Politics in high school softball suck!

I think a lot of parents need to ask themselves the question: "would my DD be better off playing JV or sitting on the varsity bench". I have always been a big fan of playing time, and especially circle time for a pitcher in TB and I imagine HS ball will be the same. A girl may be a great catcher, but if there is already a great catcher on varsity, wouldn't she be better off catching JV?

When I was in high school, 9th and 10th grade were JV and 11th and 12th were varsity. Occasionally a stud would play up after the JV season, but it was rare. It seems like now parents consider it an insult to play JV and everyone thinks their kid should make varsity. LOL

MsDinosaur said:

Your daughter played great ball, Pdiddy.

I'm glad that my old alma mater, THS, didn't keep Parker down on JV her freshman year. She took them to state and won it this year, of course. Sadly, once she leaves, they may never see state again.

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Have you let her teammates know what a bunch of losers they are? It sounds like they might as well give up the sport. I mean, she took them to state and won it all for them. She can't carry them forever. Clearly there will never be anyone as good as her to play the sport at that school. Ever.

Sorry. You may not really be that arrogant, but that's how your post came across to me.

JAD said:

I think a lot of parents need to ask themselves the question: "would my DD be better off playing JV or sitting on the varsity bench". I have always been a big fan of playing time, and especially circle time for a pitcher in TB and I imagine HS ball will be the same. A girl may be a great catcher, but if there is already a great catcher on varsity, wouldn't she be better off catching JV?

When I was in high school, 9th and 10th grade were JV and 11th and 12th were varsity. Occasionally a stud would play up after the JV season, but it was rare. It seems like now parents consider it an insult to play JV and everyone thinks their kid should make varsity. LOL

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This is an outstanding perspective. Part of it is due to the age groups in TB. Parents get used to seeing their DD be one of the best players in a group of players that is close in age. HS has a much larger age spread. So the incoming freshman SS, that was one of the best in the 14's is headed against one of the best SS's from the 16's and one of the best from the 18's. But Mom doesn't see that. Mom just knows that her DD has always been the best.

I remember a Freshman BBall player that was moved up to varsity. Her parents were so proud. She played about 5 minutes per game. Meanwhile her classmates played JV and got significantly better because they had significant game time. Who really had the better year?

Country Boy said:

Have you let her teammates know what a bunch of losers they are? It sounds like they might as well give up the sport. I mean, she took them to state and won it all for them. She can't carry them forever. Clearly there will never be anyone as good as her to play the sport at that school. Ever.

Sorry. You may not really be that arrogant, but that's how your post came across to me.

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That's sure not what I meant! You seem to have a habit of assuming the worst of people from their posts; perhaps it's due to the lack of all the other cues the internet strips away. There are other fine girls on that team (I think another one also made all-metro and a third all-metro second team) and have been in the past too, but it happens that my old high school is landlocked and in a part of the county that was developed long ago. It's generally the newer areas where all the growth is that have the higher concentrations of kids. It's simple math. More kids = more athletes in your programs = more competitive teams. This particular pitcher is VERY good (committed to play for Coach Gasso at Oklahoma), good enough to overcome the math.

MsDinosaur said:

Your daughter played great ball, Pdiddy.

I'm glad that my old alma mater, THS, didn't keep Parker down on JV her freshman year. She took them to state and won it this year, of course. Sadly, once she leaves, they may never see state again.

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thank you....and LOL, you never know about that....THS is my alma mater too and still has some really good players...but my daughter goes to Lee's Summit High School....but Paige Parker would could have started varsity as a 7th grader and is committed to the University of Oklahoma and will be the next K Ricketts for them starting in 2015....she is on another level and easily the top player in the state and probably the midwest...

Country Boy said:

Have you let her teammates know what a bunch of losers they are? It sounds like they might as well give up the sport. I mean, she took them to state and won it all for them. She can't carry them forever. Clearly there will never be anyone as good as her to play the sport at that school. Ever.

Sorry. You may not really be that arrogant, but that's how your post came across to me.

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The pitcher / 3 hole hitter she was referring to didn't win it all by herself, she had help obviously....but I think they would all agree they wouldn't have won it without her is what I think she meant and that the talent level of that kid doesn't come around very offen....

JAD said:

I think a lot of parents need to ask themselves the question: "would my DD be better off playing JV or sitting on the varsity bench". I have always been a big fan of playing time, and especially circle time for a pitcher in TB and I imagine HS ball will be the same. A girl may be a great catcher, but if there is already a great catcher on varsity, wouldn't she be better off catching JV?

When I was in high school, 9th and 10th grade were JV and 11th and 12th were varsity. Occasionally a stud would play up after the JV season, but it was rare. It seems like now parents consider it an insult to play JV and everyone thinks their kid should make varsity. LOL

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I think all DFP girls should make varsity!

JV level play around here is, frankly, laughable. Any good 14B team could beat most of the JV teams here. Personally, I would rather have my DD sit the bench and see the varsity game with the opportunity to maybe play than play/pitch a JV game. Circle time is good but if you learn bad habits because of low level hitting it can actually move a pitcher backwards.

LeftiesDad said:

JV level play around here is, frankly, laughable. Any good 14B team could beat most of the JV teams here. Personally, I would rather have my DD sit the bench and see the varsity game with the opportunity to maybe play than play/pitch a JV game. Circle time is good but if you learn bad habits because of low level hitting it can actually move a pitcher backwards.

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Actually it's the same around here. I think our JV has lost 3 games in the last 4 years. Our varsity team has several 18u A players, so I'd rather her practice with them for sure even if she sits.

LeftiesDad said:

JV level play around here is, frankly, laughable. Any good 14B team could beat most of the JV teams here. Personally, I would rather have my DD sit the bench and see the varsity game with the opportunity to maybe play than play/pitch a JV game. Circle time is good but if you learn bad habits because of low level hitting it can actually move a pitcher backwards.

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Sorry if I'm so slow. But what bad habits can a pitcher pick up by pitching to bad hitters?

This just goes against everything I have ever learned about pitching. Everything I have learned says you have to do it to get better. I can think of a lot of things to do to challenge a pitcher that is overmatched with the hitters, but sitting, that just seems wrong.

Not trying to be difficult. I would just like to know what I am missing.