Georgia reinstates slow pitch into high schools

[SoGASoftball]

There's a state law that says you have to offer any sport in which college scholarships can be won, provided that enough students show an interest.

Can you point me to this law? We have some friends who have campaigned for wrestling in their school and been unsuccessful.

 

[MTR]

I have pictures with the short-shorts and trucker hats to prove it! I'll spare all here.

C'mon, you know that is just common attire for young women in GA

 

[JAD]

Is SP played on a 200' fence? Do they use restricted flight balls? If it is anything like front toss BP there could be a lot of dingers! Is bunting allowed? Stealing?

 

[YOCOACH]

If SP was the only only game in town, I would expect it to be played at a high level and intense, not sure it would be as competitive if you took all the Fp players out.

I think you misunderstood. It's the only league in the area that offers SP and FP. Every other league offers FP only with the exception of 1 SP only league and 1 league the next town over.

 

[CoogansBluff]

Is SP played on a 200' fence? Do they use restricted flight balls? If it is anything like front toss BP there could be a lot of dingers! Is bunting allowed? Stealing?

No bunting, no stealing. I watched a few slow pitch games in Georgia when it was a high school sport. The pitches were high arched. Teams would score in double digits if they were good. Seems I remember 4 outfielders. The ball was different, though not sure if it were livelier or not. No raised seems, perhaps. The games I saw were played at a park, not on the high school field, so that might suggest that the field dimensions were different, but I don't know.

I remember about 10 years ago, South Cobb won a state title w/ a bunch of girls who were on a travel team together that played all over the South. That area had thriving slow pitch back in the day at Sweetwater Park and places like that. Then, when that class of players graduated, the program went from A-level travel to rec ball overnight. The parks had switched to fastpitch, and at some, there was no softball offered at all. They had girls trying out who didn't have their own glove. They went from state champs to not having a team in about 2 years.

 

[CoogansBluff]

Can you point me to this law? We have some friends who have campaigned for wrestling in their school and been unsuccessful.

I'll have to research that. This was something that was told to me a few years ago by an athletic director in Georgia.

 

[CoogansBluff]

Can you point me to this law? We have some friends who have campaigned for wrestling in their school and been unsuccessful.

Here we go. Found this in a gender equity document issued by Georgia Department of Education. But, apparently it applies to sports for which you can win scholarships at Georgia public colleges and universities, not national. With further research, I see that no public Georgia colleges offer wrestling, only a handful of private Georgia colleges do so.

https://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-In...ender Equity/Geneder Equity Manual (2015).pdf

F. Offer "scholarship sports"
"If a local school system sponsors an athletic activity or sport at a particular school that is
similar to a sport for which an institution in the University System of Georgia offers an
athletic scholarship, it must sponsor the athletic activity or sport for which a scholarship
is offered at that school." For example, slow-pitch softball is a sport similar to fast-pitch
softball, for which the University System offers a scholarship. Although a local school
system is required to offer the similar "scholarship sport", it may also continue to offer
the non-"scholarship sport" at its discretion. Therefore, under the example, a local school
system may offer both fast-pitch and slow-pitch softball if it chooses. This provision in
the law does not affect academic requirements for participation. If there is insufficient
interest in the sport based on a survey, the school is not required to provide this. (see
below) (O.C.G.A §20-2-315(f)(1) and (f)(2))

G. Conduct an athletic interest survey
A local school system must conduct a bona fide interest survey in a school to determine
the level of interest in certain sports at the request of nine students at such school, but no
more frequently than once every 12 months. (see Section III of this manual for
information regarding the athletic interest survey) (O.C.G.A §20-2-315(f)(3))

 

[reagansdaddy]

I also wonder if some sneaky fast-pitch coach might not use it as extra fastpitch practice. Just practice like it's fastpitch to 10 weeks and show up for games with the intent of just having a good time.

The fact that it was apparently tied to a release announcing the approval of spring football made me think that the GHSA might even be intending that outcome.

 

[Mom_Coach_Fan]

Is SP played on a 200' fence? Do they use restricted flight balls? If it is anything like front toss BP there could be a lot of dingers! Is bunting allowed? Stealing?

This is what I found on iScore - Slowpitch Softball Rules & Regulations | iSport.com

Results of a quick google search. Would seem that FP fields are not big enough?

 

[Crystal Brown]

When we were stationed in Italy, up until the age of 13 slow pitch was all they had. There were no stealing, dropped 3rd ball rule,sliding was out of the question (at the time, they only had dirt around the pithers mound on the field where they practiced.)The season lasted 2 months and if a lot of girls were interested in playing, there were only 4 teams. They still had fun and my daughter learned that she enjoyed pitching…and yes, in slow pitch, she struck many batters out.
We loved going to Aviano(where this game was played) to play, not only it was the closest place to buy Starbucks, they also had a dirt field and no of the infield had to worry about tripping on hidden potholes or the balls taking weird bounces.
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