My favorite time of year is when we are done with summer travel and go back to rec for a few months. The idea you don’t get better is mostly BS and is done for the purposes of separating you and your money. You can buy into the idea if you want, but i know better.
It is so enjoyable this time of year getting a good five or six inning game in and then going home for the weekend. If I had to piss away my whole weekend for 10 months a year in TB, I wouldn’t do it.
For profit tournaments rely on the bad mouthing that rec ball gets. Truth is, if it wasn’t for rec ball, Tb wouldn’t even exist.
We had a few guys in our rec program that would badmouth it to some of the better girls parents and recommend they leave to travel teams. Now that those guys have moved on, everybody is a lot happier. Most of the parents that he recommended leave have come back and said they wish they never did.
Let your girl have fun playing this game. And if the day comes when she says she really wants to play TB, that’s fine too
Your experience hasn't been our experience.
I think rec ball is awesome. Our league does wonderful job providing a place for girls to learn the game, have fun with their friends, and develop a love for the sport. For most of them, that's enough, and that's great. For others, it's not enough. Some thrive off having their skills challenged by playing with and against top-level players. Some thrive off the dedication and hard work it takes to be able to compete at that level. For those players, making the move to TB is the right choice.
Can girls get better playing rec ball? Sure. They grow and get stronger, they get more experience, and they become better players. In every example I've seen, however, not once has the skill development of a long-time rec player matched the skill development of a TB player. When a player isn't being challenged, their development slows significantly. I see the skill level gap in school ball every year when my DD gets mixed back in with the girls she started playing the game with, but have stayed in the rec league. Every year, I see the skill level gap widen.
IMO, it's important that we realize that "fun" means a lot of different things to different players. One of the most fun things in the world for my DD is being successful on the field against the very best competition...and doing the work it takes to have those moments is not wasted time. That kind of fun isn't for everyone.
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