Quote:
Originally posted by David B
One of the reasons that I have scaled back the last couple of years to only doing HS/College ball is because there are paid coaches and there is also security provided at every contest.
The summer leagues are getting further out of control and now with the $elect Teams (pay the money and you can play) its will only get worse.
We as umpires see it more than anyone since we are a third party.
Some have suggested select is the way to go, but I think that it will lose momentum simply because the parents want their money's worth.
9-12 year old kids are not capable of consistently providing entertainment for their parents $$$.
Thanks
David
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since im only 19, the 14-16 travel and select teams are all i can do (no HS yet, in college and not much time during school) and the parents disgust me. most of the teams have nothing to do with talent, simply that they have money and they can pay to drive 100 miles to play a game and get smoked. my brother is currently on a 14 yr. old AAU team that is half talent and half rich kids that flashed the bills to get on the team. the worst thing is, the coach (who is paid) plays the kids that pay over the kids that earned it. many times this ends up with the parents of the good kids verbally bashing the talentless rich kids out loud so everyone hears it. arguments happen, people yell, rich kids parents say stupid stuff that has nothing to do with anything, its all a bunch of garbage if you ask me.
**sorry if i offended anyone on here with the "rich kid/parent" comments, only some people are like that and im talking specifically about them and not anyone here.
as an umpire i havent been abused too bad, just a few parents who think some of the fields i work at are "MY" fields and I take care of them. one guy said if "I" dont put a fence up in the outfield (no fence, trees like 500 ft away) he wont let his kid play in next years tournament. the team got smoked, but they had nice jerseys and their own helmets with numbers and all the newest bats which of course means they are good, so they thought since they have money...i should have money to put up a fence for some random field i worked 3 games at.
1/2 the travel and select teams out there are not worth their own time. they should stay in their home town and play the in-house league. they think they need "exposure"...to who? no MLB/college scouts are watching any kids under 16. once they are seniors in HS then i can see getting on a travel/select team to get "exposure" but this is getting so rediculous its not even funny how stupid some people are.