Politics in high school softball suck!

Country Boy said:

Assuming that the only TB players available to a HS team are freshmen, then you might be correct. A 14A team would beat many HS teams if the HS team didn't have any TB players. But in my area, most HS players are TB players.

The point is, older TB players are typically better than younger TB players. So why do parents think that their 14A DD should instantly be starting varsity when the varsity squad is made up of mostly 18A players? That's why I used the example of if the 2 teams played.

Sorry if I didn't make myself clear enough.

Click to expand...

Cannonball said:

Good points. So, when I did become the head coach of my dd's high school team, I had a parent meeting. I told them that I understood the level each and everyone of their children played. I also knew each team's/program's success. Then, I made sure to tell them that each of the varsity players had done similar when they went through. I mentioned to them that while they were involved in their child's journey, that these players potentially ahead of their child had also done similar journeys. For example, one of our players played for a program that never played in our area. Few knew her program. It is outstanding. So, the incoming parents assumed she was some one who didn't play and was only on the team due to politics. Truth be told, few of the players could make a TB team like that. Then, once I made sure that everyone understood that I knew the essentials of all of these players, I told them that the best play regardless of how many open guys they attended, regardless of what TB team they played for, regardless of what their TB stats were, and regardless of who their parents were.

Click to expand...

Country Boy said:

Assuming that the only TB players available to a HS team are freshmen, then you might be correct. A 14A team would beat many HS teams if the HS team didn't have any TB players. But in my area, most HS players are TB players.

The point is, older TB players are typically better than younger TB players. So why do parents think that their 14A DD should instantly be starting varsity when the varsity squad is made up of mostly 18A players? That's why I used the example of if the 2 teams played.

Sorry if I didn't make myself clear enough.

Click to expand...

Cannonball said:

Country Boy, I missed this post. Sorry for the tardiness of this response. While I understand your point, this situation is not as simple as it sounds. I coached both TB and was a Head Coach at the HS level. My dd played for a TB program that did strength and conditioning, speed training, skills practice for positions and hitting throughout the week. In fact, she worked out 6 days a week for TB. When she was doing that weight training, she was in a group of 3 with a former collegiate strength and conditioning coach. She was given goals she had to meet with regards to lifts, speed times, ... Her HS coach had weightlifting as well after school. They talked as much as they lifted. They never recorded the results and never had goals. When they hit after school, 30 would show up for activity in a cage with a divider and 3 stations outside the cage. It lasted an hour. In no way was the HS work equivalent. Fortunately for us, the HS coach understood that my dd was working at a very high level and did not hold it against her. Country Boy, from the tone of the quote, and I don't know you, it looks like you would not respect that work instead suggesting that these players are prima donnas. Her coach respected that she was working year around to be the best player that she was, was playing games year around and was getting extensive coaching.

Per the parent of a TB player, and I hope you can see it in my posts, we have never ever said that our dd is some stud player. We have never been that "crazy" parent who, when not talking about how great their kid is, is waiting for an opportunity to continue telling everyone how great their kid is. So, there are some of us out there that don't fit this stereotype.

I can remember when my dd made the varsity as a freshman that a parent went to the head coach and complained that they didn't have their dd go to all those open gyms to then watch a freshman pass up their child and make varsity. Thank goodness, the best played. (Oh, sorry, that sounded like I was being "that dad." ;-) )

Click to expand...

nanotech14 said:

All right, maybe I also read it wrong. The H.S. team I'm involved with only had 12 girls total and only one TB player and she was a freshman. But also was the best player on the team. This year we should have 3 girls coming up, that play TB, all freshman, only lost one girl from the team.

Click to expand...

Country Boy said:

I admire you. I am not sure I would want to coach in that environment.

How do you motivate players if they have no one behind them trying to take their position? I would assume that a couple of the 12 are only out because their friends are. So how do you make them better? I would be interested in your take.

Click to expand...

Country Boy said:

If John Wooden were coaching HS softball, he would say, "If I had to make a choice between 11 freshmen with TB experience and 11 Seniors with TB experience, I would take the Seniors."

At least I now know who on here had a 14 year old not make Varsity.

Click to expand...