REC BALL status??

I may not be very popular for this but---we stopped playing rec ball in her 5th grade year because of lots more competition in tb., If they would go back to the way it used to be when lots of us older crowd was growing up when you had to make the team-not just show up and make it, the skill levels would go up and probably have more go out. There was NO tb back then because all the rec teams was like a tb team.It would make a kid that dosen't make it one year and truely wants to play WORK harder for the next try out!!! The way things are now at least in our county a kid dosen't have to go out and work they just get a uniform and everybody plays.Remember when we used to say-if you want to play practice,practice,practice and maybe you'll be able to make the team but if all you do is lay around and watch tv or play computer games you probably won't. GET OUTDOORS JMO!!!

 

You said it right

I totally agree, The only reason my dd played rec as long as she did was because she loved to play and it allowed her to get more practice in. If the TB players that did play rec would use that time to sharpen their skills, the rec leagues would continue to be strong. But unfortunately, it has become a more social thing and the girls sometimes don't put forth the effort they should or they play down to the level of lesser skilled players.

 

Rec. ball is just that... recreational softball. The level of a rec. program reflects the level of those community kids who sign up. Players may be serious players or they may just be kids looking for something to do for the summer. Rec. ball is not necessarily meant to be geared to the fastpitch elite. One should not expect rec. ball to be the same quality as TB or HS. Since Recreation Departments are funded by taxes, they must reach out to the entire community, not just the fastpitch community.

With that said, it should also be said that the fastpitch community should support rec. leagues as much as possible. Those kids who may never play above the rec. level will come to understand the game. That benefits the game of fastpitch in the long run.

 

cleveland

I coached in the Cleveland league for many years and as a Babe Ruth all-star team coach in JC, but have not coached there since '05. I think they have taken some steps back according to some I have talked to and I know their #'s are down. This year they dropped out of the JC Babe Ruth league and went into a different league in the county that is municipal-based? and the 8U went back to a coach pitch format, instead of machine pitch as Babe Ruth uses. I know that Fuquay-Varina also dropped out of Babe Ruth according to a guy I work with.

Someone mentioned TB players that come back late say 14U or 16U to play rec ball; I had a similar experience coaching them. I was really excited to have them back thinking their skills would enhance the team's success, but instead found that they really didn't have their heart into rec ball to give 100% and hustle and make a full-fledged commitment to the team; they were just going through the motions so to speak. That was disappointing.

 

"force yourself on Raleigh Parks and Rec..."

I am trying to understand your meaning, "softballphreak". Please clarify for me - either here or you are welcome to send me a private message or email.

My email address is [email protected].

Thanks!

 

If anybody needs the help from the Raleigh Parks and recs...cbsconsult is an excellent facilitator to get things done in that area.

 

Half the Raleigh HS teams can't even get enough interest in softball to field jv teams. The problem is so many of the town's programs just don't offer fastpitch in rec...some have lately. Maybe it has changed in the last years since my dd has played tb....but the interest just doesn't seem to be there. I don't know what it is now but Cary and Apex only had modified or slow pitch. I was always an advocate (years back) about getting fastpitch at the rec level....that's how the MS's build their programs. Alot of times, girls don't see fastpitch until they are in 7th grade in this area. We all know how much we spend for tb.....just wonder how many girls are out there that could have been really good players, but the parents just couldn't afford tb.

 

My daughter started out in Raleigh in rec ball. She was around 7 I believe. Basketball and softball. It was really good for us. Therefore, I've always had a fondness for Raleigh Rec.

We eventually moved over to Wilders Grove where the coaches had a higher skill level and a program more focused on fastpitch. At the time, under Bill Bickell and Ray Harrington you had to have a certain number of hours of instruction to be a coach. Today, when I put on a clinic for teams (which is few and far between) I require the coaches to go through an hour of what I'm going to teach the players over the next two or so hours. Not that the coaches need that training but just so we will be on the same track. Plus they come in handy the next two hours with the girls.

My opinion about Raleigh Rec comes from a few years back when I personally offered to help with hitting instruction (free). Not as a team coach but available to any team. My logic there was most of the players need very fundamental training. I didn't get very good response and even had one of the staff tell me that "that's not what we're here for" when I suggested that the training would help them at the next level--their high schools. In addition to that I know that one of the TB organizations I was with (and still consider myself one of--even though inactive) offered to come in and train players and coaches--free. For whatever reason that didn't happen either.

Raleigh Rec is so important to the city schools, whether that's what they're there for are not. I just don't understand why there's not a stronger push to recruit more fastpitch players. It does not have to be TB level. Although it would be nice to develop players to that level. More appropriately, though, it would be considered an instructional level.

The main thing I believe that needs to be done if Raleigh Rec would do it is to require anyone volunteering to be a coach to be taught by a TB organization. I believe at least two TB organizations that I know of would jump on that in a heartbeat. And they would go in knowing the players they would work with would be absolute beginners.

In fairness to Raleigh Rec I haven't talked to them about this in at least 3 or 4 years, so they may have a different viewpoint now. I would still be willing. Like I said, they were good to my DD when she little.

 

slap when pitching

several years ago (back in the late 90's or early 2000's; 10 or 12U at the time?? ) there was a girl pitching for Raleigh rec that slapped her thigh or side of her leg? with her glove really loud when she did her pitching motion. always said it was a timing thing. don't remember her name, but remember that motion and the slapping noise.

 

One Still Does !!

Anna Maness still does when she pitches !!! I told a buddy of mine 4 years ago that we would start seeing rec ball decline because of the new age of TB / SC ball becoming the way to go if you want to play collegiate ball, he said "YOU THINK" ?


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