Alabama high school softball "outside participation rule"

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Mar 20, 2012
131
16
Sacramento, CA
While it is convenient to rationalize the surrender of personal freedoms, and abdicate your role of as a parent for the collective good, that is a very slippery slope from which there is no return. It is very disturbing that the State is making decisions about what a student may or may not do outside the prevue of the school. But much more disturbing is those who accept and even relish intrusion.

And then there are those of us that absolutely despise that the schools think they own our kids. Here is a paragraph I copied straight from the local district's Parent Information Packet:

Confidential Medical Services: Pupils enrolled in grades 7 through 12 may be excused from school
by school authorities for the purpose of obtaining confidential medical services without the consent of
the pupil’s parent. Education Code § 46010.1.

And there is nothing I can do about it other than raise a responsible young adult.

As for the OP - 16u & 18u travel ball go dark during the high schools season around here.
 
Nov 26, 2010
4,784
113
Michigan
This

Not to mention, northern states don't play anywhere near 50 games in school ball, not even half. Especially this yr with the weather

We live in Michigan. Our schedule has 40 games. We play 3 games during the week plus several weekend tourneys. We might not play 50+ games. But it's not because our schedule is spread out it's because the weather causes our season to start later. In season we Re far too busy to play any more then we do right now
 
Jan 22, 2011
1,610
113
New York State had this rule when I was in high school in the early 80's. Surprised people are surprised rules like this exist.
 
Jun 22, 2008
3,731
113
Arizona has the rule and club ball for 16's and 18's shuts down from Feb 1 to the end of school playoffs.
 
Feb 3, 2011
1,880
48
On Thursdays, one of my basketball players has school soccer practice right after school from 3-4:15, then comes from there directly to basketball practice from 4:30 til about 6 and then goes immediately to softball practice until 8 or so. Our basketball team is a just-above-rec team with only 2-1/2 hours of practice a week, playing in a comp league on Friday nights. Her softball team is competitive with 2 practices a week, playing 3 tourneys a month.

I don't know where the time is either. Most of my players are in 6th grade.
 

Slappers

Don't like labels
Sep 13, 2013
417
0
Dumfries, VA
There is no rule in VA like that.

"students have the right to simultaneously participate on a school team and a community team. However, in the event of a scheduling conflict, the school team commitment must come first. A high school coach may not have a rule about this matter, or suggest to athletes that they not participate on an independent team."

Travel sports have not made school teams obsolete.
 
Jun 1, 2013
847
18
Alabama is not what I consider a strong softball state. Many of you are looking at it from a softball perspective but softball or TB softball has not "caught on" in most of Alabama. Sure there are teams in B'ham, Montgomery, Florence, and Huntsville but that is about it. I think this law is more about the male sports basketball and baseball.
I am sure some of these softball franchises would love to see sports taken out of schools. $1200/player and an unlimited amount of players, who wouldn't? The problem is when you don't have people that can afford that. High School sports is probably the only place or the first place that most kids are introduced to the strange notion that only the best take the field. You start wanting to put high school sports into rec centers then get ready for a whole bunch of "participation trophies" and equal playing time nonsense. Did someone really suggest that? The way I see the rule is that it is there to protect the player and school sport.
 
Jan 18, 2010
4,284
0
In your face
Alabama is not what I consider a strong softball state. Many of you are looking at it from a softball perspective but softball or TB softball has not "caught on" in most of Alabama. Sure there are teams in B'ham, Montgomery, Florence, and Huntsville but that is about it. I think this law is more about the male sports basketball and baseball.
I am sure some of these softball franchises would love to see sports taken out of schools. $1200/player and an unlimited amount of players, who wouldn't? The problem is when you don't have people that can afford that. High School sports is probably the only place or the first place that most kids are introduced to the strange notion that only the best take the field. You start wanting to put high school sports into rec centers then get ready for a whole bunch of "participation trophies" and equal playing time nonsense. Did someone really suggest that? The way I see the rule is that it is there to protect the player and school sport.

Yes there are 2 sides of that fence. The good HS programs and the bad. We had a good HS experience, 3 consecutive trips to State which meant exciting seasons. Winning makes it easier to be supportive and positive about the situation. Less talented schools, when we played them, you could "feel" the misery from their parents and players. Like they couldn't wait for it to be over. Losing makes it harder to be supportive.

Though I enjoyed every inning of every game of HS ball, we are on the opposite side of the fence now with DD's college team, and it sucks. I know why some dislike HS ball when you're in a bad school or district. All I can say is, if we kept score like golf, we would be national champions. :(
 

Cannonball

Ex "Expert"
Feb 25, 2009
4,854
113
While it is convenient to rationalize the surrender of personal freedoms, and abdicate your role of as a parent for the collective good, that is a very slippery slope from which there is no return. It is very disturbing that the State is making decisions about what a student may or may not do outside the prevue of the school. But much more disturbing is those who accept and even relish intrusion.

Screw that. If you don't like it, take your kid off of the high school team. Nothing is being stolen from you.
 

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