YES! High School Softball discussion!

[riseball]

Free at last! Free at last! This weekend my niece informed me that she has decided to skip the nonsense her Senior year and for the first time in well over a decade I have no DD's, nieces, or other family members playing HS ball. Which leaves me free to wander about the State of Florida and watch my TB players when time permits.

 

[MsDinosaur]

If there aren't many TB players a decent TB freshman could make Varsity. DD took a starting role but got stuck with the crap work for being a freshman. She dutifully carried the ball buckets to and from the bus.

Yep, my freshman DD made it on as a starter too. She would have gotten the ball buckets, but due to having her catcher's bag also, they had her schlepping the water jug in her free hand instead. It's only right to pay your dues IMO. :-D

 

[daddiox2]

DD#1 made varsity as a freshman last year. She clearly had to pay her dues with the coach. She could out hit a third of the starting line up or more, but I didn't get involved. I told her to earn it and show your value.
She ended the season a starter.

This year new coach. DD has said she has set a goal to be a full time starter all year. She works hard for it, so I hope the new coach recognizes what she brings to the team. We agreed, she sets the goals, then go out and earn it.

Team should be better this year as well, I think our pitchers are maturing. Aside from SS, the team is mostly young.

 

[SoCalASABlue]

It's only right to pay your dues IMO. :-D

I hate that mentality. I may have other issues with DD's HS coach but playing the "pay your dues" game to massage "senioritis" egos has never been an issue...the coach makes it very clear that the best players play and that poor attitude will get you benched quicker than errors regardless of your grade year...

 

[CPEM]

DD #1 is a freshman and had her second day of tryouts today. DW was observing from a concealed recon position (her car in the parking lot) and sending me intel via an encrypted service (text messages). I told her to stay away, time for DD #1 to make her own path, but that was hard for DW who was 4 year varsity starter and 4 year all-league in her HS softball days.

DD #1's HS is not particularly strong in softball, but it has some decent players. I've heard some of the frustrations from parents of girls that were on the team last year, so I've prepped DD #1 to not be too disappointed if she doesn't make varsity right out of the gate. Heard from one girl that used to play with DD #1 that she was put on JV last year and basically took over running practice and game strategy as the "coach" was a disinterested faculty member that only wanted the stipend and spent most practices and games on his phone. So far, I've noticed that the varsity HC places far more emphasis on her volleyball and basketball teams, despite being a former D1 softball player herself. While other HS teams in the area that are more serious about softball have been conducting workouts since October or November, DD's HS did nothing and is just now starting tryouts while others had their tryouts a few weeks ago.

Well, we'll see how it goes.

 

[Country Boy]

Our athletes commit to not hazing freshman or any player, and the pledge is in writing, so all of that stuff, carrying buckets or mopping floors or whatever, is BS. Our school actually has a week of anti-bullying activities.

You will see our captains carry the buckets and equipment, voluntarily, before a freshman is forced to. It has to stop, and someone has to stand up and say it is not OK, because it creates an environment where worse things happen. So if you want to complain about a player (your DD) being ostracized and bullied as a freshman, but tolerate and find the freshman 'dues' funny, you know that is where it starts.

That's why President Obama cleans his own toilet. Because if he made someone else do it, it would be bullying. There's no possible other answer. He even washes his own car, right? Changes all the ink cartridges in printers? Or it could be he delegates to someone else.

Freshmen carrying ball buckets or water jugs is not bullying. Treating Freshmen like crap and intimidating them is bullying. The 2 are not the same.

 

[riseball]

Great point. I do not care who carries the buckets and other stuff as long as they are not a pitcher or catcher. They do more than their fair share for the team.

 

[Pdiddy]

Our athletes commit to not hazing freshman or any player, and the pledge is in writing, so all of that stuff, carrying buckets or mopping floors or whatever, is BS. Our school actually has a week of anti-bullying activities.

You will see our captains carry the buckets and equipment, voluntarily, before a freshman is forced to. It has to stop, and someone has to stand up and say it is not OK, because it creates an environment where worse things happen. So if you want to complain about a player (your DD) being ostracized and bullied as a freshman, but tolerate and find the freshman 'dues' funny, you know that is where it starts.

carrying equipment as a freshman is not hazing, nor bullying. It's just a chore, plain and simple.....and any good teammate should be able to accept it.....but I will say that it should be a coach that assigns those chores to avoid trouble and that all chores are not limited to underclassmen.....

 

[Greenmonsters]

Great point. I do not care who carries the buckets and other stuff as long as they are not a pitcher or catcher. They do more than their fair share for the team.

Interestingly enough, when its not specifically delegated, catchers and pitchers are the ones I see doing it voluntarily. Whether its an instinctual thing leftover from helping Daddy Coach or simply recognition that the task needs to be performed and shouldn't be left to a coach, I don't know. All too often the other players just trot off with their own little batpacks, blissfully ignorant that there is work to do. As noted many times before, college coaches are always looking for clues as to a player's attitude, work ethic, coachability etc., While picking up the trash in the dugout or carrying the equipment won't get you a scholarship, it won't lose you one either...

 

[SB23]

Great point. I do not care who carries the buckets and other stuff as long as they are not a pitcher or catcher. They do more than their fair share for the team.

You daughter must be a pitcher or catcher ! LOL