The St.James softball program

[Anonymous]

I don’t get the point of travel if you’re playing C. Most C teams are barely (if that) better than rec teams in strong rec programs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t get the point of travel if you’re playing C. Most C teams are barely (if that) better than rec teams in strong rec programs.

We played in the East Coast C Championships and most teams were good—there were some teams that were really, really good. Plus C teams still generally have skills rec teams don’t- rounding first after a walk, catchers that can throw a player out at 2nd, etc. You don’t need to travel to FL from DC but traveling out of state isn’t uncommon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:More general softball question. Middle schooler who loves the sport, plays rec, rec+, all stars. Wants to play in high school in this area. Can anyone share success stories of making JV team as freshman w/o doing travel?

Completely depends on the high school. Arlington high schools? Probably not. Some Fairfax schools but not many. In Loudoun, maybe at like Dominion or Loudoun Valley but no chance at Woodgrove (state champions last two years and a pipeline of travel players on elite teams).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You should also look at Virginia Stingrays 14u if you haven’t already - great group of girls coming up.

https://stingraysva.org/

- signed, a Stingrays parent

Do you have a sense of how many spots there are on that team?

I don’t, but they have tryouts tonight!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You should also look at Virginia Stingrays 14u if you haven’t already - great group of girls coming up.

https://stingraysva.org/

- signed, a Stingrays parent

We just saw the Stingrays 12U team at Nationals this weekend (not sure if that's the team that is moving up to 14), but the coach was great. Supportive and positive. No yelling and the girls seemed to like her.

I got very good vibes from that coach and the group of girls. You can just sort of pick up on team dynamics and their dynamics seemed really good.

Many of them are moving up. She is a great coach, and the 14u coach too! (They all are!)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:More general softball question. Middle schooler who loves the sport, plays rec, rec+, all stars. Wants to play in high school in this area. Can anyone share success stories of making JV team as freshman w/o doing travel?

Completely depends on the high school. Arlington high schools? Probably not. Some Fairfax schools but not many. In Loudoun, maybe at like Dominion or Loudoun Valley but no chance at Woodgrove (state champions last two years and a pipeline of travel players on elite teams).

DP. This does not track with what I've heard about JV at Fairfax. Varsity sure, but not JV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You should also look at Virginia Stingrays 14u if you haven’t already - great group of girls coming up.

https://stingraysva.org/

- signed, a Stingrays parent

We just saw the Stingrays 12U team at Nationals this weekend (not sure if that's the team that is moving up to 14), but the coach was great. Supportive and positive. No yelling and the girls seemed to like her.

I got very good vibes from that coach and the group of girls. You can just sort of pick up on team dynamics and their dynamics seemed really good.

Many of them are moving up. She is a great coach, and the 14u coach too! (They all are!)

PP here. To clarify - the 14u coach is a different person but also terrific.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:More general softball question. Middle schooler who loves the sport, plays rec, rec+, all stars. Wants to play in high school in this area. Can anyone share success stories of making JV team as freshman w/o doing travel?

Completely depends on the high school. Arlington high schools? Probably not. Some Fairfax schools but not many. In Loudoun, maybe at like Dominion or Loudoun Valley but no chance at Woodgrove (state champions last two years and a pipeline of travel players on elite teams).

DP. This does not track with what I've heard about JV at Fairfax. Varsity sure, but not JV.

My bad. Yeah, easier for JV. Although the schools with strong varsity teams also tend to have strong JV (Woodgrove JV was undefeated too this year, for example).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t get the point of travel if you’re playing C. Most C teams are barely (if that) better than rec teams in strong rec programs.

We played in the East Coast C Championships and most teams were good—there were some teams that were really, really good. Plus C teams still generally have skills rec teams don’t- rounding first after a walk, catchers that can throw a player out at 2nd, etc. You don’t need to travel to FL from DC but traveling out of state isn’t uncommon.

We did too, and I was impressed with the competition. They are significantly better than rec teams.

Once you got passed Friday, all the competition was pretty good. And having had multiple kids in softball at both the B & C levels, the last few teams playing on Saturday (lets say the final 8), would all hold their own against middle B teams.

That said, even both B & C levels, you don't have to travel far for good competition. The good DE teams come into MD often, and the good PA teams come to VA and MD for tournaments. You can face good competition without having to pay for hotels.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t get the point of travel if you’re playing C. Most C teams are barely (if that) better than rec teams in strong rec programs.

We played in the East Coast C Championships and most teams were good—there were some teams that were really, really good. Plus C teams still generally have skills rec teams don’t- rounding first after a walk, catchers that can throw a player out at 2nd, etc. You don’t need to travel to FL from DC but traveling out of state isn’t uncommon.

In one game we were watching, we saw the catcher perfectly block a ball in the dirt and then backpick the runner at 3rd from her knees. Nobody is doing in that rec. Heck, in rec, that ball isn't blocked and the run scores. Here, it turned into an out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t get the point of travel if you’re playing C. Most C teams are barely (if that) better than rec teams in strong rec programs.

We played in the East Coast C Championships and most teams were good—there were some teams that were really, really good. Plus C teams still generally have skills rec teams don’t- rounding first after a walk, catchers that can throw a player out at 2nd, etc. You don’t need to travel to FL from DC but traveling out of state isn’t uncommon.

In one game we were watching, we saw the catcher perfectly block a ball in the dirt and then backpick the runner at 3rd from her knees. Nobody is doing in that rec. Heck, in rec, that ball isn't blocked and the run scores. Here, it turned into an out.

I don't know what rec games you were watching, but at least in 10U rec+ plenty of catchers are good blockers, and those would be the better rec catchers (12U and 18U are more variable because it depends on how many girls have already left for travel). Nobody's backpicking from their knees that I've seen in rec, though, but most girls can hold the runner just fine.

[Anonymous]

Agreed. Lots of strong rec leagues in the DC area.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t get the point of travel if you’re playing C. Most C teams are barely (if that) better than rec teams in strong rec programs.

We played in the East Coast C Championships and most teams were good—there were some teams that were really, really good. Plus C teams still generally have skills rec teams don’t- rounding first after a walk, catchers that can throw a player out at 2nd, etc. You don’t need to travel to FL from DC but traveling out of state isn’t uncommon.

In one game we were watching, we saw the catcher perfectly block a ball in the dirt and then backpick the runner at 3rd from her knees. Nobody is doing in that rec. Heck, in rec, that ball isn't blocked and the run scores. Here, it turned into an out.

I don't know what rec games you were watching, but at least in 10U rec+ plenty of catchers are good blockers, and those would be the better rec catchers (12U and 18U are more variable because it depends on how many girls have already left for travel). Nobody's backpicking from their knees that I've seen in rec, though, but most girls can hold the runner just fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t get the point of travel if you’re playing C. Most C teams are barely (if that) better than rec teams in strong rec programs.

We played in the East Coast C Championships and most teams were good—there were some teams that were really, really good. Plus C teams still generally have skills rec teams don’t- rounding first after a walk, catchers that can throw a player out at 2nd, etc. You don’t need to travel to FL from DC but traveling out of state isn’t uncommon.

In one game we were watching, we saw the catcher perfectly block a ball in the dirt and then backpick the runner at 3rd from her knees. Nobody is doing in that rec. Heck, in rec, that ball isn't blocked and the run scores. Here, it turned into an out.

I don't know what rec games you were watching, but at least in 10U rec+ plenty of catchers are good blockers, and those would be the better rec catchers (12U and 18U are more variable because it depends on how many girls have already left for travel). Nobody's backpicking from their knees that I've seen in rec, though, but most girls can hold the runner just fine.

Okay, maybe a few kids in rec can block. not typically the balls that are in the dirt inside/outside, but they may be able to drop into blocking postiion. But nobody is making a backpick from the knees, and by 12u anyone in rec than can block has been scooped up by a travel team.

I'm objecting to a PP that asserted that 12c is basically the same as rec. And if you observed the last 8 teams at nationals, or a few 12u rec games, you would know how crazy that sounds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t get the point of travel if you’re playing C. Most C teams are barely (if that) better than rec teams in strong rec programs.

We played in the East Coast C Championships and most teams were good—there were some teams that were really, really good. Plus C teams still generally have skills rec teams don’t- rounding first after a walk, catchers that can throw a player out at 2nd, etc. You don’t need to travel to FL from DC but traveling out of state isn’t uncommon.

In one game we were watching, we saw the catcher perfectly block a ball in the dirt and then backpick the runner at 3rd from her knees. Nobody is doing in that rec. Heck, in rec, that ball isn't blocked and the run scores. Here, it turned into an out.

I don't know what rec games you were watching, but at least in 10U rec+ plenty of catchers are good blockers, and those would be the better rec catchers (12U and 18U are more variable because it depends on how many girls have already left for travel). Nobody's backpicking from their knees that I've seen in rec, though, but most girls can hold the runner just fine.

Okay, maybe a few kids in rec can block. not typically the balls that are in the dirt inside/outside, but they may be able to drop into blocking postiion. But nobody is making a backpick from the knees, and by 12u anyone in rec than can block has been scooped up by a travel team.

I'm objecting to a PP that asserted that 12c is basically the same as rec. And if you observed the last 8 teams at nationals, or a few 12u rec games, you would know how crazy that sounds.

PP here. Sure, the best of C (which should really be challenging themselves more by playing N) but the average C team just does not seem worth it to me. You obviously have a different opinion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t get the point of travel if you’re playing C. Most C teams are barely (if that) better than rec teams in strong rec programs.

We played in the East Coast C Championships and most teams were good—there were some teams that were really, really good. Plus C teams still generally have skills rec teams don’t- rounding first after a walk, catchers that can throw a player out at 2nd, etc. You don’t need to travel to FL from DC but traveling out of state isn’t uncommon.

In one game we were watching, we saw the catcher perfectly block a ball in the dirt and then backpick the runner at 3rd from her knees. Nobody is doing in that rec. Heck, in rec, that ball isn't blocked and the run scores. Here, it turned into an out.

I don't know what rec games you were watching, but at least in 10U rec+ plenty of catchers are good blockers, and those would be the better rec catchers (12U and 18U are more variable because it depends on how many girls have already left for travel). Nobody's backpicking from their knees that I've seen in rec, though, but most girls can hold the runner just fine.

Okay, maybe a few kids in rec can block. not typically the balls that are in the dirt inside/outside, but they may be able to drop into blocking postiion. But nobody is making a backpick from the knees, and by 12u anyone in rec than can block has been scooped up by a travel team.

I'm objecting to a PP that asserted that 12c is basically the same as rec. And if you observed the last 8 teams at nationals, or a few 12u rec games, you would know how crazy that sounds.

PP here. Sure, the best of C (which should really be challenging themselves more by playing N) but the average C team just does not seem worth it to me. You obviously have a different opinion.

You're giving the wrong idea to those new to softball. C is generally a big step above rec. It's closer to rec all stars, but that's the best of the best of rec. My daugter plays on a C team and in a year they've encountered one team that was truly bad, and I heard their two best pitchers were missing that day. Even on a C team, the players I've seen know where to be at all times, they can make all the necessary throws and some can hit to the outfield. DO they make every throw and catch and DO they all hit to the outfield? No -- that's closer to B teams. But they're capable of it. That's not the case of rec teams, where some of the girls have never played before, or aren't capable of catching balls at 1st, or who strike out all the time.