crazy travel necessary?

[tuccisoftball]

DD wants to play in college, but mom and i want education first. However, if she wants to play at a high level, fine with us. My question is this, living on the east coast, it seems like a lot of "A" level teams travel all over the place to play. Is that really necessary? Can't she get just as prepared stying relatively local? The cost of travel in that kind of program must be crazy...

 

[nanotech14]

Yes it is expensive.But you have to go where your dd can get seen.Not alot of college coaches hanging around your local park,not saying she can't be seen,but you have to go where they are.To start,try to find a TB team that does more local tournaments,maybe travels to a few tourneys 2 or 3 hours from home twice a year or so.Word of warning,once you get in it's hard to get out.Next thing you know,dd has a pitching coach,a batting coach,and your family eats hotdogs every weekend.Got to love those tourney dogs

 

[Amy in AZ.]

If she is 12 or older, she needs to play at as high of level as she can.

 

[sluggers]

Can't she get just as prepared stying relatively local?

No. I'm not sure what "crazy travel" means to you.

Many newbie players think, "She can play around home and become just as good." It isn't true for basketball, golf, tennis, baseball, lacrosse or rugby, and it isn't true for softball.

As historical background, the NCAA D1 has a had a softball championship since 1982. Since 1982, teams from the west coast have won 25 of the 29 championships.

The quality of softball varies regionally. First tier softball is played in California, Washington, Oregon and Arizona. The second tier would be Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Texas and Oklahoma. The midwest, Colorado and Utah would in the 3rd tier. The northeast generally has the worst softball in the US.

I asked Kathy Rodoloph, the head coach at New Mexico State, if she liked playing Arizona. (Arizona regularly beats the heck out of New Mexico State.) She said, "I would play them every weekend if I could." Why? To be the best, you've got to play the best.

To develop, a player has to play the best competition. How much travel? As much as the kid and parents can stand. I think a team should play in at least two national level tournaments each year.

 

[starsnuffer]

You only have to travel once. . . during your move to Southern California. Everything else you will be able to drive to after that.

-W

 

[3'sDad]

Many of the established east coast organizations play in the college showcase events here in the Northeast; TNJ Spring/Fall , Newtown, Pennsbury (these are held not far from one another in central NJ & Bucks County, PA). As others have opined, east coast softball is behind other parts of the country as softball is difficult to play 12 months/year due to weather and cost of winter indoor facilities.

That said, there are a great number of academic institutons in the East where athletics and academics can be combined. Patriot League, Ivy league, Colonial Athletic rear'n, Big East are DI opportunities; Centennial & New England Small College & New England Womens & Mens are examples of wonderful DIII opportunities.

 

[nanotech14]

You only have to travel once. . . during your move to Southern California. Everything else you will be able to drive to after that.

-W

I'am wait for that big earth quake,so I don't have to drive as far to get to the coast

 

[3'sDad]

Located slightly east of the fault Nano?

 

[shockcoach]

Located slightly east of the fault Nano?

Invest in some "Soon to be ocean view property"

 

[Bouldersdad]

Understand not many girls east of the Mississippi river go west of it to play college ball. But there are a ton of west coast kids that come east for scholarships.why is that?................. simply put its numbers. Numbers of kids that play west are huge compared to east coast or mid west kids.

Weather, playing conditions, year round play. all of this is very attractive to coaches in the mid west and east coast areas that look over kids from their own region and pick up wcoasters. So why would a parent spend a ton of cash to play in Boulder, or at hall of fame or cali?........ to see the best competition.

Mid west kids need travel no further than Orland Sparks in Chicago. Fall Gold in Chattanooga. Music city hits in Nashville, Stingrays in Ohio. Rising star in Fla. If your travel team were to fill their schedule with half of these then do ASA States or gold qualifiers you would be amazed at the amount of hits they would recieve from Colleges from all Divisions.............

Long story short, you dont have to travel all over the country to get them seen or recruited........... just half of it lol


Tim