The politics and cliques are far worse in park and rec and that is multiplied by infinity when you can't take your DD and go to another team when you're tired of the politics and cliques in rec like you can in TB.
Our old rec was famous for having it's "legacy" team that was made up of all the board members kids and coached by the league's all star coach. They'd keep the same core of 8 girls together year after year and then whine and cry when everyone else would go play in the other rec across town or leave for TB.
In Travel Ball if you don't like the politics, cliques, daddy ball of the team you're on, you bail. It's as easy as going on to HeyBucket and looking to see who needs your DDs position or making a phone call or two.
I see no positive in staying in rec past 10U. Minimum play rules, butterfly chasers, non committed families, playing at the same park vs the same 8 teams either with or against the legacy squad, sublimated jerseys, bright colored bows, mismatched socks, half the squad missing practice, 5 run inning rules. Oh yeah, that's way better than PGF, Sparkler Power Pool/IDT, Surf City Showcases, mandatory fielding; hitting; conditioning classes, accountability and oh yeah...better players, coaches, teams.....
Rec ball is like training wheels, some kids/parents are content leaving the training wheels on for a long time, others see them as a necessary step to learn and then move on once you've outgrown them
Our old rec was famous for having it's "legacy" team that was made up of all the board members kids and coached by the league's all star coach. They'd keep the same core of 8 girls together year after year and then whine and cry when everyone else would go play in the other rec across town or leave for TB.
In Travel Ball if you don't like the politics, cliques, daddy ball of the team you're on, you bail. It's as easy as going on to HeyBucket and looking to see who needs your DDs position or making a phone call or two.
I see no positive in staying in rec past 10U. Minimum play rules, butterfly chasers, non committed families, playing at the same park vs the same 8 teams either with or against the legacy squad, sublimated jerseys, bright colored bows, mismatched socks, half the squad missing practice, 5 run inning rules. Oh yeah, that's way better than PGF, Sparkler Power Pool/IDT, Surf City Showcases, mandatory fielding; hitting; conditioning classes, accountability and oh yeah...better players, coaches, teams.....
Rec ball is like training wheels, some kids/parents are content leaving the training wheels on for a long time, others see them as a necessary step to learn and then move on once you've outgrown them