Middle School Softball

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Jun 20, 2012
438
18
SoCal
I've noticed in some threads that some areas have MS softball. How popular is this? Is it usually ran in the fall or in the spring? Is it run similar to a HS program (tryouts or anyone can join?)? Is it free to the students, or is there some fee? Is the coach usually a parent or a school employee? I find this very intriguing and wonder if a similar program could be started in my area to help prepare girls for HS ball. Of the 5 high schools in our HS district, 2 have rec softball programs nearby feeding them players, the other 3 don't. You can guess who the top 2 teams are for the last decade. Maybe MS fall ball (so as not to interfere with the rec ball leagues in the spring) can help to even the playing field and draw more participation from those areas of the city that have low rec ball participation rates. Anybody have any experience starting this off?
 
Jun 20, 2012
438
18
SoCal
I'm in the LA-SoCal area, so inclement weather isn't that big a factor here. I've already created a fall ball league for our rec ball program, so I have no problem putting in the work. I just would like to know the basic framework.
 
May 7, 2008
8,506
48
Tucson
In both states that I have lived, AZ and IL. there is MS softball. It depends on the individual school, whether they take all comers or whether there are tryouts. In my experience, the coaches have been teachers. Some schools are very competitive and make cuts.

The fee would be the same as for any school sport, but that too is left up to the district.
 
Jan 18, 2010
4,284
0
In your face
Ours runs in the spring. We have volleyball and basketball in the fall.

MS cost us $350 a player.

Tryouts.

Coach must be employee of the school, state rules. AC coaches do not, but they must be certified. ( easy to do ) Most state boards have the qualification online, you can do it from home.

You need to go to your state governing body of the NFHS for all the red tape details, online. The principle will have to sign off on forms, small yearly fees, etc.
 
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Jan 24, 2011
1,157
0
MS softball is in the Spring here (but in another area about 90 miles away , they play MS in the Fall). DD goes to a school where they have both a JV and Varsity team. There is no fee to play sports (MS or HS)
 
Last edited:
Oct 11, 2010
8,337
113
Chicago, IL
I just can speak for my DD’s MS Team.

Some practices end of July, all 13 games were in August then the season was over. Softball practice and games started a few weeks before school started. Not much of a time commitment.

There was a 6th/7th and a 7th/8th grade Team both Teams had 2 coaches that all are facility members. For what it is worth our school, and the schools DD played, all had at least 1 female coach.

DD’s paid $60; I think they call it a uniform fee. Actual costs needed to be a lot more for the coach’s time, field maintenance, bus to the away game, umps, etc.

DD’s Team did have tryouts and cut a few players. @14 players made each Team. At least one Player that made the Team had never participated in any sport before, we did not have a very good Team.

Some Teams we played had some very good players and Teams. HC knows what schools are going beat his Team pretty good and what schools he had a chance against going into the season. It is not the other MS coaches, how are they going to teach someone how to pitch in 3 days, it is the players that tryout for their Teams. Same really good Players are at DD’s school but chose not to play. I am not sure why they will play at some schools but not another.

MS season went by really fast and DD had a great time. Not sure she learned much new, how can she in a month? I could see having a MS Team might get other Players involved in the Rec. league
 
Jul 26, 2010
3,567
0
No MS softball here, but the district just to the north of us has MS softball. Several private schools here, including the School for the Deaf, have MS teams that compete with them.

It's mostly sub-rec ball caliber play, but what it does do is bring more kids into the rec organizations to play after they get their feet wet in MS ball.

-W
 
Jun 20, 2012
438
18
SoCal
Great info, everybody. There is no intra-district sports program at my daughters' school district, so this may be something new for them to consider. Our rec ball program uses one of their school campuses as our only practice and game fields, so we are a known entity to them. I wonder if they'd be receptive to having us run this for them, and I envision we could host all (or most) of the games at that same facility with practices being held at the individual school sites. If we ran it in the fall, we would try to enlist the help of the local HS softball coaches to help train the coaches at each school. I'm just thinking out loud (on computer screen), so if something jumps out at you as not possible, let me know.
 
Jan 18, 2010
4,284
0
In your face
Great info, everybody. There is no intra-district sports program at my daughters' school district, so this may be something new for them to consider. Our rec ball program uses one of their school campuses as our only practice and game fields, so we are a known entity to them. I wonder if they'd be receptive to having us run this for them, and I envision we could host all (or most) of the games at that same facility with practices being held at the individual school sites. If we ran it in the fall, we would try to enlist the help of the local HS softball coaches to help train the coaches at each school. I'm just thinking out loud (on computer screen), so if something jumps out at you as not possible, let me know.

The school will have to buy insurance.

From experience the HS coaches usually are not very involved in the MS, maybe some scouting of incoming freshmen, but even that is limited. You may have better success being a new program.

What state do you reside? Maybe a member on here can offer some experience in your particular state.

Our state in MS, you could either play sanctioned ball or non sanctioned. Some rules apply more to sanctioned teams, because they can actually play in "playoffs" ( district / regional ). The non sanctioned can not.
 
Jun 21, 2010
481
0
Two MS is our town. The one my DD is in took all girls who wanted to play in 7th grade. 8th grade had 8 girls so some 7th graders could play up. The other MS had V and JV for each grade.

In a town 30 minutes away there is no MS softball so one of the rec coaches has put together a TB team so the girls in MS can be prepared for HS.

Cost for us is small--maybe $30 fee. Quality of players is mostly rec or below, with the exception of some girls that do TB like my DD.
 

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