8U travel teams?

[Safebyahare]

8u, 6u, 4u, how soon is too soon? http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QgVDm4YxO9A/T ... nogram.jpg
Classic DD
Getting back to topic. Getting the kids out learning and thinking and playing is a great thing. Much better than TV or video games.. You can call it travel, rec. or whatever you like, it's all good.

[Dugout Dad]

8u, 6u, 4u, how soon is too soon?

Heard a couple of SEC schools are looking at that kid, though they don't yet know if the kid is a boy or a girl. Top prospect in the 2032 class. LOL Hare.

[Pale Rider]

True enough...mechanics should be started about 8U...really rough mechanics...learning some fundamentals...but making the 8U thing in Longmont would be a ginormous stretch...

[Battle]

I was going to post a smart-ass response, but in all seriousness - my younger DD [u]hated[u] 8U rec. Long story short, she was frustrated because nobody could throw or catch. There are certain basic elements that need to be in place for the game to be a game. From that perspective, I can see the attraction to 8U "travel ball" depending on the local environment. I have also seen a couple of 8U "travel teams" and would have to say, despite my bias to the contrary, those particular teams seemed to be having a lot of fun and doing things right.

Bringing back one of my favorite past avatars for this topic.

OMG... That's some funny shit! Just in case you missed it laughing at the pitcher, notice the slide into 1st.

[Safebyahare]

Oh crap DD the new avatar is hilarious. Even my dw likes your vines. (sounds weird)

[artomatic]

I was going to post a smart-ass response, but in all seriousness - my younger DD [u]hated[u] 8U rec. Long story short, she was frustrated because nobody could throw or catch. There are certain basic elements that need to be in place for the game to be a game. From that perspective, I can see the attraction to 8U "travel ball" depending on the local environment. I have also seen a couple of 8U "travel teams" and would have to say, despite my bias to the contrary, those particular teams seemed to be having a lot of fun and doing things right.

jtat I get it that there are special kids who are way more advanced than others at that age. But what are the odds that they can find not only a whole team of similar players, but other teams to play against.
How about having her play up in 10's? That's what we did. Then we kept her in 10's and made the move to travel in 12's.
This was around 2006, and I know things have changed, but I think 8 is too young to make softball their main focus., because once they make the move to travel ball, it becomes more of a grind.
JMHO of course.

[Dugout Dad]

Oh crap DD the new avatar is hilarious. Even my dw likes your vines. (sounds weird)

LOL! feeling special

[NORCALGOLD]

I'm F... en dying laughing, these are some of the best avatars ever and the best responses to 8u parents to get a grip that I have ever seen. I think Hey Bucket just had an epiphany moment and I'm glad I was around to see it. Hopefully some parent might see the truth in these post and heed the advice that 8 is to young.
There is no response that can validate 8u TB. No rational justification for 8u TB and each parents response to why their kid needs 8u is funnier and more asinine than the previous response.

[Blind Squirrel]

8u, 6u, 4u, how soon is too soon?

Heard a couple of SEC schools are looking at that kid, though they don't yet know if the kid is a boy or a girl. Top prospect in the 2032 class. LOL Hare.

Sorry but they'll have to wait for the commitment or they'll be breaking the unspoken rule: A kid can't verbal until they can verbalize.

Shall we come up with some distinguishing features of 8U TB:

1. No chalk lines - just arrows
2. No signs from the 3rd base coach - Cue cards with pictures
3. Plastic bats and tennis balls
4. One pitch - throw toward the catcher
5. When 2 runners are at the same base one can return to the previous base but must get their parent's permission first
6. There are no errors - They're called that's oks
7. No "stealing" bases - that teaches them that stealing is ok. No time for mixed messages at that age.
8. Binky rack hanging on the dugout fence
9. Pulling hair in the dugout is punished with a time out
10. If more than 5 defensive players run after a ball the runner is automatically safe
11. 2 skill positions: 1. Kids that can throw a ball to the plate without more than 1 bounce are pitchers and 2. Tallest kid plays first

Nutless Squirrel

[jtat32]

jtat I get it that there are special kids who are way more advanced than others at that age. But what are the odds that they can find not only a whole team of similar players, but other teams to play against.
How about having her play up in 10's? That's what we did. Then we kept her in 10's and made the move to travel in 12's.
This was around 2006, and I know things have changed, but I think 8 is too young to make softball their main focus., because once they make the move to travel ball, it becomes more of a grind.
JMHO of course.

I don't disagree with you. My observation of the teams that I saw was that it was far less crazy than I thought it would be, and those teams included a lot of non-softball, age appropriate fun time at the tournament that I saw them at. That said, I wonder how much of their summer is devoted to softball, and is it really appropriate at that age. I can't really say not knowing the teams' schedules and the kids involved.

I also want to clarify that my daughter was not particularly special nor way more advanced. Her frustrations were pretty much exactly reflected in the gif above. She wouldn't show frustration on the field like this player did, so we didn't really know why she wasn't having fun until we asked her why she wasn't. I don't think she was upset with her teammates, just that she understood that the point of the game was to get the ball to first before the runner, and if the team could never do that, they weren't really playing a game.

She did play up in rec after that, but also played on an age-appropriate team at the same time. Our thought was pulling all the better players up doesn't help the other players, or the league as a whole, develop. It also gave her the opportunity to play with her school friends while still getting a more competitive environment.