Travel Ball is Killing Rec Ball

[uncdrew]

Yeah, there are girls on travel teams that are just good rec players. And there are girls on travel teams that are the best of the rec girls.

But both want to play more than one game per week, and more than 6 months a year. So they play travel.

 

[chevy706]

Consider that TB is (or should be) a level better than all-stars. If your DD is on the bubble of making the all-star team, maybe moving to TB isn't the right choice at this time. At her age, building confidence is as important as building skills. I've seen more than a few girls jump into TB before they were really ready, and it wasn't a good thing for them.

All that said, you know your kid, and I don't. Nor am I familiar with the landscape of TB in your area (unless you are in So Cal). Be honest about doing what you think is best for her development, and you're probably doing the right thing.

I think I must not have communicated very well. My daughter does play travel ball. My point was that I don't think travel ball kills rec ball as much as rec ball, at least in my area, is so weak that it forces the better players to TB. In a league with 10 teams, to only have 2 or 3 teams that can throw strikes makes it very difficult to develop. The better kids go play travel ball, thus making rec ball that much worse, because at some point those TB players stop playing rec, and the cycle continues.

 

[Eric F]

I think I must not have communicated very well. My daughter does play travel ball. My point was that I don't think travel ball kills rec ball as much as rec ball, at least in my area, is so weak that it forces the better players to TB. In a league with 10 teams, to only have 2 or 3 teams that can throw strikes makes it very difficult to develop. The better kids go play travel ball, thus making rec ball that much worse, because at some point those TB players stop playing rec, and the cycle continues.

My apologies if I misunderstood your intent.

That sounds pretty similar to our experience, too. Somewhere in the 10U to 12U range, the better players (especially pitchers), make the move to TB. This is usually the right move for those players, but the talent level of the league does take a significant hit. This is just the nature of things.

Every year in school ball, my DD gets to play with and against girls she played rec ball with in 8U and 10U. Some of them were all-star teammates together, and at a similar skill level. Now, the difference between those who moved to TB and those who stayed in rec is vivid. The TB girls play the game faster, smarter, better. Even the girls who are top-level players in 14U rec aren't anywhere near the girls who have spent 2+ years in TB.

 

[sjw62000]

Rec ball is like training wheels, some kids/parents are content leaving the training wheels on for a long time, others see them as a necessary step to learn and then move on once you've outgrown them

Well said; very poignant. Rec ball certainly gave DD the love of the game. She needed the training wheels and once I believed she was ready for TB, I took the training wheels off. In the interest of full disclosure our first month of so of TB was a lot like taking the training wheels off and then heading down a steep mountain trail. The commitment was more than I had expected, but after seeing how fast my DD grew, I couldn't be happier.

 

[cnardone]

This thread has going in a lot of directions. This is a really complex subject. Lots of things going on that are causing the issue. Not the least of which is that this game is hard and takes work. There are too many other things to do that are easier.

Even other sports are easier. Go watch a 3rd or 4th grade basketball or soccer game. Girls with little to know skills but hustle and aggressiveness can be productive and feel good about themselves at the end of a game. Even if they did not score. They have time to grow to enjoy the game.

In Softball everyone is looking at you and only you standing there. Striking out. I coach a 10U Rec team, 14 girls. There are only 3 girls on the team that go home and practice with parents or siblings. Through 5 games, I've got (IIRC) 6 girls that have not made contact yet. How are they going to get any love for the game if they can't succeed on any level. How are they going to want to come back next year?

All of the girls on the local 10U and 12U travel team play rec as well. But as Eric pointed out, the difference in skill level is so great, there is no competition. How much fun is it to win when you know that the opponent doesn't belong on the same field as you do? And great googly moogily, it is downright demoralizing for the rec players who can't even sniff that TB pitcher.

There are lot of reasons for rec ball to have issues. Laying it all at the feet of travel ball is not fair.

 

[Rick M]

This thread has going in a lot of directions. This is a really complex subject. Lots of things going on that are causing the issue. Not the least of which is that this game is hard and takes work. There are too many other things to do that are easier.

Even other sports are easier. Go watch a 3rd or 4th grade basketball or soccer game. Girls with little to know skills but hustle and aggressiveness can be productive and feel good about themselves at the end of a game. Even if they did not score. They have time to grow to enjoy the game.

This is so true, and it's one of the reasons that DD still plays Rec. She knows it's important for the other girls who don't play as much as she does to see firsthand what better softballl looks like. And if you don't get the younger girls excited enough to power through the tough times, you're not going to have a team by your senior year of high school.

All of the girls on the local 10U and 12U travel team play rec as well. But as Eric pointed out, the difference in skill level is so great, there is no competition. How much fun is it to win when you know that the opponent doesn't belong on the same field as you do? And great googly moogily, it is downright demoralizing for the rec players who can't even sniff that TB pitcher.

We're dealing with this every game now. DD goes to the rec games and expects to be put anywhere, we'd like some other girls to get the chance to pitch. But after two innings, you've got a girl sobbing in the circle after walking in 10 runs. So DD takes the ball and mows the other team down. In both cases, the other girls in the field aren't having much fun. At least the hitters have something to swing at -- they get an enthusiastic cheer when they manage to dribble a ball back to the pitcher.

 

[J.Galt]

I see no reason to play nice or be supportive of the local asa league any longer. I'd go and rake and fill holes,, fix their bullpens so my DD could use them only to have the local rec ladies tell me that they're not for use for players who aren't in their rec.
I simply built my own tunnels in my yard now and she can pitch from dirt or turf whenever she wants.
We have been told that she can't do her long toss workouts on the grassy park area, not even on the fields, because the open grass area is designated for park and rec use only as well, even when there are not any teams there to use it. It's the same 3 see you next tuesdays who tried to "punish" my DD because she said she wanted to play travel ball instead of All Stars in 10u. One of them called my ex wife and threatened to put our DD on the worst team in the league if she didn't pitch for the league's All Star team.
The league could close down and I wouldn't be upset, we do her long toss workouts on the PONY fields now since the PONY league isn't ran by Nazi troglodytes.

 

[whack]

Lol


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[Eric F]

And great googly moogily, it is downright demoralizing for the rec players who can't even sniff that TB pitcher.

Just wait until HS ball when rec-only or HS-only players face a senior pitcher committed to a top D-1 program.

I see no reason to play nice or be supportive of the local asa league any longer. I'd go and rake and fill holes,, fix their bullpens so my DD could use them only to have the local rec ladies tell me that they're not for use for players who aren't in their rec.
I simply built my own tunnels in my yard now and she can pitch from dirt or turf whenever she wants.
We have been told that she can't do her long toss workouts on the grassy park area, not even on the fields, because the open grass area is designated for park and rec use only as well, even when there are not any teams there to use it. It's the same 3 see you next tuesdays who tried to "punish" my DD because she said she wanted to play travel ball instead of All Stars in 10u. One of them called my ex wife and threatened to put our DD on the worst team in the league if she didn't pitch for the league's All Star team.
The league could close down and I wouldn't be upset, we do her long toss workouts on the PONY fields now since the PONY league isn't ran by Nazi troglodytes.

If this is a pervasive attitude within your rec league, they are killing themselves. This person (and others, possibly) are ignoring the fact that you might have family or friends with young girls who are interested in playing softball. A butt-hurt attitude towards your decision to move your DD to TB doesn't do much to motivate you to pimp the league to future softball players, especially in So Cal where there other league options readily available to most everyone.

Also, unless there is a local regulation against it, I'm not sure how they can keep you from playing catch in a public park. That sounds like some serious BS to me.

 

[hooham08]

We left rec ball after last season because my dd was in her first spring pitching at 9yr old. She was fighting for innings in travel and got to rec (wanting innings) to help develop. Daddy ball cut her innings in travel and the rec league coach used her sparingly to let the "new" pitchers learn. DD would come in throw 1,2,3 and the time limit would stop us. Needless to say we took a lot of losses and DD didn't get innings. This year we thought about moving her up to 12u rec league so she could get similar competition. Not that my dd is above anyone, we just have a small weaker league especially at 10u. We opted to skip out this year because we wanted to focus our off time on her pitching mechanics and didn't want to go back and forth from 35 to 40' and deal with 11'' to 12'' ball. It may not have mattered but we didn't want to risk it. Our other option was to leave her at 10u rec ball but we werent sure it would it be worth it to mow the girls down. DD's pitching is much improved from last year and the talent pool seems less this year in that age. I know some parents who would die to have their dd playing in front of locals and dominate. That's not our goal, nice as it sounds.