High School Softball- why do it?

[CoogansBluff]

High school sotball provides greater thrills and greater misery than travel ball, IMO.

At its best, if you're really lucky, you're on a state-contending team with the right teammates and right coaches, and you're playing for championships that really matter to people. Let's say you win the ASA championship in your state. That's a higher level, and that's pretty cool, but nobody cares. The paper doesn't cover it. No one outside your family and teammates care. But win a state title in high school, and your school, your teachers, your classmates, your hometown and community, all care. You've played for something bigger than yourself, something that will be etched in stone for eternity. My DD's most exciting experience in softball was playing on a HS team that made a run to the state semifinals, and she didn't even play a big role in it. It was just the experience of a bonded team, advancing one round at a time, the pre-game meals, the bus rides, the anticipation, do-or-die.

At its worst, and this is more common unfortunately, HS softball is miserable. You're not going to enjoy your coaches or teammates and you'll be at practice wishing you hadn't signed up.

Most experiences are somewhere in the middle. You have a good time, but you're ready to move on when it's over.

 

[Jay Bolden]

As both a travel ball and HS coach, I encourage you to let your daughter do both. There are lessons to be learned from HS ball, just as there are travel ball. The pride and honor of playing for your community is a major one. She will get that same feeling if she plays for a college. Pride in your community, and your team are important.

Not only will she miss out on a senior night, but you will as well as a parent. Our senior night is special, we paint the seniors numbers on the grass with large stencils, we shadow box a jersey with their number and name on it for them to hang on their wall. The younger players give them gifts for college, and show thier respect for 4 years of dedication and commitment. We announce them and their parents as they walk from 3rd base to home, then mom or dad can throw them a pitch from the mound. You're never going to get that experience in TB. It's a special one, don't miss out on it.

There are ups and down in HS ball, and yes the level of competiton is lower that TB at most schools, but not all. If I'm not mistaken there are also some college schools that have lesser programs as well. If recruited by those teams how will she handle that? Not playing because the competiton is lesser but the school is paying for 50 % of her schooling? HS ball and TB teach life lessons. It teach them that it may not be what I want or expected, but I need to make the most of it.

So play HS ball! It's just as important as TB. Plus IMO it's a great warmup for the TB season (spring/summer for us)

Good Luck!

 

[chinamigarden]

Why did my dd play HS ball?

Because she wanted to. If your dd doesn't want to, its probably best that she doesn't. Every school team and every player is different. What my dd experienced will be different then what yours experiences.

 

[Bob516]

If your dd doesn't want to, its probably best that she doesn't.

What if her goal is to play college ball, and HS ball is an important step towards playing college ball?

 

[MNDad]

What if her goal is to play college ball, and HS ball is an important step towards playing college ball?

From a recruiting aspect HS ball doesn't mean much. Other than a rare local school, you won't see colleges at HS games. Lots of great reasons for HS ball, but recruitment isn't one of them.

 

[riseball]

What if her goal is to play college ball, and HS ball is an important step towards playing college ball?

High School ball is pretty much a non-factor with respect to recruiting. College Coaches view it as nothing more than rec-ball with an abundance of team spirit.

 

[Jay Bolden]

High School ball is pretty much a non-factor with respect to recruiting. College Coaches view it as nothing more than rec-ball with an abundance of team spirit.

DI schools, I could not agree with you more. DII, NAIA, Juco, different story. We had 2 kids recruited (pitcher from my team and SS from other school) from a DII school - Quincy University. (4 hours away). Both were recruited and spoke to the assistant coach after the HS game. Both were Juniors at the time. Doesn't happen a lot, but it does.

 

[Sparky Guy]

In the Chicagoland area there are many girls who chose not to play on their HS team or were cut from it. And the numbers are growing every year. They formed a spring team league a few years ago. Last year they had enough girls to form 8 teams. They played round robins on the weekends and they played some tournaments in neighboring states who play their HS ball in the fall. For the majority of them it's a significant improvement over HS ball.

The reasons for not playing HS vary from girl to girl. For the bulk of them it's poor coaching, team politics or such a weak program the "School Pride" thing was not strong enough to motivate them into playing for the school team. Also, in the area there are schools who will have 100+ kids tryout for the 3 levels of play. If you do the math there are a lot of kids looking to play ball who face doing nothing during the spring.

Some folks will argue that HS important to college recruiting. NOT!!! The college coaches know the level of competition varies wildly in HS. The coaches know the good programs and strong conferences. There are some schools and conferences in my area who are so loaded with top tier travel players there is very little drop off between travel and HS competition. The coaches care more about what the girls do during the summer on their travel teams.

Again, this is what is happening in a major metropolitan area. What happens in the rural areas can be a completely different situation and I can't speak to those from lack of firsthand knowledge.

 

[riseball]

DI schools, I could not agree with you more. DII, NAIA, Juco, different story. We had 2 kids recruited (pitcher from my team and SS from other school) from a DII school - Quincy University. (4 hours away). Both were recruited and spoke to the assistant coach after the HS game. Both were Juniors at the time. Doesn't happen a lot, but it does.

Agree that there are certainly rare exceptions. Some schools must go to great lengths to get talent.

 

[Rambler34]

My DD loves playing school ball and she is better because of it. She was lucky to be allowed in our state to play varsity as a 7th grader so this year will be her third season and she is excited. She also has a great coach and several talented older girls that are driven to be the best they can so it has helped her mature and also pick up some leadership skills.

I think as long as a girl has a good reason for not playing it would never hurt her in recruiting. She may be asked why and I don't think too much practice or I didn't like the coach would be a very good answer.