Pick Up Pitchers at Nationals? Yes or No?

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Jul 16, 2013
4,659
113
Pennsylvania
Another perspective a dad offered me last night that I truly hadn't thought of: these girls that are already committed don't need to be pitching every inning of every game to stay sharp and improve. Too many great pitchers get ridden when the games are important. He was saying basically a quarter of the innings is plenty and reduces the risk of injury. So letting someone else be the workhorse made sense to him.

DD didn't play this summer, but her last experience with travel ball (and my last experience coaching) was at the 23u level. Our entire team was college players. Honestly, not a single player cared how much they played. Several actually requested breaks. But that was not because they were not competitive. They wanted to win every single game. But there was definitely a completely different mindset than I was used to from previous years. Honestly, I really enjoyed it.
 
Jun 16, 2010
259
28
Another perspective a dad offered me last night that I truly hadn't thought of: these girls that are already committed don't need to be pitching every inning of every game to stay sharp and improve. Too many great pitchers get ridden when the games are important. He was saying basically a quarter of the innings is plenty and reduces the risk of injury. So letting someone else be the workhorse made sense to him.

Exactly why rulrs were changed to prevent college freshmen from playing 18G.

But...no commitment is final until papers are signed...coaches leave.....grades change.... players change mind....etc. it doesn't hurt to keep getting attention and alternate offers.

We had two girls on our 16u gave commitments to the same school....a frequent wcws team , I'll call it school A. Then one girl , a pitcher, changed her mind when she got an offer from a better school B...... This caused other girl to have her offer from A withdrawn as well.

The coach for school A had made the offer two both girls partly contingent on them getting reduced/ free school tuition for in state students with good grades..... The rest made up with part athletic money. When the pitcher decided to go to school B instead now the coach had to use a full athletic scholarship to go get an out-of-state pictcher..... So the other girl ended up losing her offer as well.... Made for a poor relations when you're playing on the same travel team. The other girl ended up playing JC ball..... Instead of playing for a very good D1 contender School.

It's not a sure thing until you sign the papers for the aid.
 
May 23, 2015
999
63
Just to be clear. The team I have been referencing is not the team that won. LOL! They didn't win with their "hired guns" The Hotshots were taking pot shots at that team.
Right there with you

Not having a certified and verifiable roster kills the legitimacy of the game.
 
Dec 2, 2013
3,410
113
Texas
Exactly why rulrs were changed to prevent college freshmen from playing 18G.

I am pretty sure USA Softball still allows college age eligible players to play. My DD's former teammate's current Asst College coach who coaches a TB asked her if she would play at ASA Gold Nationals. BTW I do not like this at all. What would prevent someone from gathering a roster of 2001's that played in college and try to run the table?
 
Oct 1, 2014
2,219
113
USA
I am pretty sure USA Softball still allows college age eligible players to play. My DD's former teammate's current Asst College coach who coaches a TB asked her if she would play at ASA Gold Nationals. BTW I do not like this at all. What would prevent someone from gathering a roster of 2001's that played in college and try to run the table?
Nothing to prevent it. In fact, witnessed it this year and frankly it was just stupid all the way around.
 
Jun 16, 2010
259
28
I am pretty sure USA Softball still allows college age eligible players to play. My DD's former teammate's current Asst College coach who coaches a TB asked her if she would play at ASA Gold Nationals. BTW I do not like this at all. What would prevent someone from gathering a roster of 2001's that played in college and try to run the table?

18 gold rules were changed around 2010 to no college players. College players can play another 18u division.

I remember when freshman did play 18g, my daughter was 14u at time.

Unless rules changed after migration to USA....but a look at one states indicates still no college in 18G
 
Aug 8, 2016
131
28
From what I have read in older articles, one of the big selling points of the PGF tournament creation was that college players were not allowed to play.
 
Nov 18, 2013
2,255
113
Sitting on the bench doesn't help them improve and prepare for college though. I don't disagree with what your saying, just think this team/coach is losing site of the purpose.

I actually think it helps them a lot to prepare for college by sitting the bench. As freshman they’re likely to spend a lot of time there And they need to know how to handle it. Too many girls get to college expecting to play every game because that’s how it was in travel. Its a different animal with twice as many players on a team and most of them are 2-4 years older. That’s why so many quit or get forced out freshman year.
 
Mar 28, 2014
1,081
113
I actually think it helps them a lot to prepare for college by sitting the bench. As freshman they’re likely to spend a lot of time there And they need to know how to handle it. Too many girls get to college expecting to play every game because that’s how it was in travel. Its a different animal with twice as many players on a team and most of them are 2-4 years older. That’s why so many quit or get forced out freshman year.
If you are effectively paying my DD up to $30,000/year to be on the team like colleges do, you can bring whoever you want in to play and put her on the bench.

If I am paying you like we do in TB, it's a different story. Apples to oranges. I'm not paying some TB organization to prepare my DD to sit the bench in college. Lol...... I'm paying you to prepare her to play.
 

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