rocko
LL Board Member
Posts: 209
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Post by rocko on Jun 15, 2007 20:45:42 GMT -8
Mark, Conditioning and Developing Skills are different categories in sports. ;D In terms of putting in the most work....golf is zinger above the rest. Even though I do not consider this a sport...rather a game...much like pool or bowling. ;D ;D ;D Nonetheless, as I previously mentioned conditioning is key whether you play baseball, basketball, football, soccer or the other little rocko passion motocross.
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Post by Chris on Jun 15, 2007 21:01:07 GMT -8
All Stars marks the end of rec ball for the year. The kids moving on will be competing with the best kids from other leagues who are all vying to go as far as they can in the tournament. I had dinner with Tony and Mel tonight. They shared that it was common practice for Tony's teams to go twice a day. He gave them a break and only practiced once on the 4th of July. It seemed all stars were still an honor back then. Do we really want to treat our AS players as rec ball players? Are we willing to accept mediocrity? I think the AS players need to be working their asses off to get ready because as others have pointed out there are kids who were disappointed at not being selected. I'm not going to allow players to coast when other kids would give their right arm to play all stars. I'd rather go two and out with players we prepared as well as we could then win district with players who feel a sense of entitlement. The Nat 11-12 players are going to work HARD and we'll see who steps up.
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Post by crash23 on Jun 15, 2007 22:49:31 GMT -8
The sense of entitlement comes for various reasons. I don't believe it used to be that way for several reasons.
1. There was no 11 year old all star team therefore only the elite 11s made it... and they knocked off some 12s from the team. 2. LL seems enamored with expanding not only the number of teams but the number of players as well. 3. Several years ago there were more teams, the competition was tougher (as in the depth of talent was deeper), so therefore it was a a greater honor to be an all star.
A perfect example is last year's AE 10U all star team. Every 10 year old in the majors made the team so it wasn't much of an accomplishment (though in one sense it was b/c these players were good enough to be drafted). This year with the 11U team it's almost the same thing. Sadly there may not be a 10U team this year as players are choosing to forgo all stars in lieu of other things. That's one of reasons the talent level is not what it used to be... In the summer kids would being playing some kind of ball all day long. Now it's skateboards, PS2, or watching one of the kazillion channels on TV. Things have changed, so it goes...
We can live with it or..... What to do? It's time both boards get together and re-draw our boundaries. Wouldn't it be cool if went back to two leagues in Turlock? It wouldn't eliminate the number of players, just make the majors (and minors) more competitive... which would, ideally, make better ballplayers. And making the all star team would then be something every player earned.
Kinda reminds me of the days when self esteem was earned thru hard work, not granted because you were entitled.
Oh sh*t, I 'm becoming an Old Codger!
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Post by Chris on Jun 15, 2007 23:00:46 GMT -8
I think you hit the nail on the head Craig. It can be corrected and we can do it. Time to raise the bar. When did parents start blowing off all stars anyway?
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rocko
LL Board Member
Posts: 209
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Post by rocko on Jun 16, 2007 5:30:08 GMT -8
Craig,
I completely agree with Redistricting it is the next progressive step for Turlock Youth Baseball.
This year I believe there was a major step taken to bring all of Turlock together under the umbrella of youth baseball. I think it is great. Today, my family will be out supporting both teams for the City Championship...it will be a fun afternoon watching friends and their children battle it out. I know kids a Dennis Earl have had baseball to share since January because its was no longer what is A/AE or N/NS doing on their side of town enviornment.
If we review future targets we may should strive for A Turlock Little League that:
1. Brings divisions together for competitive interleague league play at the minor, major and JR and Sr. levels. - PARTIALLY DONE 2. Has two fields where play occurs for minors and majors. One is a grass infield and one is a dirt infield. -- DONE 3. One WEB SITE..... ;D for youth baseball in Turlock -- DONE 4. District lines that focus on making Turlock more competitive --- A NEED 5. Maintains two Boards that meets routinely together -- PARTIALLY DONE 6. A voice for Youth Baseball with the City of Turlock for better field improvement planning -- A NEED 7. A Fall Ball Clinic or Camp set up that is more instructional in nature for would be players and would be coaches for the upcoming year. Let's draw from the great talent that we have to improve players. -- A NEED
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Post by crash23 on Jun 16, 2007 9:20:07 GMT -8
Great ideas. I've spoke with Brad Lesley about doing a Fall Ball clinic and he's eager and willing to do one. He does this for the Giants throughout the summer with other former big leaguers and he'd like to do one here. I'll continue working on this and will also ask Steve Soderstrom to be involved.
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Post by crash23 on Jun 16, 2007 9:31:36 GMT -8
Mark, In terms of putting in the most work....golf is zinger above the rest. Even though I do not consider this a sport...rather a game...much like pool or bowling. GOLF?!!!?? I think I agree with you on 99.9% of things... but GOLF? Granted, both require a lot of practice... but with the one the ball is just sitting there, often on a tee, and the crowd is expected to "hush." The other can come at upwards of 100 mph and move in various directions while fans are yelling at the top of their lungs, usually insulting your mother or sister or both. Golf is like shooting fish in a barrel... Baseball is like tying to lasso thunder. The best baseball players can step on the links and do pretty darn well. I'd like to see the best golfers step in a cage... At least you saved yourself by saying golf isn't a sport
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Post by mflema on Jun 16, 2007 10:03:35 GMT -8
OMG!!! I love your comment about Baseball and Golf. "Trying to lasso thunder" Fantastic. This has got to be my most favorite post of all time. Thanks Craig for making me smile.
Now to on to other things. I was annoyed with the title of this thread, All Star Complaints, but of course, most of you took the high road and didn't. Thank You. As Chris pointed out a player has 3 changes to make the team with the way that National and South National runs their All Star Draft. The reason I only allow the managers, the president, me and the ADA in the draft room is to insure that I can try to control the rumor mill. The more people, the more rumors. In the draft room, things are said that anyone with half a mind can and will take and twist to mean horrible things that will hurt and make a youth player feel terrible. I will caution all adults as you talk about who made it and who didn't to remember that. While you are praising the All Star team, don't forget those who "just" missed out. Sometimes it is due to other reasons that none of you not in the draft room can imagine. So don't even speculate. And yes this means anyone who has to ask themselves, does she mean me? Second of all, I agree 100% with Craig's post about entitlement. I also deplore the fact that not only do kids not get excited about All Stars any more but the parents do not take it to be an honor. When my kids where playing Little League (PS Pedro, Youth Baseball is for other towns, we play Little League with Caps here, all through Turlock, LOL), who ever heard of a vacation. We didn't have 10's, or 11's then, only 11-12's, (then called Majors) and Juniors, (13's) and Seniors (14 and 15). And if your son was selected you were expected to suppport him and his team. As a PA I have been astounded with some of the replies I have recieved when trying to get BC's and paperwork. "I will try, but if I can't find it, he just won't play", I wanted to strangle this mom. But it goes directly to the fairy tale that self esteem is given to kids and not earned. LL HQ has bought into this and made more teams and keeps making more rules to make us put on more players, but the only way that All Stars will stay special and something that is an honor is for us as adults to remind the players that it is so. We remind the AS players that their hard work during regular season got them on the team, and now extra hard work will get them out of district and to the next level
Most of all I want to say to who ever, BEAT RIVERPARK.
MEL
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