Tryouts over....

[Iluvblue]

Most of the parents who have a good understanding of where their DD's talent level lies will comprehend this and tryout where appropriate.



Not in 12u. Most parents are coming out of the rec leagues, and they are just starting to learn about the different teams, and who is who. It takes at least the first year before they get it. So this is why team abc with a coach that has zero experience has a team with a few good players. Once the parent figures out team abc doesnt have a clue, they are gone, and they go to the better teams with better coaches.


Another BIG contributor to teams still looking for players falls back to coaching and their reputation. You look at teams that had a full roster last year or even more recently in fall whom are now looking for players to field a team....AFTER THEY JUST HAD THEIR TRYOUTS!! Hmmm? Just a thought.


At 12 and 14u? There are only a few teams that have ESTABLISHED coaches that stay at 12 and 14u year after year. Norwood for Grapettes in 12u, and then who in either 12 or 14u? I stayed in 14u for many years, but now I am bouncing between multiple ages. So you telling me a new coach in 12u has already gotten a bad reputation and this is why he cant keep players?

I disagree completely. In the olders I dont disagree, but in the olders, even a coach with a less then stellar reputation will have a team because he is probably coaching in an organization where people feel they need to be. Thus that guy will always have players.

12u is a different animal and it is simple, there are simply FAR TOO MANY TEAMS for this area.

[onlooker]

..............

[6to4to3]

Mizuno AA is rockin' 4 x 12U teams. WTF?

[Iluvblue]

Im not sure if I was saying to rank coaches or organizations.

[onlooker]

..................

[Skooter]

even the best Org's have challenges finding good coaches for 12u and avoiding Daddy-Ball.

[catchers_rock]

I agree with the Coaching issues. Some people are not cut out to be a coach. it’s a hard, selfless and sometimes thankless job. But Just because your Daughter has played before and you have coached her rec ball team, doesn't make you an A ball coach! Some have done it well but I can only think of a hand full of coaches I know that have come from rec ball and done well.

[CheckWriter]

Most parents are coming out of the rec leagues, and they are just starting to learn about the different teams, and who is who. It takes at least the first year before they get it. So this is why team abc with a coach that has zero experience has a team with a few good players. Once the parent figures out team abc doesnt have a clue, they are gone, and they go to the better teams with better coaches.

Agree completely. Personally, I think all this "do your homework" crap just doesn't apply here. You jump to travel ball after your DD is a shoo in for rec All Stars for a couple of years. Especially if it is your oldest DD, there is just nobody in your network to give guidance. When we moved to Nor Cal we got lucky with older DD. Two teams over a 4 year period. Younger DD, for the first 2 years we were on a different team each season (fall and spring being separate seasons). Finally figured it out and were on two teams for the next 5.

Unless your DD is the stud of studs and you have every coach in the area calling you toward the end of your season trying to invite you to their next try out, it is not that easy to find decent coaching with decent talent that she fits in so she plays at LEAST half the time. Wow that's a long sentence!

That is hardest at 12s where there is a constant flux of everything, orgs, players, coaches, etc. Of course parents don't have anything to do with the flux (dripping with sarcasm for those who might take me seriously). I say the more the merrier, by 14s it has sorted itself out significantly. You get an idea who the good coaches are, the coaches get an idea who the good players are, and the non-delusional parents (not all that common, I agree) start to understand where their DDs fit in.

JMO

[ICMTM]

I do not believe there are too many teams in competitive softball in the Nor Cal area.

The issue with the softball community is the disconnect between rec and comp. The movement upward from rec is usually at the player level. Furthermore recreational teams do not get proper coaching. Kids have to prepare on their own to make the jump on their own. While these kids athletically may be as gifted they are too far behind in training. They haven't been exposed to the talent level so there is a mental hurdle as well. There are also competing sports to softball like soccer. Soccer usually draws the best athletes and in Norcal there are some of the best club teams in the nation.

I will concede there are too many girls that aren't ready for the level they are in. That is a fixable problem. Either better define what a B team is or some of these big orgs need developmental teams. You can have teams but have the expectation level to be getting better to play on a top level team. The problem again isn't too many teams. The problem is the needs of all teams should be more realistic and those coaches/orgs should be putting those girls in appropriate programs.





Now

[SDTitans]

It would be nice to hear if travelball orgs work with the local rec leagues to help develop players?