Travel Team in Rec League Tournaments, why?

Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch

Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.

May 4, 2014
200
28
So Cal
1st issue is 8u “travel”...2nd issue is this “travel” team getting into a B or C rec league tourney. I’m sorry but if those tourneys are not “open” then This “travel” team has no business being in the tourney- I couldn’t care less if this travel team can’t find competition and it’s nice for them to play local. Trophy chasing at its best disguised by “ we can’t find games locally” but then again that pretty much summarizes 8u travel - I would NOT let them play in a C level tourney specially if they run rulesd everyone in a b level - the fact they are trying to join it just shows the tool this manager is... if you want to call yourself travel then go play travel but stop mixing it in with rec leagues because it’s convenient for you or you can’t find games - that coach and the parents made a decision to go travel- the rec leagues aren’t there for their convenience


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
May 3, 2018
75
18
My issue was not even necessarily that they were in this B tournament. I have no problem playing better competition. My issue is that they have signed up for a "C" tournament in a couple of weeks on a weekend where there are 7 advertised tournament in the Pittsburgh area, including 4 "B" level tournaments. Why would you sign up for a C level tournament when there's better competition relatively the same distance away?
 
May 4, 2014
200
28
So Cal
Are the B level rec allstar teams only, or open tourneys ? Is the C level open? I’ll play “nice” and say the only reason why this team would register for C and not the B is if all the B were closed (allstar only teams) and the C advertised as open - if all of them are closed then this manager is an even bigger tool than I thought
 
May 7, 2008
8,506
48
Tucson
8u travel? 8u All Stars.
I coach 8 year olds. My granddaughter is 8.
I can’t imagine either of these teams. But, there will always be travel teams in rec. Sometimes they just need to take some time off from the schedule.
 
Aug 10, 2016
686
63
Georgia
Last season, DD's 12U All-Star team played in the Rec "All-Star" WS.
We played against two teams that had no business playing in the All-Star division.
One team actually had try-outs way later in June to make up their team. This was to be the only tournament this team played.
The other team had players from B level Travel teams.
These two teams took 1st and 2nd..
Girls on both teams had a tournament with their travel team the next weekend as well...
Definitely unfair to true rec teams..

My big issue with this is due to the fact that our state does not allow any travel player to play All-Stars. DD played rec and TB this past spring but had to sit out all-stars because of this rule. Other states all around us do not have this rule.
 

Josh Greer

DFP Vendor
Jul 31, 2013
934
93
Central Missouri
I won't address the immediate situation. But if this is a concern going forward, I would suggest only playing in a sanctioned tournament that is not "open". If the players are truly part of a different team with a higher classification, they will not be able to play down. Of course this is only a deterrent because some coaches will still try (falsify names...usually by changing spelling). You are always going to find trophy warriors, but is reduced in closed sanction tournaments.
 
Nov 3, 2012
480
16
Come on its 8U, really. Not much of a difference between 8U rec and 8U travel teams. If its 12U and above, and travel teams get into rec tournaments, then its trophy hunting.
Im always amazed that there's a 8U travel circuit anyway. I still think way to early for travel ball, and good way to burn the girls out. Your DD is 8, you got a long journey ahead and enjoy it. Don't get stressed over little stuff like this.
 
Jun 11, 2013
2,619
113
We mistakenly played in a tournament a couple of years ago because TD lied to us. He said there would be some good B teams but it was a lie. This was 14U so you can imagine the difference between a good B team and C teams. We stopped stealing in the 1st inning of the first game and even with run limits they imposed I think out closest game was 14-2. Truthfully it was a total waste of time. The worst thing was the next week when we played a real tournament and parents were wondering why we didn't hit as well.
 

Strike2

Allergic to BS
Nov 14, 2014
2,044
113
Come on its 8U, really. Not much of a difference between 8U rec and 8U travel teams. If its 12U and above, and travel teams get into rec tournaments, then its trophy hunting.
Im always amazed that there's a 8U travel circuit anyway. I still think way to early for travel ball, and good way to burn the girls out. Your DD is 8, you got a long journey ahead and enjoy it. Don't get stressed over little stuff like this.

Lol...there is usually a BIG difference between a Rec team made up of whoever signs up and a travel team that is hand-picked after a tryout. When I coached Rec, there was always one or two teams like this. They played tournaments on the weekends, and then beat up Rec teams during the week. I still wonder why.

I will say that one of the most memorable games I ever coached was against one of these teams at 8U; they beat us badly early in the season, and my kids figured out a way to beat them a few weeks later. The game was won in the final inning with the fences lined with spectators. Their coach wouldn't shake hands at the end...it was perfect.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
42,830
Messages
679,472
Members
21,443
Latest member
sstop28
Top