I never understood - the coach insists all the kids get there WAY before the game starts. They practice before the game. Kids get tired out. When they arrived, they ran from the car very enthusiastic. By game time, it's almost a yawn fest.

Many coaches of these youth leagues do not know how to get the best performance from their kids. And they've forgotten what's reasonable.

PP: VGSL has 2 games a week in the spring. It really is low keyed, though. At 10U, VGSL gets a little intense -- mostly because they start keeping score.

Anonymous wrote:Kids are interested in doing each (boy and a girl)- I saw that there are two games, one weekday and one weekend and a practice. I am all for having the kids be active but this is crazy- my kids also like to do other things (including non team sports) and with this schedule- it's not going to happen. Is it worth it to start these house teams so early? I don't think we started until later grades- and by then, I knew more what I wanted to do and why. There are so many kids at our ES that are enrolled in all of these house teams - I can see why people think they are behind if little Johny didn't start baseball until 3rd or 4th grade since preschoolers are doing T-ball.

I am a fast-pitch softball coach (House league) and have been since that age (I now coach 3rd and 5th).

Let me tell you how I personally approached things:

In the beginning, we practiced a LOT. Before the first game, I held two practices a week: One during the week (say, Wednesday) and another on Saturday. This lasted for about six weeks. Each practice was 90 minutes.

I do this for two reasons:

1) We have a lot beginners. There's a lot to teach. We had one game early in my career where when the first time we had "play ball" my team stood around unsure of what to do. So, I literally had to teach them which base to run to when they hit the ball, what is fair/foul, how do you make an out... 101 stuff. It really takes 5 or 6 practices for a completely inexperienced team to get the basics down.

2) Get the families used to the schedule. Once games began on Saturday, that replaced our practice.

By then we reverted to one practice a week and one game. Rarely was there a game during the week unless it was a makeup for a rainout on a Saturday.

So what you're describing is a bit much. Even the TRAVEL teams in our area practice only once a week, although they may play tournaments or double-headers on weekends.

The thing to remember is softball or baseball is not an activity that you pay for, but rather a sport. In addition to the practices, the kids that improve will have parents going out and playing catch, for example. Or working on the hitting. If you think two games and one practice is too much, remember, probably 1/3 of the games and practices will be rained out.

Also remember, that the parents that are coaching are not being paid. We are not baby sitters. We are doing it for love of the game, love of our kids, etc.

Back when I coached, there would always be at least one girl on the team that did not want to play, but the parents "forced them". And there would be one player who is a good athlete, but the parents don't think they need practice.

For my teams, practice was more about learning what to do (e.g., throw the ball to first) and where to go (2nd baseman goes for the ball if hit towards her, otherwise go to second).

I probably spent 30% of the time training 6 and 7 yo shortstops and 2nd basemen what to do (1st is easier, they go to first unless the ball is hit to them).

I am the parent of two older boys (9 and 13 now) who have each been involved in youth sports since age 5. Most years they played three seasons (a different sport each season). They are not prodigies, will not play professional sports anything. It's just for fun.

Youth sports has been fantastic for our family. My sons have made wonderful friends and had a sense of community through sports. My husband and I have made great friends in other parents. Yes, it is a lot of time for practices and games and we put in even more time volunteering but we do it all together and it's our "family time." The years have flown by and been wonderful. I will miss youth sports when we are all done.

When my younger was in 1st grade, he did a league that was 2 games and one practice a week. The weeknight games were a nightmare.
We switched to another league that was one game, one practice a week and it has worked out much better.

This was a few years ago.

I no nothing of VLL, but I am quite familiar with VGSL. VGSL does do one practice and two games for 6u and 8u softball. But, things are really low keyed, depending on the coach. When I coached, my goals were for the girls to have fun, to learn to work together, and to learn something.

It is non-competitive at that age: score is not kept, and frankly, with the rules, it is not possible to keep score. The games are short, 3 innings or 1.5 hours (usually it is three innings).

I don't know what you want, with less, but it is only a big commitment for the coach.

Check around for other leagues, especially ones run by the local rec departments. My son started in pre-k, though he was five. They had practice a couple of Thursday evenings, but once the "season" began, they had an hour long game on Saturdays.

He did not have any other organized activities going on, though. This one sport was perfect.

23:22 here - if you're referring to VLL, the uniforms are not expensive we are in Vienna, too. Parents provide pants, socks, and cleats (soccer cleats are fine if you already have those) and the league will give you the shirt and hat.

Yes, it's intense. If it seems like too much, then don't do it. Your daughter can play in VLL and you can have them play on the same team. There are a few girls in each of the younger age groups each year.

OP here- we live in Vienna- why is it so distorted here? Both my K and 1st grader (boy/girl) would have two games (one week night / one Saturday) and a weeknight practice. My K saw his buddies do tball in preschool and they had the elaborate uniform that apparently cost quite a lot. They really looked so cute in their tball outfits- shirts/pants everything like a real player. Fpr tball it was the same as I described.

My son started tee ball in preK and it was two games plus one practice per week. He loved it, though, and baseball is now his favorite sport as a third-grader. Baseball is definitely the most intense house sport.

i think that is a lot for kids that young. my son (age 10) plays BCC baseball and they have 1 practice during the week and 1 game on the weekend. back when he was in K, the kids barely made it through the 1 practice and 1 game without getting totally bored and distracted.

This seems excessive to me. DD is in K and started baseball last spring while in preschool. They had one "game" a week with "team practice" beforehand. (I use both terms loosely . . . . )

Anyway, it was once a week and that was plenty. Our goal was not to start her on a path to becoming a baseball prodigy. It was to try it and see if she liked it. She did, so we considered the experience a success.

Then, this past fall she asked to do fall baseball. That was one practice during the week and one game on the weekend. It was a bit tighter for us in terms of scheduling , but felt worth it because we knew already that she liked it. She's now doing indoor baseball practice this winter, which is just an hour on the weekend (no games).

My advice is to start with a program that's just once a week to see if they really do like it. No sense in overscheduling yourselves this young.

bump?

Kids are interested in doing each (boy and a girl)- I saw that there are two games, one weekday and one weekend and a practice. I am all for having the kids be active but this is crazy- my kids also like to do other things (including non team sports) and with this schedule- it's not going to happen. Is it worth it to start these house teams so early? I don't think we started until later grades- and by then, I knew more what I wanted to do and why. There are so many kids at our ES that are enrolled in all of these house teams - I can see why people think they are behind if little Johny didn't start baseball until 3rd or 4th grade since preschoolers are doing T-ball.