HS Ball Check in...How's it going?

[Jquick823]

The only advice I can give you is what I learned spending time in some really bad places - Embrace The Suck.

I've been to those places as well over the last 15 years. I just truly feel for all the girls. I went to practice yesterday to just monitor to make sure he didn't take it out on them. It's sad.

 

[iMlearning]

Our HS varsity hit lots of home-runs early in the season. Now it seems everybody is popping up.

This happens when they start swinging for the fences after they've tasted how good it feels!

 

[Eric F]

15yo DD's JV game last night was a combination of pain and joy. She was the only pitcher available, and struggled through 5 very long innings, giving up 21 runs. When she misses the strike zone, it's not by much, and she didn't have a lot of walks (for a new pitcher), but the defense was TERRIBLE. For some reason I don't understand, the coach never puts the best defensive infielders behind my DD. In the last 2 innings, my DD was nearly in tears between innings because her arm was hurting so badly. However, she's not a quitter, and did her best on every pitch.

At the plate, my DD has been struggling to find some consistency, and has been K-ing a lot. Yesterday, however, she found her stroke and hit the ball hard in each of her 3 ABs - a hard line drive to 2B, a single to R, and a ground-rule double to RC. It was awesome - and relieving - to see her hitting take a big step forward. She has really needed that confidence boost. Unfortunately, the rest of her team didn't have the same kind of success.

 

[Pdiddy]

I'm glad you allowed room for ''different strokes'' because I do think there's an argument to be made - and I'm not sure I'll survive the stoning that I will receive for posing it -- for the idea that it's not all about playing the very best player and winning, and that there's something to be said for letting seniority and experience in the program count for something when making roster and lineup decisions.

If I were a HS coach and I had a senior who'd been in the program since she was a freshman, I would have no problem starting her over a freshman who might be slightly more talented. If it cost me a game, I'll live with it. I wouldn't regret giving that senior one season as a starter because of what she's learn from it. It is a school. It's not a professional sports club. (Sorry if I just made someone puke.)

My DD next year probably will be the best 9th grader at her high school. The 10th grade will have 12 travel-ball players, none of which made the varsity this year as freshmen. IMO, my DD is better than those 12 by a smidgeon and will be one of the best 14 players at the school. But if she loses a spot to an older player that played JV or varsity before here who is almost as good, I think my DD will understand. So will I. She gets the seniority thing and is OK with it, as long as she gets the same benefits when she's older. Now if she's a LOT better and they keep a rec player over here, well, that's different. So I only ask that people don't exaggerate my point of view and accuse me of going strictly by seniority. Winning is important. Just saying that it's not everything in high school.

I know I said "I wouldn't do it"...I still get "the HS experience" and "program" thingy and would hope that most parents would understand and accept that, with some programs, winning is not the #1 goal....

 

[Doug Romrell]

This happens when they start swinging for the fences after they've tasted how good it feels!

Yes.... and it will be the reason they don't go as far as they think they can. Base hits with high batting averages are key to a successful team, particularly at the HS and TB levels.

 

[iMlearning]

tonight's game

Well DD sat the bench tonight and they tried someone else at 3rd. That didn't work out to well for them. Fortunately her batting is turning around and she went 3 for 3 with one close to being out of the park. Won 15 -0.

 

[Greenmonsters]

Well DD sat the bench tonight and they tried someone else at 3rd. That didn't work out to well for them. Fortunately her batting is turning around and she went 3 for 3 with one close to being out of the park. Won 15 -0.

Congrats to your DD - tell her to keep banging and make the most of her opportunities. IMO, a coach with an agenda may be able to overlook or convince themself that differences in defensive ability are negligible as there are less metrics to quantify performance, but when it comes to hitting, the near universal truth is that "If you hit, you will play."

 

[ms244]

After starting off 4-0 in her first 4 starts this year my DD dropped her next two. She didn't make it out of the 2nd inning in either game and gave up 5 home runs in the process. After her last game she told me on the way home to call our pitching coach and make an appointment, something doesn't feel right. She had a 1 hour lesson with her on Thursday and today pitched 6 innings before giving way to a relief pitcher. She ended up with 5K 3BB and left with our team up 5-0. She looked more confident on the mound and rebounded from 2 poor games last week. Freshman is learning fast how to throw to Senior players!

 

[Larrry D]

My freshman DD has been given a varsity jersey and moved up but will still get lots of JV innings on the mound which is good. Kind of a bucket list thing to have the girls on varsity together. They were rained out of a triple header yesterday. Team is 3-1 so far

 

[Michael N]

DD had an accident at school and has been out with a concussion for the last week and a half . We are hoping she will be back by the end of the week . Team is struggling to put together wins but keeping it interesting . Hopefully they can get it going in the second half of the season and make it to the post season .