2011/12 is getting started soon....who are THE 12/11u teams?

[Fuddrules]

Softball_Freak - You hit the nail on the head. How can two teams who have beaten 14U teams all fall, and are the best two 12U teams in NWI register NSA 'B'?!? Come on man!

Because the pinnacle of success in Indiana at 10's and 12's is winning the NSA B World Series. It's been that way for a long time. Gotta register as B and play the game.

[mygirloryourgirl]

Hmm well I disagree fuddrules. Team oak had no place at the b world series last year, should have played a. They had no competition...how is that success? Going the easy route?

[faninthestands]

[quote="bucket sitter"]Wow, that got ugly for a minutes. If you have an issue with a coach, please speak with him person to person. This isn't the place!

Anyways, kudos to the teams from NWI who are going out and challenging their players against the best teams they can find. Thumbs up to you.

And for your coachs who are staying in the B's, and stealing trophies by run ruling teams who are younger or less experienced. Well, shame on you, quite frankly!

I love the fact that there are teams going into Illinois and winning, (sorry charlie sheen), against some of the top ASA teams there. Honestly, they would have been winners no matter what the score was.

Who got more out of the weekend? The Raiders by going out and playing the Outlaws 99, or Bulldogs 99, who run ruled a bunch of younger and less exper

[slapperdad]

but then we can't hide behind the computer! I think there is an element of daddy ball in all of softball. Even the paid coaches have their favorites and treat them differently. If you have to tell everyone you are fair, odds are you aren't. That goes for all coaches..daddies or not. Go 12u- we are off to a roaring start.. keep it up. They are already rolling bats on the 10u thread.

As I coach, who's paid, I can tell you I absolutely play my favorites. My favorites are the kids who show up for all the off season stuff. The ones who go to private instruction, the ones who are the first to practice and want extra reps after practice is over. The ones who are working hard in the weight room and conditioning. In short the kids who do the work, they're my favorites, and they play. And lastly, I treat the a lot differently than the kids who don't do the work.

[mygirloryourgirl]

Slapper.. as it should be. I agree with you. Those girls SHOULD be favorites... Not the girls with bad attitudes who refuse to do anything more than the basic practice and get.away with it.

[softball_freak]

Hmm well I disagree fuddrules. Team oak had no place at the b world series last year, should have played a. They had no competition...how is that success? Going the easy route?

I agree, I live down here and saw a lot of the games. I can't remember a team that gave Team Oak any competition whatsoever. I hope those Oak coaches felt good about themselves for winning a glorified rec league tournament. If your team is THAT GOOD, register as ASA, or at the minimum NSA A, and play some better quality teams. Cause if I remember (correct me if I'm wrong), NSA B is basically a step up from rec league!!

[NWISoftballGuy]

but then we can't hide behind the computer! I think there is an element of daddy ball in all of softball. Even the paid coaches have their favorites and treat them differently. If you have to tell everyone you are fair, odds are you aren't. That goes for all coaches..daddies or not. Go 12u- we are off to a roaring start.. keep it up. They are already rolling bats on the 10u thread.

As I coach, who's paid, I can tell you I absolutely play my favorites. My favorites are the kids who show up for all the off season stuff. The ones who go to private instruction, the ones who are the first to practice and want extra reps after practice is over. The ones who are working hard in the weight room and conditioning. In short the kids who do the work, they're my favorites, and they play. And lastly, I treat the a lot differently than the kids who don't do the work.

That's the way it should be slapperdad! If the girls work hard, they deserve to be put on the field! Let me ask you, if the girls make the same errors inning after inning, and game after game, do you leave the girl in, or pull her for the better of the team?

[slapperdad]

That's the way it should be slapperdad! If the girls work hard, they deserve to be put on the field! Let me ask you, if the girls make the same errors inning after inning, and game after game, do you leave the girl in, or pull her for the better of the team?

That's kind of a loaded question. Without knowing the situation, impossible for me to address. However, here's some things to think about:

A. Why is the kid making the same mistakes over and over? Can she perform this task in practice?

B. Where are you in your season? Is it early, you're looking at different combinations? Is it late when you're making your run? Is this kid currently in the midst of Volleyball, Basketball, 4H, Piano lessons, all of the above?

C. Is this the kid you have to have there, you just have to get her over whatever it is?

D. Do you have someone else to take her place if you yank her?

E. What about the kid personally, say for instance this kid has a great bat, and she's hitting the snot out of the ball. Say she's struggling at 2nd base. If I yank her at 2nd, does that affect her plate performance? Maybe I can live with a error here or there out of her at 2nd, so long as she's hitting .490 and getting a couple of RBI's per game.

F. What's it do to the team if I yank her. Is she a Debbie Downer, if she's sitting on the bench will she bring the whole team down. Don't ever underestimate the chemistry aspect of any team.

G. What happens to the team if I leave her in there, does the team lose confidence in her? Girls
can quickly alienate a kid who can't perform at the level they need her to be.

These are just a few random thoughts, some of what goes into my decision making process.

I'll be honest, I've played it both ways, I've probably yanked kids with a few mistakes (ask my kid, she usually is used to make a point) and played kids longer than I should have based partly on my thoughts above. As a coach, you have to know your team, you have to know and understand the individuals that make up your team, and what they need from you as a coach to perform at their best.

As a coach, I've never worried about parents, personal friendships, or any of that stuff. As a coach I know I've got to make some difficult and sometimes unpopular decisions. I have no problem sleeping at night knowing, I always did what I felt was best for the team. Have I screwed up at times, absolutely, but you live and you learn.

[mygirloryourgirl]

Wow Slapper- You have some great points. Maybe you should give a coaches clinic! lol. I have put all the trust in my kids coaches to use her full potential, develop a great player/person and lastly make sure she maintains her love for the game. I will pay for the extra lessons, the conditioning, the extra practices to do my part but once she steps on that field, my hands are out of it. It is a hard thing to put that much trust in one person which is something a lot of coaches take for granted.

I hope one day she runs into a coach like you. Thanks for the insite!

[Fuddrules]

Hmm well I disagree fuddrules. Team oak had no place at the b world series last year, should have played a. They had no competition...how is that success? Going the easy route?

I agree, I live down here and saw a lot of the games. I can't remember a team that gave Team Oak any competition whatsoever. I hope those Oak coaches felt good about themselves for winning a glorified rec league tournament. If your team is THAT GOOD, register as ASA, or at the minimum NSA A, and play some better quality teams. Cause if I remember (correct me if I'm wrong), NSA B is basically a step up from rec league!!

I’ll have to correct you. Perhaps you haven't been around that long. NSA B World Series has always had good teams at 10's and 12'. Indiana is the NSA B Capital of the World. It's the pinnacle of success to virtually every Indiana team. Save a few such as 10u NWI Sox last year and in 2007 Indiana Thunder won ASA Nationals. And then the NWI team last year was ASA bound but board members here and even the ASA IN commissioner got involved. They didn't qualify properly I guess. So this year Chicago Metro excluded everyone but Metro teams. And IN teams are now fighting for the highly coveted NSA B World Series title - again, yes life is good.

Anyway, probably around 2007 maybe, NSA B World Series in Crown Point. Two top teams Indiana Ice and RedChix - Neither team was anywhere near a B team. Both had pitchers that were huge and could throw.

Others, without doing much research. 2009 – top teams in 12u were Indiana Ice and River Valley Rage 96 – both very good teams. 2010 – 12U champ CP 98 – again, not a B team.

It’s never been a B tournament for the top teams----ever in modern history. What it is the pinnacle of success for IN teams. They just are irritated the Team Oak out did them in the pretend were a B team department.