Softball in San Diego

[Make_It_Happen]

Two kinds of players play with these organizations:

1) Players whose parents didn't know any better, they wanted their daughter to play travel ball, so they signed a contract binding them to pay the fees for the whole season.
2) Players that want to play travel ball but just aren't good enough to play on the other teams.

The whole situation is kind of sad. It seems like a good idea, but it isn't quite there.

[ice_67]

1) Players whose parents didn't know any better, they wanted their daughter to play travel ball, so they signed a contract binding them to pay the fees for the whole season.
.

Contract? What kind of contract?

Is this thing really legal? Skarp, what's your opinion?

[BonezMom]

I think it is obvious who this is referring to...ACADEMY. the only friendly that in all my years I have ever heard of charging up front...and not even providing the services advertised.

So this was posted on "tho other" website.....

Escondido-based The Academy Travel Softball Club will host its next friendly tournament on March 8, 2009 at the Sportsplex in Poway (San Diego County, California).

We are looking to schedule 10U 12U and 14U teams.

Teams must complete a Word-based application.

so you have to apply to play in their friendly??????

[Make_It_Happen]

Teams must complete a Word-based application.

so you have to apply to play in their friendly??????

Yes, and include a check with your "application".

[BonezMom]

Teams must complete a Word-based application.

so you have to apply to play in their friendly??????

Yes, and include a check with your "application".

for a friendly?????? WOW... what's next a background check???

[hotwheels]

Teams must complete a Word-based application.

so you have to apply to play in their friendly??????

Yes, and include a check with your "application".

for a friendly?????? WOW... what's next a background check???

Background check?? Great, there goes the friendlies....haha

[3 blind mice]

well..until teams refuse to go to these ridiculous friendlies...the Academy organization won't get the hint. the organization that my DD plays with won't go again...that's for sure.

[inthedirt]

try another san diego TB team- Strokes- theymake their parents put up a $350 deopsit which they loose if there kid plays all stars- from what I hear- kids share uniforms and have to sign agreement not to mess them up. parents pay for practices, friendlies, and tournaments in addition to lessons- hitting, pitching, etc.... they have no goal to go anywhere....buyer beware.

[bunt-n-run]

Interesting how there are no responses from any of theses organizations??? Seems as though there is always two or three newb's signing up and then firing back something in the hopes of explaining why it's all a big missunderstanding IMO: I think the fact that you haven't seen any of that means....

#1. The Coaches that see this hope it goes away SOON!
#2. The parents that read this know they've made a mistake, or know they have been taken advantage of.
#3. Some parents don't read this and either don't know any better...or are happy because they have finally found a place that the coach (for a fee ) thinks their DD's are as good as those parents have been try to tell everyone a along.

I don't know anything about the Strokes, however i did see the Academy 14's play last weekend in Suboba. We had played them last year and i wanted to see if they were holding the team together. For what it's worth, they did have a pretty good pitcher back then...but she's no longer with the team. In fact, I did talk to one of the parents and was told that they had lost several of their "better players" to other San Diego organizations.

I would imagine that most of the better players, that do start at the TB level on these type of teams, only last the one season.

[Alice]

Both Strokes and Academy are both "for profit" organizations. That is the only reason they are structured the way they are. To maximize profits.