Midwest Fastpitch - keeptheboardcorrect@gmail.com

Midwest Fastpitch - keeptheboardcorrect@gmail.com
[ Midwest Fastpitch - keeptheboardcorrect@gmail.com ]

Grow a set ..

Posted by Parent on August 31, 2026, 2:38 pm

It really gets old to read over and over about a team playing too many games, overusing pitchers, costs getting out of hand, etc.

Here's an idea: act like a fucking adult and ask questions about a team before you agree to join. If these subjects matter to you, ask the questions and set the ground rules before the season. If you really want, send an email so you get it in writing.

Re: Grow a set ..

Posted by Signed, sealed, Emailed on September 1, 2026, 11:20 am, in reply to "Grow a set .."

This is the key to getting coach to stick to his guns. Have them send emails. No one who reads and authors emails has ever been gone against their word.

Re: Grow a set ..

Posted by @Grow on August 31, 2026, 7:55 pm, in reply to "Grow a set .."

Your post reminds me of a coworker who once said to me..."They pretend to pay me and I pretend to work." Lol

Re: Grow a set ..

Posted by Easy, Cheezy on August 31, 2026, 7:49 pm, in reply to "Grow a set .."

Thanks for posting. Couple of thoughts here…

First, this is an anonymous youth sports discussion board. If you choose to wade into this septic field, don’t yell at us about the aroma! If you want nothing but sunshine posts, start your own board for you and your cat.

Second, to your specific observation, I somewhat agree with your point. We’re the adults. We should be smarter, more discerning and do more due diligence. We have to own the outcomes that we caused.

But…

The tyranny of the situation is that this ridiculous format (100 games a year, $25k+ spend) so the ONLY way to those P4 dreams for 99% of our kids.

Yes, you can get rid of the headaches and credit card bills by playing park district ball. But your kid’s chances of achieving their (your?) dreams goes to zero (from 5%). For most of us, I’d guess:

I hate the bullshit. I hate the complaining.

I like the game.

I love my kid… so, “Thank you, sir - may I have another?!”

Re: Grow a set ..

Posted by @Easy on September 1, 2026, 12:33 pm, in reply to "Re: Grow a set .."

There are plenty of options between the Bandits and the park district ball. I might say there's a team for every aspiration. The problem I see is that parents don't ask their kids what they want. There's no tyranny, only hard choices. How many parents have phrased the question of where to play as "You want to be successful, don't you?" Most parents give up the dream when they're forced to face reality; the kid punted three years before that.

Re: Grow a set ..

Posted by Christian Okoye on September 2, 2026, 7:49 am, in reply to "Re: Grow a set .."

I'd like a reality where "there's a team for every aspiration", but my experience and observation has been that it's not the case.

The Bandits (and Chill) aren't the problem. They're at a place where they can build a roster of fairly-certain-to-be D1/P4 players and get into the top tournaments. In fact, Chill plays a crazy low amount of games, in my opinion.

It's the "others" who are making this a bigger issue. The programs/teams who can't get coaches to come to their fences, can't get into the 12 or so top national tournaments... who play a dozen or more FALL(!) tournaments to build a resume to get into tournaments or give their kids Twitter content.

In most cases, if you want to play higher D1 (FBS schools, not just P4), you need to either be on the Bandits/Chill train or, if you didn't get one of those seats, be on the next tier - which means A LOT more games, a lot more camps, a lot more expense, etc.

And here's another challenge... how does a 12, 13, 14, heck even 18 year-old "know what they want"? Of course the parents influence, sometimes good and sometimes bad. You want to put your kid in the position to achieve to their max potential... but you often times don't know what their max can be until you get to late in HS!

I love the game and love what it did for my kid. But it is also sad to see what has happened and where things are going. The 2028 recruiting bloodbath yesterday was REAL!

Re: Grow a set ..

Posted by Ohstop on August 31, 2026, 3:58 pm, in reply to "Grow a set .."

Oh stop with your crying. I’d bet you’re one of those coaches that play 100+ games at 10 or 12u. These coaches are what’s making travel so bad for these kids. How about more practices and give these kids a social life and not burning these kids out when they’re juniors and seniors. I feel bad for these kids now. Yes I get some, SOME! kids eat sleep shit the sport, and that’s great but for most it’s ridiculous. Also this forum is all anonymous so don’t get butt hurt buddy. It will all okay.

Re: Grow a set ..

Posted by @OhStop on September 1, 2026, 12:26 pm, in reply to "Re: Grow a set .."

Or, your daughter can live the life she wants, and others can do as they please without comments. Who said travel was bad for the kids, that's right, you did.

Re: Grow a set ..

Posted by Travel on September 1, 2026, 4:48 pm, in reply to "Re: Grow a set .."

Travel is bad for these kids now! Wasn’t like this back in the day. Yes I know things change but come on! All these travel sports are ridiculous now
But you can keep traveling everywhere and play those 100+ games when you kid is 10u

Re: Grow a set ..

Posted by @Travel on September 2, 2026, 9:19 am, in reply to "Re: Grow a set .."

I think it was exactly like this back in the day, without inflation-adjusted dollars and the constant reminders from social media. I'm old enough to have a kid who was recruited under the old rules and asked to commit to a school she had never heard of as a freshman in high school. The good old days had issues too.

Re: Grow a set ..

Posted by @Parent on August 31, 2026, 2:45 pm, in reply to "Grow a set .."

It's the whole point of this site. You join a team based on promises you know aren't true, and when the daughter doesn't magically become a great player, you badmouth coaches, parents, etc. You used to be able to name names.

« Index

[ Midwest Fastpitch - keeptheboardcorrect@gmail.com ]