Advice on starting a travel team

[ManitouDan]

Travel ball-- nice post , come back and post more often . MD

[TNSoftballDad]

Thanks for the responses, good advice (especially Travel Ball's post, awesome insight!)

We held tryouts on Saturday and had a good turnout. We've filled nine spots and are debating on the last few.

Actually, a good time for another question. What is the ideal number of kids to carry? We could take as many as 13, but I'm wondering if that is too many.

Thanks for all the insight!

[slim00]

Actually, a good time for another question. What is the ideal number of kids to carry? We could take as many as 13, but I'm wondering if that is too many.

Thanks for all the insight!

I think 13 is 1 to 2 too many for a 10U team. Unless you have 2 or 3 that you see equal potential in and can't decide which 1 or 2 to cut, I would never consider 13. For a 10U team I would consider 11 to be a good number.

[txfpcoach]

I agree on the 11 number if you have 2-3 strong pitchers. I personally have my bracket pitchers sit between games.

Travel ball good post and right on target with everything although you left out one thing


DON"T DO IT LOL

Just kidding if you follow what TB said you'll be in good shape otherwise you're on a crash course for diaster with an unpleasant ending many a friendship has been ended over a game as simple as softball.

[jofus]

Thanks coach, that's what I figured it meant. I used to tell the guys in my department (at my old job) the same thing about filling out "suggestions" for the suggestion box at work when they were upset about something. Several times one guy in particular would be trying to figure out how to fish out his suggestion 15 minutes after he put it in the box.

Heaven help me, I'm beginning to have bad thoughts of trying the same thing (start a team)

[narent]

TNSoftballdad,

What is your team's name and what part of West TN do you come from? Memphis? I'm just curious, my DD plays for a local 12U Team and although we won't play against you, I like to keep up with other teams and how they are doing and progressing.

[TNSoftballDad]

TNSoftballdad,

What is your team's name and what part of West TN do you come from? Memphis? I'm just curious, my DD plays for a local 12U Team and although we won't play against you, I like to keep up with other teams and how they are doing and progressing.

We're the West Tennessee Red Hotz (as voted on by the players). Most of our kids are from Jackson (as well as the coaches) but we have a few kids from surrounding counties.

I assume you're in Memphis?

[TNSoftballDad]

I think 13 is 1 to 2 too many for a 10U team. Unless you have 2 or 3 that you see equal potential in and can't decide which 1 or 2 to cut, I would never consider 13. For a 10U team I would consider 11 to be a good number.

That's kind of where we are. We started with six carryovers from our rec fall league and already offered spots to the top three kids from tryouts, all of whom accepted. We haven't offered the fourth kid on our list yet but we will...the problem is that the next three are all so close it's hard to decide on one.

We're going to be a young 10U team (just four 10s) and obviously plan on staying together next season. Is it worth it to carry a couple of extra kids with letting the kids and parents know up front that playing time may not be what they want this year, but even with that, this is a chance to practice and get better for next season so when the four 10s move up, they'll be able to slide right in?

[slim00]

Is it worth it to carry a couple of extra kids with letting the kids and parents know up front that playing time may not be what they want this year, but even with that, this is a chance to practice and get better for next season so when the four 10s move up, they'll be able to slide right in?

OK, let's see. You plan on staying down in 10U next year and letting the older 4 move up. I think if I had been in your shoes I would have cut the older ones this year and taken my lumps during the year with a very young team. I know it's too late for that now. But if you're basically playing for next year I might be tempted to keep the 13 and do my best to get everyone equal playing time. Pool games are great for getting everyone playing time.

You will find as you reach the older ages (my DD is in 14U) you will keep a bigger roster. At that age the girls keep getting more and more distractions and are involved in more activities so you have to keep a larger roster just to field a team at some tournaments.

JMHO

[TNSoftballDad]

OK, let's see. You plan on staying down in 10U next year and letting the older 4 move up. I think if I had been in your shoes I would have cut the older ones this year and taken my lumps during the year with a very young team. I know it's too late for that now. But if you're basically playing for next year I might be tempted to keep the 13 and do my best to get everyone equal playing time. Pool games are great for getting everyone playing time.

You will find as you reach the older ages (my DD is in 14U) you will keep a bigger roster. At that age the girls keep getting more and more distractions and are involved in more activities so you have to keep a larger roster just to field a team at some tournaments.

JMHO

Hmm...hadn't thought of keeping them all limited to 9s.

I'm not sure I'd say we're totally playing for next year, but we are trying to build a team that will stay together (as much as possible) for several years. I do expect we'll take some lumps along the way.

It may all be a moot point now, because our head coach thinks we might lose 1-2 of the kids we carried from the fall.