Is every rec-player a allstar?

[canyonjoe]

Rec All-Stars is a great way to experience tournament ball without the huge commitment that TB takes. While some might not want to play, I would bet that at least half of these kids on the second team will develop a love for the game and strive to improve which can only help your league in the long run.

 

[Cobb_of_Fury]

Slightly off topic, but there are advantages to being part of a small-park all-star team for certain players. When my DD was 8U and 10U, I don't think she was good enough to make all-star teams from parks that had 8-10 teams. Not sure she would've developed or even kept playing if she'd come through a bigger program. The opportunity to play all-stars was very important in her sticking with it and getting better.

My daughter got the same opportunity - when she was in her first year 8U (7 years old) one of the coaches made a second allstar team for those kids that didn’t make first team but wanted to keep playing - We didn’t fair well but it lit a fire in my DD that she still has - She loves the game and still talks about that early experiance.

I think the opportunity should be there for all the girls who want to play no matter the skill level - Nothing wrong with B and C teams.

Offten those C becomes B's or A's - that will not happen if they don’t get the chance to play.

 

[GA42sDad]

Maybe I'm missing something but I guess I don't really understand the problem. Your a league, albeit a small one. Leagues have All-Star teams. All-Star teams play in tournaments. Win, lose or draw, the kids are playing for the pride of being the best in their league and the name on the front of their jersey. If they get their butts handed to them, so be it. Then again, they may surprise you and rise to the occasion.

Edit to add: Something else to consider. I strongly believe that in order for teams and players to improve, they have to play the best competition. By going to timhe tournaments, it will give your players the opportunity to see how they stack up against other players/teams/leagues. When I coached rec league, I would always take the B team in all-stars. I told them that the entire goal of the team was to give 100% effort, learn from each play, improve each game and most of all, have fun. Sometimes we would pull out the win and sometimes we would get decimated. When we got killed, my favorite question to ask them was what did you see in that game that we couldn't do ourselves? By the time the tournaments were over, the team was responding with a resounding "Nothing!" Invariably they would work harder and improve. They took great pride in the fact that they had improved so quickly because they wanted to be able to compete when we faced those teams the next time. The next time we faced them, they might still beat us but, more often than not, it wouldn't be nearly as bad as before. Although they might feel bad about the loss, I would remind them about the differences in scores between the two games and show them how far they had come and how much they accomplished.

Most kids want to compete in the sport they are playing unless the parents are forcing them to play. Let them.

The 13 are not the best in their league. I agree playing the best will make u better or make u want to quit.

 

[coachbob]

Ill bet you a ten-spot you will see way less drama on the B team, and the girls will have a blast. Even the one or two that think they got screwed can have a good time with the right coach and parents. Playing B, or even C all stars is a fantastic experience. My DD got to play on a bronze team as her first experience, and its still one of the best times we can remember. You need to take the emphasis off phrases like "good enough".

 

[SoCal_Dad]

Our league put together 2 all-star teams out of 7-9 league teams. The girls that got to play all-stars improved a lot because it was an additional season and they got to play a higher level of ball. The girls on OP's A team will definitely benefit the same way.

I have a hard time with the B "all-star" team being weaker than their regular league team. I guess some girls will get the opportunity to play higher profile positions...

 

[Eric F]

Whether or not a team is competitive or not, the additional practice reps and game experience will make a difference - maybe a BIG difference - in a young player's skill level.

 

[MsDinosaur]

When we got killed, my favorite question to ask them was what did you see in that game that we couldn't do ourselves?

I love this!

 

[coachbob]

Sometimes we would pull out the win and sometimes we would get decimated. When we got killed, my favorite question to ask them was what did you see in that game that we couldn't do ourselves?

This is why I like playing up, and why I took rec all stars to travel tournaments in the fall. They could see that the gap between their play and that of the next level was not insurmountable. Its a great lesson, plus the girls learn to shake off losses and move on. And, on occasion you might even see some brilliance. It was a great day when we beat a local travel team that cherry picked some of our league players; a great day indeed. I have little patience for parents who try to protect their DD's from the "humiliation" of playing up; big red flag.

 

[PA SB Dad]

In our local rec league (both baseball and softball), many of the end of season tournaments allow leagues to enter two teams per age group, an A team and a B team. We always took advantage of it because it was a way to get more kids involved in tournament ball. At the younger ages, if there are opportunities for more kids to play, let them! You have no idea which kids are going to come out of that experience changed for the better, with a new interest in working harder to improve their game. While I understand that you may not want to "dilute" talent on a select team, if there are ways to get more kids involved, I say do it.

 

[Eric F]

Our ASA league tries to field two 12-player all-star teams (Gold and Silver) from each age division, if there are enough players. Near the end of the Spring season, the coaches nominate all-star candidates from their roster. Those players will then go through an evaluation/try-out to help the coaches determine which players will be on which team.

My DD got the happy news yesterday that she has been nominated for 10U all-stars.