Here we go

OK. In the last 2 weeks well known coaches and organizations are continuing their practice of luring/recruiting players that are already on teams. Not talking about players that come to tryouts. Talking about them calling parents at home in an attempt to convince them to leave their current teams and join theirs. These orgs been doing it for years but seems we all remain hush hush about it and even heap praises upon the same. Sure these orgs are successful but continue to use unethical practices in building their empires. Some claim college recruits that they either did not develop or actually did not get recruited. We were able to weather the unethical storm this go-round but talked with 2 teams this weekend that lost 2 each to orgs/coaches that are well known to this site. These orgs make statements such as "Hey we will pay for your fees and uniforms." "Hey we can get you recruited to colleges better than your current team can do."

The face of the game has changed so much over the last few years and I don't think I like what I see.

This "ain't" good for the game, don't you think?

 

56, this will most likely never end, I have seen it for years as have you, I am just curious how many players these programs you speak of have actually developed players from say age 12 up through the ranks. It has become a business I guess, but parents are swayed by numbers and big dreams, those of us who have been down this road with our own DD's know the reality of how this game works. I try to educate as many people as I can, so they dont make some of the same mistakes I did. There are many ways to approach a college softball career, I wonder how many 1000's of dollars are wasted each year by parents wanting the best for the DD.

 

Amen

 

56 let US all know who it is!!!!! LOL...... And Cheeze Im kidding unless he wants to name names..

 

Our Evil Empire!

One of the teams he is referring to is us.
The Evil Cardinals.

I have to believe that people are most ignorant when they don't know all the details. They will let their emotions over rule common sense.
I would like to believe 56 has nothing personal against me, as he nor I, know each other personally.

This day alone I have had three phone calls and one email inquiring about spots on my team. And guess what. They are all currently playing with another team. Am I supposed to ignore all the requests.
Is it wrong for me to answer questions to the point of the player possibly wanting to join us?

I would assume, from his post, that 56 nor anyone associated with the team he helps out with, has ever picked up a kid from another team.
I know the answer to that because I called his head coach today and tried to figure out where all this came from.

The bigger question to me is, why would a player from another team, look to join our team or any other team for that matter. If a kid or parent inquires, they must be looking for something different than what they have.

My phone number is all over the wide world web. I would ask that before we go posting a load of crap on a message board somewhere, I would ask that the person have the balls to pick up the phone and call me.
336-416-6056 and check out the story before he posts hearsay.
I have absolutely nothing to hide. You can guarantee that if I have a problem with someone or something, or I feel like I have wronged someone, I'm man enough to call and try to work it out.


Rick McHone
Carolina Cardinals

 

So the next question is who is softball_56? I dont think Rick would try to "steal" players!! 56 might be going alittle over board on that one.

 

Let me point out, no one can lure someone away from a team unless they are "lurable" in the first place.

No big team can lure a player unless that team has something that player wants. Is it the schedule? Is it that they believe they have a better chance of being recruited to a big school? Again, there is not a team on this planet that could "lure" away a player unless there was something a player wanted more.

I know of two teams whose coaches are on this board - and NEITHER of them is Rick - who will actually solicit players. I have seen it happen, in person. These people I never even nod hey to on the field, because in my eyes, when THEY, the COACH, go to a player committed to another team and keep at them, often at every tournament where both are present, to come over and play for them...well, I simply find it in poor taste.

The fact is: Many girls will fall over their feet to be a part of the Cardinal organization, as will their parents. They have the name. They have the history. They have the clout. They have the coaching. They have the big schools looking. They play the huge schedule. It would be fairly impossible for ANYONE to convince me that Ric sits about his house at night calling girls trying to lure them away.

The fact is, what you see in travel ball is what you see in recruiting. Some players want, need, crave, have to have that "big name" emblazoned upon their chest and when they are recruited they are holding out for that "big name" emblazoned upon their chest.

I can never express how proud I am of my daughter. She never cared if she played for that "big" name travel team, as long as she found her feet on the dirt every weekend. When it came time to recruit, she has ZERO interest in any "big" name program. She wanted a program in which she could make a difference, a program that she could be the foundation for growth in years to come, a program where the coach was connected to his girls... and that dirt under her feet. She got her dream, and spends more time on that orange clay than all of her "big" name craving travel ball buddies across the years.

So, 56, here is my answer to your complaint:

My daughter started in travel ball nearly a decade ago now. There ain't nothing happening today that didn't happen then. There are just more teams, more players, more coaches, more promises, more broken promises, more "lack" of loyalty .. they have only increased in size as the number participating in the sport has increased.

This has always gone on.

This will always go on.

And as softball continues to expand, you will think you see more of it, but in fact it is occurring at roughly the same percentage as it was a decade ago.

We all know who they are...and who they aren't (Rick).

We also all know that 90% of the time it is that player who claims a coach solicited her that made that phone call first to the coach asking if he has room for her, and the parents that like to brag that so-and-so chased their kid down.

This has always gone on.

This will always go on.

Forge ahead and count your blessings -- all those girls that stay with you through thick and thin