In recent years, many say favoritism, questionable selection practices and contracts for young players that practically require a lawyer’s explanation have become part of the world of Upper Dublin travel baseball. In a community where sports and recreation programs are often touted as exceptional, many believe its travel baseball program falls short and leaves a black mark on an otherwise stellar reputation.
Over the past several years, some involved say that the program has been taken over by an overzealous group of dads with questionable motives. It’s now largely understood throughout the local baseball community that kids with no connections need not tryout. In just one example of this, it’s now become common to have three parent coaches per team which assures that their kids will make up 25% of those selected before a tryout has even been held. Leadership denies that coach’s kids are given an automatic spot on the team but a closer look at rosters over the years says differently. And, with leadership overlapping between travel baseball and UD football programs, kids who excel at football are getting a free pass onto travel teams thanks to their coach connection. Even though excelling at football doesn’t necessarily translate into superior baseball skills, this is another way kids with an insider get the upper hand over their peers.
Once the coaches’ kids and other favored athletes are on the team, despite their skill level, parents say they are often given unprecedented playing time and first pick of positions to the detriment of others and the team’s performance. And strangely enough, in a township of four public elementary schools and two private schools, it’s questionable why some teams so heavily favor kids from certain schools. In one case nearly 50% of the roster attended the local Catholic school along with the coach’s son, while some schools were not represented at all. In another policy that smacks of unfairness, some kids are able to try out for two teams in the same year. If their age qualifies them for an older and younger team, many will attend the advanced team tryout and when they don’t make it they’ll try out for the younger team as well.
It’s no wonder that as word of growing dissatisfaction amongst travel parents has spread; the negative experiences have discouraged many talented players from even trying out. Overtime the program has suffered with both participation and performance at very disappointing levels. At this point, many of the teams aren’t even competitive (finishing below .500) and yet the same coaches remain in place and team rosters remain virtually unchanged from one year to the next.
If you happen to get past the flawed selection process and your child is lucky enough to make the team, it’s largely understood that parents must beware of questioning playing time, positions played or anything at all. An unofficial code amongst travel leadership assures that parents who inquire about or challenge decisions ruin future chances for their child to participate. Some coaches openly admit the unofficial policy and warn parents to back off in advance. This stance is not in an attempt to control extreme parents but rather to send the message that this is their party and your son was lucky just to be invited.
Upper Dublin is truly a great place to live with so many opportunities for kids to participate in sports at a high level. It’s a shame that one organization seems to have an agenda that is focused more on the benefit of a few than the development and participation of the many talented baseball players in the area. Let’s hope travel baseball can get its act together, fix some of these inequities and make the program and the teams a source of community pride in the years to come.
At this point, I inquired as to why the tryouts were even being conducted considering that they were apparently not the deciding factor. In response, I was told by a coach that the evaluators wanted to place my son on the roster but that he overuled the descision due to the fact that he had seen him play before in the fall league. When I questioned the fairness of this judgement, I was told that "a kid with difficult parents will never make the team regardless of how good a player he is". The message was clear. I had been warned not to question things. While the volunteerism of coaches and assistants is admirable, we should remember that this is not a license to be unfair or slanted in judgement. After all, what values are we trying to instill in our children about work ethic and fair play? Thank you CSmith, for bringing this issue to the forefront.
John Tralie UDJAA Baseball Commissioner
Coahing your kid to make sure they play the sport you want them to has been going on in UD for years. Team sport results at the HS level show where this had got us, not very far. If you look, our best HS players usually got their start playing for teams outside UD.
I coached the 11U team and the other team "thrown together at the last moment" (yet practiced a few weeks in advance as you correctly stated) was something I created after finding more kids looking for games. I could have just entered my team but instead I personally fronted the fee before confirming a full roster, arranged equipment and uniforms, coordinated schedules, and found coaches so we could give those kids a chance to play. Sorry if the accommodation was not appreciated. Secondly, though I applaud a good effort by coaches and players, you did not beat my team. We went undefeated and didn't even face each other in this tournament. So your claims are completely without merit but why allow facts to ruin a good story, right? http://upperdublin.patch.com/articles/ud-11u-baseball-team-wins-championship#photo-10695639
Parents volunterer for these coaching positions. UDJAA is always looking for more parents to volunteer. The new 9 U team that will begin in the Spring only had 2 parents volunteer for the position. Some years it is only one person that steps up and makies the commitment.. It is not easy to analyze kids talents to determine who should and should not make a team. However theses coaches try the best they can. There is turnover on every team, every year. Coaches sons have been cut at every level. There simply is no "back-room dealing" as someone posted. The process is the best we can do to try to field the best team of young ball players that can represent UD.
None of the coaches enjoys cutting kids. It is the worst part of what they do. The have cut kids whose families they know very well. The idea that kids are "on the team" before tryouts is simply untrue. There is a reason that some of the kids make the team year after year. It is because they are talented ballplayers. That is not to say that some kids are talented at 9U and then by the time they are 11 or 12 other kids have caught up in talent and/or size. That happens. But some of the kids continue to excel and continue to make the team. Some do not and they are replaced by kids who have grown bigger and/or have become more talented ball players. There are several new kids on each team every year. Those are the facts.