Update to last night's game including good blog entries by Amanda Scarborough

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Aug 26, 2011
1,285
0
Houston, Texas
I am so very proud of DD. She pitched well, hit well, etc. But unfortunately, it takes a team to win. We lost 1-8 due to errors. They switched DD out to RF in 4th inning (to her credit, she did do good...she got them to hit grounders and fly balls...IF just couldn't either stop them or made errors - we had like 5 or 6 errors while she pitched). But she was 2 for 3 at the plate with a line drive to LF and a bunt. And she caught a fly ball in RF, threw it home for what should have been an out (ump didn't see tag)...beautiful throw.

Anyway, bottom line is she put herself out there, did her job in spite of lack of team effort. Even though HS ball isn't all that, she is learning something from it. Amanda Scarborough wrote 4 entries on her blog about the grievances of high school ball:

High School Softball Season Survivor Guide - Grievance 1: PLAYING TIME - Amanda Scarborough

High School Softball Season Survivor Guide - Grievance 2: The Competition - Amanda Scarborough

High School Softball Survivor Guide - Grievance 3: Teammates - Amanda Scarborough

High School Softball Season Survivor Guide - Grievance 4: Teammate's Drive Not There - Amanda Scarborough
 
Nov 26, 2010
4,784
113
Michigan
Amanda is a good writer with a great perspective on this game. Frankly she understands what's going on a various levels with a depth of experience few of us would hope to have. It's too bad that when she tried to be an active participation here she was treated so poorly.
 
Feb 7, 2013
3,188
48
Whenever I'm watching softball on TV, as soon as I hear Amanda's voice I know it's going to be a good telecast. She is articulate, has great insight into the game, and is almost always spot on with her comments and observations. She is in a league of her own in my book.
 

JJsqueeze

Dad, Husband....legend
Jul 5, 2013
5,436
38
safe in an undisclosed location
Amanda is a good writer with a great perspective on this game. Frankly she understands what's going on a various levels with a depth of experience few of us would hope to have. It's too bad that when she tried to be an active participation here she was treated so poorly.

Was she? That sucks. Hard to believe I missed a thread so please dish the dirt like a bored housewife and fill me in.
 

Greenmonsters

Wannabe Duck Boat Owner
Feb 21, 2009
6,168
38
New England
Was she? That sucks. Hard to believe I missed a thread so please dish the dirt like a bored housewife and fill me in.

I don't recall it either and think she was treated pretty fairly. IMO, she seemed genuine and well intentioned, unlike some other ex-college stars who have made a fly by to push a product, clinic, or appearance (or copped an attitude). I'm hoping she ends up as ESPN's top analyst for the WCWS so that I can turn the sound back on!
 
Nov 26, 2010
4,784
113
Michigan
Was she? That sucks. Hard to believe I missed a thread so please dish the dirt like a bored housewife and fill me in.

95% of the people who responded to her posts were great, just like all the threads here. But there were those who wanted to challenge her. If you search her name with no space, that is her user name. You will find a few threads, mostly you will find positive stuff and some apologies from people who were trying to let her know she was welcome. I think some of the worst posts were either deleted by the writer, or the mods.

It was just typical boorish internet behavior, nothing over the top but certainly not something that would encourage someone with better things to do, to stick around.
 
Oct 3, 2009
372
18
I am so very proud of DD. She pitched well, hit well, etc. But unfortunately, it takes a team to win. We lost 1-8 due to errors. They switched DD out to RF in 4th inning (to her credit, she did do good...she got them to hit grounders and fly balls...IF just couldn't either stop them or made errors - we had like 5 or 6 errors while she pitched). But she was 2 for 3 at the plate with a line drive to LF and a bunt. And she caught a fly ball in RF, threw it home for what should have been an out (ump didn't see tag)...beautiful throw.

Anyway, bottom line is she put herself out there, did her job in spite of lack of team effort. Even though HS ball isn't all that, she is learning something from it. Amanda Scarborough wrote 4 entries on her blog about the grievances of high school ball:

High School Softball Season Survivor Guide - Grievance 1: PLAYING TIME - Amanda Scarborough

High School Softball Season Survivor Guide - Grievance 2: The Competition - Amanda Scarborough

High School Softball Survivor Guide - Grievance 3: Teammates - Amanda Scarborough

High School Softball Season Survivor Guide - Grievance 4: Teammate's Drive Not There - Amanda Scarborough

No offense intended maksoft but did you read the actual blog posts? They are all basically saying don't make excuses about various parts of high school softball. The titles read like grievances but the blogs actually say things like: "This game is what YOU make it, not what someone else makes it. Any given day YOU are in complete control of how you approach the game, how you approach your teammates and how you approach becoming the best player you can possibly be. High school softball is preparing you for the next level of softball for you in college or the next level of your life in getting a job. You must always be able to control what YOU can control, no matter what."

I will just say your posts read like "my DD did this my DD did that and her teammates suck and don't try. And when my DD's teammates aren't screwing up the umpires are missing calls". If your DD picks up on that attitude it is not helpful. Again sorry to sound harsh but pitching requires an attitude of "no excuses" in my view. Umpire calls something a ball you don't like who cares. Throw the next one where he is calling it. Outfielder misses a flyball who cares focus on the next hitter. All you can control is yourself and that next pitch, play, etc.

Take it for what it's worth. But I would REALLY recommend actually reading those blog posts. They are actually very good and I actually sent them to my own DD. :)
 
Last edited:

sluggers

Super Moderator
Staff member
May 26, 2008
7,133
113
Dallas, Texas
Here is a quote from her blog:

You EARN going into a game. You EARN that playing time. How do you earn it? PRACTICE. If he/she sees how hard you are working and how invested you are into the team, he/she is going to be more likely to rely on you.

Amanda's blog about HS softball is great. Every parent should read it.

So, HS softball generally is not as good quality as TB. The problem with TB is that there is no real competition for PT. If a kid doesn't play enough, the kid leaves the team. By 16U, all the players have found a team that works and are happy with their PT.

HS ball isn't that way. The player can't simply change teams. Either the player learns how to earn PT, or she sits. Parents, of course, want to intervene and "fix" everything...when, in reality, the parents should be backing off and letting the child figure it out.
 
Aug 26, 2011
1,285
0
Houston, Texas
No offense intended maksoft but did you read the actual blog posts? They are all basically saying don't make excuses about various parts of high school softball. The titles read like grievances but the blogs actually say things like: "This game is what YOU make it, not what someone else makes it. Any given day YOU are in complete control of how you approach the game, how you approach your teammates and how you approach becoming the best player you can possibly be. High school softball is preparing you for the next level of softball for you in college or the next level of your life in getting a job. You must always be able to control what YOU can control, no matter what."

I will just say your posts read like "my DD did this my DD did that and her teammates suck and don't try. And when my DD's teammates aren't screwing up the umpires are missing calls". If your DD picks up on that attitude it is not helpful. Again sorry to sound harsh but pitching requires an attitude of "no excuses" in my view. Umpire calls something a ball you don't like who cares. Throw the next one where he is calling it. Outfielder misses a flyball who cares focus on the next hitter. All you can control is yourself and that next pitch, play, etc.

Take it for what it's worth. But I would REALLY recommend actually reading those blog posts. They are actually very good and I actually sent them to my own DD. :)


That was harsh. I don't think that I got the message across. I was proud of my DD for doing exactly what AS said. She focused on what she could control...regardless of what happened. The errors/umps missing calls were only statements about what happened. She came home happy with her performance, and not one negative statement about her team/teammates/umps/coaches. Sorry if I didn't get that message across...I was proud of how she carried herself and how she did her job/focused on what she could control. AND she was a team player. She did her best to pick up others, cheer for others, etc. There is just so much more to the picture than I felt I need to describe...

I hate social media for this reason...being misunderstood.

Also, I think Amanda was not talking about the actual grievances but rather what you should do to counter the grievances...hence them being titled that way. I did read them. -_-
 
Last edited:

JAD

Feb 20, 2012
8,231
38
Georgia
My DD's first TB HC had a great saying..."control what you can control" and "what was the least important pitch - the last one, what is the most important pitch - the next one"!
 

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