Can you play rec and travel?

[CMMom1740]

We tried this at 12U. It was apparent within about a week that continuing rec ball was a waste of time. We thought that the more reps, the better. But not if the pitching is so terrible that all you do is walk every time you come up to bat. Do yourself a favor and take one obligation off your schedule. She'll make new friends in travel ball. Trust me, watching rec games will be agonizing after watching travel games.

 

[JOHNN]

In our area, girls can play both. In a normal year, our spring season runs March thru first week of May, games M-Th, and no games Fri thru Sun. It allows the girls to play tournaments on weekends yet play rec ball as well if some desire.

In the fall, if there is a team of mostly travel ball girls, they have to play an age group up. For the spring, we do have drafts so it "typically" evens out the teams but there are definitely some times where we scratch our head wondering how the teams were divided.

 

[Traps71]

It can be done, but it is a grind.

Our travel team for 10U and 12U was affiliated with our local LL and was essentially aimed at keeping the stronger players in the LL (rather than bleeding out to other travel orgs who would not care about LL) and developing them for LL All Stars/LL tournament play in the summer. Obviously, it can vary from year to year based on talent, but overall this approach has helped build a very strong softball program at our LL that regularly wins states and has gone on to regionals and the world series multiple times over the past 20 years. If you played on the travel team, LL games (though not practices) always had first priority. There usually weren't any conflicts because the same coaches who coached in the LL also tended to coach the travel teams. LL games for softball were almost always Mondays and Fridays. Then we'd have tournaments on the weekends two or three times a month, mostly local. If a spring LL make up game was scheduled on a Sunday, it sometimes could cause an issue. These travel players were spread across the 5 Majors teams in the LL, so the overall level of play in the LL was also higher (though still tough to watch at times compared with travel). It was a lot of softball and, with LL or travel practices, we might have had only one day a week in the fall and spring when we weren't playing softball.

Glad we did it, it certainly made my oldest DD (now 14U) a better player and pitcher. She got tons of circle time between both commitments. Not sure I'd ever want to do it again though. My younger DD (11U) is LL only right now and may be ready to give travel another shot. OMG...

 

[uncdrew]

Can't do it in our rec league.

Just ask coaches of both teams. They'll know. None of us will, unless we play for the same rec and travel teams you're considering. It simply varies per org.

 

[Eric F]

At 10U, my DD moved to TB and never looked back. Some of her rec/school friends did the same thing, some didn't. She made new friends, she still saw her school friends in school, and her softball skills took a big step up. My DD was the driving force behind the decision.

 

[Northball]

It can be done, but it is a grind... Not sure I'd ever want to do it again though.

I had one DD and her time is over. I wish I had another to do it again, just without the teen girl drama stuff. I've got a boy in baseball, but it's not the same.

 

[bmakj]

depends on local rules really, no national rules against it that I am aware of.

I think for pitchers and catchers looking for reps, good idea (guaranteed reps, regardless of how good ro bad teammates and opposing team are) at the younger ages.

just have to make certain both coaches are aware, and travel coach is on board, and everyone understands the priorities (for us, when DD did both, it was travel game, rec game, travel practice, rec practice, pretty simple really)

 

[YOCOACH]

At 10U I encourage my TB players to do both. At 12U, my pitchers and and catchers i encourage. The caveat is, TB tournaments, games, scrimmages and practices take precedence over any rec ball including games and All-stars. At 14U, I don't allow my players to play rec ball at all.

 

[Eric F]

depends on local rules really, no national rules against it that I am aware of.

I think for pitchers and catchers looking for reps, good idea (guaranteed reps, regardless of how good ro bad teammates and opposing team are) at the younger ages.

just have to make certain both coaches are aware, and travel coach is on board, and everyone understands the priorities (for us, when DD did both, it was travel game, rec game, travel practice, rec practice, pretty simple really)

A major concern for me is work load. Every TB team my DD played with from 10U to 14U included some sort of softball activity 5 days a week (team activities and private instruction). Adding the demands of another team to that would have been insane.

Another issue is that you're not giving 100% of yourself to either team. Missing rec games in favor of TB games means that one of the rec team's best players (probably) is gone. Missing TB practice for a rec game means that the player is missing out on learning the game alongside her TB teammates. Especially at the younger ages, that instruction could be important for the next games (situation plays, new signs, etc.).

 

[bmakj]

A major concern for me is work load. Every TB team my DD played with from 10U to 14U included some sort of softball activity 5 days a week (team activities and private instruction). Adding the demands of another team to that would have been insane.

Another issue is that you're not giving 100% of yourself to either team. Missing rec games in favor of TB games means that one of the rec team's best players (probably) is gone. Missing TB practice for a rec game means that the player is missing out on learning the game alongside her TB teammates. Especially at the younger ages, that instruction could be important for the next games (situation plays, new signs, etc.).

probably also depends on the level of TB. what you describe sounds like very high level TB, and at that level, I imagine most coaches would not want their players playing rec (with the possible exception of #3 or lower pitchers, just to get reps).

the coaches have to be on board, otherwise it probably will not go well.