Too Many Teams

[dadonachair]

Don't forget that some teams collect pitchers. One reason is it helps water down the talent on other teams and one less pitcher you have to face. Why not carry a bunch of pitchers, you never know when one is going to go down or one gets a lot better. A couple of years ago a friend of mines DD went from #3 to #1 in the course of a season so you never know where your next ace is going to come from. The other reason I can think of is my DD's current team, they are pitching and catching strong but they don't have a true A level ace that can take them over the top.

You also have the daddy ball coaches that start a team and get three pitchers that show up at tryouts and think they will be ok. They go through fallball getting killed every game.. Daddy ball coach has learned the hard way that he can't judge a good pitcher at tryouts. Next thing you know two pitchers leave to better teams and poor daddy ball coach is left looking.

 

[Goobie]

There is one "marquee" organization in my area that went from 2 teams in 14U to 5 last fall. They did this by finding an established TB team and "adding" them to their organization. The head coach of each team is responsible for their own team.

Similar thing in our area. We have entire teams leaving an organization and moving to a different organization. While they share the same jerseys they are not truly one organization. Tryouts are usually handled individually, etc. There are some benefits provided by the master organization and some name recognition but in the end they are truly separate teams and separate organizations.

 

[starsnuffer]

I dunno, lets see. Cut 9 kids and loose 12 grand, or find 3 more, make more money, and have more team. Seems like a no brainer.

-W

 

[coachtucc]

The problem is there are no 3 kids to find! If there were enough kids to fill all these teams, then you wouldnt have to advertise constantly for players. It seems to me that there are too many teams and not enough players. Thats the point I am trying to make; that if you have four teams at each level and one or two of those teams are looking for players then to me you have too many teams. Lets try it this way...maybe there are just too many travel teams overall not just too many in one organization?

 

[JAD]

For the record, most of the marquee organizations in GA have one team per berth year.....96, 97, 98, 99, 00, ect. While an organization can make more money by fielding more teams (team fees, uniforms, ect), the problem is fielding multiple teams that can all play at a high level. In baseball it seems like having multiple teams in each age group is the norm, and the softball organizations that have a baseball connection seem to be the ones that will add additional teams at will.

 

[CoogansBluff]

The problem is there are no 3 kids to find! If there were enough kids to fill all these teams, then you wouldnt have to advertise constantly for players. It seems to me that there are too many teams and not enough players.

I don't see why this is a problem. People form teams. The weak don't survive. As someone else pointed out, it's the free market at work. Yes, there will be teams that form and collapse, and that's inconvenient to the families/kids involved, but that's how travel ball works. There is no other way for it to exist. What is the alternative? Should the ASA take control and conduct nationwide tryouts for travel ball and take applications for coaches and assign them based on participation so that everything matches? Rather than a problem, I see it as a good thing that there are so many coaches willing to give kids opportunities to play beyond the rec level.

Also, imo, I don't understand the criticism of kids who ''aren't good enough'' for travel ball, or dads who form teams for their daughters who can't make other teams. Kids don't have to be 'worthy' to play travel ball. They just need desire, opportunity and an appropriate level to play. I've got no problem with these so-called 'daddy ball' coaches who form their own teams for their daughters. If he can find 10 other kids/families that will follow him, more power to him.

 

[nanotech14]

Well said Coogansbluff, this isn't a new idea in this country.This is how and what our own country was formed on. If we start to regulate orgs. or teams from forming, then we will lose out. It is just like your job, if you come up with a better way of doing something and where you work doesn't see the value in it. You have the right to leave and start your own company, to use your ideas. We were all givin the right of free will. I'm afraid that we are losing it that in this country. Don't make softball part of that,weather you succeed or fail, it is still good for game.