REC BALL status??

I also started at Wilders Grove back in 1994 when I moved here from CT.
Niki was 10 years olds.... The Grove did a great job of preparing young girls and had stable leagues at the 10U, 12u, 14u and 16u levels...
We always participated in a Wake Cty Fall travel league, with Wake Forest, Garner, Zebulon, Knightdale , etc...

Presently, The Grove is struggling fielding teams... 2-3 in each division for softball... Jean Sutphen has done a great job over the last few years, keeping the league alive.

Garner, West Raleigh, and Apex seem to be the leaders in the Triangle today. Ral Parks n Rec offeres leagues at Green Rd, and a couple of other
locations, but soccer is king in Raleigh...

To increase the participation in the Triangle, we need a grass roots movement, asking for more opportunities within all of the Triangle...
It will be a tough task to unseat Soccer.... It all starts with the parents and kids...

Recreation ball should be the next pipeline to TB....
TB organizations should embrace Rec Ball.... it might be what keeps them alive...

 

Thanks For The Info...

Softballphreak: Thanks for the information about your experience with Raleigh Parks and Rec. I will certainly look into the issues you raised.

 

Travel ball has taken the skilled players out of the rec leagues for the most part in Rutherford County--but with good reason. I saw an allstar 13-14 u rec team that only had one player that had even played middle or high school ball on it. The numbers playing are so dismal, that nine year olds compete against 12u's. And since Little League of America went to birthday cutoffs like travel ball (December 31) I actually have seen what looked like grown women playing against third graders. There is no incentive there for a good player to play her best. I am not putting down rec ball. I guess they do the best they can to get enough kids together to have leagues. What is crazy though is that there are three separate programs in Rutherford County, which is not a metropolis to begin with. If they would combine the programs, or do inter-league play at the younger age groups, they would have a much better product. I think they focus most of the energy locally into boys baseball instead.

 

WndMillR- On TBR that word is spelled ****** That foriegn sport has taken more kids away from baseball/softball than nintendo. I know there are good reasons for this and perhaps those reasons should be addressed.

Softballphreak reminded me of this story. A friend of mine, a ML hitting instructor, came to a youth association to give an all day hitting clinic for free. Now this association had 1200 kids registered and the clinic was held on a Saturday, gameday, at the hitting cages. Only 1 kid came over for instructions. The arrogance of the youth coaches was embarrassing. For them to think their players could not learn something from this obviously talented instructor upset me. I realized, at that point, the association was not something I wanted to affiliate with.

I won't name this other athletic association, but they are doing it right and their numbers are increasing. They have recruited young, recent college grads to become coaches. They have meetings before each season setting goals and how they will accomplish it. The quality of coaching at this level has been outstanding and it's always about the kids...no politics, no daddyball...everybody is on the same page. The kids are having fun!!!!!

 

Rec ball

My daughter used to play rec ball in Garner when she was younger but we saw that she was developing too many bad habits that carried over to HS and TB. The program is very good especially for teaching and developing the young ones about the game of fastpitch; however, I agree with some others that it ends up being more social than anything else. I've seen too much playing around and not being serious at all on the field. I've seen girls steal bases just because the pitcher was too busy joking around with her teammates and not paying attention to the game. I know it is supposed to be recreational and fun on some level but it also needs to be somewhat serious and more disciplined. Just my two cents.

 

Most of the coaches in rec ball are parents who have little or no experience. It really is a different atmosphere. But I believe if the coaches were given some instruction from TB caliber coaches the atmosphere would change quickly. Maybe even the first season. As those coaches then move up with their kids they could pass on what they've learned and the TB type coaches would find it easier and at some point would be teaching a higher level to the rec coaches. The rec coaches could receive training away from the kids and also be there to help when the TB coaches are putting on clinics for the kids.

There are many parents whose daughters are playing travel or moving up and out of travel ball that know a whole lot more than they realize. Some of those parents would find it really rewarding to help at the rec league level. It might seem like a lot of work at first but it would make a BIG difference!

I remember when Garner and Wilders Grove used to play each other they were as serious as any TB team.

One of the best players ever from this area came from Raleigh Rec. Eva Herron. She was part of the USSSA world champion Challengers under Ray McGee. THAT was a TEAM!! She went on to play for ECU with a full ride scholarship. She won all kinds of honors at ECU. She's now a CPA.

 

Player...

She had a great career at ECU and Enloe....
Only struck out one time in her HS career...

 

I was at the game when she struck out sitting right behind home plate. The pitch was high and outside. Seriously--it was! There had been an article in the N&O that morning and I've always wondered if that was why it was called. Enloe was playing Southeast Raleigh at Worthdale Park. Slowly I turned . . . step by step . . .

 

I know you remember..... I was the asst coach @ SE Raleigh that year,
I called the pitch.. it was high.........

 

....CHECK!!!!..

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