Candrea Sport specialization

[Daddylawman]

I commend Riseball for thinking outside the box, but, respectfully, there is no way that happens. The coaches don't want that - even those speaking out against early verbals. The schools don't want that because it would have to apply to all sports and there is no way football and hoops let that happen.

No verbals until junior year won't work either. Since they aren't even recognized by the NCAA there would be no means to regulate or enforce it and "backdoor" deals would be all over the place. The NCAA doesn't have the time or people (or willingness to spend the money) to enforce new regulations.

IMHO there is only one realistic way to effectuate change. Coaches need to STOP respecting verbals to other schools. They need to act like football coaches and keep recruiting girls right up until they sign their NLI. "School A offered you 40% and you verballed? We'll give you 60%." Ultimately coaches will back off because there won't be any value to the early verbal except for a very small group. The best part is that 14 year olds' parents won't be spending thousands to go to all these showcases. If 14U's aren't getting offers, they're not being recruited heavily. If they're not being recruited heavily there's no market for them at showcases and college coaches will go back to watching older girls.

Is this a perfect solution? Heck no, but it's the best way to really get change. If Murphy, Walton, etc. start going after girls who already verballed the current system will breal down without any legislation or "gentlemen's agreement". If coaches start realizing this is a way to keep their jobs, they'll join the movement.

As always - worth what you paid for it.

 

[chinamigarden]

No contact with a player by a college coach until her junior year. Period. No scholly offers by a college to a player until her junior year, period. This would eliminate all of the early recruiting and would be just as easy to enforce as current rules.

Of course none of this applies to Ray Ray as she is in her own class.

 

[riseball]

No contact with a player by a college coach until her junior year. Period. No scholly offers by a college to a player until her junior year, period. This would eliminate all of the early recruiting and would be just as easy to enforce as current rules.

Of course none of this applies to Ray Ray as she is in her own class.

So no attendance of clinics either on or off campus. Correct?

 

[pdqkevin]

Youth sport specialization having major impact on Arizona softball and baseball
Arizona softball and baseball coaches concerned about overuse of high school athletes - Arizona Desert Swarm

Coach Candrea is completely correct about overuse and specialization causing injuries. I am certain that if every girl took three consecutive months a year away from softball not only would that reduce injuries but it would NOT have a negative impact on player skills both because of better health while the kids do play/practice softball and because of skills and coordination that the kids would get while playing another sport during that three month period.

What is wrong, and what so many others have correctly commented upon in this thread, is Coach Candrea and his fellow college coaches failing to accept the blame for being the sole motivating factor behind year round softball and single sport players. I have kids missing school days to be in a tournament or showcase in November, December and January, a time of the year when these kids should be storing their softball gear in the garage while they participate in basketball or volleyball or wrestling or soccer or whatever else strikes their fancy.

If the college coaches refused to attend any event unless all the participating teams have been certified to have taken a "no contact" period (during the High School season wouldn't count) this problem would probably be solved.

I have no doubt that multi-sport athletes excel to a greater extent in their primary sport. Something like 95% of the players in this year's Super Bowl were multi-sport athletes in High School.

 

[CoogansBluff]

If the college coaches refused to attend any event unless all the participating teams have been certified to have taken a "no contact" period (during the High School season wouldn't count) this problem would probably be solved.

And if the college coaches agreed to call their own balls and strikes in a fair and honest way, they wouldn't need umpires. Or if every infielder refused to take advantage of high pop flies w/ runners on 1st and 2nd and less than 2 outs, we wouldn't need the infield fly rule.

Sometimes you need rules to protect people from themselves, IMO.

Also, the thing about 95 percent of NFL players being multi-sport athletes proves a connection, not a cause. I agree w/ you that the year-round pursuit of one sport is not the healthiest thing on the body. You are probably right about the 3-month thing, although many are scared to try it.