Some food for thought from the Chief Coach
A long time ago clubs had
teams from under 9s, since those far off days we now see players as young as
four (4) thats right and the tee`s at the lowest and is still taller than these
youngsters.
They play competition games
on a diamond which is far too large for there little legs under the same rules
as there older brothers and sisters.
The National Junior
Sports Policy recommends that children of 4 to 7 should not be exposed to
competition games, rather they should be involved in coordination, skills and
fair play activities.
With Aussie T-Ball being
introduced into schools we all should now be looking at how we operate and how
we can successfully not only by competing with Aussie T-ball but by having
a professional approach to introducing a program that will provide not only to
these young players but also the parents and carers an appropriate set of
guide lines and activities suitable for our first tee-ballers in
all Tee-Ball Clubs.
The TBAWA Codes of
Conduct booklet that is provided to clubs and which many of these clubs use
states: Administrations Code of Behaviour point 12: Support the implementation
of the National Junior Sport Policy.
Junior Sport is defined
as the organisation and management of sport (and pre-sport ativities) for young
people from four to twelve years of age in regards to our sport of
Tee-Ball.
For the four to seven
year age group, the term `sport` simply covers play and pre-sport activities.
For those seven years and
above, it is used here to mean a competitive physical and educational activity
played according to agreed rules and proceedures.
The second part most
clubs comply by playing by the TBAWA rules as layed down, its the first part
that needs to be changed.
Auskick in Western Australia
Junior Football Clubs works very well with teaching not only these nippers but
having the parents / carers also involved the skills and coordination along
with fair play.
Auskick numbers have
grown and when they reach under 9s these young players and families have a
better understanding of the game.
At coaching clinics
presenters are asked what is available for the little ones? I will seek the
assistance in providing a part of coaching clinics where and when required to
assist coaches teaching appropriate skills.
I`am sure that the TBAWA
umpire panel would modify the rules to assist clubs with modified game for
nippers.
Please these views are my
own and not necessary the views of TBAWA.
Looking forward to
reading the responses, communication is the first step in changing things for
the better.
Peter McCormack
TBAWA Chief Coach
Great thinking Peter and long overdue. The sport has been played at this age in the states for years and there is no reason for it not to be done here as well.
ReplyDeleteI am curious though why must it be in competition to Aussie teeball, why cant TBAWA adopt the aussie teeball format for the age group of say under 9's etc. By adopting the Aussie teeball format including rules etc it would save time and resources having to re-invent something that it already working well in other states etc.
That was going to be my comment...."competing" with Aussie Tee-ball???? Anyone making that sort of comment shows they are no longer about the kids, but more about protecting the empire.
ReplyDeleteHi Joseph, Thankyou for your response.
DeleteI used Aussie T-Ball as a reference point for some where to start.
Your comment that I am no longer about the kids is totally fasle,I have always worked in the best interests of all Tee-Ballers.
I believe that we as a team,TBAWA,Players Clubs,Parents/Carers, umpires and coaches can achieve any goals we just have believe that what we do is for all players.
Peter McCormack
OK Peter - your post makes it seem like there is resentment that Aussie Tee-ball is being introduced to schools and that TBAWA is going to set up in competition to it instead of embracing it as an opportunity.
DeleteUsing Auskick as an example, Football doesn’t just have two sets of rules: Auskick and then senior rules for older kids. Instead, each year, from Auskick up until year 7's, the rules change each year, slowly introducing tackling, bouncing, longer playing fields etc. etc. this ensures a gradual, controlled development into the senior version of the game.
ReplyDeleteThe debate on when Teeball should finish and when Baseball should start will no doubt continue.
Imagine an agreed “Diamond Development Road Map” with age appropriate rules/guidelines for 4 year olds, slowly evolving up until 12 year old's who are then adequately prepared for Baseball / softball.
Whoa!, imagine the debate on which rules should apply to which age groups???
I cant see it happening as there is far too much of a ‘State Champs’ focus within the TBAWA and its clubs. The rules are set and based on these elite competitive minority of younger kids who play the game.
The "Diamond Development Road Map" already exists. It is in operation in every other state and territory of Australia and every other country in the world. Western Australia is the only place in the world that conducts Under 13 tee-ball.
ReplyDeleteThe pathway has been in place for 50 years - when tee-ball was originally created in the USA. WA has strayed from the pathway and for whatever reason is finding it impossible to get back on the path again.
It's nice to not follow the pack, but when you are the only place in the world doing it one way and the rest of the galaxy is doing it a different way, perhaps you need to ask yourself whether what you are doing is right or not.
Joseph, your comments shock me more than a little.
ReplyDeleteHave you actually read the rules of Aussie Tball ?
For the players to have to make a decision on a rule by using "rock paper scissors" is nothing short of a joke and six a side is another. Apparently they think these children can't hit out of the diamond (this was the comment actually made to us by the originator of the concept), my 5year old grandson was regularly hitting well outside the diamond.
Also you make out that TBAWA has run off the rails, take your head out of the sand and look at the most successful Tee-Ball Association in Australia and if you insist on quoting the world we stack up more than favorably there to, especially as most other international associations are funded from above and ours is fully volunteer.
What a lot of us in tee-ball did not like about Aussie Tball at first was the arrogant way they came over here and tried to introduce another version of tee-ball without any consultation or acknowledgment of the work put in by the TBAWA over the last 30 odd years.
I wonder how you would feel if tee-ball were to try to introduce their version of baseball in WA.
In closing the ABF have now acknowledged their mistake and the successful job TBAWA are doing in this state and have agree that all future Aussie Tball programming will be run via TBAWA rules.
I would like to add that all rules, age groups and any other changes are made with all clubs within the TBAWA affiliation. I am in an executive position within a Western Australian Tee-ball Club and these are not set by anyone person or The TBAWA office bearers, this is done in consultation of all clubs. I have sat through numerous meeting where the age group has been argued until members have left the room. I for one do not want the age groups to be under 13's, but this is not my decision to make. I have a vote and we have had this thrown out dramatically and then bought back in. I am not sure how much you know about the way tee-ball started in WA, but I have been a junior in the sport and it was tee-ball untill under 11's and then on to a movng ball. The age groups rose due to a legal challenge, not from the TBAWA council.
ReplyDeleteThe age groups did not rise due to a legal challenge. There was a rule that allowed girls to play tball a year older than boys. The legal challenge was to giving girls one rule and boys another. The age groups rose due to tball clubs reacting to baseball's stupid move down to under 12 over a decade ago. So tball reacted by moving up to fight back. When baseball changed back to under 13 when it realised their mistake, tball did not do the same until last year, but then this year they revoked the decision. So now it stands that baseball threw out the olive branch by admitting they were wrong and changing the age group back to under 13 but tball clubs have not done the same and in fact the decision to reinstate under 13 tball sends a really poor message. But then perhaps those tball people who have no interest in the development pathway do not really care. I cannot work out why tball club committees are happy to give their kids a 'long' tball career knowing that once it comes to an end they do not have the skill and experience against a pitched ball to be of any use and so they leave diamond sports altogether. Why not work it out so that kids keep playing into adulthood. Unfortunately decisions made by tball clubs in the 'best interest' of 12 year old kids is sending them into teenage hood as playstation junkies rather than providing them with skills and transition to cope with baseball and softball. What a waste.
DeleteI mean no disrespect here, I am sure your Grandson will enjoy many years of teeball and playing state championships, is obviously very talented and will do very well. So lets let young outfielders become bored while the 99% of other 5 year old kids don't hit the ball into the outfield.
ReplyDeleteHello Editor,
ReplyDeleteYes I have read the rules of Aussie Tee-ball. If you read them you will realise that rock, paper, scissors is ONLY used when there is no umpire. My undersanding is that this allows kids at school to play the game without needing a teacher's help to run it. This is then the way to settle a dispute between quarelling 9 year olds !!!! In normal TBAWA games we always have an umpire so r,p,s would never apply.
I actually love the idea of 6-a-side at Under 7 level and think this has great merit - Under 9's is a different matter - however again reading the rules it actually says that you can play 9-a-side if you want. So no problem there.
TBAWA is the most successful tee-ball assoc in Australia because it is the ONLY tee-ball association in Australia !!! Everywhere else, tee-ball is a division of wither a baseball or softball club - as it used to be in WA. As a result, the transition of kids from tee-ball to baseball would seem to be the worst in Australia judging by the information on other state websites.
I agree with Anonymous above - I would think your 5 yo grandson is probably 1% of the tee-ball population at Under 7 level that could regularly hit the ball out of the infield - and good luck to him.
I can absolutely understand that if the people who developed Aussie Tee-ball did things without consulting TBAWA you would be upset - no question. However your comments seem to indicate that your bruised ego is preventing you from seeing the benefits Aussie Tee-ball can provide. Your wrong interpretation of the rules being a case in point.
Regardless of who has the power to make changes, I would love to see the day where every club ran Under 7 aussie, Under 9 regular tee-ball, Under 11 transition game, Under 13 Little League. I believe if that was the model all clubs subscribed to in WA, we would be a world leader and looked upon as setting the standard for others to follow.
Here Here to the comments of Joseph 12/7. The comments, Joseph are very logical unoffessive and supportive of this great sport.
ReplyDeleteTo the editor, your grandson sounds like a very good ball player being one of a very small % of kids at that age that can hit out of the diamond often. I'm sure you would agree that you would do everything to encourage his abilities and will guide him correctly down the path of this sport which will no doubt result him in playing machine pitch (Minor Little League) when he turns 8 to allow his skills to advance more. (Remember one of the rules of Machine pitch / minor little league is that it is to be played at a time that doesn't conflict with teeball, so he can even play both if he wishes)
So that readers not forget this original Blog that Peter posted was about the younger kids starting teeball earlier.
These kids should be encouraged to start the game earlier and TBAWA should adopt the Aussie teeball format to have consistancy in the sport nation wide. Remember TBAWA is merely an association that manages the sport and I am sure TBAWA would agree that its relationship with baseball and softball has improved in recent times, so with that said and egos aside if we truely are here for the sport and the development of the kids as a whole then a more concerted effort needs to be made to develop the pathway. This discussion isn't over who controls the sport that can be on another blog.
If people care about this great sport then it should be about the kids and the fundamental development pathway this sport is to offer.
Sounds fantastic and definately something our club has been talking about. Many little nippers only play a few weeks and say they are bored due to long periods of sitting idle, and there goes a member. Good job Mr Mac
ReplyDeleteI have been a member of teeball for 25 years I was on the TBAWA committee for ten years Congrats to Mr Mac and the committee of TBAWA some club play older age groups because the children don't want to play baseball so what do we do send them away or hold there interest and hope they will play baseball eventually as far as I am concerned we there for the players.
ReplyDeletemay the force be with you.
Fun
Fair play
Fundamental skills
and Family involvement.