DD Getting frozen out of High School ball. Any options during that time

[whiporee]

I have a lot of respect for HS coaches who honor their seniors and juniors. If they aren't good enough by the time they are upperclassmen, then the coach really has done a poor job. And I think that kids who have stayed in the program and have worked and been a part of the team deserve the chance to start.

That doesn't mean a coach can't have a full rotation of players, make substitutions liberally or have a freshman or sophomore make Varsity. But there's a difference between school sports and travel ball -- in travel ball you are playing for yourself and your teammates. In high school ball you're playing for your school and your community. In the latter, I think dedication and commitment deserve to be rewarded, even if it means the top talent doesn't always start every game.

 

[CoachJD]

I just don't understand all these political high school softball coaches. Isn't the point to win? I don't agree with every decision my dds high school coach makes but there's no doubt his goal is to win. There are definitely disgruntled JV parents out there that think they're kid should be on varsity but it's mostly rose colored glasses and smooth travel coaches blowing smoke up their a** convincing them their kids are better than they are because they bat 500 in low level travel ball or they're batting 500 against JV pitching while a varsity player is hitting 350. Are there really that many coaches out there that don't put the best players out there to try to win.

So much this.

I am absolutely certain I have not always made the right decision with Varsity/JV or with positions/starters, but it's just bonkers to me to think of the possibility that I could have so many skilled players that some would actually not make the team. And that I'd purposefully do it because of some kind of weird vendetta (instead of just generally being an idiot who comes up with bad plans that don't work out).

 

[HighStrung]

I have a lot of respect for HS coaches who honor their seniors and juniors. If they aren't good enough by the time they are upperclassmen, then the coach really has done a poor job. And I think that kids who have stayed in the program and have worked and been a part of the team deserve the chance to start.

That doesn't mean a coach can't have a full rotation of players, make substitutions liberally or have a freshman or sophomore make Varsity. But there's a difference between school sports and travel ball -- in travel ball you are playing for yourself and your teammates. In high school ball you're playing for your school and your community. In the latter, I think dedication and commitment deserve to be rewarded, even if it means the top talent doesn't always start every game.

I also think that it comes across odd that you assume the Fr/So aren't or wouldn't be as or even more committed and dedicated. If they're above the skill level of a older player, I have to assume they've been more dedicated to making themselves that way. Did the Jr who's still only so-so really show their dedication or commitment just because they continued to show up and be part of the team?

 

[whiporee]

I think showing up is a big part of it, yeah. Three or four years of daily practices, games, summer workouts, being committed not necessarily to their improvement, but to the team. High school sports is about high school much more than it's about sports, IMO, and I think a player that has shown commitment to a team deserves high school recognition more than a player who has shown commitment to their own skills.

 

[bmakj]

I think showing up is a big part of it, yeah. Three or four years of daily practices, games, summer workouts, being committed not necessarily to their improvement, but to the team. High school sports is about high school much more than it's about sports, IMO, and I think a player that has shown commitment to a team deserves high school recognition as much as than a player who has shown commitment to their own skills.

like the sentiment, but I think above change makes it work better. and that recognition does not necessarily mean more PT than a more talented underclassman, but things like being made captain, starting last home game, etc.

 

[3girls]

I may be alone here, but our HS softball schedule is typically much tougher than our TB schedule. There are some terrible teams in HS, but we play some teams that would dominate 90% of the TB teams we play.

I guess it depends on the school, but we may have 3-4 TB groups combining into one HS team.

 

[jsoftballcoach]

I have a lot of respect for HS coaches who honor their seniors and juniors. If they aren't good enough by the time they are upperclassmen, then the coach really has done a poor job. And I think that kids who have stayed in the program and have worked and been a part of the team deserve the chance to start.

I don’t agree. A chance to start maybe, but there is a big difference between a seasoned player and a player who only plays Feb-May, 3 years in or not. I would not put that on the coach. The team’s job is to win, and in my opinion the best players should be on the field the majority of the time. I’m all for substitutions and playing time for everyone, don’t get me wrong.

I’m not a coach, DDs HS is not very good, and she has been varsity since freshman year. So that’s where I’m coming from.


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[_MIA_]

Hard to believe there are a lot of ADs out there who would be ok with a coach not playing the players he/she thought gave them the best chance of winning but I guess I could be wrong.

 

[kennykozman!!]

Hard to believe there are a lot of ADs out there who would be ok with a coach not playing the players he/she thought gave them the best chance of winning but I guess I could be wrong.

It should be about the HS program and not individual talent. This is another foreign concept for TB players including my DD. They are primarily focused on playing at the next level and ability above all else. It certainly is important but I think we could consider some intangibles as well.

HS you are playing for your teammates, classmates and the community. There is more than just ability to consider IMO. Your culture can be changed for the worse very quickly mixing 14 and 18 year old girls. I give a ton of credit to the coaches that manage this and are successful.

 

[_MIA_]

It should be about the HS program and not individual talent. This is another foreign concept for TB players including my DD. They are primarily focused on playing at the next level and ability above all else. It certainly is important but I think we could consider some intangibles as well.

HS you are playing for your teammates, classmates and the community. There is more than just ability to consider IMO. Your culture can be changed for the worse very quickly mixing 14 and 18 year old girls. I give a ton of credit to the coaches that manage this and are successful.

All I said was playing the players they thought gave them the best chance of winning. That said if playing a younger player who is better is going to cause internal strife with the older kids then you don't have that great a culture to begin with. Also intangibles are a funny thing. I have seen MLB teams who were supposedly snug as bugs in a rug one year when they were winning all of a sudden hate each other the next year, with basically the same team, when they were losing...