Thoughts on walk up music

[grcsftbll]

Our music person is careful not to slow down games but I could see how it could happen for sure. This weekend we had an umpire make us turn it off because he didn't like competing music. Only the other team wasn't playing music, it was on another field. He was definitely on the cranky side though. Then the other team started playing theirs and he let them, go figure. Maybe he just didn't like our songs. lol

 

[Softball scholar]

Why not? TB teams have walk up music all the time. I don't see the difference...?

I have never seen walk-up music at a travel ball tournament, and I've been around along time. But my DDs high school does it, and its a real fun thing for the kids. Ive seen local colleges do it, and they do it in the major leagues. So I see no problem doing it.
My DD plays "Going to Fly now" from Rocky and its awsome. I think a good thing at the high school level, as your trying to create a fun entertaining environment for the fans. You're always trying to get fans there. Our school has an announcer with a PA system, he just hits the play button for a little 5 or 6 second clip as they walk up. It doesn't slow the game down, audio clips are approved by coach, and everybody smiles. Its fun.

The difference at a travel ball tournament is you go multiple fields going, and you don't have a PA announcer doing the games, you're not the home team and lots of time you're on the clock so you want faster paced games. You also have less people watching the game. Its a whole different environment at a travel tournament. It would look weird at a travel tournament, especially if timing was bad.

 

[grcsftbll]

Well, there's been walk up music (by parents/coaches/team moms, not over a PA) at just about every TB tournament I've ever attended. Regional differences I guess. We have an app that plays the song for 10 seconds then goes off automatically though our speaker person turns it off sooner if the batter gets to the box before it goes off on its own. I feel like I can say with confidence it has never slowed anything down. She pushes play when the batter leaves the on deck circle and pauses if she gets to the box before it goes off on its own.

 

[Eric F]

Interesting. Here, at our age level (10U, 12U), it's very common in travel ball. I don't know about HS.

In 2 years of TB, we see warm-up music fairly regularly, but not walk-up (before each at bat) music. Our rec league was just starting to do it in the last season we were there.

 

[JAD]

I have never seen walk-up music at a travel ball tournament, and I've been around along time.

A lot of younger TB teams will play music while they are warming up and between innings, but the only ones that try to do walk-up music are the ones with THAT parent who thinks they are the next DJ Jazzy Jeff...

 

[spleen1015]

Imagine being at a tournament, 4 pod setup and every team has walk up music....

As far as TB goes, the teams with the music are typically the ones no one likes, the teams people think are the d-bag teams.

As far as HS goes, every HS game I've been to the home team has had walk up music and a PA announcer. Dan Dakich was the PA announcer at last year's regional.

 

[SMS90]

A lot of younger TB teams will play music while they are warming up and between innings, but the only ones that try to do walk-up music are the ones with THAT parent who thinks they are the next DJ Jazzy Jeff...

Busted

 

[MNDad]

Walk up music seems to be the norm in college, and sometimes in HS. It’s obnoxious when young travel teams do it in a quad and think they’re giving all the other teams a treat by playing their music loud enough for all to hear.

 

[CoachJD]

I've wanted to do it for my team (home games only), and I think I will next year.

My big problem is I have songs I want to use for them, and they're gonna want to pick their own terrible songs.

 

[4 girl's dad]

We saw a team try to do walk-up music in an all-star tournament last year. Umps stopped it, it was slowing the game down considerably.

At another tournament, the umps weren't fond of the between-inning music, either. (Again, it was slowing everything down because the girls were ready to play and the music was still going).

I don't have a problem with it pre-game, though at least one tournament we played last summer specifically banned speakers.

How does walk up music slow the game down? Is the batter running the music before their at bat?