Anyone gearing up for HS Softball tryouts?

[MsDinosaur]

I wish we played in the fall. Much better weather. Our girls sometimes play in the snow here, just to get the games in!

We play in the fall here and yes, it is much easier to get the games in. The weather was horrible here last spring and the softball season on the Kansas side (where sb is a spring sport) was a big mess. I wouldn't think it would matter much in the warm weather states, but I don't quite get why so many cold weather states try to squeeze their softball season into the spring. If the weather isn't reliable enough to play regularly until mid-April, there's almost no time for a season. JMHO.

I can't wait to see DD gearing up for HS softball tryouts. Her freshman season is just a little over half a year away now. Whoa!

 

[iMlearning]

tryouts

I'm already getting nervous for tryouts and it's not until the end of February! Last year DD was told she'd most likely be on varsity and we really got our hopes up. They hadn't taken a freshman in many years and were coming off an undefeated season. She ended up getting hurt before tryouts, we rushed her back and she got re injured and missed all but 3 games. Live and learn

 

[slingnit]

So sorry for you !!!

Spring High School softball is the absolute best. Teams play for their community, and if successful, make it on the national stage, Spring softball mimics the college softball game, has the press behind them 100%. What is accomplished in high school (especially spring) MATTERS.

The players play for rings, headlines, and if you are good (or lucky), a trip to the Statehouse, or a proclamation by state government. they play for GLORY, and pride for the folks they grew up with.

I am a high school softball fanatic. We are getting prepared. The parents and players are starting to get really excited. WOW ... it will be a blast. Parents are taking fellow players out to the cage. College coaches are visiting as advisers. The "buzz" is accelerating ... so much different ... and so much better than what travel folks can even think about, much less understand, farther yet to glorify.

The next 5 months is what I live for.

If you think that playing in the spring instead of fall makes it a greater event then you are nuts. Regardless of when it is played, it is played for the same reason. Saying it matters more because it is the spring? That makes no sense. Having the press back you is a ego boost for parents, players not too concerned. "I was on the news? Cool", life goes on. And regardless of when we play, we get to play at the HOF stadium(except for this year, renovations), so SORRY FOR YOU! HS ball is SO OVERRATED! Butt kissing parents that run the booster club, politics, and all the other BS that goes with it. It also means no school ball interfering with TB practices right before the summer starts(unless your school still has slow pitch AND you play it). Also fall ball means that college coaches are not in the middle if their season and can make MORE recruiting trips to HS games. But I could care less for HS ball or when it is played, now it is time to play last year of TB and get ready for the BIG stage !!!

The next 5 years are what she has worked for and I live for!!

 

[sluggers]

But I could care less for HS ball or when it is played, now it is time to play last year of TB and get ready for the BIG stage !!!

The next 5 years are what she has worked for and I live for!!

Without an audience, the size of the stage doesn't matter. And...softball has no audience.

 

[softballdad97]

Sometimes teammates can make it hard on underclassmen that take starting spots from upperclassmen, regardless of obvious ability differences.

How true is that. My DD made Varsity as a Freshman one of only 5 in program history and started most every game in the outfield and batted in the three-hole nearly all year. Her natural position is catcher but the starter at catcher was a junior and All-Area player of the year and batted cleanup. Some of the upperclassmen were real crappy to her even though she was a huge asset to the team and helped them win regionals and on to the sectionals in one of the top conferences and areas in the entire state. At one point she fell into a slump and was real down because of the way a couple upperclassmen were not talking to her and made her feel like an outsider, everyone wants to feel acceptance. Head coach even approached my DW and asked why DD acted as if she didn't even want to be there. DW told him she was shutting down because she didn't feel accepted and her teammates were not making her feel welcome. So it can be very difficult playing up as a freshman. I have been preaching to my DD that if an underclassmen makes the team at some point in her HS career that she takes that girl under her wing and protects her from any upperclassmen that may make it hard on that kid.

 

[John T]

DD is a Junior and will be the #1 pitcher in the Spring. We are just getting into the off season workouts as she takes a few months off. Will throw, hit and field 2-3 days a week until March when the HS seasons starts. Games will happen when the weather allows..28 below zero last night so we are a long way from playing on dirt.

Looking forward to the season.

 

[Eric F]

My 15yo DD has been away from softball for over a year after a shoulder injury. To replace softball, she went to cheerleading at her HS, and loves it, but she still misses softball. With football season being over, and basketball season not yet started, she has a break from cheer and has been practicing with her HS softball team. Despite being away from the sport for a while, and her skills not back up to par, she was quickly asked by the coach to be a part of the Varsity team for a 3-weekend tournament starting this coming weekend. Unfortunately, this has a lot more to do with the mediocre level of the team than my DD's prowess on the field. There are a couple of girls on the team who can't throw as hard as my 9yo, and a LOT of girls who need serious help with the right way to swing a bat. She's very happy to be on the field again. To me, that matters most of all.

We'll see how things go when cheer kicks back up again. I predict that my DD will have to make a tough decision for herself.

 

[slingnit]

Without an audience, the size of the stage doesn't matter. And...softball has no audience.

That is dumber than saying HS school ball means more when it is played in the spring! Granted it is not comparable to football in popularity but the size of the stage is all relative to what you are comparing it to. I guess if you never played in a HS state championship and then you finally play there your senior year. For some that would be the BIG STAGE(I just dislike HS ball). Other than playing in the Olympics(which will not be a possibility for kids my dd's age) having a chance to play in the WCWS woul be the largest stage(BIG STAGE) in womens softball. Somewhere around 200,000 posts on this site alone, this year was the highest attendance ever for a WCWS, this year was the most games aired ever for women's sb and about 2.25 million kids that play fastpitch every year. So i would say that is a somewhat of an audience.

 

[SCDad]

We had 1,500 paying audience fans for our home spring HS championship game, and a televised broadcast. Still can be seen, if you know where to look.

Biggest stage yet for us.

 

[slingnit]

That would be about half our town. Lol