 games a week spread throughout the week, wouldn't that take up even more time? .

It would be more car time since you'd have to drive more times, but there's a lot of idle sitting-around time at tournaments.

 

[Lenski]

I understand, but I don't mean grow the game at the grass-roots level. What I'm suggesting is that the lifestyle of the travel softball player is very demanding on players and families, enough so that many top athletes might gravitate to another sport because of it. One reaction to that might be 'great, only the toughest and fittest survive,' but from a broader perspective of the sport, perhaps if the travel ball life/schedule weren't such a pain in the rear that it would attract and keep better athletes in the game, who in turn would make the sport stronger at the higher levels.

I don't think it would work where I live. I would have to travel about 100 miles or so in order to get into a "league" that would play during the week so it would mean leaving work early and traveling 200 miles round trip twice or three times a week. There just isn't enough high level interest in my area to maintain an "Elite League". No thanks.......I'll stick to tournaments.

 

[TheRogue]

No comparison between baseball and softball. Pitching innings is the biggest reason for fewer games in baseball....that and this assumption that its a requirement the game be slow and boring! I mean, 2 hour plus games for 12 yo boys?

I run tourneys for our local baseball organization....I have 1:45 time limits, and I tell the umpires I want less than a minute between the last pitch of one inning and the first pitch of the next half inning...preferably 45 seconds. Boy that ticks some players, coaches, and parents off! But the majority seem to appreciate though.