Stingrays Fastpitch - Experience?
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Anonymous
| Hello: Any thoughts on Stingrays for a player interested in travel softball? Thoughts compared to Firebirds? |
Anonymous
| It’s been several years so things could have changed but Stingrays had a better overall program than Firebirds |
Anonymous
|
A family I know with multiple kids in travel told us that we could consider any organization but Stingrays for 10U because of the coach (who sticks with that team rather than moving up when they age up). That same family has never badmouthed any other travel organization.
In the area that players tend to go to both Firebirds and Stingrays I have also seen people go to: Sage, Smash (now part of VGSL), SoCo Colts, the new travel teams spun up by SYC, and St. James. |
Anonymous
| How old is your kid? Neither organization is super top notch but great if you are just starting travel. Some teams are better than others. Regarding the 10u Stingrays coach mentioned above, as a parent of a team who played against her back in 10u, I was not a fan, but the girls I know who actually played for her LOVED her. She is tough but a good coach. |
Anonymous
| This is OP - my kid would be 12u. |
Anonymous
| Stingrays will likely have both a B and C 12u team next season and Firebirds should have a really solid B team made up primarily of 2012s as well as a team that would probably be more 2013s but possibly a mix and likely playing C. |
Anonymous
Curious if you're getting this info from websites, families you know, or inside information. |
Anonymous
She is also a dedicated 10U coach. No kid on the team. She coaches them and then they move up and she coaches the next 10U team. It's a good environment for a kid starting out. |
Anonymous
I coached in a different organization for 20 years. They're both fine programs, especially for younger ages. They're not "elite" but you're not really going to find an elite teams in the area (even if they use the word "elite" in their names). |
Anonymous
Don't do SYC or the St. James. I've seen them play. Nope. |
Anonymous
|
Firebirds had a really strong 16U team that then defected/joined Rock Gold, but I'm more familiar with the older kids.
It depends on what you are looking for: good, solid training for a kid to play in high school? Then a solid B team is fine; another one to consider is Great Falls Sharks. The head coach at Langley is currently finishing up with the 18U team and has also been coaching the 10U I think. No kid on the team, solid instruction. If you think your kid will get headhunted by Suzie Wilhemmsen to play at Bishop O'Connell for high school, then I'd aim higher. Glory is a safe bet there. Also Rock Gold, Thunderbolts. Where is home for you? |
Anonymous
Making assumptions based on their current 10u and 12u teams and having a general sense of the age makeup of those teams. Also from what I have seen of how those orgs have done things in the past. |
Anonymous
| 12:12 again, forgot to say that I've not heard bad things about the Stingrays organization. (You generally hear a lot about the bad orgs, not as much about the ones that don't have the drama....) |
Anonymous
| Looking at Glory I see it’s described as “purpose driven softball”. Is there a religious component? |
Anonymous
Our kids are older, but several years ago it seemed like the purpose was being recruited to play in college. Many of our DDs friends who played in that organization went on to play in college. |