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Jun 12, 2015
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In my experience the best coaches, players, and orgs grow their own. Teams 'looking for a better player at every position'... aren't developing players and aren't a team.
And have a really high turnover. I have a bias towards developmental teams and I love coaches who want to COACH. The ones who aren't afraid of a project.
 

ian

Jun 11, 2015
1,175
48
In my experience the best coaches, players, and orgs grow their own. Teams 'looking for a better player at every position'... aren't developing players and aren't a team.

That's excellent. I don't mind teams that grow their own. I wish all the players from our area would play for a local team, like how little league is designed. We would have a killer county team. Most of our good local players all play for different teams an hour or more away. The best players from our area are on very competitive teams that travel all over the country.

We travel an hour each way for practice. My DDs team is competitive but doesn't travel more than 3 hours for a tourney. Her coach expects all the girls to practice everyday but only holds two or three practices a week. The team is awesome, no drama. Even with the prospect of losing their starting spot to a bench player who works hard or a better player who shows up for a tryout, no drama. It's most definitely a team.

I feel this prepares the girls for real life. Daddy aint gonna be there to ensure his daughter gets that promotion at work. The employer isn't going to stop looking for better employee to build a better team.
 
Jun 12, 2015
3,848
83
Some teams around here, 10U teams, have girls from CO, TX, etc. It's so weird to me. They can't practice as a team, get to know their teammates. I guess they just fly in for tournaments. And I'm thinking, how much disposable income do you have to have to fly to tournaments 2 or 3 times a month? And is your 10 year old so super-awesome there is really no local team she can play on? I don't get it at all. I could see it at older ages, with recruiting and all that, maybe. But 10U? I'd rather save the airplane money in an education fund for college personally. But I guess it takes all kinds.
 
Apr 26, 2015
704
43
In my experience the best coaches, players, and orgs grow their own. Teams 'looking for a better player at every position'... aren't developing players and aren't a team.[/QUOTE]

This is exactly like the team DD is on and I think it is ridiculous. DD has earned her spot I can't tell you how many times over, but HC keeps looking for bigger, stronger, right handed, you name it. And guess what - he keeps coming back to DD because she is very good at her position. She had offers from numerous other teams during tryouts (several without even trying out for them) and she chose to stay and I promised to keep my mouth shut and my opinions to myself (meaning I can vent here - but not to parents on the team or to DD - which I wouldn't do anyway).

DD's team now has 13 players - which IMO is 2 too many. It's because HC picked up a pitcher, but found another "better" pitcher, then found a "better" 2nd baseman, and most recently found a "better" catcher - all of whom were HS age players so he assumed they would be better than his younger players. None of the new players have taken the spots away from the starters he already had. Now there are unhappy parents in the stands and unhappy girls on the bench. DD is a starter whether she is catching, playing CF or 1st. She is also his lead-off batter, so I can't complain. But I am tired of him neglecting to develop the players he has. This behavior does not foster good team morale. He has never had more than 6 returning players (one being his DD). Sad.

I honestly think if he developed the players he started with he would have a good team. He has a great report with the girls and is very knowledgeable about the game. He just always has stars in his eyes.
 
Oct 7, 2014
87
0
Upper Midwest
@KCP Thank you for sharing. Like you said, it's not binary. Girls can play at the highest level and have the highest level of a team experience.
 
Jun 12, 2015
3,848
83
uuuggghh, KPower. That is our couch from last fall. He was particularly obsessed with pitchers. He collected them like baseball cards. DH was his AC for our brief time with him and he called DH one day about some new girl he was chasing (we had 11 strong players already). "Always recruiting!" he said, as if DH would be impressed. We didn't last much longer after that.
 
Apr 26, 2015
704
43
^^^ yep - DD's team now has 5 pitchers and 5 catchers. No Bueno!

Also make me wonder if you've met or played against someone we've played with - HA!
We had a pitcher would come from out of state to play on teams in our state until the family finally moved to our state and she joined our team (for the spring season only a couple years ago).
She was very young and may still be 10U eligible. I know the family travels all the time all over the place for the girl to play. It is so strange to me!
 
Jan 31, 2011
453
43
Seems to me, if a team isn't looking for a better player at every position they aren't truely a competitive team.

I don't mind daddy ball teams that have positions set before tryouts but I'd rather have DD earn her spot than have it granted through favortism.


Well, I guess it depends on your circumstances, but I tend to develop a team. That commitment takes more than a year. The kids and families are very tight which is great. Of course, a few kids move on every year & we backfill with other very talented kids at try-out time. However, I don't have "starters" or a "bench" like HS ball. Everyone on our TB team plays every game if possible. I bet if you added up innings and compared, there would litle difference in play time over an entire season. And, we're pretty darn good. Pick up good players and play them. Its not complicated. You'd be surprised how many outstanding players we've picked up by just treating everyone right.
 

ian

Jun 11, 2015
1,175
48
Well, I guess it depends on your circumstances, but I tend to develop a team. That commitment takes more than a year. The kids and families are very tight which is great. Of course, a few kids move on every year & we backfill with other very talented kids at try-out time. However, I don't have "starters" or a "bench" like HS ball. Everyone on our TB team plays every game if possible. I bet if you added up innings and compared, there would litle difference in play time over an entire season. And, we're pretty darn good. Pick up good players and play them. Its not complicated. You'd be surprised how many outstanding players we've picked up by just treating everyone right.

I agree, develop the team. If ACs DD is playing SS and a better SS shows up to tryouts, ACs DD is going to have to find another position until the coaches make her as good as the competition. No individuals should come before the team.
 

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