Making a 'Convincing' Argument

Semi-long post, but I'll get to the gist of it. I've been both an AC and HC of a 16U summer rec-league softball team in my town (most recently the HC). In the past 2 years, we've gone 0-for both seasons, but the girls have progressed and learned quite a bit, and I am excited for this upcoming season.

In Sept. I was hired as a teacher in a school district about 30 minutes away - they are state finalists in softball multiple times over the past half-dozen years, and softball is a MAJOR deal here once that rolls around. In recent years, the school has not had a JV softball team due to low numbers (the same situation has happened with other sports - the school is around 500 K-12). The AD is the Varsity HC, and another coach does Modified. I had the chance to teach some JV-level students this past fall, and many indicated they would play softball if there was a JV team made available.

Problem - the AD is VERY adamant about having a JV softball team for many reasons:
a.) He's afraid of taking numbers (potentially) away from his Varsity team,
b.) He's afraid of the team basically sucking eggs all season,
c.) He doesn't seem to think the girls will have any progression to be ready for the Varsity level.

In past years, he's been taking 9th graders (even some 8th graders) up to Varsity while the modified program suffers. I'm technically the only other coach for softball interested in coaching at the school aside from the Modified/Varsity coaches, and my hope is to get enough interest for a JV team. I'm low man on the totem pole (if the mod. coach wants to move to JV if the team was created, she has the option to do so, which makes no difference to me.) This coach (modified) is also aware of my thoughts and agrees with me very strongly.

In talking to the Varsity HC, he has said they'll approach the idea of softball around January/February or so. In the mean time, even though it's now basketball season (of which I'm coaching for that - mod. boys level), what do I do to keep the engagement level up for the idea of a JV softball team? As a teacher, I have the idea that coaching IS teaching, just different students and a different classroom. A coach IS a teacher, and I feel like our AD not giving the opportunity for a JV team sends a message that both the girls AND/OR the coaches are good enough to be trusted. Help!

We do not have any Modified softball around here so not very familiar. But I'm wondering if that's the only place your feeder system is for the varsity fastpitch? Assuming since you have no JV program then do you also not have a Junior High program? I'd say keep communication going with the mod coach and maybe you can work together to push for it. You'll have to get kid/parent backing to show you have enough kids to do the program with out cannibalizing the varsity program. Help that varsity coach/ad to see what you can do for his program. Where are you developing pitchers that have game experience?

The Junior high program essentially IS the Modified program (Modified being for 7th and 8th graders and 9th graders who don't pass the test for JV). Our goal (the mod. coach and I) isn't to take away from the Varsity program, but rather to help build up the next level of athletes that we can help become state champions. I think the other reason the Varsity coach fears us having a JV team is that he's afraid of going through the dreaded "rebuilding" years after stretches of success. But would you rather have quality athletes that have had 3-4 genuine years of progression and learning before the Varsity level, or 1-2 years before sitting the bench for 2 years until they're the only option? That's the logic we're trying to get across. The AD's a very good guy, don't get me wrong - he coaches all the Varsity Girls' sports at this school (soccer, BBL, softball), so he's passionate, and he's helped me a lot as it pertains to my coaching basketball, but there's something it doesn't seem like he's seeing. There's time still, at least.

If you have a ball and DD has a bat can you help her hitting?

I live 30 minutes away from this school, not to mention the AD's daughter, I think, is 3 or 4. His kids go to a different school, so that wouldn't have much relevance to the question I'm trying to have resolved, I think.

In areas where lots of girls want to play softball, JV is very competitive and varsity rosters are made up of mostly upperclassmen. In other areas, any girl who plays B-level TB or better will make the varsity squad. In these areas the JV teams can be really bad....

Completely agree with you, but I think there are long-term consequences. I'll give you an example - there is no JV Girls' Basketball team this year. Many of the girls who tried out, I know from having taught them this past fall. A few of them (who were 9th graders) went down to Modified for another year. A couple I know did not. When I asked them, they basically said, "If I'm not good enough for JV, why should I bother playing?" And they've stuck through with that. Who's to say IF there is a JV team next year, that they'll try out because of this logic they've adopted from the actions of those in control? I would rather coach a horrible team that I can teach to become better, even if the improvement is minimal, than a team who knows what they're doing where I have little room to have an impact. Simply having a coach who says, "Y'know what - we're not very loaded with talent, but I'm going to teach you the right way(s) to play ball so you can become better in time" can make a MAJOR impact on athletes who might not feel they're good enough. Unfortunately when you have a school who's been in state championship play in recent years, and are very concerned with winning, it becomes second nature.

I still think you must have a JV and JH fastpitch program. You need to have the feeder program, hittiers need to see the windmill style and you need your pitchers to develop or soon your Varsity is going to be playing modified as you will not have any pitching to make a competitive team.

I 100% agree, and it's not as if the Modified program will ever go away. The problem is, like I have seen in my hometown program in recent years - No JV program will mean you will have an inflated modified program where girls won't get playing time. My home school's Modified Softball team has had NO LESS than 20 girls on it the past 3 years. When you have enough girls to make line changes in a softball game, enough is too much. Yet, they won't split into 2 teams, nor will they cut at all. Very sad.

gdc03120 said:

In the mean time, even though it's now basketball season (of which I'm coaching for that - mod. boys level), what do I do to keep the engagement level up for the idea of a JV softball team? As a teacher, I have the idea that coaching IS teaching, just different students and a different classroom. A coach IS a teacher, and I feel like our AD not giving the opportunity for a JV team sends a message that both the girls AND/OR the coaches are good enough to be trusted. Help!

Click to expand...

Find some way to get the girls working in the offseason, show the AD how dedicated they are. If there's an indoor league, get them into that. If there isn't one, design an offseason workout/practice schedule (voluntary, of course) and have some upperclassmen run it. If the AD can see the girls working hard, he ought to get on board.