Unfair (Unethical IMO) League Set Up

[init4thegirls]

Thanks for the advice slugger. Its a new experience for me. I think you hit the nail on the head with everything. I tried to contain myself until we left. I didn't throw a fit in front of them or anything. It a huge challenge for me, I've never been around little girls before in my life. My family is all boys.

 

[init4thegirls]

5 K's in the 1st inning? You play dropped 3rd strike in 10U Rec? Wow, sounds like this league might want to re-evaluate their mission.

I told my wife when I played little league the best pitcher in the league would have lost every game. He threw like 65mph and their catcher was terrible. They should change it. These girls will swing at anything so sometimes the catcher has no shot. That let this coach run them the whole time till he got to 12 or so. I think he wanted to get another inning in to break 20. haha

 

[Momo'sDad]

I told my wife when I played little league the best pitcher in the league would have lost every game. He threw like 65mph and their catcher was terrible. They should change it. These girls will swing at anything so sometimes the catcher has no shot. That let this coach run them the whole time till he got to 12 or so. I think he wanted to get another inning in to break 20. haha

When playing that team, the rest of you should deliberately slow down the games so that they don't go more than 2 innings.

 

[init4thegirls]

Sounds like you're part of a Little League.

At least your league administrators are completely transparent in the way they stack teams. In our town, it's typically a lot more underhanded than that, as they try to make it look like team formation is fair and hope they can fool most of the people.

Where are you located? How many girls are in your league? How many 10u teams do you have?

Columbia, TN about 45 minutes south of Nashville. 6 teams I think, I just jump when my wife tells me to. Not sure how many girls. These guys also turn in rosters with girls they know aren't playin so they don't have to make as many substitutions.

 

[init4thegirls]

Not a bad idea. I think there were 12min left when we started the 3rd.

 

[Sweet Lou]

i don't know about your league rules but perhaps suggest getting them changed next year. It sounds like the league's all-star summer team is using rec as a tune up for the tournament season. See if you can get a run rule instituted and/or eliminate the droped 3rd stike rule at 10U. Our rec league has a limit of 4 or 5 runs per inning in the first 4 innings for 10U with unlimited runs in the 5th & 6th innings. Mercy rule is leading by 10 after 5 innings. Don't know if either of these would help with your situation or if the powers that be will let it happen but something you can at least run by them.

As for the dropped 3rd stikes that can be brutal at 10U, see if you can find one girl who is willing to work at cachting your best pitcher and pair them up as much as possible.

 

[init4thegirls]

i don't know about your league rules but perhaps suggest getting them changed next year. It sounds like the league's all-star summer team is using rec as a tune up for the tournament season. See if you can get a run rule instituted and/or eliminate the droped 3rd stike rule at 10U. Our rec league has a limit of 4 or 5 runs per inning in the first 4 innings for 10U with unlimited runs in the 5th & 6th innings. Mercy rule is leading by 10 after 5 innings. Don't know if either of these would help with your situation or if the powers that be will let it happen but something you can at least run by them.

As for the dropped 3rd stikes that can be brutal at 10U, see if you can find one girl who is willing to work at cachting your best pitcher and pair them up as much as possible.

The girl we have is the only real option. She did pretty good in practice, but had some anxiety issues and wasn't really herself in the game. I caught my whole life so I got my old shin guards out a few weeks ago and worked with her. She threw a girl out at home on a wild pitch. I was pretty pumped about that.

 

[marriard]

--sarcasm on--
On their college softball recruiting profile: Won 10U Rec League Championship (undefeated season)

It's what all the college coaches are looking for!!!

--sarcasm off --

Seriously, running a league this way is a great way to make sure your rec league dies and players never come back.

Sounds like the rules need reevaluating as well. Once you cater for brand new players and pure rec ball, things like dropped third strike in 10U need to be removed. Stealing home can go away as well.

And if someone wants to start practicing months before the season and 'keep the girls together' then go play travel. Beating up on players who have never played before is really lame. Pathetic.

 

[Momo'sDad]

I wish I could bring my rec team out there to play them so these coaches could experience a beatdown and learn some humility.

Our league doesn't do everything right, but the rules we have in place are intended to protect the rec experience. There are always shenanigans and manipulation, but some of us do our best to limit those things and that's why we're one of the fastest-growing leagues in the region at a time when most are shrinking.

Since you do not have daughters playing yet, now is the time to start working on eliminating the BS families are dealing with presently in your town. Not only do you want a reasonably level playing field with no dynasty programs, but you also want to have rules in place that are intended to foster player development, confidence-building, and fun as opposed to being designed to keep the focus on winning for wannabe comp coaches.

Until your league is consistently developing catchers coming out of 8u or even from year 1 to year 2 within 10u, open home plate and D3K aren't good for the league. This is an opinion that stems from being able to see lots of games with the contrasting rule sets in our region. At the regional all-star tournament, the leagues which do NOT have open home or D3K during the spring rec season are almost always the ones in the championship game. Feeling the pressure from other NorCal leagues, 1 of them recently opened up, but we are staying true to the rec mission.

By keeping home plate closed, that enables girls to catch who may never have gotten the opportunity and it also allows inexperienced pitchers to get circle time, no matter how wild they might be. With hot plate, 5 walks = 5 runs.

You need to get on your local board, inform the parents and have them come out to board meetings, and then start now on getting changes instituted for next year, starting with how teams are organized.

 

[marriard]

You need to get on your local board, inform the parents and have them come out to board meetings, and then start now on getting changes instituted for next year, starting with how teams are organized.

+1

A few years we organized a board take over on the quiet. We had 36 parents turn up the day of elections from softball and we took 9 of the 13 board positions and made major changes to how the league was run.