High five for the HS coach

[obbay]

I also like this. At my high school we routinely had Varsity-JV scrimmages, to tone down some of those kids...

When DD wa a Freshman, they had the freshman team scrimmage against the JV team. The Frosh usually won. JV team was dysfunctional and ripe with Drama.

last year she "played" JV-(missing all but the last two games due to a concusion) so I can't say if the JV team has improved. I can say that many girls (DD and several others who played up last year) do not want to play Varsity anymore. they have had a coaching change this year and a friend of mine (who is an excellent coach) will be coaching JV, assisted by last year's Varsity assistant coach. If nothing else it will be interesting this year.

Will be interesting to see what girls make the cut this year. Junior year is the big year for cuts. School rule is you can't cut a Senior who played on the team the previous year. there is one girl who is not a very good player, at 17 years old still "throws like a girl" and seldom hits, but her parents are very active in fundraising. I'm looking forward to seeing how things turn out this year.

 

[Steve Huff]

When DD wa a Freshman, they had the freshman team scrimmage against the JV team. The Frosh usually won. JV team was dysfunctional and ripe with Drama.

last year she "played" JV-(missing all but the last two games due to a concusion) so I can't say if the JV team has improved. I can say that many girls (DD and several others who played up last year) do not want to play Varsity anymore. they have had a coaching change this year and a friend of mine (who is an excellent coach) will be coaching JV, assisted by last year's Varsity assistant coach. If nothing else it will be interesting this year.

Will be interesting to see what girls make the cut this year. Junior year is the big year for cuts. School rule is you can't cut a Senior who played on the team the previous year. there is one girl who is not a very good player, at 17 years old still "throws like a girl" and seldom hits, but her parents are very active in fundraising. I'm looking forward to seeing how things turn out this year.

It is kind of a "crony capitalist" system, and seems to benefit those less competent! I have seen it many times, but I never accepted it and cut many Juniors and Seniors when a more athletic and talents Freshman came in. Parents didn't like it, but I don't believe in cronyism in softball or any other sport!

 

[amanda_cake]

School rule is you can't cut a Senior who played on the team the previous year.

Wondering what others on this forum (including you) think of this rule. I've known a senior or two who played a sport from 8th grade all the way through, then was cut their senior year.

 

[GOINGDEEP]

Wondering what others on this forum (including you) think of this rule. I've known a senior or two who played a sport from 8th grade all the way through, then was cut their senior year.

Our coach won't cut seniors. But we have had 3 quit because of play time over the past two years. Guess they read between the lines.

 

[Nocents96]

I have been to many HS games and played myself. The players are nerve city, more so the travel players than the ones who don't play travel. Yes the weight is huge. The players I watch are really good (admittedly I go to playoffs and top games).

I am completely shocked. I had no idea High School ball was that stressful.

I guess the games that DD pitched at the Rising Stars and Indy Day in front of College Coaches will pale in comparison. Not to mention the 80+ Division I coaches she pitched in front of at the Allister's National Elite Futures Camp.
Certainly playing six games in Hillenbrand stadium being coached by the Master himself will not measure up to High School softball.

Seriously.

 

[RubberBiscuit]

I am completely shocked. I had no idea High School ball was that stressful.

I guess the games that DD pitched at the Rising Stars and Indy Day in front of College Coaches will pale in comparison. Not to mention the 80+ Division I coaches she pitched in front of at the Allister's National Elite Futures Camp.
Certainly playing six games in Hillenbrand stadium being coached by the Master himself will not measure up to High School softball.

Seriously.

Right! - that's what I was freakin out on too Nocents.

Maybe this is a regional thing..? Where are ya from Screwball (if I may) ? Texas? ;-)

I just personally have not seen HS softball taken anywhere as serious as you are implying.

 

[Cannonball]

In Illinois and in our area, HS softball is very serious. I think Amy will attest to that. We too had a group of freshmen that were seriously talented a few years back. My dd was the only one of them to start V her freshman year but them we had 7 start the next 3 years. Last year, I had to have a parent meeting to address this. It seems that everyone is aware of what their child has accomplished but are not aware of other players ahead of their daughters. That group in particular has several players who were All Conference as sophomores, juniors and then as seniors. Four of the seven first team for 3 years. My child was for 4 years. They won conference 3 or 4 years. It is hard for a coach to make changes in a team that talented. Naturally, most of the incoming freshmen parents thought that their child was better than varsity starters. I think that is the way of things.

 

[3'sDad]

Playing for and respesenting your school is very important to 14-17 y/o; much more than we as adults believe. While winning a conference, county, district or even state championship doesn't mean a whole lot for college softball recruiting, many of our DD's team mates won't be playing at the next level, but will see these team mates every 5 years or so for the remainder of their lives at high school reunions. Getting together the "Championship Team of 20__" is huge.

DD's high schoo takes great pride in being academically rigorous and athletically competitve in many sports, winning state championships annually. This really helps in recruiting academic/athletically gifted kids. A boy in DD's Biology Class, who plays on the US Junior National Soccer Team, scored the winning goal in the state championship game....

 

[RubberBiscuit]

Here in my upper midwest state the rec-ball folks take HS as "huge" and the experienced national TB folks think of it as just warm-ups for summer....

I thought this was across the country like this - guess I was wrong for the first time ;-)

 

[GOINGDEEP]

HS ball is an animal in it's own zoo. It's either great or it sucks.

One thing I like about HS ball is you play with what you got. You can't build a team from 3 different states, or 300 miles apart like in TB. But a good HS team takes planning for years, you have to start the players at a young age and advance them towards a state championship. ( meaning building your TB team with as much good local talent as possible ) Some can't grasp that nor want to invest the time. Sure you may lose a few that families move, you may also have talent that moves into the school district.

Another thing I like about HS sports is the road to a state title is earned, you have to play every game in the playoffs like a loser leaves town. Not like every weekend in TB where you start over to win "said" tournament. Not like you pay to play in a world series regardless how you perform. Not like chasing every ASA tournament trying to get a birth to Nats.

A state ring only comes to the very few, you only have 4 years to achieve it and it's gone forever. Nats you have 10+ years to win a championship.

I enjoy both HS and TB, each for it's different reasons.

A town/city doesn't get behind a group of TB players going to Nats, or a world series. But an entire town will go nuts over a school making it to state. Banners, adds in the paper, local discounts for players and family, we have a police escort all the way to the county line, live audio and video of the games.............it's a big deal.

I guess it all comes down to where you live and how good your program is.