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Jul 14, 2017
181
28
I’d love feedback/insight from those who are HS coaches. Why choose a freshman for varsity, if they are given very few opportunities to prove themselves? And even when they do rise to the occasion, little, if any changes are made? In all honesty, this is what I expected going in, but I hoped to be proven wrong. Luckily, DD has a better and more mature attitude towards the situation and feels like she is paying her dues.


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Apr 28, 2014
2,316
113
Not a coach here but DD is a Fresh pitching on a team with almost all upperclassmen. There are two other freshman who I would say are a rung below her. DD has pitched 11 games and one of the other freshman has pitched 1. DD is doing well (better than I expected) but... I wish coach would start one of the other two, to give DD a day off. She pitched 4 games this week and won 3.. but by the last game final inning she was dragging. Next week 4 more. So it may not be just about the age but also about what the coach sees.
 
Jun 11, 2012
741
63
DD is now a senior but was on varsity as a freshman and started. As did 3 other freshmen because a large class had graduated and they were all good (all will be playing in college). The following year the coach put 2 freshmen on varsity and they did nothing but pinch run, the following year 3 freshmen all starters. This year no freshmen although one is being brought up from JV because a senior started is injured. The 2 that just pinch ran still just pinch run as juniors. Both would have benefited from JV where they would have gotten playing time but they were much better than the JV team, just not better than the girls starting. The only benefit they have gotten is practicing with the varsity girls. We’ve been lucky to have a strong core of travel players for the past few years, unfortunately the next 2 years doesn’t have a lot of softball players
 
Jun 6, 2016
2,714
113
Chicago
It's possible a Freshman on a Varsity team who plays sparingly is still getting more playing time than if she were on the JV team since Varsity teams tend to play many more games. She's also likely playing better (maybe a lot better) competition, so maybe she's getting fewer reps, but they could be better reps.

Some see value in sitting the bench and watching games, though I tend to think that mostly helps when a player is brand new to the sport or you're playing at a really high level and studying the nuances of the game.

Maybe she's the only suitable backup for whatever position she plays, so she's mostly there in case of emergency for this season.

Maybe most importantly: Things happen, plans change, and sometimes a decision that made perfect sense at the beginning just doesn't seem to be working. Maybe the Freshman had a great tryout but isn't progressing enough, or maybe she was penciled in for a spot but someone else took the job. Maybe the coach realized that regular playing time on the JV team would've been a better call, but at this point do you go to the player and "demote" her?

I'd focus on the fact that she made the varsity team. It means the coaches see something in her.
 
Oct 5, 2017
214
43
Western Indiana
We are a small school and do have a couple of JV games to play. With that being said there are 3 freshman starting on our varsity. We have two seniors and one junior not starting or playing much. The simple answer is the freshmen are better. When I say better they are all around better, one of them may arguably be the best on the team. The coaching staff told the girls at the beginning of the year the the best player would play.

I do not buy into the theory that seniors have paid their dues. This is a varsity sport and the best player should play. If you want to play then work harder to earn your opportunities and then when they arrive take advantage of them. Parents always change their mind on this from when their DD is a freshman to when they are a senior. As long as they are playing all is good but if they are a junior or senior and not playing it is not fair because they "paid their dues" the program owes them.

We had a sophomore parent meet the whole staff after the first game this season. He was mad because his daughter who started as a freshman last year did not start the first game of the season. (We are a whole new coaching staff BTW. So not around last year.) How can a freshman start in front of a sophomore? Does not make any sense to him. He did not understand how girls that did not even play last year could play in front of girls that did all year last year. Just think about some of that for awhile. His daughter has started every JV game and played every JV inning. I could share her stats but no need she is not better than the freshman. So are we wrong for playing the better player? Depend on what parent you ask.
 
Jul 16, 2013
4,659
113
Pennsylvania
Ultimately a high school coach's primary responsibility is the varsity program. Decisions will often be made to make that program as strong as possible. I do understand that some coaches tend to include seniority/grade level as part of the process, but I am not personally a fan of that method. If a freshman is clearly a better overall player than a senior, the freshman should be getting the playing time. That said, if the two players are essentially equal, I would lean towards the seniority. I do realize that in some cases, keeping certain players at JV would enhance the long term outlook. But that isn't always the case. And depending on the short term situation, considering long term goals may not always be possible.
 
Jan 30, 2018
252
0
SE Michigan
If they are good enough to make varsity then the coach should give them the decision to make. Tell the girl that she will play less on varsity then on JV and let her make the decision, I bet they would choose varsity most of the time. I made the varsity team in football my freshman year but decided to stay at JV to get time and play with my buddies, the coaches thought I was crazy. The only difference would be a pitcher. Our school has one freshman, and she would have been the best JV player by far. She is a catcher that plays on a very good TB team that plays a very good schedule. She sits the bench but is one of the first off of it and gets a couple at bats some games, she plays outfield.
 
Nov 26, 2010
4,784
113
Michigan
I’d love feedback/insight from those who are HS coaches. Why choose a freshman for varsity, if they are given very few opportunities to prove themselves? And even when they do rise to the occasion, little, if any changes are made? In all honesty, this is what I expected going in, but I hoped to be proven wrong. Luckily, DD has a better and more mature attitude towards the situation and feels like she is paying her dues.


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Maybe the coach feels she will get more out of practicing and being around the varsity players then she will get out of playing JV.
 

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