Big fish in small pond

[Cagman]

I may be in my 40s but I remember playing youth sports. If I didn’t play with friends, I would’ve quit. I think as a society, we have completely lost focus what youth sports is all about. Of course, my old man wasn’t paying $1000 a year for me to play a game. And if I ask him to get me hitting lessons he would told me if you can’t hit you shouldn’t be playing baseball. Times sure change.

my daughter is 14 and it’s pretty good but has no interest in spending her college years playing softball. We have a few girls in our family and now several others that do play college sports. it’s like having a full-time job. Some last a year or 2 and some quit the first month.

I honestly can’t wait till she’s done with travel ball. The deeper I’ve gotten into it the more disgusting it is. Especially as these girls and their parents get older. It’s become all about what’s best for “my kid” and not the team or community.

rant over

 

[ang2bmd]

Interesting perspective but do you think its colored by the fact that your dd doesn't want to play college ball. I wish rec leagues were stronger so that kids of all ages could play competitive town ball with their friends when college ball isn't the goal. My dd wants to play high end college softball. She understands the grind from others that have done it although likely not really until she's actually done it, but that being said I'm going to help her get that dream just like I would help her with any other dream.

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[_MIA_]

Interesting perspective but do you think its colored by the fact that your dd doesn't want to play college ball. I wish rec leagues were stronger so that kids of all ages could play competitive town ball with their friends when college ball isn't the goal. My dd wants to play high end college softball. She understands the grind from others that have done it although likely not really until she's actually done it, but that being said I'm going to help her get that dream just like I would help her with any other dream.

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I don't think you have to have a kid who isn't interested in college ball to recognize that much of what goes on in TB (or youth sports in general) is "off"..The only thing your DD's aspirations will change is your willingness to put up with a lot of it..

 

[Towny9]

I may be in my 40s but I remember playing youth sports. If I didn’t play with friends, I would’ve quit. I think as a society, we have completely lost focus what youth sports is all about. Of course, my old man wasn’t paying $1000 a year for me to play a game. And if I ask him to get me hitting lessons he would told me if you can’t hit you shouldn’t be playing baseball. Times sure change.

my daughter is 14 and it’s pretty good but has no interest in spending her college years playing softball. We have a few girls in our family and now several others that do play college sports. it’s like having a full-time job. Some last a year or 2 and some quit the first month.

I honestly can’t wait till she’s done with travel ball. The deeper I’ve gotten into it the more disgusting it is. Especially as these girls and their parents get older. It’s become all about what’s best for “my kid” and not the team or community.

rant over

Youth sports is broken - no denying it there

 

[radness]

Hmmm,... will respond to
Where youth sports has gone conundrum.

Gone awry? Or
Maybe there are just many different reasons why people play softball now, created a mixture and has all been lumped together.

Someone posted about they wish rec ball was stronger and could have older age brackets in it. Where players who just want to have a less pressure time can continue and not have to do the rigors of travel ball.
*Think there is something to that.
What can be done?

Brings this thought process,
That when travel ball started it was called travel ball because there were so few teams to be able to compete you had to travel to do so. Even just to play had to travel. But now that is not the case.
Well that's a good thing imo. However there is a mixture now of why people play.

What if we defined the different reasons to play.
Seperate into two groups.
(Spitballing here ...)
Do not call all teams travel ball. Break that in two.

1.Club teams that only play close to their Clubhouse say a 50-80 mile radius versus.
2.Travel ball teams that are going to travel Beyond a
50-80 mile radius to play. Which will include playing out of state.

This could separate some financial obligations of what travel ball includes.

Perhaps any player that plays outside of their Clubhouse region would be un-eligible for Clubhouse participation.
~ so that don't have the Travel Trophy Hunters competing in club teams.

One of the reasons I am not just saying extend rec ball. Is because from listening to people they leave rec ball because of the Cities rules in rec. People like the freedom of travel ball.
They just don't like everything that's in the basket with it.

 

[_MIA_]

This could separate the some financial obligations of what travel ball includes.

Expense, while an issue, is only one of the things that is off.

 

[radness]

Expense, while an issue, is only one of the things that is off.

Solution suggestions for sb?

Cannot speak for other areas of the nation however Here in Southern California what people do with their money is amazing even when they don't have it.

 

[Hawk_]

This is weird for me. I coached pre DD at a very high level....now I coach at my DD's ability level. I am not going to coach a National team cause she isn't a National Player...simple as that. When she is done either with me coaching or she wants to move on to a bigger org/team with established coaches i'm fine with that. There is a pond for every girl to succeed in. As a coach i'm just here to make sure they are in the best situation to swim.

 

[_MIA_]

Solution suggestions for sb?

For the financial concerns or the other issues? Most of my suggestions for the "other issues" involve parents not being idiots and educating themselves..

 

[radness]

A Perspective...

Perhaps the size of the pond issue is a regional issue,
Not an everywhere issue? Maybe some areas have so few teams its just good to have another team pop up.

Not so here in calif.
its like having 150,000 different choices of vanilla ice cream.
What the heck is that LOL

Calif has so many teams.
There is no definition/defining of what people are getting into.
Even while some parents
not wanting to begrudge each other still end up with other parents on teams that have completely different goals and aspirations.
Causing conflict of interest.

imo
if that was defined better that could at least separate the groups and a few issues like money.
Some don't want the added involvement/topics from competition/college factors that go with competitive travel ball.
Others are driven by it!