re: Travel ball turf fields

quote:

---

All these internet step parents come out of the woodwork to tell me how stupid I am?

---

Why are you getting upset? This is the once every two weeks OT tourney ball thread with the retread jokes about the name of the kids.

None of these guys has ever played ball or have kids playing ball. If they did and the kid wanted to be out there, they’d be out there spending whatever money they’re asking and staying interested in baseball as long as their kid holds interest.

A lot of things to analyze here but one thing that isn't true, your 8 year old wasn't crying about being so hot yet simultaneously begging you to let her keep playing.

quote:

---

Does the pope shite in the woods?

---

Someone is a 1970's Steve Martin fan.

This sounds like absolute torture. . . for the parents. Thank God my kids were not athletic.

quote:

---

Its true, man turf is hotter than grass, I work for a Turf manufacturer and there are additives that can cool it down close to ambient temp, but facilities don't want to pay the extra money for it.

---

Poorly maintained turf is also hotter

quote:

---

When they started charging money to watch little kids play sports - I stopped going.

---

quote:

---

How exactly does this work? My son did travel ball for a couple of seasons, and I don’t remember having to pay admission. I do remember the coach giving us wristbands for one of the tournaments so maybe parents aren’t charged admission? Or admission is included in some entry fees?

---

so the orginizations have to rent the fields, they charge to cover that, the workers, security. Usually the entry fee from the teams covers this and the fee from the parents is the profit for the org to pay all the other things and pay employees etc.


then depending on the park, they may get a cut or get all of the concessions or get none. just depends on the park

teams play the umpires before each game. usually 20-50 bucks depending on age group


charging to get in tournaments is not something new. I am almost 40 and dixie youth, little league and every other org always charged for all star tournaments and never allowed outside food and drink. been that away since the 80s, stop acting like this is something new.

its very obvious who played baseball or was any good at baseball growing up. because they know these things.

all travel ball is...its just the all star teams got tired of playing league against the shitty kids who dont practice at home, dont take lessons, dont lift weights etc....so they just said...forget it, we will just play tournaments all year.

quote:

---

So why not leagues?

---

because 12 regular season games play 8-10 all star games is not nearly enough games to develop. leagues are run like shite for the most part with only about 5-6 exceptions in the whole damn state. the competition sucks, parents in league ball are the worst and dont care if their kid sucks....its rec ball so little johnny should get a chance to pitch too.

the better kids get tired of workign their asses off at home and dont want to play with little johnny whos only form of outdoor activitiy is the 12 league games and only comes to 1 practice a week.

quote:

---

Why just weekend, non stop baseball?

---

because the games are played tournament style against teams usually about an hour or so away. easier for the parents. most all star tournaments are the same way.

most dont play non stop baseball. they start practicing 1-2 times a week in september, play usually 2 fall ball tournaments. usually 1 in oct/nov and then 1 in early dec. then shut down until mid jan.

then for spring they practice 2-3 times a week jan-until first tournament usually last week in feb or first in march. then you usually play every other weekend on average until school is out and then you play 3-4 tournaments and shut down end of june.

all stars is and was the same damn way and has been for 40 years.

kids still play mutiple sports, they still fish, they still hunt, they still go on vacations, they still do all the things kids do. they are off july, august and decemeber.

it ends up being about 40-50 games in the spring, 10 or less in fall ball.

quote:

---

How did it come to this?
How did the promoters take over?

---

it came to this because

1) the tournaments are a much superior product
2) in general coaching is much better on tournament teams
3) parents are usually much better on tournament teams
4) the players on the these teams and the parents are much more committed to the player getting better.

Travelball gets awkward when it’s 97 and no clouds.

I’m 50 and don’t remember all star tournaments charging admission, but I was also an oblivious kid and wouldn’t have paid attention to stuff like that. My dad definitely would have bitched about it though, and I don’t remember him bitching about it. I do remember him bitching about having to buy a new uniform for one weekend tournament. It was usually just a t-shirt though.