The epitome of what is wrong in Nor Cal

[onlooker]

I have to admit, after reading this ad it clearly outlines what is wrong with "some" of the parents in nor cal..... This ad was just placed on DF, lol.

"looking for 6-8 year olds to play nor cal winter ball. ( Elk Grove) My daughter is going to George Washington University
and my asst coach daughter is going to University of California @ Berkeley to play college softball
We are looking to start up for our younger daughters.

Email me if you want to play softballx4@yahoo.com

Im looking to keep the team together next fall and start and play travel ball through the 18 gold level

THERE WILL BE NO DADDY BALL. playing time is earned"

6-8 year olds? for fall ball? playing time is earned? and you want to keep them til 18 gold?

Am I the only one who thinks this ad is frikin hilarious? Happening to know who it is coming from makes it all the funnier, but just on the surface, would you want to bring your 6-8 year old to a tryout with a guy who thinks he will actually keep any team together for 10-12 years? is that not just showing your hand at how ignorant to the game of softball you are?

advise me where my thinking may be off base on this one.

[watchtonsofsoftball]

While I see what your saying with the ad to some degree, I wouldnt say its whats wrong with Nor Cal or Softball in general. The idea of being able to bring a team up from 8u to 18G and to be successful is a fantastic goal. The reality we both know, is this will never work.
My point is, its not whats wrong with softball or Nor Cal as we all want our kids to play for someone with past success. We all would like to see them play for one team and grow together (and be highly successful). Things change over the course of your DD's softball career.
And just because your daughters went to great schools doesnt make you a great softball COACH, however it looks good on paper and parents will latch on to anything they can.
"Hey look at where their daughters went, they must be doing SOMETHING right".
And for the most part that is true....except the coaching part. Most of us with DDs off to college were coaches at some point, until we realized her best interest was us not coaching them anymore. For the people posting this ad, this is true as well. They may be great in getting their DD's involved and getting them started. It takes daddy ball to get a team off the ground. Only time will tell if they are best suited for travel ball or the higher age divisions. If I were doing it all over again and started a team, I would run the team until 14U and hire a coach to take over from 16u-18G. Someone with experience and with some TB connections. Not sure how I would go about that, but thats what I would try to do. Being from EG is this the new Lady Magic 8u ????

[catchers_rock]

I know of a few players that have stayed together from 8 yrs old to 14's or 16's but not to many teams stay together that long. I dont think I would want to spend that much time with the same people 3-4 days a week for 10 yrs. LOL! More powere to them if they could pull it off.

[ICMTM]

If I ever have another daughter I want her to make her 1st travel ball team at 6! If I were to do it over again I would have started my DD off at 4 years old and never let her bat right handed. She would never have played another sport. By 6 I would have expected her to swing a -8. By 10 she better have been on McAllister's list. By 12 she should have been college educated at UCLA. I should have drove my kid crazy. Instead I have a normal 15 year old that is talented, but isn't the best softball player in the world. I have failed...You need to start them at 6 or they will die!!!! College coaches look at that stuff, too!

If you're still reading this and haven't gathered it's all sarcasm I'm here to tell you I'm joking. 6-8 year olds should play rec ball no matter how good they are OR how many other kids you have in college.

[KJHammer]

Well said ICMTM......

[Momo's Dad]

I think it's terrific that they would like to form an 8u winterball team with lofty goals such as playing some softball and getting snow cones or ice cream afterwards.

Excellent timing of your post from a personal perspective here. I sent it to my wife, even though I know the words are pretty much falling on deaf ears at the moment, because she's an ASA-phile who dislikes rec. Our daughter is 9.

I'm not opposed to the existence of January-November 10u TB, but I laugh at the people who fall in love with it. I also laugh at those parents (including those who coach) who are convinced that 9 & 10yo girls are getting softball scholarships every year.

Talk to the private instructors and most of good ones in our area will tell you there were still playing rec when they were 10 and 11. Talk to the college coaches and not a single one of them is recruiting 4th graders.

10u All-Stars and winterball are great fun for the advanced rec players in NorCal. 10u TB is for the parents. Parents are going to do what they want and the kids are going to do what they're told, but more people need to tell these coaches that they're full of s*** when they make their little 10u recruiting spiels.

[LadyMagic83]

Being from EG is this the new Lady Magic 8u ????

Not that I'm aware of!

[watchtonsofsoftball]

Ahh come on....tell me some little LM 8u's wouldnt be cute. You guys got to be looking for some young blood right now right?

[Tenshun]

8u's are senior citizens in today's elite fastpitch world. If you really want the girls to have a fighting chance, you have to start them in travel ball by 6u at the latest. If your kid is gifted and blessed with uncommon athletic ability, you'll probably want to shoot for 6u Gold.

Please save the strength training until they are at least 8 ¾ yrs old though and have developed a home to 1st base time of at least 2.5 sec, so you don't stunt their growth.

If your kid isn't D-1signed by 2nd yr 10u, you might want to think about finding another sport that better suits her God given talent or you can take her out of school so she can begin to focus on what's really important.

[myschmoopie]

Anyone else find the new Stingers comp team about just as hilarious? A guy who was banned from coaching an EG Thunder comp team venturing out on his own so he can go and scream at more little girls and get in fist fights with parents on opposing teams? I can't wait to watch them play in a tournament, the minute they aren't hitting he turns his backs on his players, what fool would tryout for that team? There he goes preying on parents who don't know any better. I feel sorry for those little girls on both these teams.