Travel Ball is Killing Rec Ball

[J.Galt]

I don't know about the "mandatory" part. We haven't encountered that yet, but I have little doubt it happens with some teams.

Depends on the organization you're with. Marty Tyson has ALL of his girls from the top 12U on up teams in his organization get their hitting and fielding in with him. A friend of ours said that the best part of leaving that organization was them getting to go back to Jen for catching weekly instead of having to go to Marty.
Pretty sure that Stith had all or most of the girls in his organization fielding with him at STC and the catchers working with Mark before he passed.
Guess it comes down to what org you play for.

 

[_MIA_]

Marty Tyson has ALL of his girls from the top 12U on up teams in his organization get their hitting and fielding in with him. Pretty sure that Stith had all or most of the girls in his organization fielding with him at STC

So basically they are making sure they get paid...

 

[Eric F]

So basically they are making sure they get paid...

Always follow the money

 

[Rick M]

Nothing to add here, just fascinating to read about the environment in SoCal. I always assumed that the weather played a big part in that area churning out top D1 talent, but these girls are obviously playing in a hyper-competitive atmosphere from 10U on. As I look on from eastern PA, not sure whether I should be jealous or grateful!

 

[justanotherguy]

As I look on from eastern PA, not sure whether I should be jealous or grateful!

Yes...

 

[Eric F]

Nothing to add here, just fascinating to read about the environment in SoCal. I always assumed that the weather played a big part in that area churning out top D1 talent, but these girls are obviously playing in a hyper-competitive atmosphere from 10U on. As I look on from eastern PA, not sure whether I should be jealous or grateful!

Some teams are very demanding and competitive within the team itself, even as young as 10U. Some girls do okay in that environment. Others do not. Two girls from my DD's rec days who moved to TB at the same time went immediately to teams like that. Both of them quit the sport completely within the first year. Not every team in So Cal is like this.

 

[J.Galt]

Nothing to add here, just fascinating to read about the environment in SoCal. I always assumed that the weather played a big part in that area churning out top D1 talent, but these girls are obviously playing in a hyper-competitive atmosphere from 10U on. As I look on from eastern PA, not sure whether I should be jealous or grateful!

There are different levels of TB in So Cal. Eric F can attest that there are probably 300 travel ball teams in 14U ranging from the T shirt start ups to Premiere PGF teams. Of those 300 or so teams, maybe 25 of them are elite. The elite teams don't play the other teams in friendlies much but they do tend to play each other, a lot. The elite teams will play the other teams in tournaments and normally max out on mercy killings in pool play then play deep in to the day on Sunday where they only tend to knock off each other.
I've read people on this board and met people at sparklers last year that referred to teams as A, B or C level or 1, 2 and 3. The system here is likely the same except PC Nazis won't put official labels on the varying degrees of teams so left to ourselves we come up with our own names that are likely much worse

 

[J.Galt]

So basically they are making sure they get paid...

100%
Huge money if you're a Rico, Stith or Tyson.

 

[Rick M]

There are different levels of TB in So Cal. Eric F can attest that there are probably 300 travel ball teams in 14U ranging from the T shirt start ups to Premiere PGF teams. Of those 300 or so teams, maybe 25 of them are elite.

I guess I always knew that the TB scene was vibrant there, just surprised to hear how there are some public high schools with such close ties to these organizations that they are able to eliminate girls from consideration right from the get-go. But if you have that much talent floating around, I guess that's what happens.

 

[J.Galt]

I guess I always knew that the TB scene was vibrant there, just surprised to hear how there are some public high schools with such close ties to these organizations that they are able to eliminate girls from consideration right from the get-go. But if you have that much talent floating around, I guess that's what happens.

At a contending D1 school in softball and baseball the HS coaches either are top travel coaches or know enough of them to direct the talent to their schools.
The division 3-7 schools will likely take whoever they can get.
At pitching lessons last night the pitching coach was getting in to one of the girls in the lesson before my DDs. She told her that next year she was going to be going in to a Big 8 league school, that if she was going to expect any circle time she'd need to throw low to mid 60s and her change, rise, drop and curves would have to be consistent. If she was going to some "Moreno Valley" school then her lack of effort would get by but "big 8 is big girl softball so she'd need to put her big girl pants on before the next lesson"