Can I get a travel ball history lesson?

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Jul 14, 2018
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If they and your dd played the minimum amount of rec games required to be able to qualify for the all-star team, then there shouldn’t have been an issue, and that parent was wrong for saying anything.

Ha, I was a coach and poor DD played every inning of every gawdawful game on the schedule! I usually hid her in the OF to give the rec-only girls a chance to pitch, so I could see where someone would think she was a wringer, even though she had played in every game. It was just the attitude — that talented players didn’t belong in rec — that took me aback.


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May 27, 2013
2,353
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Not in her mind! :rolleyes: I still remember very well when Anna was playing 10U rec ball, we were to face a team who we knew brought a girl in, we'd never seen her before. She was warming up and my girls seemed terrified............

But, I knew their 3B and 1B, neither one could catch a beach ball. This team I had could run, fast! I think I bunted the first 8 girls and we had them 6 to nothing in minutes. Eww........big bad travel ball, scary word! They're 10 years old!

The funny thing is the other side was losing their minds, but the one big hell raising voice I'd never heard before was the travel kid's mom.......we were NOT supposed to do that to the anointed child they brought in! Walk through after the game was real fun!

Ha, I was a coach and poor DD played every inning of every gawdawful game on the schedule! I usually hid her in the OF to give the rec-only girls a chance to pitch, so I could see where someone would think she was a wringer, even though she had played in every game. It was just the attitude — that talented players didn’t belong in rec — that took me aback.


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Yeah, I remember catching some flack when dd played travel during the fall of her 12U year. My friend was one of the coaches and invited her to guest play that season. For some reason people assumed that if rec players played TB then they were not allowed to play on the all-star team (no such rule). I remember being at the District all-star meeting for the coaches and some were griping about my kid to the District Administrator. She didn’t even play TB during rec season!
 
May 29, 2015
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There is a flip side to this, as well. DD and many of her friends play TB, on a bunch of different teams. Last spring, they came together for one last run at a rec state title. It was 12U, end of the line.

The other teams we played at 12U were furious at us. At our district final, as I was warming DD up, a parent from the other finalist stood behind me and exclaimed loudly, “Oh look, they brought their travel pitcher. You should be ashamed of yourself.”

I may be wrong, and it certainly isn’t personal at all, but I would be of the same mindset as that parent. You don’t bring a bunch of travel players together and go enter a rec tournament. This is no different than taking an “A” team into a “C” tournament so you can get that hardware.
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
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So Cal
Ha, I was a coach and poor DD played every inning of every gawdawful game on the schedule! I usually hid her in the OF to give the rec-only girls a chance to pitch, so I could see where someone would think she was a wringer, even though she had played in every game. It was just the attitude — that talented players didn’t belong in rec — that took me aback.


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I'm of the opinion that talented players belong in rec...until they don't. When they've reached the point where the level of competition is no longer challenging, or they are having to hold back their game (ease up on throws, etc.) to play with their teammates, it's time to move on. If the league has a bunch of higher-level players spread out between multiple league teams, that's fine, but if the player is clearly at a level above the rest of the league, keeping them there is more likely to stagnate their game rather than continue to develop it.
 
May 29, 2015
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IMO most college coaches say they are in favor of multi-sport athletes because stating the opposite would be unpopular.

Being a multi-sport athlete generally shows the ability to adapt, to learn new skills, and that you are coachable. It’s more about the person than the ability.

That said, somebody mentioned earlier being a three-sport athlete and trying to play year round in each one. Terrible idea and I wouldn’t want that player. She is going to be injury prone because she isn’t giving her body adequate time to rest. I would question a bit of the motivation to do that also. Just me though!
 
May 27, 2013
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I may be wrong, and it certainly isn’t personal at all, but I would be of the same mindset as that parent. You don’t bring a bunch of travel players together and go enter a rec tournament. This is no different than taking an “A” team into a “C” tournament so you can get that hardware.
I get what you are saying, but if they play rec too and don’t miss rec practices or games it shouldn’t be an issue. I would think in most cases most travel players would miss most of rec season if their season started in spring, making them ineligible for all-stars. IME, the girls who played both only played on the local TB teams because remember, they have to all live within certain boundaries. It wasn‘t like anyone could go out and get a top player from outside of our district.
 

radness

Possibilities & Opportunities!
Dec 13, 2019
7,270
113
I'm of the opinion that talented players belong in rec...until they don't. When they've reached the point where the level of competition is no longer challenging, or they are having to hold back their game (ease up on throws, etc.) to play with their teammates, it's time to move on. If the league has a bunch of higher-level players spread out between multiple league teams, that's fine, but if the player is clearly at a level above the rest of the league, keeping them there is more likely to stagnate their game rather than continue to develop it.
Perhaps a good measure of when to leave is
Other players cant catch the ball because your kid throws too hard.
(cringe and duck effect)
 
May 29, 2015
3,731
113
Ha, I was a coach and poor DD played every inning of every gawdawful game on the schedule! I usually hid her in the OF to give the rec-only girls a chance to pitch, so I could see where someone would think she was a wringer, even though she had played in every game. It was just the attitude — that talented players didn’t belong in rec — that took me aback.


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Looks as if I misunderstood some of your original post. I read it as kids that didn’t play rec, then came back for a rec tournament.

I’ll backstep and say something I said before: we lack common definitions and objective measures.
 
May 27, 2013
2,353
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IME, most kids who stuck with rec who obviously could play on a TB team stayed In LL because they wanted to play with their friends, typically kids who they went to school with. Once we left LL after 12U and played TB, there was no way dd could have balanced both. Too many practices and games with TB that she’d never be able to commit to LL.
 

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