Teaching the Game——Instead……. | Girls Fastpitch Softball forum

Each and every one of you that has responded make valid points. The thread in itself is merely a different twist from some of your own threads that may have been shared in the past. While my head is in the sand, I know we have debated many of the topics for years. Redundancy for many of us as we show our age and the love of the game. I still believe we need to refresh some topics so new readers can see their experiences have plagued all sports for years———-and the problems persist yet today.

In response to a couple of valid points shared, we need to remember a few things: It’s about the money. Tournaments are about making money. If advertising a tourney as a B&C level tourney fills the brackets, that will be their gimmick. They really don’t care who signs up if the check clears. If advertising it as a national qualifier draws attention, they all be national qualifiers.

Coaches in many cases are not coaches. They are managers at best. I know this is splitting hairs but it’s a simple understanding of the definition of the title. Managers are going to be organizers, treasurers, secretaries, a concierge, a bus driver. They will perform the duties or delegate others to do them. It’s an important job——they all are important. A manager can also coach but there’s no guarantee that a manager knows how to do any of the above jobs. That’s why managers don’t use this title to recruit players. Families want to know and seek out the coach. After all, they are supposed to have the knowledge.

In most cases, a player gets to be on a roster because they have the money. Even California Batbusters will have girls on their travel roster that seldom ever play but they can afford the absorbent fee. A fee at a level no team in Ohio even asks for to my knowledge. My point is to address the debate on whether a player, or a team, has earned some right to be labeled a Class A or Class B level of recognition. This debate in itself is age-old. One region of the country may be so sure their Cinderella team of choice is at a national standard, only to go to a World Series event and get smoked. Bottom line; it truly doesn’t matter. They paid for the experience.

Recruiting coaches, not recruiting managers, are going to throw up a smoke screen “We are establishing an “A” quality program to compete at a national level.” Now that ad gets read. Not the ad that says “I’m a qualified coach willing to teach you how to play this game to the best of your ability depending on how hard you are willing to work.”

The result is sub-par teams playing at a watered-down level of play that some coaches and managers find annoying. The result is new teams—more teams—-and an abundance of teams playing this game and growing in popularity. So what is the true answer to this dilemma? Thousands of girls getting to participate or should we band together and limit participation to hundreds of only the very best?

I believe society has already made that choice for us.

If the families can afford to pay, and a volunteer manager is willing to put in the man-hours to organize, a team will bloom. The girls want to play ball. The parents, for their own reasons, want the experience. The Tournament Directors smelling blood will host tourneys galore. Ball parks will be glad to rent. Concession stands and vendors will oblige. Sanctions will collect fees. Trophy companies will be glad to supply, and it goes on and on…….

It’s about the money.

More importantly, it’s about the desire of the young ladies that want to play at whatever the level. They simply want to play. We provide them the opportunity. I mean if you think about it, who actually cares about the quality of the performance? The adults—–the girls sense our desire they be more or do more so they catch that fever from us. It’s still a good thing. We simply need to be more accepting of reality.