Recommend Rec. Ball for Travel Ball Players ?

[dittoz]

We let our DD play fall travel after her second year of 10u rec.
She then returned to rec for her first season of 12's and went back to TB again that fall.

It wasn't until her second season of the 12" ball that she went full time into TB.

Of course, she's only 13 now, but so far, so good...

[dirtseller]

Doesn't ASA have some rules about travel ball players playing in rec.? Maybe it's only for tournament time.

[Sftbll4ever]

My DD's rec league must be the only one that bans any travel player participation. DD was planning to play both in the fall and transition to travel only in the spring, her TB coach was fine with it but the rec league wasn't. She decided she wasn't ready to leave all her friends behind in rec last fall and the TB coach said he thought the rec policy was odd but he understood and would welcome her back anytime she wanted.

I'm surprised to someone say their DD benefited from a hitting standpoint. Around here rec pitchers are not only slower but far less accurate and blues tend to compensate by calling a more generous strike zone for them. For similar reasons I don't think it benefits travel pitchers very much to also play rec unless their a #3 or lower pitcher and not getting much circle time in travel.

My dd was a #1 pitcher on her travel team and it benefited her to pitch live. She also got to work on her new pitches while still practicing the old ones. My dd also switched to the left side during that time, so it worked for her to be patient and to see slower pitching. It gave her confidence for her work on swinging away. When she went back to travel, she was a better hitter as she was able to hit the change better and she had the confidence to swing away. It was a win win for us. Our rec league was a very strong league anyway.

[Judd]

Last fall we played rec but it was a school feeder team so of course she wanted to play. She got plenty of mound time, and we met alot of great people.

This past summer we wereasked to play on a rec team and with the OK of the TB coach we did. Again DD got plenty of pitching time. I never found out why, but DD was #3 pitcher on TB and never threw a pitch or was looked at during TB. She was asked to pitch a pool game coming off a broken foot, then not played and never considered again. They only pitched two pitchers. So I dont know if the rec thing pissed of the TB coach. So I guess she wasnt the #3.

We stopped lessons and pitching for a few months because it just wasnt progressing the way we thought. The pitchers dad from school ball knew DD and convinced us to give it another shot with a different instructor so we are back in it again.

Her current TB team has 3-4 pitchers already so if she cant get any time there, then she may play rec again. If we play rec again, I will make it clear from the start, we are expecting pitching time and we wont be there for practice. If the team has pitching, then we understand and just wont play.

Two teams is alot, especially for younger kids. DD is only 12. She was out every night till 8:00, rec games, TB practice, hitting lesson, pitching lesson, etc To me thats the huge obstacle.

Also the rec program here was pretty weak. One game we scored 6 runs (we won) and didnt get one hit. That team was also using a girl who was 13 in 12U. Its also hard for DD to pitch and do what she needs to do, then have girls just make really really bad plays.

Like previously said, unless its for pitching or catching, I wouldnt do it

[DodgerBlue's]

JMO:

I think ASA should do away with 10u Travel, they are still developing and they are not truly able to play the amount of hours and time it takes in travel. My daughter did both her 2nd year in tens and then we mande the move in 12's. It was nice for the experience and it helped me meet people in travel because I was coaching. But if I could do it again, I would have stayed till 12's. This is when they use the big ball, bases are at 60' and back then home was closed, (I think it should go back that way) and most of the talented girls are pitchers. Wait till 12's when they start hitting the ball in the outfield and you can see that there is a need for outfieldewrs, no more hiding the week players out there.
Again JMO, but there is no hurry to make our kids so competitive, it will come with time trust me.

[Demonboy]

I would recommend that your entire team play rec ball....and forget about travel ball until they are 12.

Jeez Sam, you are very bitter of late. You keep this up and you are going to get a lump of coal.

I really think nobody should play travel until they are 12...my opinion....bah, humbug.

Put me on the grinch list too. 10U travel ball is ridiculous. They are too young, mentally and physically to commit to year round ball. At the very least, ask your pediatrician what he/she thinks of it.

[Demonboy]

Doesn't ASA have some rules about travel ball players playing in rec.? Maybe it's only for tournament time.

Kids can play both. But they can't play all-stars for an ASA rec league unless they discontinue all travel ball activities by April 1. Also the all-star team can not have more than 3 players that participated in travel ball that calendar year.

My information is from 2001 so you might want to faq check the details.

[JustWondering]

JMO:

I think ASA should do away with 10u Travel, they are still developing and they are not truly able to play the amount of hours and time it takes in travel. My daughter did both her 2nd year in tens and then we mande the move in 12's. It was nice for the experience and it helped me meet people in travel because I was coaching. But if I could do it again, I would have stayed till 12's. This is when they use the big ball, bases are at 60' and back then home was closed, (I think it should go back that way) and most of the talented girls are pitchers. Wait till 12's when they start hitting the ball in the outfield and you can see that there is a need for outfieldewrs, no more hiding the week players out there.
Again JMO, but there is no hurry to make our kids so competitive, it will come with time trust me.

10u's Hit the ball to the outfield. Home being closed for 10u was a horrible rule. There are dominate Pitchers at all levels. Couldn't imagine some of these 10u travel girls playing rec, yes they could play up but the difference from a 10u girl and an older 12u girl is huge sometimes. Not only physically but mental also.

[Sam]

JMO:

I think ASA should do away with 10u Travel, they are still developing and they are not truly able to play the amount of hours and time it takes in travel. My daughter did both her 2nd year in tens and then we mande the move in 12's. It was nice for the experience and it helped me meet people in travel because I was coaching. But if I could do it again, I would have stayed till 12's. This is when they use the big ball, bases are at 60' and back then home was closed, (I think it should go back that way) and most of the talented girls are pitchers. Wait till 12's when they start hitting the ball in the outfield and you can see that there is a need for outfieldewrs, no more hiding the week players out there.
Again JMO, but there is no hurry to make our kids so competitive, it will come with time trust me.

10u's Hit the ball to the outfield. Home being closed for 10u was a horrible rule. There are dominate Pitchers at all levels. Couldn't imagine some of these 10u travel girls playing rec, yes they could play up but the difference from a 10u girl and an older 12u girl is huge sometimes. Not only physically but mental also.

Dominant 10U players play rec every year. The ASA 10U B champs can play with the 10U A champs every year. In most leagues, players can play up in league play and come back down to their age level for all-stars. There isn't much of a mental difference and no physical difference....they are 10 year olds.

[ocdad]

I have to agree about the 10U's what we did was start travel after All-Stars of 2nd year of 10U. Played a couple of 10U friendlies then started in 12U's. What I saw from 10U Travel was most of the teams would form & then break up, because parents didn't realize the committment & just went back to rec. Too many players leaving team to just go back to rec for whatever reason. Lastly, not that many teams to have productive friendlies and only a handful of teams in the tournaments.