Franchise teams

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Jul 14, 2017
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At least 3 franchise teams are coming to my state this season. Anyone have experience playing on one? Is it just another way to make money off of parents? Is the training that much better? Thank you!


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Mar 26, 2013
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All 3 teams with same org or multiple orgs? What are age groups?

IME it varies by org and situation. Some orgs only take teams run by coaches with a good track record and others take anyone willing to pay the fee. You still have to do your due diligence regardless of the org name.
 
Apr 26, 2015
704
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DD played for a big name org last year. Her coach had a winning record for 2 years and asked to be considered. He was accepted. Last year (his 1st yr with the org) was not a great year. The practices were the exact same every day, the coaching staff was not consistent, each girl had to pay an extra $250 to wear the org name. They did get one meet and greet/practice with the head of the organization but overall I felt it was just a money grab. If the org had done their homework they would know there were reasons why this coach might not be a good fit. I did not feel that the team lived up to the org motto either. The org motto speaks of fighting to the end - this team gave up when it was hot or they were tired. DD decided to leave the team at the end of the season and go to play for a local org.

Ultimately I think it really depends on the coach. There is another team from the same national org that plays in our area who has a great team. The girls have been together for years and they compete well at the national level. All comes down to coaching. The name really means very little.
 
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Jun 12, 2015
3,848
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We've got a bunch of new franchise type teams coming to Atlanta it seems like. I know they have a great presence in some places. Not my cup of tea really, the whole franchise thing. I just don't like the feel of it. Not all big names are like the franchise ones.
 
Jul 14, 2017
181
28
All 3 teams with same org or multiple orgs? What are age groups?

IME it varies by org and situation. Some orgs only take teams run by coaches with a good track record and others take anyone willing to pay the fee. You still have to do your due diligence regardless of the org name.

-3 completely different franchises coming to my area- each hosting different age groups. DD is 14u.


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Dec 2, 2013
3,410
113
Texas
Ultimately I think it really depends on the coach. There is another team from the same national org that plays in our area who has a great team. The girls have been together for years and they compete well at the national level. All comes down to coaching. The name really means very little.

yes, X100. The coach runs the practices, manages the team, makes the lineup, sets the expectations, the tone, etc. The name on the jersey only gets you so far. Not knowing what I know now, a few years ago DD ended up on a team that was freshly invited into the program. We come to find out we are playing for the hittin' kittens with the name on the jersey, and most of the players on the original team did not last the entire year. That team dissolved once tryouts occurred the following year. What I did like: DD got to practice with the better teams/players and took advantage of every extra hitting/fielding practice while most of players on that team chose not to. We just ended up on the wrong team in the right program. Do your homework on the team and coaches before you commit.
 
Feb 17, 2014
7,152
113
Orlando, FL
There are a slew of Gold Coast Hurricanes, Atlanta Vipers, Firecrackers, etc. starting up this Fall. Same teams, same coaches, different uniform from what they wore in the summer. Money Grab!
 
Jun 12, 2015
3,848
83
I hadn't heard about new Vipers teams. Firecrackers definitely, there seem to be a bunch of those popping up.
 
Oct 3, 2011
3,478
113
Right Here For Now
I took my team from Ohio down to North Carolina because the girls wanted to take a trip. One of our pool play games was against a Firecracker franchise team. They hit well but in reality, were not a dominating team. Although this was my only experience against one of the "big name teams," I'd say that like anything else in this world, bigger is not necessarily better and it all comes down to the details such as coaching. I'd be wary of these types of organizations simply because of the volume of players they consume means that many of their teams are "watered down." As with any team you try out for, do your due diligence on the coaching staff of the team your trying out for. Parent or non-parent coaches? If they're parent coaches, what positions does their DD play? Are they known for developing players? Are they known for a winning record? Are they known for not throwing tantrums at errors a player makes? Are they known for getting players recruited? The list goes on depending upon the age group.
 
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