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

[insoftballnut]

ok so now team chemistry trumps teaching the mechanics/fundamentals of the game????? ok let me tell my parents that the #1 goal for me is to make sure all their DD's are best friends and want to all have a sleep over when practice or tournaments are done........fast forward to the future- little suzie meets her high school coach at her first tryout and when he can't figure out why she can hardly do anything right he asks' her "what did you learn from your travel team?" well.......my coach taught us to all be best friends and sing cheers together!!! this isn't a social club! that is what rec ball is for! further proving what the problem is with all the watered down teams all across indiana............

I have to somewhat agree with elwood and joy.

There is a time for fun and a time for reality, I pay big money all year for my lil debbie to play on a travel team, traveling expensives, team fees, resturants, hotels,new bats,etc;etc;

She gets along with most on the team, they do birthdays, movies and hang out sometimes and everything seems to be ok,, Untill she dosent play every inning or game, well is their maybe a reson for this?
Is she competitive enough to warrant all these costs you have encountered or you realy have money to burn, maybe it's just fun? But is it fare to others?

well everything was just fine up untill that friggin coach didn't let my lil debbie bat in the championship game,, even though i must admit that she did bat the 5 games beforehand . Well do you think that maybe it has to do with lil debbies .175 consistent batting average, Whats that got to do with it, We all hung out lastnite at the hotel pool and joked and had fun, we even had pizza. Well do you think that the team in a championship game can afford lil debbies easy out with that .175 batting average, well she only made 6 outs outta 7 at bats the games befor and as a matter of fact she even got a walk .i'm not hanging out with you people anymore .

Ok coach, you then tell me why my lil debbie then isn't even playing every single inning then,, so what she made 4 errors last game, I dont think thats why we lost at all! We lost because your pitchers didn't strike the girls out.Hmmmmm I guess no pool and pizza tonite ha,,your darn rite coach!

[BigDog6610]

You people are nuts. Give me a coach who can teach fundamentals, train, and prepare my daughter to play the game to the best of her ability. I will enter her in girl scouts to sing Kumbaya and get all touchie-feelie.

Yes, there is a need to team build, etc. But don't give me any BS about that being more important then being able to train your players. Teach my daughter how to push bunt, hit a rise ball, turn a double play, or throw a change up for a strike on a 3-2 pitch. THAT'S what I am looking for.

Ding Ding Ding!!! We have a winner! There is someone on this board who actually gets it. Successful travel programs are built around coaching strong fundamentals to the kids. Team chemistry takes care of itself. If there are unhappy kids or unhappy parents, these things take care of themselves as these families will change teams. Every successful travel program will have some turnover in their roster. It is inevitable that the coaches who do things right are going to have some unhappy families because in the world of travel softball, too many parents think their kid is the star and has in their mind what position their dd should be playing and where they should be in the batting order. The daddyball coaches are going to lose players because they are daddyball coaches, and those not within the daddyball circle of power will not stand for it. I will take my chances with the first type of coach. Motivation to win a position will make my kid better even if she gets beat out. Even if your dd is on the beneficial end of a daddyball coach's decision, human nature says she will not work as hard if she does not have to.

[elwood]

finally the talk on this board has gone toward what really matters and what's wrong with most travel programs.........

[slapperdad]

http://www.softballexcellence.com/dugou ... r-of-team/

[dadorcoach?]

amen Slapper

It is tough to define the problems with most travel programs unless you know the program, the people involved and the goals that program has set. Differing goals than yours does not mean there is a problem.

I believe you need both talent and chemistry to achieve success. Define success yourself. Teams that have talent and lack chemistry can certainly win. But will they be a successful program long term? Maybe... but it will be tough and probably less rewarding (unless you only define "rewarding" with wins).

At 11 and 12 years old, we are not all here to find the next Jenny Finch in our dds. Some of us are trying to make them better softball players while enjoying themselves and learning life lessons about hard work, teamwork and competition. If you have parents that end up enjoying their summer and making new lifelong friends, BONUS. If you want something different than that for your dd, there is a program/team out there for you too.

[elwood]

slapper- that's a great link.......but i think the uproar is when someone says that fundamentals and mechanics aren't very important. it takes a special blend of talent AND chemistry to make a team work. for instance, would you rather take a group that meshes well but lacks a lot of basic skills or visa versa? with time constraints put on travel teams to produce right away, I think it's easier to teach chemistry than to make someone faster or hit harder. like my DD's soccer coach told her, "you can't teach speed."

[gunshy]

Boy it is easy to see the parents who have never been a part of a team rendered dysfunctional by bad chemistry. Chemistry is not a coaching "type" and has nothing to do with x's and O's. You have to understand the difference between coaching and chemistry. Chemistry isn't sitting in circles singing songs or even being close friends off the field, but it IS focusing on TEAM rather than on ME and doing whatever it takes to be team-successful when the uniform goes on. Easily one of the most talented groups of players I have coached had work ethic, skill, experience and all things that look good on an INDIVIDUAL resume, but led to the longest travel summer and most disappointing Nationals I have ever endured as a coach. They had horrible team chemistry and regardless of teaching or talent, couldn't suceed as a group. #2 hitter doesn't want to sac bunt for lead off because it makes lead off look better than her, #2 pitcher who is CLEARLY #2 whines every game that #1 pitches and makes the dugout miserable, Outfielder's parents convince their daughters that, since they played infield for their crappy high school teams, they are better than the all-verballed infield regardless of what practice tells us, there are whispers and giggles in the dugout late in the game at Nationals with the team down 4-2, and the list goes on. This team had no chance for success because of above the shoulders issues and influences from outside the dugout. They could never get anywhere, regardless of their great talent, because they were never paddling the boat in the same direction as a group. If you think chemistry is not a major factor in a team's success, you are SADLY mistaken.

[Likeitornot]

Back in the day my dd played for the worst daddy ball team, the only chemistry they cared about was their dd's.. She learned nothing from them except how to persevere through a tough situation and how to push herself to be a better player knowing they would not do so. Today I thank them. Not only did they make her tough as nails but they also taught her a great lesson of busting her butt to work for what she wants, to prove people wrong. She moved on to appreciate a coach who took stock in her work ethic and skill and rewarded her for it.You know what I think that has a lot to do with team chemistry, accountability. So many times these coaches do not hold themselves accountable for their mistakes yet my dd will beat herself up about a mistake and work her butt off to make sure it doesn't happen again. Kids aren't the only one that can learn lessons in life, adults can too.

[dailyjoy]

Coach Lou Holtz (my favorite coach) said, when asked the reason players do not have names on the back of their jerseys, it was because, “He wanted a team that believed in one another; he wanted a team that was greater than the mere sum of its parts. To help instill and evolve this team mentality, he removed the names from the back of the jerseys.” He went on to explain “Transcending individual egos and fusing a collection of players into one cohesive unit is what can elevate a team of less-than-optimal talent above the rest of the field. Team chemistry is an ultimate x-factor, and it begins with the coach.”

[dailyjoy]

For the record Elwood I never said "fundamentals and mechanics aren't very important"

I said, "the most important role of a coach is not teaching skills or strategy. The most important role is protecting the chemistry of the team.” A coach has many roles including teaching fundamentals and mechanics…..an excellent coach can do all three, plus more, well.