A Teams only Doing a few Fall tourneys

[Screwball]

The B and C teams here are doing more tourneys that A teams, in the multiple vowel org. ASA here canceled most fall tourneys due to bad weather and low participation.

Showcases more prominent but there is no winner there...I went to a so-called showcase and 80% of the playing in games was awful.

What secrets do the A teams have? Better practices with bonding/communication over bad playing in lower-level fall tourneys?

I really do wonder how they can be good in spring without more fall games.

 

[GOINGDEEP]

My DD has/does play A ball. Fall ball gets tricky. TB girls play other school sports ( soccer, volleyball, basketball and some schools have a fall softball season ).

Some girls will pick up with other teams just to get some dirt time. As for mine, we use the fall/winter for individual workouts. Pitching and hitting. If she was a fielder I might look at it or try something different to stay sharp.

Fall ball to me over the years was more trouble than it was worth. Trying to find 9=12 warm bodies ( with a good talent level ) gets tough. School sports play on Saturday sometimes, that's when you have to find a pickup or a few of them. And I always fell bad asking a pickup to play just one day, so Sunday when my regs come I'm stuck with 15 players. The tournaments are less competitive and though I love to win, I don't want to fall asleep in the dugout slaughter ruling everyone.

I'd much rather set up a few scrimmage games with other A teams. This works better for us.

 

[FPMark]

Our "A" team will play 2 college showcases and 2 or 3 freindlies or scrimages in the fall. Not really much advantage to playing tournaments, all we are doing is compareing our team to the others in 16U to see what needs to be worked on indoors over the winter. No sense spending $300 when you can play scrimages for free.

 

[Coachmom]

Wow... I wish we had a light fall schedule..this is my DD schedule for fall. They are in Florida right now.

September 17-18 Triple Crown Fall Classic Tournament@Field of Dreams
September 24-25 Fall Kick Off SoCal's Finest Tournament (Exposure)

October 8-9 Surf City Fall Showcase (Exposure) OC
October 15-16 Surf City Showcase (Exposure) OC
October 20-23 Rising Stars Florida (Exposure) Davie Florida

November 12-13 So Cal Finest Tournament of Champions (Exposure) Hemet
November 19-20 Surf City Early Thanksgiving Tournament (Exposure) OC
November 25-27 Thanksgiving Tournament OC

 

[InsidePitch]

I used to think that you needed to play fall ball. Now I'm not convinced. DD's new team has played a few dbl header scrimmages but mostly worked out and it shows in their playing, GOOD!

A friend of mine's DD is a pitcher and she isn't even on a team. She is second year 14U this fall. Instead her pitching coach is trying to get her to 60 and add another pitch. She's at 57-58 right now. He did not want her playing during the learning of this pitch. Black magic???

Anyway, DD is firmly into XC and BB now so I'm glad her SB team isn't gung ho about playing weekend long tournaments. I think practice makes kids better faster than playing. MORE REPS.

 

[dbias]

Our "A" team will play 2 college showcases and 2 or 3 freindlies or scrimages in the fall. Not really much advantage to playing tournaments, all we are doing is compareing our team to the others in 16U to see what needs to be worked on indoors over the winter. No sense spending $300 when you can play scrimages for free.

DD had usually done a few local tournaments in the fall with teams we were looking at for next year. She just turned 15 a few months ago and was extended two "evalutations" by an 18u showcase team. She is a pretty good pitcher with an awesome bat and ended up making the team. We have had a few practices....2.5 hours away and are getting ready to start the first tourney with the team. How is the showcase stuff different from the regular tournaments?

 

[MTR]

Remember when Fall Ball was just an activity to have a little fun, exercise and enjoy the game in a relaxing manner?

 

[howellhandmade]

SNIP We have had a few practices....2.5 hours away and are getting ready to start the first tourney with the team. How is the showcase stuff different from the regular tournaments?

2.5 hours one way? If you get there a little early or leave time for traffic on the way there, you're close to an 8-hour shift just for a softball practice. Not that I need to tell you that, I'm just amazed -- wondering how common this is and where she finds time for school and where you find time to work. There are players on my DD's team who drive an hour and I thought THAT was a lot. My apologies for the hijack.

 

[InsidePitch]

LOL, my 12 yo DD/catcher worked with a new girl last week. I asked how was she? DD says she's fast but she will get tatoo'd with nothing but a fastball and a weak change up. Funny how by the time they are ready to move to 14U they seem to know so much more about the game. As a catcher she can tell me what each pitch was while batting. If she hits a rope, I know what it was. Middle inside.

Fall ball should be about getting used to some of what you will be seeing if you are moving up and then working to get better at addressing it. A couple of friendlies or scrimmages with good teams will tell you what you need to work on.

 

[dbias]

2.5 hours one way? If you get there a little early or leave time for traffic on the way there, you're close to an 8-hour shift just for a softball practice. Not that I need to tell you that, I'm just amazed -- wondering how common this is and where she finds time for school and where you find time to work. There are players on my DD's team who drive an hour and I thought THAT was a lot. My apologies for the hijack.

Time is at a premium but it is worth it to get dd mixing with others who take the game as serious as she does. Her first comment after the first practice was it was nice to see no goofing off during practice. The coach speaks of what this will be like but at this point there are still a lot of unknowns. He says winning is nice but if a coach comes and asks to see the third base player at second he will call time out and move her right then.