Growing Softball in the area

[finalcloud]

Ugh starting to get nervous. Our numbers as of this morning:

8U - 4 (All returners)
10U - 9 (8 returners with 1 wanting to move up to 12U)
12U - 8 (7 returners)
14U - 3 (2 returners)
Nothing for 16/18U but I figured those divisions wouldn't happen.
Total of 24 (21 returners)

Last Spring we had 1 14U/, 1 12U, and 2 10U. I was hoping for 1 8U, 2 10U, 2 12U, and 1 14U. Overall the league has well surpassed previous years' numbers at this time. Compared to last year, softball had 8 players signed up. Signs are up, emails sent to all previous players, social media has been flooded, walk in registration every Saturday, and we have a softball general meeting in February. I'm just worried that we won't met our goal.

Any thoughts to encourage parents/girls to sign up or am I being paranoid too early? Our Showcase is March 5th.

 

[BuckeyeGuy]

Ugh starting to get nervous. Our numbers as of this morning:

8U - 4 (All returners)
10U - 9 (8 returners with 1 wanting to move up to 12U)
12U - 8 (7 returners)
14U - 3 (2 returners)
Nothing for 16/18U but I figured those divisions wouldn't happen.
Total of 24 (21 returners)

Last Spring we had 1 14U/, 1 12U, and 2 10U. I was hoping for 1 8U, 2 10U, 2 12U, and 1 14U. Overall the league has well surpassed previous years' numbers at this time. Compared to last year, softball had 8 players signed up. Signs are up, emails sent to all previous players, social media has been flooded, walk in registration every Saturday, and we have a softball general meeting in February. I'm just worried that we won't met our goal.

Any thoughts to encourage parents/girls to sign up or am I being paranoid too early? Our Showcase is March 5th.

Help - are those the number of teams or players? I assume teams, so I'm a little confused about the concerns?

 

[Tom]

Here is a link to an old post I put up about some of things that worked for us when formed a fastpitch program in our area.

http://www.discussfastpitch.com/coa...ood-about-rec-ball-post268548.html#post268548

 

[finalcloud]

Help - are those the number of teams or players? I assume teams, so I'm a little confused about the concerns?

The first set of numbers are the number of players already signed up in each division with the number of returning players. I'm just overall concern that am I doing enough to get the word out and then getting people to sign up.

 

[BuckeyeGuy]

The first set of numbers are the number of players already signed up in each division with the number of returning players. I'm just overall concern that am I doing enough to get the word out and then getting people to sign up.

If I'm reading the previous posts right, robbing t-ball girls from baseball to play softball may be your only option. Get them started young with the big yellow ball. Co-ed t-ball is fine, but if you had enough girls to make 4 6U teams then really that's what should be done if the parents want their girls playing softball, and if the league is serious about growing the sport. Balance is fine, but if baseball has all the t-ball players and softball has none, where's the balance? Those 32 girls who could have been playing softball last season would have started filling in the 8U teams this season.

 

[finalcloud]

If I'm reading the previous posts right, robbing t-ball girls from baseball to play softball may be your only option. Get them started young with the big yellow ball. Co-ed t-ball is fine, but if you had enough girls to make 4 6U teams then really that's what should be done if the parents want their girls playing softball, and if the league is serious about growing the sport. Balance is fine, but if baseball has all the t-ball players and softball has none, where's the balance? Those 32 girls who could have been playing softball last season would have started filling in the 8U teams this season.

I bought up a 6U Tee Ball division for softball with our commissioner. He seems to be on the fence because we have a Rookie 6 division (my creation) and that normally gets 4 teams. If we remove the girls they are down to 3. Since no other leagues run a R6 program the scheduling would be off. I wouldn't be opposed to just a 4/5 Tee Ball and let the 6 year olds up in 8U. Then again we run into the same issue. Damn my want out of T-Ball. I couldn't handle another season of T-Ball. My daughter is 6 and has already played 8U ball in the fall. Though she is taller than most 8U players.

 

[BuckeyeGuy]

I bought up a 6U Tee Ball division for softball with our commissioner. He seems to be on the fence because we have a Rookie 6 division (my creation) and that normally gets 4 teams. If we remove the girls they are down to 3. Since no other leagues run a R6 program the scheduling would be off. I wouldn't be opposed to just a 4/5 Tee Ball and let the 6 year olds up in 8U. Then again we run into the same issue. Damn my want out of T-Ball. I couldn't handle another season of T-Ball. My daughter is 6 and has already played 8U ball in the fall. Though she is taller than most 8U players.

Are you supposed to be concerned with growing softball or kinda-sorta growing softball while not hurting the all important baseball? Just seems a bit off to me is all.

 

[dbronstein]

I have always said that if I ever went back and coached REC ball the first thing I would do at my first practice is line all of my players up and have them go through some T-drills trying to identify some potential pitchers in the group.

This is key. Have everyone try pitching, not just the handful that volunteer. You don't know what the players can do until they get a chance to show it.

 

[finalcloud]

Are you supposed to be concerned with growing softball or kinda-sorta growing softball while not hurting the all important baseball? Just seems a bit off to me is all.

The commissioner and I have add one email about this and nothing was determined. I would consider the matter still up in the air. I will address it with the President. The board wants to grow softball. The local high school went to the state semis, new TB teams have formed, and interest is growing. Like many things, we have to repair damage from the previous board. This is year two of the new board and we are moving in the right direction. As the first softball commissioner in years, my goal is to grow softball. I just have to get the other people on board the hype train.

 

[finalcloud]

Looking like we'll have six teams total for this season. Does anyone have a good uniform supplier that offers a sleeveless option with a dryfit type shirt. I'm not sure of the budget yet, but it will be small.