Fastpitch softball travel team tryouts season AMA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are teams that call themselves elite around here really national level? What's the deal with some organizations - are they truly nonprofit? There seems to be a lot of overselling of teams.

Not really. There are some very good programs but they tend to get their comeuppance when they play teams from other parts of the country, usually where fastpitch is played year-round due to weather (California, Florida, Arizona).

Also, USSSA is the most popular sanction in this area and it’s probably the lowest of the sanctions nationally. PGF is where it’s at. If you want to see if a Virginia or Maryland team is high caliber, see if they went to the Colorado Sparkler and see how did they do.

Very few organizations in NOVA send teams to this tourney. Glory and LLG — any others? Perhaps Mizuno has had one as well. If you want to stay local, those seem like the only options. They seem to gather talent as they move up from each age group.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What’s your view on these girls who play for travel teams out of state — like team based in Georgia and TN? So that they work on their skills by themselves at home and play with their team for the big tournaments? Absent wanting to get recruited to a top college program, what is the point?

That is the point. Those tend to be true national teams that play top showcases. That’s the hardcore travel. It’s like Odicci Alexander playing for the Beverly Bandits in Cincinnati while living in Virginia. They are the most elite of the elite — Bandits, Batbusters, etc.

Irony is the money you spend playing for them could pay for college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are teams that call themselves elite around here really national level? What's the deal with some organizations - are they truly nonprofit? There seems to be a lot of overselling of teams.

Not really. There are some very good programs but they tend to get their comeuppance when they play teams from other parts of the country, usually where fastpitch is played year-round due to weather (California, Florida, Arizona).

Also, USSSA is the most popular sanction in this area and it’s probably the lowest of the sanctions nationally. PGF is where it’s at. If you want to see if a Virginia or Maryland team is high caliber, see if they went to the Colorado Sparkler and see how did they do.

Very few organizations in NOVA send teams to this tourney. Glory and LLG — any others? Perhaps Mizuno has had one as well. If you want to stay local, those seem like the only options. They seem to gather talent as they move up from each age group.

Honestly, even Glory and LLG are a few notches below truly elite talent. But it depends on the age… there are many Glory teams and only a couple are truly good. And LLG is basically one team anymore that has aged up from younger. I don’t see many LLG teams in the pipeline. Mizuno is similarly uneven— some absolutely terrible teams in the younger age groups.

It’s tryout season so there are new franchise organizations popping up.

[Anonymous]

Why do coaches lie to girls and parents?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why do coaches lie to girls and parents?

They are like used car salesmen. They don’t know how to tell the truth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do coaches lie to girls and parents?

They are like used car salesmen. They don’t know how to tell the truth.

Parents also have selective hearing when it comes to their kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If a girl considers herself a pitcher (and also plays corner infield) and you don't think her pitching is strong enough but do like her for, say, 3rd base, would you take her and would you still work with her on developing her pitching of would you write off pitching for her forever? Also, would you tell her you were taking her to play 3rd only? This is for a 9 year old (2012). Or would you not want her at all because she wants to pitch and isn't there yet?

No OP but have been in this position. If your daughter wants to pitch, be very clear to coaches that she wants to pitch and you are looking looking for a team where she will get to pitch. Our DD could throw hard for her age but was wild. Lots of girls between first year 10u and second year find a lot more consistency, but they have to practice and get some game experience.

Thanks. My DD is the opposite. Does not throw hard at all but she is quite consistent. Almost always right down the center, but sometimes low.

OP, someone else answered this, but interested in your take as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why do coaches lie to girls and parents?

They don’t always know they are lying. I think it’s more making promises they can’t keep.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do coaches lie to girls and parents?

They are like used car salesmen. They don’t know how to tell the truth.

Parents also have selective hearing when it comes to their kids.

OP here. 95% of parents either don’t see their kids’s weaknesses or flaws or downplay them. Most overestimate their kids’ abilities.

Wherever possible, find a team where the coach doesn’t have a kid on it. But they are hard to find, especially at the younger ages (10, 12)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If a girl considers herself a pitcher (and also plays corner infield) and you don't think her pitching is strong enough but do like her for, say, 3rd base, would you take her and would you still work with her on developing her pitching of would you write off pitching for her forever? Also, would you tell her you were taking her to play 3rd only? This is for a 9 year old (2012). Or would you not want her at all because she wants to pitch and isn't there yet?

No OP but have been in this position. If your daughter wants to pitch, be very clear to coaches that she wants to pitch and you are looking looking for a team where she will get to pitch. Our DD could throw hard for her age but was wild. Lots of girls between first year 10u and second year find a lot more consistency, but they have to practice and get some game experience.

Thanks. My DD is the opposite. Does not throw hard at all but she is quite consistent. Almost always right down the center, but sometimes low.

OP, someone else answered this, but interested in your take as well.

OP here. It is common for hard throwing young pitchers to be wild. The most successful pitchers take private lessons. I prefer teachers who teach IR (Internal Rotation). Avoid those teaching Hello Elbow. I am ambivalent about Tinscher, which is derived from IR.

The only way to get better is reps. But watch pitch counts and run from any coach who tells you the windmill doesn’t put the same kind of stress on the arm as baseball pitching. They are woefully out of step with the latest research.

Most C teams can get by with two pitchers. A B team will need four probably. An A team better have 5 and two of them better be absolute studs.

Velocity is important. Throwing strikes is more important. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

What do you make of all these new teams starting. We’ve seen quite a few pop up. Where are all these teams finding girls and do you worry it will dilute teams and overall lower the level of competition in the area?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What do you make of all these new teams starting. We’ve seen quite a few pop up. Where are all these teams finding girls and do you worry it will dilute teams and overall lower the level of competition in the area?

This is not a new phenomenon. It’s daddy ball — little Larla’s not getting the playing time they want so they start their own team. Yeah, it’s definitely diluting things. But the good organizations are still there.

The newer phenomenon is the franchise model. These are national organizations trying to expand. Glory is one of them. Beverly Bandits and Batbusters are trying. Mizuno is trying to franchise. The newest one in Virginia is called Ruthless, which trades on its association with Crystal Bustos, who played for Team USA in three Olympics. The Virginia team (10U) is going to be based in Mineral; I have no idea how good it will be.

As I mentioned, sometimes these teams draw talent. But whether they can develop players remains to be seen. Because while Ruthless is affiliated with Crystal Bustos, Ruthless now has teams in 8 states - I promise Crystal isn’t coaching all of them! And just being an Olympic player doesn’t necessarily mean one is a good coach!

But yes, there has been a lot of dilution in the last decade or so. Other than it hurts rec programs, I don’t know if that’s a terrible thing — let’s grow this sport. There should be room for girls who want to play at all levels.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What do you make of all these new teams starting. We’ve seen quite a few pop up. Where are all these teams finding girls and do you worry it will dilute teams and overall lower the level of competition in the area?

This is not a new phenomenon. It’s daddy ball — little Larla’s not getting the playing time they want so they start their own team. Yeah, it’s definitely diluting things. But the good organizations are still there.

The newer phenomenon is the franchise model. These are national organizations trying to expand. Glory is one of them. Beverly Bandits and Batbusters are trying. Mizuno is trying to franchise. The newest one in Virginia is called Ruthless, which trades on its association with Crystal Bustos, who played for Team USA in three Olympics. The Virginia team (10U) is going to be based in Mineral; I have no idea how good it will be.

As I mentioned, sometimes these teams draw talent. But whether they can develop players remains to be seen. Because while Ruthless is affiliated with Crystal Bustos, Ruthless now has teams in 8 states - I promise Crystal isn’t coaching all of them! And just being an Olympic player doesn’t necessarily mean one is a good coach!

But yes, there has been a lot of dilution in the last decade or so. Other than it hurts rec programs, I don’t know if that’s a terrible thing — let’s grow this sport. There should be room for girls who want to play at all levels.

I should add that I would like to see more boys get into fastpitch. That’s a thing in the rest of the world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do coaches lie to girls and parents?

They are like used car salesmen. They don’t know how to tell the truth.

Parents also have selective hearing when it comes to their kids.

OP here. 95% of parents either don’t see their kids’s weaknesses or flaws or downplay them. Most overestimate their kids’ abilities.

Wherever possible, find a team where the coach doesn’t have a kid on it. But they are hard to find, especially at the younger ages (10, 12)

I want to ask about the having no kid on the team. I’ve seen some of this and the coaches seem to be 45+ and have coached a lot. Now, we are starting to see a slightly different model where these organizations bring in young 20-something women who played in college. Not to refute your advice, but while the former might be better than a parent coach, I don’t think the latter is. These young women don’t seem to have coached before. And I predict will have a lot of turnover. Other sports follow that model of young former college players as coaches and it is rife with issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do coaches lie to girls and parents?

They are like used car salesmen. They don’t know how to tell the truth.

Parents also have selective hearing when it comes to their kids.

OP here. 95% of parents either don’t see their kids’s weaknesses or flaws or downplay them. Most overestimate their kids’ abilities.

Wherever possible, find a team where the coach doesn’t have a kid on it. But they are hard to find, especially at the younger ages (10, 12)

I want to ask about the having no kid on the team. I’ve seen some of this and the coaches seem to be 45+ and have coached a lot. Now, we are starting to see a slightly different model where these organizations bring in young 20-something women who played in college. Not to refute your advice, but while the former might be better than a parent coach, I don’t think the latter is. These young women don’t seem to have coached before. And I predict will have a lot of turnover. Other sports follow that model of young former college players as coaches and it is rife with issues.

OP here. Your point is valid, but I also think there is tremendous value in having women on the coaching staff in some way. Young college veterans can be great and are more relatable to the girls. But you are correct that just being a young woman who played in college doesn’t make you a good coach. Especially if your own coaches growing up tried to coach girls like boys.

There’s an old saying: Boys feel good after they play well. Girls have to feel good to play well. There’s a fine line between teaching toughness and learning to play hard and shutting them down with excess negativity.