Is 16u a dying class?

[TulsaEliteGold]

Greg,

Great post. I am glad to see someone trying to make the "Team" System work and I hope you can be successful with it. I am familiar with your team and know you have a great team. If you figure out a way to keep them ALL together all the way through Gold, please let us all know the secret. I will say this though, many, many of the best teams in history were teams who had played together for years. So, if you can make it work, then it is successful.

Here is what I have experienced and seen in the "Team" System. It usually works well up until 16U and Gold. The problem is many times not all the players are the same level, which not very many teams ever have equally talented kids across the entire roster. This can cause the more advanced players, pitchers, 1-2-3-4 Hole hitters alot of time to feel like they are being held back because of their teammates. They start seeing their classmates committing to Colleges and other Gold Coaches are trying to recruit them all the time. So, they end up giving in to the peer pressure and jumping ship and heading over to what they perceive as Greener Pastures. Believe me, I can guarantee you that alot of the organizations with the strongest Gold teams survive solely on recruiting those athletes who have been developed through Team Systems and then jumped ship to play Gold. They love them because they know they are LOYAL.

Best of success to you.

[sbcoach]

All comments below are my opinion in reference to Greg's post about:

Farm System vs. Team System

1. The Team System incubates and graduates teams, and teaches the players to be unselfish "team players".
The Farm System pulls young players from younger teams within the organization, thus promoting "me first" players.
This is not an accurate statement. So called "farm systems" graduate teams every year with players who have played together within the organization for several years. As for team players vs. me players---next time, before you make that kind of comment, you need to take a deeper look at your own "team system" cause I can assure you that you have players/families that are thinking "me first". That's why I say this is not a "system" issue rather than the responsibility of the coach who should be teaching "team play" regardless of the so called system.
2. The Team System sees all age brackets as equally important.
The Farm System teaches, or leaves the impression, that the oldest team, usually 18u, is the most important.
Team systems" could also be looked at as nothing more than a bunch of individual teams playing under the banner of one "team name". Each coaches their own methods, have their own rules, and have their own agenda. Due to the structure of the so called "farm systems", every team is equally important. The coaching and agenda is the same from top to bottom.
3. In the Team System, the more talented players are expected to provide humble leadership.
The talented players in a Farm System are expected to be gone before to long. This demoralizes the younger team.
Again not an accurate statement. Their are leaders and followers in every organization. As one leader moves up to the next level, it opens up the path for one of the followers to take their place. This is true whether you play in a "team" or a "farm" system.
4. A Team Player is glad to get her college recruiting out of the way, so she can focus on helping her team compete.
Many times, when a Farm System player gets her college scholarship, she is "done".
Whatever...from my experience these days, the ultimate goal for any player at the older levels is to play at the collegiate level. Players who commit early can have a tendancy to change their priorities when it comes to their select team, regardless if its a "team" or "farm" system they play under. That's why college coaches should quit recruiting players at such a young age.

The so called "farm systems" out there have done a great job of developing their players into top student athletes both on and off the field. They also do a great job of getting their players recruited at the collegiate level. That's why you will continue to hear the college coaches say that they focus their attention on the proven organizations out there and from what I have seen, these organizations have your so called "farm sytem" in place.

Last, I now you are giving us your opinion, but its my opinion that you're still brewing about your fall out with Durham's Texas Storm organization. For the sake of your team, let it go and move on.

[Clever Name Here]

Last, I now you are giving us your opinion, but its my opinion that your still brewing about your fall out with Durham's Texas Storm organization. For the sake of your team, let it go and move on.

Talk about letting it go?????? Tard!

[sbcoach]

Clever, did I hit a little too close to home???

[93players]

Hats off to the Texas Storm Elite and Fusion and Tulsa for their comments. Politics aside, and which one of us is free from biases based on past experience, the debate is a worthy one. These organizations and others who made the top 50 at Sioux Falls bring a game to the field that would challenge the gold programs that finished in the bottom half of OKC. When we go to tournaments, these are the teams that we seek to play.

[PAPA COACH]

Coaches & wanttobees. There are several ways to the top. I have been here along time & know many that are here with me. You can go to the left to the right or straight up the middle. The truth is different ways all work at some level. Just because you do it on way doesnt mean yours is the only system. Be open minded. Its about getting the player in the right fit & its really that simple.