- Jul 14, 2018
- 982
- 93
Now that the silly season of tryouts is wrapping up, it's time for the local coaches out there to switch gears from posting their tryout info online to posting rants about how there are too many teams and that the talent pool is too diluted. There are raging discussions on three local TB message boards that I follow at the moment.
I'm struggling to understand the problem here. I think it's great that there are so many teams, and so many opportunities for girls to play softball at whatever level they are able to compete. The biggest gripe I hear from coaches is this 'dilution' of talent, but I can't get my head around why this is an issue.
I live in PA but DD plays for a team in NJ. Last season there were 10 A-level teams in NJ at the 12U level. In reality, the top four or five were way ahead of the rest. To me, that represents a problem of concentration, not dilution. If four teams have such a surplus of talent at 1-9, and four pitchers who dominate, what good does that do anyone? These are the coaches that are complaining that they have to travel out of state just to play a competitive game.
The funniest thing is the coaches that are starting new teams, and then complaining that there are too many teams out there and that they can't fill a roster. Well, boo-hoo Nobody is flocking to your Triple Diamond Elite Premiere Select Ladybugs even though you're a 12-time runner up for NFCA coach of the year. Oh, and your daughter is a pitcher.
Sorry, that's my rant for the day. If someone has a cogent argument for why there should be fewer softball teams in the world, I'm all ears.
I'm struggling to understand the problem here. I think it's great that there are so many teams, and so many opportunities for girls to play softball at whatever level they are able to compete. The biggest gripe I hear from coaches is this 'dilution' of talent, but I can't get my head around why this is an issue.
I live in PA but DD plays for a team in NJ. Last season there were 10 A-level teams in NJ at the 12U level. In reality, the top four or five were way ahead of the rest. To me, that represents a problem of concentration, not dilution. If four teams have such a surplus of talent at 1-9, and four pitchers who dominate, what good does that do anyone? These are the coaches that are complaining that they have to travel out of state just to play a competitive game.
The funniest thing is the coaches that are starting new teams, and then complaining that there are too many teams out there and that they can't fill a roster. Well, boo-hoo Nobody is flocking to your Triple Diamond Elite Premiere Select Ladybugs even though you're a 12-time runner up for NFCA coach of the year. Oh, and your daughter is a pitcher.
Sorry, that's my rant for the day. If someone has a cogent argument for why there should be fewer softball teams in the world, I'm all ears.