Travel Team Roster

What would be the normal number of players on a 16U travel team? It seems like as the girls get older they have trips for the summer they want to attend. Things like mission trips and other church activities which I think is GREAT but you really don't want to go to a tournament with 10 players because you are missing some that weekend. But then again you don't want a bunch of players not playing on the weekends everybody shows up. Any thoughts?

 

I think you need 11-13 players. This worked for us on most of our teams from 10u to 18u. I can remember only 1 time in 18 years that we started a game with 8 players.

 

I think that 10 girls with a max of no more then 11. There is to much cost involved with traveling, lodging & meals to see dd on the bench waiting to see playing time because are an extra 3-4 girls on the team. I know most coaches will not agree with this but it is what it is. This is my feel as the PAYING parent but I know the coaches feel completly different on this subject.

 

We went to a Showcase last Summer at Walnut Creek on a 14U with only 9 girls and ONE pitcher and had the time of our lives!! However, 10 to 13 is a good working number as long as those sitting are a starting pitcher and catcher resting for the next game.

 

Yep

Dangit I have to agree with everybodyon this one, 10-11 is a good number with 12-13 players you have two more set of parents to deal with.......LOL

 

And the G-U-R-U has spoke and so it should be!! LOL

 

Depends on the tournament, 13-15 on the bigger stages. Three pitchers, two catchers min.

 

12-13 is a good roster size for 14U down, but at 16U I prefer 1 or 2 more, especially if you are talking top level ball. At this level, parents and organizations spend a pile of money to get their players in front of college coaches, even travelling across the country to do so...

These are a few (not all) reasons why I like 14-15 on my 16U roster:
1) injuries happen
2) 1 pitcher from the rotation should be on the bench resting
3) the occasional player may not be able to make a long distance (or week long) tournament.

I would HATE to get into the last day of a 4 day tournament in mid July, temp in the upper 90's, 600 miles from home, 4th game of the day, a pitcher is lightheaded from the heat, starting SS had to leave early for a family emergency and your starting catcher just got hurt in a train wreck at the dish... It's OK, I started with 11 dedicated players...OH CRAP

 

15-16 girls on a roster??????? That is alot of girls to keep happy and it's hard to keep girls happy if they aren't playing

 

Wow

Man if I thought that way I wouldn't leave the house....What if all nine players got killed on a bus??.....Yes I agree that things can happen, but how many times since you have played has any of this happened at one time?? The only thing that I recollect over the thirteen years of my coaching was my best hitter played in an AAU basketball tournament on a Friday night before a state and got injured, and couldn't play on Saturday, but nothing like you say above. Yea 14-15 players is way too many for a roster, trust me it doesn't matter if they are 12 or 18 some parent will give you grief about their kid sitting the bench....TRUST ME !!!

Guru