how do coaches/parents do it?

I know I'm going to get slammed for this, but I'm just curious....

I was talking to a former coach at a workout recently. Just exchanging our experiences. He and other coaches I have spoken with since our involvement in softball always tell me that 11-12 kids is a good working number, with the ideal situation having a starting pitcher and catcher resting between games.

I've had people who have been there tell me if your DD wants to play college ball to contact the coach at the school of interest, tell them the team she plays on and what tournaments she'll be at, and they will come and look at her. Doesn't matter who the team is. Coaches will see her play against stud talent and how she does, even if the team she plays on is not loaded with studs. That a team can go to tournaments and lose, and still have girls get signed.

So with all that said, how does a team get 14, 16, 18 players and go to tournaments, and how do parents pay $800, $900, $1500 or more and justify the expense when they know their kids will be sitting, especially in a bad economy? But I also hear teams complain about having to go to tournaments with 9 kids. I know it's not easy, just wondering how others do it.

 

scenario you described is ideal if you are playing for a trophy...

showcase ball is something entirely different and its ok to have more kids on the roster as even a college coach who really wants a kid isnt going to watch every game your team plays at a particular event... ergo there is more dirt time for everyone.

"its not easy" is a good description of the journey for everyone involved and brings us to the point yet again of how special coaches are who do this with no alterior motive... Rodney, Rick et al.

 

The problem in my area is the money. Our area is very rural and it would take the entire county (softball players) to form a competitive team. But many of the girls that are talented enough do not have the money or for that matter even a means to get to and from practice. Most of the local travel ball teams are built around coach's daughters. Now I don't really have a "horse" in this race as my daughter is only 11 and has no interest in TB. You can't really blame the fathers as they want to help their daughters, but it just kills me to see girls I know can compete and they want to work and get better not get too because of the money or logistics. I guess it is just living in the real world.

 

Coastal Bigstix

Our Showcase Team looks to carry around 11 or 12. That way everyone gets plenty of on field time and at bats. At this age, someone will always have a school or family event that prevents them from traveling to a tournament. This number allows for that without having to pick kids up. Also, if you go with 9, you run the risk of losing a player to sickness or injury during the tournament.

 

most of the teams with 20 kids on the roster are play for free teams arent they? if you are playing for free then you cant fuss about dirt time....can always pay to play elsewhere.

I heard a D1 coach say this past weekend that it doesnt matter what team you play for as long as you play the right tournaments. he went on to say that over half of the girls on his roster were there because he noticed them while watching a so called "hi-profile" team play...they were on the other team. He only stressed the importance of playing....his teams are usually pretty successfull.

My only beef with the hi profile teams is how many of your girls go to colorado to play college ball? Not many...probably less than 5 over 20 years.....so why spend that amount of money to go and play those tournaments when you can play several great showcase tournaments within the carolina's and maybe a trip to tenn. I can think of 3-5 off top of my head that are loaded with D1 and D2 coaches between Columbia, Rockhill, Raleigh etc etc.

 

My only beef with the hi profile teams is how many of your girls go to colorado to play college ball?<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
<<<<<<<<<<<<< Please not yet again. Can we at least wait until next July for this to be a topic of discussion on TBR?

 

It doesn't matter if one's dd plays on the so called elite team or not (assuming the coaching is the same level of talent)...it's about playing in the right tournaments.

Let me ask this: Are people more impressed that you went 4-4 playing with the elite team or more impressed that you went 4-4 hitting against them? Just find the best team that you can play for and let your talent shine. If you have the ability, the scouts will notice. But it's all about playing against the toughest competition that you can. It's one of the best measurable ways a scout can evaluate.

 

Wore out

All this stuff about elite teams, playing right tournaments and how every kid can get signed no matter where they play is been on here so many times it is a vicious circle! Also the Colorado thing and no one from here going out there to play college ball just shows how much the point is missed. Best of luck to all teams, we all have our opinions and ideas about how to get recruited, none of which are wrong in our own eyes so let's move on to meaningful and worthy subjects and stop beating this one like an old DOG!!!!!!!!!!!

 

"My only beef with the hi profile teams is how many of your girls go to colorado to play college ball"

I might be understanding this wrong, but are you saying that teams go to play in Colorado only so they can be seen by colleges located in Colorado? Because colleges from across the country come to watch these tournaments, that's why they're so "high-profile". Parents are paying for their kids to go to these showcase tournaments in hopes that their money will be replenished by a scholarship from a good school. True, we have great showcase tournaments in the Carolinas but why not broaden your horizons? I realize it's very expensive to play in these tournaments, and the travel costs are outrageous. My family can barely afford it just like a lot of people. These types of showcases are only for the players and teams looking to play at a higher level, and those people are truly dedicated (or should be) You have to look at, in the end is it going to pay off?