New Socal ASA rec. rules?

[Nicelag]

Agreed Coach Larry maybe later, lots of bugs to work out. Hey, at least they gave us an option right? That in itself is a plus...

[Nicelag]

Following the ASA So Cal annual meeting it appears that ASA is scrambling. I have been trying to get info regarding hard numbers and dates etc for the Select B program, but to know evail. The only info I received from ASA after several attempts was that ASA has notified all So Cal league presidents of a upcoming meeting regarding rule amendments and changes. They are not even sure of the meeting date as I was told it was tentatively set for Jan 5th.

With all of the grey area and uncertainty here it appears that it may never even get off the ground this spring. Once they get there stuff together most leagues will have to vote to implement then also establish and vote on rules in which to pick the team, and that in itself could take 2 months or so.

To be continued, again

[B34R DOWN]

Select is going to be a free-for-all this Spring... I know the bigger leagues are going to love it as they can hand pick their Select team. Our league (smaller) has opted not to do it this Spring... We don't have the girls to form a Select team and then have a quality/competitive All-Star team for the other girls... It's kind of a shame, but I think the girls will be fine with just an All-Star team at the end of the season anyways... The competition will definitely be tougher with these Select teams having a few extra months to prep... Might force the teams that don't have a Select team to go 'C' status... Depending on how the Spring pans out I think more leagues will implement it next Fall so they can try it out and have time to develop rules and procedures...

[Nicelag]

B34R Down,

I think there is some confusion here. In regards to the So Cal ASA proposal anyway.

Select is going to be a free-for-all this Spring... I know the bigger leagues are going to love it as they can hand pick their Select team. Our league (smaller) has opted not to do it this Spring... We don't have the girls to form a Select team and then have a quality/competitive All-Star team for the other girls

The Select team is your all star team. They are not 2 separate entities. ASA is just allowing you to form the team early, and work out together.

When you form your Select team your girls also have to play on a regular rec team within your league, and play in at least 50% of the games. So your Select team will get to practice longer just like everyone else.

Your Select team will only be allowed to meet once a week, and games will be set up by your district ASA rep with other leagues that are in the Select program

Might force the teams that don't have a Select team to go 'C' status

You can't just go "C" if you choose not to participate. The Select program in its current state is voluntary. So, if you are currently a "B" league you will still be a "B" league whether you participate or not. "B" leagues will still play each other throughout the all-star season whether they choose to participate or not. Leagues that try to go to "C" level will have to petition ASA and meet the same criteria (for the most part) as before.

Now, with all of this being said ASA has stated that district reps have tentatively set a meeting for Jan 5 with the leagues in our district to discuss proposed changes, and the rumors of the proposed changes could blow the doors off of this thing completely. Stay tuned!

[B34R DOWN]

Nicelag,

I understand what you are saying... All I am saying is that since there are no hard and fast rules in place now and Spring is approaching this Spring has the potential of being a mess for the Select teams... How will ASA police the leagues when no one truly knows the rules? Once a week sounds great, but that is going to be hard to enforce... You would hope coaches and leagues will honor that, but what's to stop them from having 5-6hr practice ONCE a week? You see where I am going...

As for the rest of what I wrote it refers strictly to the league I am with... We are a small league compared to others... I know Select is your 1st All-Star team... Our league wants to require a second team for the girls that earn the right to play All-Stars during the Spring Rec season, but due to size that would be almost impossible... and since we are small and decided to not do Select this Spring it might put us at such a competitive disadvantage that we (and possibly a lot of smaller leagues) might be forced to drop to "C" status... I am all for improving the game and competition as long as it doesn't negatively affect the girls... If all goes well this Spring we might try to do Select in the Fall if the guidelines are in place and it makes sense...

[JerrysKids]

so the rec leagues are going to police them selves? yea sure they will abide by the rules.

[B34R DOWN]

That's the point... They won't and ASA probably won't either... So what you will get is TB teams playing as Rec Select teams...

[McGee]

The viability of rec ball in the older divisions is definitely threatened by the movement of lower level players to travel teams. Many leagues may have trouble forming viable teams as many players who could pitch and contribute at the rec level are now playing "tee shirt" travel.
The indirect issue is new players coming to the game at the 12U level may have no where to learn and build their skills. There will be leagues where teams have no pitching and only a few kids who can lead the others. I wonder if we are killing the golden goose.
At the same time, a higher level of competition is generally a good thing but we need a solid place to gender basic skills in the first place.

[SwingMan]

So, ASA has allowed these changes to be more in line with other regions. However, it's clear that SoCal ASA is still going a different direction than the associations in NorCal. Up here, the kids picked for these Select Teams, will NOT be playing spring ball in their league. They will be pulled from the pool and only play/practice with their Select team. I see this as a travel ball team, only difference is the girls will need to be from the league's boundaries. Who are they going to play, well that will be the "A" teams and tournaments. Not much of a difference in talent level if you're a larger Rec. League.

[tbjd33]

All of these rules defeat the purpose of "Rec Ball". Selecting a team as the new rules state take away the fun of rec ball. Part of the fun is waiting to get your name called by the Gold or Silver coach. Part of the fun as parents is seeing the girls work to get on the teams. At the lower levels it all means squat so why put this pressure on these young DDs. The game has enough pressure once they get older any way.

I have two DD's. One currently being recruited and just might be one of the early committs which is making everyone crazy and a 7u (which is actually better than her sister). I've spent my fall going from un-official visits and showcases packed with top college coaches to our local rec league. Sometimes in the same day... Trust me for those who have experienced that scenario it is truly eye opening.

All I can say is man I did a ton wrong with my first. I've had the chance to speak to many parents and of course give our experiences during the many questions lobbed our way. I feel there are two important things for the young DD... 1) foster the love of the game if they have it. Make good memories early cause they will remember them. They need those thoughts when the game and the competition gets tough. 2) take it easy and help them develop their skills. No rush needed cause if they love it and have the talent it will happen.

Pushing all star teams and getting crazy about all this isn't going to help your DD and the greater good of the game. I've seen some very good DD's hang their cleats up cause they were burnt.

Just my humble opinion cause as I go through it again I see the flaws and mistakes.