Playing travel and rec at the same time

[jofus]

We did it last year. My DD played majors in LL (11-12 yr olds) and played mainly 14U travel. The only time it was a real big problem was during LL all-stars, because LL has a stupid rule that you can't play in a different league during all stars (from first game til your team is done). Her team made it to the state semi's, so it ended up being several weeks, which kept her from playing with a 12U team (that she subbed for earlier in the year) in the ASA state tournament.

She wants to play LL again this year, because of her friends. She is a 12 year old, but from my understanding of the rule changes listed on the LL website, 12 year olds have the option of playing majors or juniors, which is now 12, 13, and 14 year olds. I'm gonna try to talk her into playing Juniors, because she should be playing with the older girls anyway, and because they don't have the rule about other leagues for the junior division.

[coolstuff]

I've also seen this done. It is possible, but difficult on both ends. My DD who played rec ball for five years beginning in kindergarten and loved it at the time now thinks it's a waste of her time.

What I've also seen is this tug of war between the local rec league and travel teams. I've known travel ball players who were put under extreme pressure by friends, and even parents of friends, to play rec ball even when the travel team had a "no rec ball" policy. I've known rec ball parents who are extremely jealous of travel ball because they have a lot invested in the local rec ball organization and feel that travel ball is skimming the best players from rec and "hurting" rec ball. It's the "oh, you don't think we're good enough for you?" attitude.

What I don't miss about rec ball is all the drama. You think travel ball parents can get bad? You ain't seen NOTHING if you haven't sat through a rec ball game, let alone a tournament. And all-star tryouts? There is no other process as full of politics outside the Beltway. Daddy-ball? Where do you think that term originated? My DD learned more about how to play the game in one season of travel ball than she learned in 5 years of rec ball. The worse parents I've ever seen in travel ball were parents of girls who had just moved up from rec, but the parents held on to the rec ball mentality. Pressure? It's the same in rec ball or travel ball - no difference.

But there are things I do miss about rec ball that dallasfungo mentioned. I've been wondering what I'm going to do when DD graduates from college thanks to a full-ride softball scholarship (I have faith!). I've actually been thinking about what might happen if I approach the local rec league about coaching. No Daddy ball. Teach the girls good fundamentals. And have some fun too. Or maybe I'm just dreaming.....

[BeyondTheScoreBoard]

This thread has caused me to stop lurking and register. I found this thread very interesting as I coach a 14U TB team and run the local Rec league as well as coach in it.

Some background first so you understand my perspective. The town I come from is small, about 3500 residents. Our rec teams play teams from nearby towns. The closest “metropolitan” area is a three hour drive away. There is strong competition for athletes from a very well organized soccer program. My oldest daughter is a junior in high school, and one of the strongest players in her conference, receiving 1st team all conference honors as a sophomore. She has played travel ball for 4 years. The first three years she played for a local team. Last summer she tried out for a team from the metro Detroit area, made the team and played almost every inning last summer. My middle daughter loves basketball, is playing her first year of travel ball this summer on my team, she turns 15 in a few weeks. She is to old this year for rec ball. Her skills, can best be described as improving. My youngest daughter will be pitching on the travel team and rec team, and has a great stick she is 13.

In my neck of the woods, if you take the TB player out of the Rec league everyone loses. The girls that absolutely love softball and work hard enough to excel at the TB level obviously are the core of our local high school program. The year our varisty will have 5 girls with TB experience, only three played more than one year of TB. The program needs these rec ball players as well as the TB players.

As my name implies, I believe there is much to be gained from youth sports and high school athletics that extends far beyond the scoreboard. With that said, winning is more fun than losing and every program must set its goals and organize to achieve them. In rec ball, participation, equal playing time and basic learning is the goal. The rec league needs the travel ball girls, the rest of the players benefit from them being there They help keep the team competitive and this adds to the enjoyment for the rest of the girls. I guarantee you if the girls in the rec league spent their summer getting tattooed all the time, when high school comes around, you would have a few more soccer players and track team members. The TB players benefit as they play with their friends and help them improve and become better softball players while developing the future core of the HS team. How many of these kids will be attending their TB reunions in 20 years?

My oldest daughter wants to play college ball. People that know have said likely D2 talent, no problem with D3 or NAIA. Now we just need to get her noticed. There is no doubt that we will still be paying for a good portion of college. Her 28 on the ACT has made her much more recruitable. If she does get athletic money, it will likely be exceeded by academic money. She plays TB because she loves softball. She started her love of softball in Rec league. It would have been a shame for her to miss out on either experience.

[Judd]

In our area, rec ball and travel ball are 2 different calibers of players. My DD played rec last summer as we were new to the area. She joined a TB team while in rec but gave rec her 1st commitment as she was there first and I thought she needed to learn not to quit. Then in fall we started our own team but things were hairy there so she tried out for the school feeder team which was a joint program with the rec dept for 6th graders who were not allowed to play school ball or 7th graders who didnt make the school team.

So she played on TB and a rec team for fall.
Anyway fall was tough, practice or game every night, tournaments on Saturday. We did softball almost every day. Oh and pitching lessons

One reason we did it was she just went to 12U, and needed mound time. She got plenty of it on the feeder team and it turns out she was on a good team that won the league. So it worked out well for her.

It can be done but summer is a long season, dont let DD get burned out

[FPdaddy]

It's fairly common here in TN through 12U. My DD has done it two years. The benefits are numerous...FUN being the most important one!

Keith

[Lunatic Fringe]

I guess it depends on what you're DD is trying to do. My 12U tried it last year and developed some bad throwing habits because she was afraid she was going to take a teammates head off with a throw (too many girls on the team had never played before) On the plus side, she was the offense.

Bottom line, she told me she would rather chew glass than to play rec again.

[anonlooker]

Lunatic has it right. My 12U DD told her pitching coach she wanted to play TB and rec this spring. The conversation went like this:

DD "Rec ball will be good because I'll get more practice pitching."
PC "So what happens when your 50mph fastball goes high and inside and the girl at the plate is new and doesn't know how to get out of the way?"
DD "She's going to get hurt."
PC "She's going to the hospital in an ambulance with shattered eye sockets."
DD "Well, so much for rec ball."

So above all there is the safety factor. Add in the batting lessons to learn how to hit true fastpitch in TB, then destroy all the timing by going to rec and facing new pitchers? Makes no sense.

Good idea in theory, bad idea in practice, at least in SoCal, where there is too much disparity between rec and travel.

[anonlooker]

Where she played rec they don't have face masks on the batters helmets. I asked the park sports director if they were planning on adding masks. He laughed and said the park / city / county didn't have the funds. This is LA Parks and Rec. Go figure.

[jofus]

I had the same discussion with my DD this weekend. She is 12U, and pitching about the same, around 48-50. Her LL coach last year didn't pitch her hardly any, saying she was too "scary" for the younger girls (our LL is 9-12 year olds ), although I think it also had to do with HER daughter being a pitcher. So, with the few innings she pitched in all-stars (the coach worried about her not having much pitching experience, which I agreed with), she pitched maybe 20 innings last year. She actually played 14U travel last year, but not as a pitcher.

I told her that IF she was gonna play LL (rec) this year, she should move up to juniors (14U), but she is afraid that she won't get to pitch over the 14 year olds. I wouldn't mind her pitching in 12U travel ball, I figure if you're playing travel ball and can't handle the pitching, you shouldn't be there, but I'm not sure about rec....

Plus, she hits the ball pretty hard too, I'm afraid she is gonna hit a hard one at a girl that can't catch it or get out of the way

[coolstuff]

Now that HS ball has been thrown in the mix I have this to add. According to (now) young women who played rec ball and tried out for the team at DD's future HS, travel ball players have a better chance of playing varsity early on. The JV is all the rec ball girls. That's just the way it is at this HS, I'm not speaking for every HS in the nation.