YES! High School Softball discussion!

[KCPRK]

It is the biggest recruiting period because most everyone plays then, I would submit the best period is in the fall when college coaches actually have the time to go see players.

College softball teams play games and tourneys in the fall.

 

[MsDinosaur]

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...

I meant it was only right for her to pay her dues by taking on team chores, not that I'd be happy to see her pay her dues by sitting the bench even if better than an upperclassman. DD's a good catcher. She started. She also carried the water jug all season, which was fine by me.

DD mentioned that there was a senior who had to carry ball buckets and wasn't that happy about it, but that senior hadn't gone out for the team the previous year and so, had no "seniority" when it came to the carrying duties.

 

[MsDinosaur]

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.

I just don't think they're the same thing, OILF. The upperclassmen were all very nice to DD and included her in all the team sleepovers, etc. As far as I know, there was no ostracism or bullying whatsoever. I'm a big fan of those upper class girls on her team!

 

[iMlearning]

tryouts etc...

We finally finished tryouts which were unfortunately indoors. DD is really excited about the talent the varsity team has this year. I have mixed feelings about her tryouts. She only did fielding for about a total of 30 minutes and very little hitting. She spent a lot of her time catching, which is great, but they had her helping the JV players with hitting the rest. So on one hand I loved that she had that opportunity, on the other, I like her getting in reps. We got to squeeze in an hour of hitting in the cages when school got canceled though.
I saw one school had the girls shovel the snow off the field for their workout. We got another 10+ this weekend.

 

[Cannonball]

I'd like to say what I really think in this thread but some of you think I'm a good guy and so I don't want to destroy that illusion. As an FYI, I know this one girl who was picked on by some seniors who assigned her duties in front of her mom and dad that caused her to miss a good deal of the senior day meal/activities while all the rest of the team ate/did activities. I am still furious about that. (Nice cleaned up version.)

Per Freshmen carrying the stuff, really, that is bullying??? Come on!

On my home and away game sheets that I posted for those games, all duties are outlined. For example, any carrying of stuff was left to whomever I assigned. However, my coach's bag was assigned to senior pitchers. No, they never carried it. They were to make sure I had it. So, whomever had that duty had to ask me if I had the bag before the bus left on away games and was to make sure I had it ready in the corner of the dugout (they sat it there ) before they left home games. Seniors didn't carry anything. They had other duties. Juniors, Sophomores and Freshmen carried stuff and rotated per a schedule I made. The more valuable the item was the higher up the class ladder it was assigned. Catchers and Pitcher were treated differently and were assigned stuff like the home plates, tape measure for distance, ...

Good luck to all of you getting to enjoy HS softball. Take it for what it is worth and enjoy the moment. I have been helping some in our tryouts and may show up from time to time to help out if approved by the school board. I have missed it greatly.

 

[riseball]

...I never said you can't do what you want, but with the 30% drop in organized softball participants in our country, we want all the freshman we can get. So if you want to send the sport, and all sports, down the drain quicker, go ahead.

Another gem of softball insight from chicken little. Once again you are taking information out of context to fit your self serving agenda. Become part of the solution and do not remain part of the problem.

 

[chinamigarden]

It's against our rules to practice prior to tryouts as a team

Workouts are limited prior to the season. I think the coaches can't practice with more then 4 girls at the same time. Our tryouts begin tomorrow.

 

[Jquick823]

Today is day 1 of MS tryouts for my DD. Tryouts were supposed to start last Monday but we had a Hurricane here in the Mid Atlantic. yes a Hurricane, you know where tryouts get canceled Monday and Tuesday without reason just to find out the coaches were all fired Tuesday night and a new coach hired Tuesday night. I don't have a problem with the coaching change it was very much needed, but timing couldn't have been worse.

I met the new coach last Wednesday and she is motivated and has experience so that's a plus. I asked why the school took so long to make a decision and of course it was political. I wonder if this type of delay would happen in football or wrestling in my area considering they are the most popular sports.

Anyway Good luck to all on the upcoming season. I look forward to all the success stories.

 

[cuzmail]

You daughter must be a pitcher or catcher ! LOL

Your DD must not be a pitcher or catcher!

 

[John T]

Checking in here at the tip of Lake Superior...sunny and 55 the last two days (Got me a sunburn ice fishing), no snow on the fields, new turf baseball field clear of snow and warm weather in the forecast for the next week! Life is good... maybe, just maybe we will have a good weather year. Tryouts start on Monday and the girls are ready to go.

Love reading all of your posts this time of year!