Bad team, last season, travel ideas

[whiporee]

As I've lamented on this board many times, DD plays for a bad B team. She's the best player on it, but it's still a bad team.

But as parents and I lamented yet another 0-for-tourney today, we tried to think of a way to make next year more fun. They'll be going to 18U, and so far have said they want to stay together. There is not much most parents want to do less than do another season of this.

We've talked about registering as a C team next year -- we should be competitve in C tournaments, and we'd have the option of playing up if we were feeling stupid. But the idea came to us -- it started as a joke, but sort of grew -- what if instead of playing 14 local tourneys, what if we played 4 or 5 travel ones? Go to Orlando and get beat up; go to Vegas and get beat up. Maybe go to Myrtle Beach or California to get beat up. I mean, it beats going to Nebraska or Kansas to get beat up, doesn't it? They don't even need to to be the big-time showcase ones -- just local tourneys for those areas.

We'd have more travel costs, but the girls would be seniors and it might be a fun time for them. And as parents, we'd at least be somewhere funner to, you know, get beat up.

Does this make any sense to anyone? I mean, I'd prefer to think we'd just get better and all have more fun next year, but ...

 

[Bernmoll]

I would plan one big one at most - something the girls can look forward to as a fun trip together as a team but it gets very expensive to travel farther and it just gets too spendy to justify multiple trips. Also girls may bail, parents may bail, lot can happen in just a few months and it’s hard to get refunds. I just think that’s a lot of money on the line for fun..

 

[radness]

*DD plays for a bad B team. She's the best player on it,
*We've talked about registering as a C team next year -- we should be competitve in C tournaments,









and we'd have the option of playing up if we were feeling stupid. But the idea came to us -- it started as a joke, but sort of grew -- what if instead of playing 14 local tourneys, what if we played 4 or 5 travel ones? Go to Orlando and get beat up; go to Vegas and get beat up. Maybe go to Myrtle Beach or California to get beat up. I mean, it beats going to Nebraska or Kansas to get beat up, doesn't it? They don't even need to to be the big-time showcase ones -- just local tourneys for those areas.

We'd have more travel costs, but the girls would be seniors and it might be a fun time for them. And as parents, we'd at least be somewhere funner to, you know, get beat up.

Does this make any sense to anyone? I mean, I'd prefer to think we'd just get better and all have more fun next year, but ...

? isnt that moving your dd backwards with the team?
...
then at the end see you talking about fun.

So Whats the goal here?

 

[flash277]

Isn't it funny that the losses bother the parents more than the players? If the team knows how bad they are, and yet want to stick together for another season of smackdowns, I say let them have their fun. If your DD is looking to play in college, maybe she should go look for another team. Also, I never heard of a 18U being a C team. Although I do like your idea if you do travel for fun, don't play in big time tourneys, lots of local ones in good areas.

 

[whiporee]

? isnt that moving your dd backwards with the team?
...
then at the end see you talking about fun.

So Whats the goal here?

I think the only goal is for EVERYONE to have fun next year, at least if we play with this team. I know the coach isn't going to make wholesale changes -- hell, she wouldn't kick off the girl who's father trashed my DD a few weeks ago. Loyal to the girls beyond a fault.

I guess the argument is that the girls like being teammates, but the losing is getting to them. But only four or five girls really care -- the rest are there for the social stuff. And even the ones who care realize next year will be the end for softball. Some might play on club teams in college, but softball doesn't factor into any plans for the future beyond recreation. They know none of them are good enough to be stars on A teams and we know that half the team won't put in the work to be competent B players. If they were going to, they would. I mean, you'd think after dropping seven or eight flys over the course of the season, someone might think "hey, it's embarassing when I drop a fly ball. Maybe I should work on that on my own." Yet they don't. Nice enough girls, but there's no reason to think they'll be better.

DD is trying out for some better teams this week. The good thing about being a pitcher -- even a mediocre one -- is that as long as you've got a decent bat teams like the idea of an #3 or 4 who can at least get the ball over the plate. But to be honest, I don't think she'll leave her team unless I make her. I think she likes the idea, but if she pictures her coach and her teammates playing without her she ends up heartbroken. They've been together five years now -- that's a stretch of her life. Should we have left a while ago? probably, but I've always let it be her call -- she was never going to be good enough to get a real scholarship, and she's not a good enough student where I'd want her spending tons of college time on softball anyway. None of this is about me except driving eight hours to Seward, Nebraska, to watch them get blown out four out of five games. But other parents and I are tired of that dynamic -- we've sacrificed our summers for this sport, too, and then idea of doing it one last time has us shaking our heads.

So that's why we started thinking about this idea. Four tournmanets spread three weeks apart, without the weekly fill-ins. Families would get some of their weekends back, and then the tournaments could be mine (or maxi) vacations.

But to answer your question, the goal would be to have as much fun as they can. I don't think they can do a lot to get good enough to have the fun of winning a lot, so I was trying to come up with alternatives.

 

[YOCOACH]

As I've lamented on this board many times, DD plays for a bad B team. She's the best player on it, but it's still a bad team.

But as parents and I lamented yet another 0-for-tourney today, we tried to think of a way to make next year more fun. They'll be going to 18U, and so far have said they want to stay together. There is not much most parents want to do less than do another season of this.

We've talked about registering as a C team next year -- we should be competitve in C tournaments, and we'd have the option of playing up if we were feeling stupid. But the idea came to us -- it started as a joke, but sort of grew -- what if instead of playing 14 local tourneys, what if we played 4 or 5 travel ones? Go to Orlando and get beat up; go to Vegas and get beat up. Maybe go to Myrtle Beach or California to get beat up. I mean, it beats going to Nebraska or Kansas to get beat up, doesn't it? They don't even need to to be the big-time showcase ones -- just local tourneys for those areas.

We'd have more travel costs, but the girls would be seniors and it might be a fun time for them. And as parents, we'd at least be somewhere funner to, you know, get beat up.

Does this make any sense to anyone? I mean, I'd prefer to think we'd just get better and all have more fun next year, but ...

It totally makes sense. Yes there's a 'But' coming. But, the problems you'll be facing are numerous. The largest one would be the parental buy-in to the concept due to the financing of it while battling the 'What Ifs.' Say, as an example, you schedule a tourney in Orlando, Vegas, Myrtle Beach, Pigeon Forge, Tn and San Diego. I would venture to say that few of your families would be willing to spend $5-6K up front in non-refundable, non-transferrable airline tickets and as we all know, the closer you get to the date needed to fly, the more the tickets cost. Add in the 'What Ifs' and now you have problems. By the 'What Ifs,' I mean parents thinking about and asking about every little problem they can possibly think of that might occur no matter how remote. I've found few families that go through life happy-go-lucky not caring about finances even though I'm thinking financially it would be an overall wash with what you are doing now.

With that in mind, I would suggest the schedule be cut down to maybe 7 locals and schedule one of the "Fun" ones halfway through and another at the very end for the finale. Overall, it gives everyone involved something to look forward to throughout the entire season and lessens the mental beating everyone has taken over the years due to fewer tournaments. Plus it gives the added benefit of the families actually saving some money for the season in the long run.

 

[radness]

I think the only goal is for EVERYONE to have fun next year, at least if we play with this team. I know the coach isn't going to make wholesale changes -- hell, she wouldn't kick off the girl who's father trashed my DD a few weeks ago. Loyal to the girls beyond a fault.

I guess the argument is that the girls like being teammates, but the losing is getting to them. But only four or five girls really care -- the rest are there for the social stuff. And even the ones who care realize next year will be the end for softball. Some might play on club teams in college, but softball doesn't factor into any plans for the future beyond recreation. They know none of them are good enough to be stars on A teams and we know that half the team won't put in the work to be competent B players. If they were going to, they would. I mean, you'd think after dropping seven or eight flys over the course of the season, someone might think "hey, it's embarassing when I drop a fly ball. Maybe I should work on that on my own." Yet they don't. Nice enough girls, but there's no reason to think they'll be better.

DD is trying out for some better teams this week. The good thing about being a pitcher -- even a mediocre one -- is that as long as you've got a decent bat teams like the idea of an #3 or 4 who can at least get the ball over the plate. But to be honest, I don't think she'll leave her team unless I make her. I think she likes the idea, but if she pictures her coach and her teammates playing without her she ends up heartbroken. They've been together five years now -- that's a stretch of her life. Should we have left a while ago? probably, but I've always let it be her call -- she was never going to be good enough to get a real scholarship, and she's not a good enough student where I'd want her spending tons of college time on softball anyway. None of this is about me except driving eight hours to Seward, Nebraska, to watch them get blown out four out of five games. But other parents and I are tired of that dynamic -- we've sacrificed our summers for this sport, too, and then idea of doing it one last time has us shaking our heads.

So that's why we started thinking about this idea. Four tournmanets spread three weeks apart, without the weekly fill-ins. Families would get some of their weekends back, and then the tournaments could be mine (or maxi) vacations.

But to answer your question, the goal would be to have as much fun as they can. I don't think they can do a lot to get good enough to have the fun of winning a lot, so I was trying to come up with alternatives.

Goals = Different things
Differents Goals = Fun

 

[radness]

I guess the argument is that the girls like being teammates, but the losing is getting to them.







But only four or five girls really care -- the rest are there for the social stuff. And even the ones who care realize next year will be the end for softball. Some might play on club teams in college, but softball doesn't factor into any plans for the future beyond recreation. They know none of them are good enough to be stars on A teams and we know that half the team won't put in the work to be competent B players. If they were going to, they would. I mean, you'd think after dropping seven or eight flys over the course of the season, someone might think "hey, it's embarassing when I drop a fly ball. Maybe I should work on that on my own." Yet they don't. Nice enough girls, but there's no reason to think they'll be better.

DD is trying out for some better teams this week. The good thing about being a pitcher -- even a mediocre one -- is that as long as you've got a decent bat teams like the idea of an #3 or 4 who can at least get the ball over the plate. But to be honest, I don't think she'll leave her team unless I make her. I think she likes the idea, but if she pictures her coach and her teammates playing without her she ends up heartbroken. They've been together five years now -- that's a stretch of her life. Should we have left a while ago? probably, but I've always let it be her call -- she was never going to be good enough to get a real scholarship, and she's not a good enough student where I'd want her spending tons of college time on softball anyway. None of this is about me except driving eight hours to Seward, Nebraska, to watch them get blown out four out of five games. But other parents and I are tired of that dynamic -- we've sacrificed our summers for this sport, too, and then idea of doing it one last time has us shaking our heads.

So that's why we started thinking about this idea. Four tournmanets spread three weeks apart, without the weekly fill-ins. Families would get some of their weekends back, and then the tournaments could be mine (or maxi) vacations.

But to answer your question, the goal would be to have as much fun as they can. I don't think they can do a lot to get good enough to have the fun of winning a lot, so I was trying to come up with alternatives.

Perhaps figuring out losing is not fun, even with their friends,
is a good lesson.

Have encountered players on teams as you describe.
Similarly get to a point they say
This is going no-where.

Thats why defining the group goal matters.
At some point both time and money can be spent another way if only for fun.
They are old enough now to identify with that.
Plus probly have many other interests at this age.

Good Luck whatever direction she chooses!

 

[Gags]

I'm having a hard time picturing a team with girls good enough to play club-level in college and still be getting blown out in B tournaments. But I have slim-to-no experience with club-level softball, other than knowing USNA should have a varsity program like Army.

Based on your location, are the tournaments not big enough for a gold and silver bracket on Sunday? If you're consistently one and done in even with a silver bracket - then yes, I think registering as a C team for next season isn't a bad idea, if there's enough C tournaments in your area to fill a schedule.

 

[softball dad 6]

As I've lamented on this board many times, DD plays for a bad B team. She's the best player on it, but it's still a bad team.

But as parents and I lamented yet another 0-for-tourney today, we tried to think of a way to make next year more fun. They'll be going to 18U, and so far have said they want to stay together. There is not much most parents want to do less than do another season of this.

We've talked about registering as a C team next year -- we should be competitve in C tournaments, and we'd have the option of playing up if we were feeling stupid. But the idea came to us -- it started as a joke, but sort of grew -- what if instead of playing 14 local tourneys, what if we played 4 or 5 travel ones? Go to Orlando and get beat up; go to Vegas and get beat up. Maybe go to Myrtle Beach or California to get beat up. I mean, it beats going to Nebraska or Kansas to get beat up, doesn't it? They don't even need to to be the big-time showcase ones -- just local tourneys for those areas.

We'd have more travel costs, but the girls would be seniors and it might be a fun time for them. And as parents, we'd at least be somewhere funner to, you know, get beat up.

Does this make any sense to anyone? I mean, I'd prefer to think we'd just get better and all have more fun next year, but ...

We played a team once in Mytrle Beach at the end of Summer TCS tournament. To put it politely they were not good. They had driven 13 hours to play in the tournament. I wondered why they had brought a team of that level to the tournament. Did they not know their level? Did they not know the competition level? Was this an end of summer vacation? If you go to Myrtle Beach there are some Top Gun and other organizations who host smaller tournaments that would probably be a better match for your team. I see nothing wrong with doing one for fun. Our coach once asked if the girls wanted to play in USA nationals that was 1 hour away or go 6 hours to TCS in Myrtle Beach. First and only unanimous vote in team history. Go to a fun location and let the girls have a fun time. For most memories last a lifetime, scores do not.