Season in review

[madskilz]

This was the first season in four years I did not coach my daughter's travel ball team for various reasons - work, and the father-daughter thing that I'm sure alot have experienced. She is a second year 12U player.

It allowed me the opportunity to see things from a different perspective and to observe things that I didn't see as a coach. There were some observations that I noted this season that I hadn't noticed before. Maybe some of you noticed similar things.

1. There seemed to be alot of "guest playing" going on, even up to and through the various sanctioned state tournaments. The worst was USSSA and ISA, although NSA had a fair share as well. Whatever happened to roster rules. At most, a player should ever be able to play on 2 teams in a season - one release.

2. There are only a handful of excellent coaches. The rest believe they are excellent coaches, and do an okay job - but there is a distinct difference between the excellent coaches and everyone else. The excellent coaches are normally associated with excellent organizations. The rest are not. It made me evaluate how I coached and ask myself some tough questions.

3. Daddy ball is rapant. That was the demise of my daughters team. Three coaches, and their kids played every inning - and were not the best players on the team, not even close. It chased a couple better players away. Becaues of it, her team never reached their true potential. Noticed similar situations throughout the ball park.

4. Softball is a business. All of the sanctions are in it for the money. They are happy seeing new teams pop up every week because they know that's another $400 entry fee they will capitalize on. So of course they say things like "it's good to see more teams because it gives girls an opportunity to play".

5. The overall level of play was weaker this season, probably because of number 4. I did not think the 12U A teams in the various state tournaments were that good. I thought they lacked some fundamentals, pitching was okay, but I did not see many dominate pitchers - maybe even none.

Some things I would like to see:

1. Tighter roster rules. I am sick of playing a team week after week only to see different players on the team.

2. Some sort of qualifying for the various state tournaments.

Anyway - FWIW

 

[sluggers]

When you walk to the other side of the fence and take a look, suddenly, you're asking yourself, "Are the inmates running the asylum?"

(1) Yes, you're right about guest players. The coaches are generally so incompetent that (A) they don't know what a talented player looks like and (B) they don't know how to teach the ones they pick. So, rather than realize that losing is because they are not very good coaches, they go looking for better players.

(2) The problem is that most intelligent people have better ways to spend their times than deal with the parents.

(3) It gets better at each age level. By 16U, there are only a few crazy Daddies left.

(4) You're right about the $$$. ASA, NSA, USSSA, etc., are in it for the money. The USSSA used to be called the "US Slowpitch Softball Association". They were so anxious to get on the fastpitch softball gravy train that they came up with "Specialty Sports", which has got to be the stupidest moniker in sports.

(5) At 12U, there are a whole lot of daddies thinking, "If my DD just had a chance to play, she would be the next Jenny Finch. I think I'll start a team." So, they convince three good players to play on the team, and later are shocked when the team loses. It then becomes, "I've got to find some better players. If my DD just had a better [INSERT POSITION]], she would be great!"

If your DD loves playing, it is worth it. We as parents sometimes forget how much fun it is to play the game.

Ray