8U - 80 games this summer

saw a picture of a NC 8U team that had played 80 games this summer. that's a lot for the youngins!!

 

Over the years I have seen numerous kids with exceptional talent play too much ball at an early age( usually pushed by parents) When they get H.S. age they are burnt out and quit the game. Parents give your kid a break from ball and let them miss it and want it and they will develop by leaps and bounds and develop a love of the game. (experience talking)

 

"burnt out"

I hear this argument over and over again.. especially if the kid had some talent and no longer plays.

We had a thread a few weeks ago started by the Guru asking what Dad had done athletically and several of the responses were to the effect that once a DL and a car came along they lost focus. I do not recall a single post where anyone said they got "burnt out".

We need to get out of this process in our society of blaming someone else for our shortcomings. I think we need to realize that just because a kid has all the talent in the world if they dont have the heart and between the ears its not going to work.

 

That's Not Really Uncommon !!

Until my DD got to 18U showcase we would average that or more each season !! But that is alot of ball !!! One tournament we started at 8:00 AM on Saturday and got done @ 1:30 A.M. Sunday morning, and didn't come off the field!!


Guru

 

I think the point is that baseball and softball are going all year round and it never stops. While it may be a good experience at the time, the kids that specialize in one sport at 7 or 8 years old usually do not get the opportunity to try other sports, which they might actually enjoy more or be better at. Try a lot of different activities when you are young and then narrow down as you get older.

In my mind, having the coaches "hit the bats" with the softballs in 8U isn't softball and certainly shouldn't be considered travel ball. We've all done it. It's a great age and a wonderful experience. But 80 games is ridiculous. A little moderation, say 16-20 games, goes a long way.

I'm still waiting on the 6U and 4U travel teams to start......

 

Hey There is a diaper league showcase this weekend sponsored by pull-ups disposables. the web site claims the over forty college recruiters will be in attendance along with reps from Gerber and Stride rite shoes.

 

Nicely done....great humor, Dawgfan.

Don't forget the Fisher-Price/Little Tykes/Easy-Bake Oven "D" World Series.
It's a 4 team bracket....but they are QUALITY teams!

 

What scares me about this is . . .

what these kids will do @ 10U. I assume that 8U is some form of coach or machine pitch. But when these teams go to 10U and play this many games how many pitchers will they have? I hope 4 or 5 otherwise there are going to be some serious problems down the road. AT's and ortho docs are just beginning to appreciate the fact that many female pitchers actually have structural changes (essentially exercise-induced scoliosis) as a result of their training. If girls start throwing even more innings earlier the resulting growth-related problems are inevitable. These problems are magnified by the "one-sport" focus. All softball sanctioning organizations should adopt pitching limits for 10U & 12U along the same lines as LL baseball. The crap about the motion being different allowing these girls can throw forever "if their mechanics are correct" is just ignorance. Of course if parents and coaches used good sense then rules wouldn't be needed. But how many times have I seen TB teams pitch young kids to virtual collapse in 90 degree heat?

 

I say as long as the girls are having fun good for them. That is much better than sitting at home doing what I'm doing right now. Playing on a computer. A team one of my dds played on would push 100 games every year. She loved it and says now she would give anything to be playing EVERY weekend again

 

I think 80 games is over the top. 16-20 is not near enough.

You do know why Latin players have taken over MLB, right? They play 365 days a year, and are exposed to more repetition from an early age (they've taken 3x the grouders, 3x the ABs, etc), virtually playing ball around the clock. A 15 year old Dominican kid has logged more at bats in his life than an American college player. (note - I know this is a softball forum) but it applies to the discussion.

It all depends on the kid, if they want to grab a bat everyday, let em...if they resist you when its time to go play, time to check yourself