Rec/All-Star Teams

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Aug 10, 2016
686
63
Georgia
So DD's All-Star team played in the Rec/All-Star World Series this past week.
They didn't do great this year - they had about a month between their last tournament and this and hadn't had a lot of time to practice and it really showed.

It's usually a fun time but our association is not sure if we'll ever go back because of this...
In GA, you are not allowed to be on the All-Star team if you played TB in the spring. Doesn't matter what class, you are just not allowed to do both. Also when the All-Star team is formed, you are not allowed to even practice as a team until the regular Rec season is completed. So you start practicing in mid-May, play a few local area tournaments, play State in June and then the WS is in July.
This year we only fully played two tournaments, the 3rd got cancelled after a few games due to rain and State was cancelled as well.

Apparently in every other state that has teams at the WS, TB players *are* allowed on All-Star teams.
There was one team that got formed in June where they had try-outs and all but 3 players played on one of two TB teams. So already that was a little strange - why have try-outs for a Rec/All-Star Team (esp if your players are going to be playing in a TB tournament in another week anyway)

Another team had to have been together at least a year and also played in a B class tournament in March. Even if you allow TB players on the team, no All-Star team should be playing in B class tournaments - when we asked the director about that, he said as long as it's prior to June 1st, it's allowed. I don't get why that even matters - that actually seems backwards to me.

There were three teams in our division that did not have TB players on their roster. And that is just because two of the teams were from GA.

Just curious if my idea of Rec/All-Star is different and anyone has any thoughts on this. Really don't get why you would hold try-outs for All-Star - in our area, All-Star players are just girls from the local rec league that do well throughout the season and are chosen by the coaches.

If you want to play at a higher level and allow TB teams, they should just take their "All-Star" team and go play in some C level tournaments. It really makes it so no true Rec/All-Star team is going to be going to the "Rec/All-Star" WS again. And USSSA says that because the WS takes place in AL, it plays by AL rules. I am really curious what would happen if they moved it to GA one year - not sure if any other states would be able to send teams... They need to make universal rules instead of just playing by one state's rules.

Does anyone on here even still play local rec ball - is GA just backwards and should start allowing TB players on All-Star teams. One of the reasons DD doesn't want to do TB is because she really likes All-Stars and so she knows she wouldn't be able to play if she did it..
 
Jun 12, 2015
3,848
83
I'm in GA and DD and one of her teammates picked up with an all stars team through our county, when they were on a travel team through the same county. They were approved for it because they were in the same county program, even though they played on the TB team all spring (this was in July 2 years ago). They were just pick ups but my impression was that since they were still associated with the program for our county, they could've tried out for all stars had they wanted to. That said, if they were from any other travel team (not associated w/ the county program) they would not have been allowed to play.
 
Oct 11, 2010
8,337
113
Chicago, IL
A lot of different ways to pick a team, we have players vote so they involved. They do a really good job.

Then the coach can pick 2 or 3 players to round out the roster.
 
Oct 11, 2010
8,337
113
Chicago, IL
Here too you need to play 1/2 the games or have a doctor's note.

In rec we have faced some TB player, not necessarily fair.

1 day P is throwing 40, next game throwing 55. I think we could hit the 55er, just not used to it and not worth practicing.

(Good CU in rec is a killer by the way, can deal with speed most the time)
 
Last edited:
May 4, 2016
70
18
East Coast
Does anyone on here even still play local rec ball - is GA just backwards and should start allowing TB players on All-Star teams. One of the reasons DD doesn't want to do TB is because she really likes All-Stars and so she knows she wouldn't be able to play if she did it..

From what I can tell, there is absolutely no "standard" definition for All Stars other than the girls "should" play in the Rec Ball league.

I'm in a Virginia county and our League commissioner is old school (like your GA folks). No girl playing travel ball in this calendar year (2017) is allowed on the All Star team (for 2017). Period. Doesn't matter if those TB girls also played Rec Ball.

So what does that mean? It means we get absolutely demolished at 14U, somewhat destroyed at 12U, beaten at 10U, and hold our own at 8U. It all depends on how many years of extra practices all those TB girls have been getting.

The commissioner gets to feel good about himself for holding to his old-school line, but the Coaches, girls, and parents get frustrated. All anyone wants is a level playing field...

Long story shorter: I feel your pain!
 
May 20, 2016
433
63
In NY as long as you played in the rec league during the spring you can play allstars. Think it should be that way also. Not sure why they'd shun girls for playing TB and not let them play with their friends they played rec ball with and go to school with. Seems kind of mean if you ask me.
 
Feb 7, 2013
3,188
48
IMO, travel ball players should not be playing rec and rec all-stars.

In SoCal under ASA/USA rec "B" league rules, all-star players have to play in the spring rec league to be eligible for the summer all-star team and there are rules that they cannot practice or play with a travel ball organization after a certain date, I think it's March. Since travel ball high season is over the summer, you see very few dedicated travel ball players that come back to rec leagues in spring to play on summer all-star teams.

What you do see a lot of is the 12U all-star players and coaches will form a travel ball team and leave the rec league after the summer which guts the rec league of the better players and coaches.
 
Jun 12, 2015
3,848
83
IMO, travel ball players should not be playing rec and rec all-stars.

I agree. When we let ours do it (it was just one tournament, picking up) she'd only been in travel for 4 months and it was a very low level travel team. No way we'd ever do that now even if we could.
 
Aug 19, 2015
1,118
113
Atlanta, GA
I think they should let the rec girls do their thing and the TB girls should stay out of it. If it's a rec league, it should be a rec league. Picking up TB girls to have a better chance of winning seems shady to me (unless there's an injury or something). Of course, I'm in GA, and my kid did rec All-stars for two years before moving to TB, so I've seen it in action.
 
Jun 29, 2013
589
18
IMO, travel ball players should not be playing rec and rec all-stars.

In SoCal under ASA/USA rec "B" league rules, all-star players have to play in the spring rec league to be eligible for the summer all-star team and there are rules that they cannot practice or play with a travel ball organization after a certain date, I think it's March. Since travel ball high season is over the summer, you see very few dedicated travel ball players that come back to rec leagues in spring to play on summer all-star teams.

What you do see a lot of is the 12U all-star players and coaches will form a travel ball team and leave the rec league after the summer which guts the rec league of the better players and coaches.

Same thing here. The cut-off date is April 1, if you practice, play, etc. with a travel team after that date you can't play All Stars. I'm pretty sure that the same rule applies to Select teams as well.
Most of the 10U all stars are in travel the next year as well, 12U all stars last year became the Select team for a lot of leagues, and the rec. talent drain got worse.
 

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