QOD; Is Rec Ball dead?

[eddiez577]

Question of the day:

Is Rec Ball Dead?

This question comes up every year around this time (pre-Spring season), but not sure I would say it's dead. Back in the days, 12+ teams would fill up an entire weekend's schedule at the local rec league, now it seems leagues struggle to get players and must interlock with other leagues just to get a decent schedule.

So is Rec Ball dead, or just redefined? And is this good, bad or no impact for TB?

[newbie101]

Pretty much all the rec teams are now Crackers and Busters

[eclipse09]

I think this will go in cycles, but 12u and 14u rec is hurting. The last five years has seen more and more younger players move to travel (in Socal at least), but that will change as these kids burn out. Parents will finally figure out that there is no rush to move on, there is money to be saved and the older age groups will rebound.

[eddiez577]

Pretty much all the rec teams are now Crackers and Busters

Burn!

[Schmick]

Rec is where girls get their start but they should have rec in the rear view mirror by second year 10s.

[Fastpitch4Life]

Rather than shoot from the hip, I checked our local Rec League and it looks pretty healthy up to 12. Only 1 HS team. Definitely fewer teams than when my DD was playing there (she's playing 18U travel now and off to college to continue playing next year). Still need good coaches teaching fundamentals to the younger girls. I'm not sure if that is happening or not. Hopefully some other posters can chime in. I think you need a lower-cost alternative to travel to keep the player river flowing. As another previous poster alluded to, Tony Rico and Mike Stith will get their $$ sooner or later, lol!

[eddiez577]

Still need good coaches teaching fundamentals to the younger girls. I'm not sure if that is happening or not. Hopefully some other posters can chime in.

Truth is just as there's rec players, there's rec umpires, and rec coaches. Most rec coaches have good intentions, but lack the skill to point out, correct and enable fundamental throwing, hitting and pitching skills. Talent will move players to travel, then let the TB coach's experience teach and nurture development. If the coach is all about winning, then look elsewhere, especially at the younger ages.

I think you need a lower-cost alternative to travel to keep the player river flowing. As another previous poster alluded to, Tony Rico and Mike Stith will get their $$ sooner or later, lol!

Yup. There's a lot of raw talent out there that is limited to travel due to Financial shortcomings. There's some that belong but can't, and there are others who can but don't belong

[Schmick]

HBO Real Sports did a report on how travel sports are killing the park and rec leagues and that by the time the kids get to High School the travel sport kids are so much more advanced and better coached that the park and rec kids don't stand a chance.
Football was about the only sport that this was not happening because size, strength and speed still mattered so much in football.

[xyzdude]

Are we cannibalizing the sport? By rushing players out of the recreation and community levels to travel ball we are diminishing the pool of potential pitchers which seems to me to be the life-blood of the sport. At rec, many girls give pitching a try, even if they are not the best pitcher on the team. Back in the day, our town program even provided free pitching group classes for anyone who wanted to try pitching. With the rush to travel or elite ball, the girl who may only be the third or fourth best pitcher (at say 12U) probably gives up pitching to focus on a position. That's one potential pitcher gone. Seems to me there is much too much focus on winning, and too little focus on development across the board in softball (and probably in most other sports) at the young ages.

[Sue Trubovitz, Turbo]

Its where kids start.