Flaws in Travel BB - applies to SB also?

[jacman]

I thought this was an insightful article, focused mainly on the lack of understanding players have about the game at a team level. It's written by the HC at Bellarmine University. He has suggestions for improving the system.

https://insidepitchonline.com/2016/04/11/travel-baseball-a-flawed-system/

Comments anyone?

 

[CMMom1740]

There's a lot I agree with here. I have to admit that, when we were looking at travel teams initially, it never occurred to me to look at ones that were geographically far enough away that I couldn't fight rush hour traffic to get there for practice 2-3 weeknights each week. I had no clue that TB teams can include kids from all over, including other states! But, how on earth is that a team? It's just a bunch of kids who do individual lessons putting on the same uniform and doing their own individual thing (on the same field) each week (with the ultimate purpose being to get on the best team to get the best colleges' attention). I was totally naïve.

So, this all sounds great, but how do you get everyone, including college coaches, to "buy into" it? And would the "A" players who are willing to hop a plane every weekend buy into it if their team is not made up of all tippy-top studs in the county/state/region? How is it really different than a rec league? Rec was awesome; very convenient, never had to travel more than 15 miles, but how's that going to translate into a chance for a scholarship? Because that's the bottom line for a lot of folks.

 

[grcsftbll]

I believe when my daughter looks back on softball when she's older, she'll remember the girls and coaches who were a part of her life. She'll remember the fun she had (and probably the tears too). I don't think she'll really think much about games won and lost. I completely agree that for many in travel, there is FAR too great a focus on winning over development, at way too young of an age.

 

[Little Angels Softball]

Unfortunately, for most parents, the word "development" means only two things: PT and Winning %.

The PT issue can take on many forms, but over the years certain patterns seem to be more prevalent. For pitchers, it is "#1" status and getting the most circle time. For catchers, same thing. For infielders, it is having "starting SS" status and for outfielders it is "starting CF."

Never mind the idea of having an actual pitching staff. Parents won't stand for it. If you put in a girl to close out the game after the other team has seen your starting pitcher a couple of times, the starting pitcher's folks are going to go crazy. If you do a rotation, everyone goes crazy because they aren't getting the bulk of the innings. Whoever starts the final is the only set of pitcher's parents who are happy (that day, at least).

Catchers want those innings, too. Never mind the fact that it is hard on their knees, hot, dusty and generally a miserable thing to do. Put in another catcher to give them a rest and parents hit the ceiling!

Infielders all want to play SS because their parents know that colleges tend to recruit more SS than anything else. Plus, it is the "marquis" position in the infield and there is still the stigma that a 2B is merely a SS with a weak arm. Never mind the fact that it is extremely beneficial for a middle infielder to learn both positions as it helps with technical skill and with overall game knowledge. The SS's parents will go ballistic if you put their DD at 2B!

By 14U, the parents of outfielders usually understand that their DDs possess certain skill sets that lend them to being outfielders and they accept it. This is definitely not the case at 10U and usually isn't the case at 12U, though. But then the outfielders' parents start to realize that CF is the "marquis" position and all want their DD to be the starter. Parents of LF and RF players are usually a bit miffed and they all get unsettled if you have their DD play in the infield, lest their girl lose an opportunity to track fly balls or make a video-worthy catch in CF. Never mind the fact that playing in the IF on occasion helps with seeing the ball off the bat, can quicken first steps and can provide an overall better knowledge of the game.

Winning percentage is really the big judge, though. If you aren't a winner, you can't possibly be "developing" players, according to many. It makes me shake my head in disgust whenever I see a good coach lose a team simply because they didn't have dominant pitching or a solid catcher on the roster. It happens way more often than you can imagine!

 

[Eric F]

LAS makes some valid and accurate points.

 

[CoogansBluff]

LAS makes some valid and accurate points.

Sadly, I cannot disagree with anything he said. In a nutshell, the problem exists because what is best for the development of the team and sport as a whole is too often not what the parents have in mind for their child. So, it's ultimately the parents who drive the culture of travel ball. Not sure if this is the right analogy, but it makes me think of McDonald's. It's not about what's good for the people. It's what people want to eat.

 

[grcsftbll]

Wow, that made my head hurt. I think you're right though. So far on our team we've had no pitching drama. I'm nervous about fall. Our #2 is moving up. I hope whoever replaces her doesn't have crazy parents.

 

[CoogansBluff]

Well, I probably was a little too negative.

I don't mean that coaches can't create a developmental approach to their teams and get their parents and players to buy into it. I agree generally with the article. I'm probably more in the developmental camp than 90 percent of those on this board. I'm just saying that LAS is accurate in pointing out some of the obstacles. Coaches have to balance their ideals with what parents want for their particular child.

Of course, if a coach is really altruistic, he/she might not mind losing a #1 pitcher over this sort of stuff. That just gives somebody else a chance.

 

[marriard]

Sadly, I cannot disagree with anything he said. In a nutshell, the problem exists because what is best for the development of the team and sport as a whole is too often not what the parents have in mind for their child. So, it's ultimately the parents who drive the culture of travel ball. Not sure if this is the right analogy, but it makes me think of McDonald's. It's not about what's good for the people. It's what people want to eat.

The system as a whole is screwed up.

Because you need to be 'noticed' for the next level, parents feel compelled to find ways to 'advance' their kid and there is a constant fear of being left behind. That your kids next level team may be in college and may rely on getting the attention of the coach of a school from another state that you may or may nor have heard of is just a little bizarre. You have no idea really of the national pool of players you are competing for a spot with, especially if you are one of those non-elite WCWS team level kids (which is most of them) and there are huge amounts of schools that may be of interest at so many different levels. On top of it, the whole process is likely new to the family so this is the first time you are doing it and there are 'experts' everywhere offering all sort of advice.

And that isn't even considering the education aspect that is required (still not sure why the USA attaches education. participation and 'elite' sports together, but isn't going to change anytime soon).

My answer to this article is simple. "What would you have parents do with their child?" - because that is the extent of control that 99.99% of parents have - the power to do what they think is best for their kid. They would have to sell the benefits much harder - because 'learning team development skills' versus 'playing competitively against great competition' is not doing it for most parents because the question from the majority is going to be 'What does this do for my kid?"

Lastly, Parents are for the most part transitional in kids sports at various levels. You are not there long and spending the time to re-organize the sport would be massively time consuming, low rewarding and frankly impossible.

 

[Little Angels Softball]

Lastly, Parents are for the most part transitional in kids sports at various levels. You are not there long and spending the time to re-organize the sport would be massively time consuming, low rewarding and frankly impossible.

This is what I always say is the biggest obstacle to teaching "team" values and and trying to develop a total team player. I call it the "Just passin' through" syndrome. Families are in this sport for such a short period of time and the ones that I get are all in search of the Holy Grail (D1 scholarship). They simply don't believe they have time for anything but getting their own kid as good as she can possibly be as an individual, so she'll get recruited.

It is what it is and it doesn't necessarily bother me all that much. It's the market I'm in and I adjust to it like any good leader should. And ..... I still manage to work a lot of team development and "playing other positions" into the program in spite of what the market wants.

I also know that if I ever quit winning, my market dries up and I'll need to look for a new passion.