One persons view. Is this Texas Softball?

[pbj2000]

Actually were allowed to play other sports in the fall...I think MPO that playing everyweekend would SUCK!

When would they practice? When would they eat? When would they develop the core muscles? Nah, I have 3 kiddos so playing every weekend (if our coach wanted us to) is out of the question.

[Ifubuildit]

I was joking...no way would we play 386 games...that's a game a day.

PBJ I know but that is what a lot of these coaches expect from these KIDS.

Lets play 3 tournaments every month for 4 months running and not give the girls a break. Then they wonder why their kids complain of sore arms from overuse.

[knucklecurve]

Ifubuildit - you just hit the nail on the head! No amount of running, training, ice, whatever will take out the sorenous of over use. Except maybe an injection of sorts or some pains meds, but that's not what its about. Two tourneys a month is plenty and when you are not playing in tourneys you are practicing and training 2 days out of the week at a minimum working on the things that the team needs the most improvement on.

[pbj2000]

My dd is still very young 10U so no way would we sign up for 3 tournaments a month. We do however play in a league (my dd) and play on a select team which plays 2 tournaments a month. We know that tournaments take priority over rec...but we like it. I just haven't seen too many teams playing 3 - 4 tournaments a month...that sounds too much but then again who knows when we're playing 14U or 16U that might b the norm.

[nsidethelines]

Hey Dude, run your team like you run your team. If you don't like the schedule that your coach plays find another team. In the fall, it is important to get as many games in as possible. kids have to get on the field to get better. This is often the time that coaches get a chance to see what kids can do at a particular position, but that is just my opinion just as you have yours.

There is definately more than one view to this topic.

[dueceduece]

You make valid points as to why you shouldn't play tournaments every weekend. But you miss a BIG one.
If you don't let these girls have down time, time to hangout with friends or do another activity they love, they will begin to resent softball and get burn out. Our sport loses good players every year for this very reason. I have seen it all too often. Girls are just beat down after a few years of heavy softball and nothing else and decide to take a break which usually turns into "DONE with SOFTBALL".
You have to find a balance on your team. Every kid is different. You will have some that a softball all the time. But I think the majority like to have some weekends off for just plane old fun.
I like the average 2 tourneys a month and take at least 3 to 4 weeks off between seasons.

[looking in]

If you are playing this kind of schedule at 10U/12U you won't have to worry about 16U, most of them will hang it before than! If your playing 3-4 a month in the fall and winter, that's NUTS!! My DD (16U) Plays a 7 week summer schedule(ASA) then 3 weeks off before the exposure starts in September,4 of the bigger exposure(midwest) and 2 tournaments at Major colleges(indoors) than done till Jan when they practice for 7 Sundays till High school ball start in March! School ball goes till first of June! Every girl on her team is being recruited to D1 or bigger D2 schools! Oh, and we only practice once a week in the summer! Girls are from all over the state, no way to do it more than once in this economy! If you have girls that are motivated to play this game, they will work on there own, go to the lessons(Pitching and hitting) and be prepared and FRESH! JMO

[looking in]

What everybody done with this post?