I have read a lot of these and I would like to point out that there is a huge difference in experience for the families and player when playing A or Gold ball. (Not just in name only) If you are playing Rec, C, or B, your experiences will vary greatly and most of those experiences will not be pleasant.
I have read a lot of these and I would like to point out that there is a huge difference in experience for the families and player when playing A or Gold ball. (Not just in name only) If you are playing Rec, C, or B, your experiences will vary greatly and most of those experiences will not be pleasant.
Last year, a coach told me “TB is full of liars and thieves.”
Unfortunately there is a lot of truth to this. My DD has been on 5 different TB/Tournament teams from 10U - 14U and only 1 team was what I consider honest and fair. For example, the coach said he was only taking 12 players on the team and DD would get lots of time in the circle, and he kept his word. They explained all of the fees and costs upfront and what tournaments we would be playing in (mostly college showcases in fall) during the season and PGF qualifiers and triple crown tournaments in the spring, summer with lots of friendlies.
I was shocked with the BS that well established organization (ones that had been around for 20+ years) were pulling. For example, they would take 18 players for a 12U team? A big time money grab! They would not give us an accounting of where our monthly dues were going, they ordered metal cleats for our players even though the players were not age eligible to wear them, we never did get the molded cleats! It took us 6 months for us to get bat bags. On one team, the org didn't pay our coach for 2 months and he quit mid-season. One organization merged with another (briefly) and they broke up several months later and apparently were suing each other for breach of contract, etc. I could go on and on...just disgraceful...
The bottom line is that there is a lot of money in youth sports and unfortunately there are some unethical adults who exploit families and players. You really need to do your due diligence before you join an team or organization.