High School practices

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Aug 10, 2016
686
63
Georgia
I've talked about DD's high school issues but now we are really at a point where she is saying she isn't going to do it her senior year. Some of the issues stem from barely having any time that is not softball and just the way he treats the girls. If you are a part of the "favorite" group - I think he treats you different than the rest but he does have a way about him that doesn't allow for questions and he treats some of the girls like they don't matter.

But the way he treats them isn't something I can really do much about so really my biggest question is related to practices. What is the normal practice schedule for other teams?

For DD's team during the season - Aug - Oct - he wants them 6xweek. That means after school until 5 or 530 for practices and Saturday practices. And ofc games thrown in there - usually double headers on Saturdays and the weekday games - they are there from 3pm - 9pm at least.
So homework is an issue on game days - and some weeks they had 3 games. DD gets home 930 - tries to eat dinner and does homework until 12-1am.

During off season - the spring - he wants them 4x week - less stuff - but if you are doing a spring sport, you don't have to do the workouts. Summer schedule - 3x week - it gets longer as it gets closer to the season. You are excused for travel ball ofc.

Add in travel ball practices/tournaments and DD has very little rest. Freshmen who started this year - actually got overwhelmed with the amount of practice they had to do and talked about not doing it next year - but they will - they are on big travel teams so no way they will quit - or their parents won't let them. Did have one girl who was on a nationally ranked TB - stop doing TB this season and is looking to do a spring sport - maybe to take a break from SB.

We have one girl who might go to a different school next year - another one is talking about transferring - starting pitcher has mentioned not doing it. Just a lot of talk of people not doing it next year. Which sucks for the ones that do want to come back.

Is asking the coach to lessen the practice schedule something that is okay to ask or should we just do whatever he says? I've told DD if they can get all of the girls to ask about it - then maybe he'll consider. They have their exit interviews coming up - where DD is not really sure what to tell him. The coach already has one assistant coach leaving because of how time consuming it is. I just want to know what is considered a normal schedule. (It'd be one thing if we were some amazing team who was winning championships but we aren't - but that probably just makes him want to practice more).

Sorry if it sounds like I'm whining but just curious how others do it. thx
 
May 17, 2012
2,804
113
Depending on what state you are in there could be rules on when you can and can't practice as a team (in season vs out of season).

You offseason schedule seems a little heavy from what I can tell but if it's just workouts maybe not. The in season schedule is typical. Usually there is study time built in for homework where they can.
 
Aug 10, 2016
686
63
Georgia
I think he gets around it in the spring by it being only a few girls at a time doing workouts. And other days are weight training which I don't think DD even minds. But she is in ROTC so she actually was getting 2 hrs of weight training some days in the spring.
 
May 20, 2016
433
63
Too much imo unless your DD isn't playing travel and this will be their main vehicle for recruitment. And if grades started to slip I would end it no matter what. Softball is great and all but isn't a future in it for 99.9% of the girls who play. Education though will carry you the rest of your life.

Is the team a state title contender or something? HS Softball in the northeast isn't that big of a deal so maybe others have a different perspective.
 
Aug 10, 2016
686
63
Georgia
Sounds like great preparation for future college athletes.
That's kind of what I was thinking too - like this is probably similar to college but I just don't know. Oldest DD is in college now so I do think they have a bit more free time as far as when their classes are. But SB DD would leave the house at 630am and not get home until 930ish - there wasn't a really good time to do any homework.
 
Aug 10, 2016
686
63
Georgia
Too much imo unless your DD isn't playing travel and this will be their main vehicle for recruitment. And if grades started to slip I would end it no matter what. Softball is great and all but isn't a future in it for 99.9% of the girls who play. Education though will carry you the rest of your life.

Is the team a state title contender or something? HS Softball in the northeast isn't that big of a deal so maybe others have a different perspective.
She does play travel - I just wonder if quitting high school would affect recruitment at all? It is pretty big here though - our team is in one of the biggest/hardest regions/classes in our state so not really a state title contender lately - did win national a few years back. But our region did produce the state winner this year. I think HC wants us to be that way - we have talent but other teams just have more ;)
 
Dec 2, 2013
3,410
113
Texas
That's kind of what I was thinking too - like this is probably similar to college but I just don't know. Oldest DD is in college now so I do think they have a bit more free time as far as when their classes are. But SB DD would leave the house at 630am and not get home until 930ish - there wasn't a really good time to do any homework.
HS schedule was way regimented than DD's softball/academic schedule. The difference is softball stuff interweaves into her daily schedule where classes could be sandwiched between weights, practice or bull pens. HS--for some, early workouts, all day class, then softball on the back end of the day.

I was thinking a few minutes ago. Next year your DD will be Senior. What if she finds her way into the coach's "favored" inner circle?
 
Aug 10, 2016
686
63
Georgia
HS schedule was way regimented than DD's softball/academic schedule. The difference is softball stuff interweaves into her daily schedule where classes could be sandwiched between weights, practice or bull pens. HS--for some, early workouts, all day class, then softball on the back end of the day.

I was thinking a few minutes ago. Next year your DD will be Senior. What if she finds her way into the coach's "favored" inner circle?
Obv I'm biased but if she does quit - he will have lost a pretty good player. She's a consistent hitter and had 2nd best BA on the team last season. I think that although she is not one of the national ranked players - he does think she is somewhat good. She did start pretty much every game this last season so I really don't have anything to complain about as far as playing time. I don't even know if he is really mean to her or not - we've heard it from some other girls though. And tbh - it could just be how he is - he became the HC the year DD started HS so he is all we know as far as coaching HS. I don't know what to expect - just that - no other coach does what he does - that DD has been with.

Like - I'd love to be at another team's practices to see how others do it and maybe I'm just not aware of how it's normally done.
 
Apr 20, 2015
961
93
HS was 6 days a week for us as well, practice or games depending. Off season contact days are limited in our state and our entire program plays some kind of travel ball so our coach doesn't really focus on that stuff. Nearly all of our varsity team plans to play college softball so weight training and lessons are ongoing and don't need coach intervention. HS varies so much depending on your school/area

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