Swapping Teams

[Traps71]

The truth will always come out on the field.

^^^^THIS

 

[radness]

It sounds as if you are in an area where there are enough teams (and fewer delusions) to support a true tiered system with balanced competition. A system like that is what we all would like. That is not the case in many other areas.

Most tournaments around here are either “open” or “B” ... Except nobody wants to be a “C” team, so they call themselves “B”. That actually means all the “C”s playing up balance all the “A”s who are trophy hunting with very few “B”s even existing.

This is what causes such a revolving door with the same faces that John alluded to. My daughter didn’t make the Ultra-Platinum Elite Brady Girls team, but that’s OK because my neighbor is starting a Upper Westside Lady Adamantium Bombers club with his rec girls and we’ll pay to get into the same tournaments.

Then my daughter can tell her school coach she was the number 1 pitcher. It’s OK the team will disband in flames at the end of the year and four of the girls will never play again, because I’ll take the remaining 9 girls and add a power hitting RF (who was also cast off from another “C” team) and create another punching bag team. Did I mention my daughter is our number 1 pitcher?

Again this.

 

[radness]

No tiered system here.
So will use the words
Low
Average
Top

Top Teams are more known by coaches names. ( because there are so many teams in each org)
* org name really means nothing!

Top teams stay away from Low friendlies. And many stay away from average friendlies. Top teams like to play eachother and invite each other to friendlies.
(Thats fine)
Leaving average and Low to play eachother.
( Thats fine )

Boasting puffy ego's happen at all levels.
The thrill of victory.

If someone wants to start another Low/ Average team so there kid can play more or call them a starter. Hey maybe they will develop!!!
Ok

Goals Options Decisions
Are different for everybody!!!

REALITY The bickering continues about playing time and who should start
AT ALL LEVELS

For people figuring out travel ball coaches included...
( the learning curve)
*The figure it out where coaches, families and players fit in
Has turned into a giant garage sale!!!
There might be a gem team for you....but your gonna have to search through a lot of stuff to find it!!!!!!

 

[radness]

We all GET TO make decisions for ourselves !!

Years back only very talented athletes played travel.
Now anyone can play!
Which i think is GREAT!
The perception of what is great seems to be neutralized by "everybody matters 2020"
That said.
Competitive goals
( up to interpretation)
vs.
Social goals
( up to interpretation)
seems to have collided.

Hope that was said in enough of a caring sensitive way to accept and acknowledge the diversity that is Softball now.

 

[texasck1]

I think that different issues that are being discussed at the same time.

The OP is about parents and jumping teams to get little Susie on the "BEST" team. Not everyone can be the best and as parents we have to be rational and objective about where our DD really is in the grand scheme of "softball".

As far as the screwed up class system, IMO that is 100% on the alphabet orgs that sanction tournaments. They are looking to fill their pockets and don't care if a solid B team stays classed as C so they can amass the most trophies in the history of softball. If they were to actually apply criteria to keep the classes correct, then it would help even the competition. With more even competition, the 1st issue of parents jumping all over the place because the only team Susie can get on is getting blown out every other weekend gets lessened.

Finally, coaches have to be honest about their team with themselves and the parents. What good is it if you are playing C every other weekend and placing top 3 with a +30 run diff? Likewise, why play A when you're 4 and done every tournament? You're not helping your players improve. Put your ego aside and do what is right for your players.

When we started the TB journey 2 1/2 years ago we were naive and had no idea what we were doing. We learned a lot really fast. As experienced TB parents, we need to help educate these new parents and help them know what questions to ask and how to find resources to research teams. I don't have clue how we do that, but I think finding a way to do that it would help a lot. But then again, maybe I'm still a little naive.

 

[radness]

From your post can understand why the statement
Truth will come out on the field.
Because SOMEONE ELSE determining what level a.b.c. the teams can enter.
(lol for some reason can understand why texans wouldnt like that )

Here we have different venues.
Usssa
Usa
Afa
Usa preps
Pgf stuff
Tcs stuff
Tcs-First day pool determines next day tourny
Gold.silver.platinum.bronze
(kinda clues people in)
-Also has tournys offering elite div.

Coaches/people figure out which softball venue may best suit talent level.

Then theres that figure it out learning curve....

Recently heard of a high school mom commenting
" My dd team came in 4th at pgf nationals!"
Another mom asked
"Oh!! What division premier or platinum?"
The proud mom replied....
"Oh theres two?"

 

[NolaCap]

I’m so tired seeing kids from Southern Louisian jumping from Travel Team to Travel Team. Travel around here feels like rec. did 5yrs ago.

Yes, it does seem to happen very often in South Louisiana. We are in the Destrehan area and have now had two brand new teams pop up in the last few months and the first thing they do is call the girls parents on your team. We’ve been very fortunate to only have 3 leave and 2 of the girls are daughters of 2 coaches for one of other teams. We were fortunate enough to have 11 girls tryout for those 3 spots.

 

[Strike2]

The chronic team jumpers that I see are those who repeatedly try to play at a level above their ability. Most of the time, they're pitchers. After too much time on the bench, they move through a series of lower level teams the rest of the year. The next year, they try out again for the higher level teams, be just good enough to make one, but aren't good enough to stay on the field and the same thing happens.

Yes, there's lots of churn, especially at the lower levels, because players are trying to find the best fit and coaches are trying to learn the game. I'm not sure why that's a bad thing or why anyone is surprised that it happens. It's the free market at work. Yes, there are teams that play tournaments that they shouldn't be in. I cast at least as much blame toward tournament directors who are too often more concerned about revenue than putting on a quality event.

 

[radness]

The chronic team jumpers that I see are those who repeatedly try to play at a level above their ability. Most of the time, they're pitchers. After too much time on the bench, they move through a series of lower level teams the rest of the year. The next year, they try out again for the higher level teams, be just good enough to make one, but aren't good enough to stay on the field and the same thing happens.

Yes, there's lots of churn, especially at the lower levels, because players are trying to find the best fit and coaches are trying to learn the game. I'm not sure why that's a bad thing or why anyone is surprised that it happens. It's the free market at work. Yes, there are teams that play tournaments that they shouldn't be in. I cast at least as much blame toward tournament directors who are too often more concerned about revenue than putting on a quality event.

Like the simple and clear post describing scenario.


Question? what are you referring to in last sentence cast at least as much blame on tournament directors more interest in revenue than hosting a quality event?

Whats not quality?
Is that a seperate issue than all the teams?

 

[The Man In Blue]

Tournament directors who are only concerned with upping their team count and refuse to tell a team "No, this tournament isn't at your level."

For example, "You've won our last two C tournaments with a +16 run differential per game, we are only letting you sign up for B tournaments."

OR

"You've played the minimum number of games in the last two B tournaments and only scored 6 runs total. We are only letting you sign up for C tournaments."

Like many have said, the coaches are delusional and the parents keep feeding those beasts. However control of the situation lies with the alphabet organizations (at the local level) and the tournaments who don't care if you are A, B, or C as long as you are $$$.

I always dreamed of having a 24-30 team summer league where we could class them into 1/3rds for scheduling purposes. 8-10 teams in a division with an appropriately grouped schedule. Then use a relegation/promotion system like professional soccer to move the teams accordingly.

The local "competitive league" (again, defined by your ability to pay the entry fee) has been challenged with this for the last few years. They have plenty of fields in a central location. Typically they play double-headers through the week (night based on age group), so teams already know exactly when and where they will be playing. I suggested only writing a schedule for the first (pick your period of time -- 4 weeks or whatever) and then group the teams based on those results for the rest of the season. Like I said, the teams already know when they will be playing since each age group has set nights and they have plenty of fields, you just alter the who. Yes, you may still have disparity if the teams are really lopsided within a cluster, but you won't have the #1 team beating up on the last place team. Nobody benefits from that except the person collecting the check.