High School Softball- why do it?

[Rocketech1]

At DD's HS, every student is required to take P.E. their freshman and sophomore years and softball fulfills that requirement. Some students who are not dedicated to softball will choose not to play their junior/senior years and will take other electives. Others play for a variety of reasons, for DD, she gave up travel ball last year and HS ball gives her the opportunity to play softball without the time commitment of travel ball. She also likes playing with girls she grew up with (which wasn't the case with on her travel ball teams). She likes playing for her school and it's a nice break from her AP/honors classes. Lastly, I have heard from a few college consultants that on college applications it's a positive to show that you played all 4 years of a HS sport while still maintaining good grades, etc. Not a huge factor but one of many extracurricular factors that might make a difference between two equal college applicants.

 

[obbay]

Thanks for all the great feedback!
Just to be clear, our season is in spring and she decided after last spring she didn't want to go back to that team. I tried to let it go and put it behind us, let the wounds heal so to speak and not discuss it again till Late January, (after the World Softball Coaches Convention when she gets all fired up to play)

Don't like the coach and it's too political are just code for I'm not playing as much as I think I should be or where I should be.

Maybe, but we're talking a team captain, 3-year starter, 2-year league all-star (plagued by medical problem her junior year, resulting in being available to play less games)
She loved the team her freshman year, liked it her sophomore year, became very disappointed/dissatisfied her junior year. The coach isn't good and let's leave it there. (Ex- wouldn't you would expect a Varsity coach to be familiar with the rules of softball?)

I'm thinking that college coaches might come to see a HS game if the HS season is outside of their season. I know some parts of the country play in the summer and others in the fall. A player on our team last year had a couple DIII college coaches Visit some of her HS games, but those games were no more than 20 minutes from campus.

In the end, I hope she changes her mind and WANTS to play, but if not, that's ok. It's her life.

 

[WHEREAMI]

As a travel ball coach and high school coach, I can tell you that it pisses me off if a girl choose not to play for her high school. But I can attest that high school coaching is different than travel. We have different girls that have to have basic coaching in how to throw and hit. I have 5 girls that play travel (3 of those play basketball) so I have to take time to practice simple crap, and I know it makes my travel girls irate, to have to throw and the girls cant catch it. CAN'T WAIT TIL SPRING!!!

 

[riseball]

I understand all the reasons for not playing HS ball, but the one that really bugs me is "don't like the coach."

I think it is a perfectly valid reason and I encourage my TB players stuck with poor HS coaches to do something else. DD#4 sat out her freshman year because the coaching was that awful. It was simply a waste of her time. Unfortunately High School is the only experience where your options are to put up with a bad coach or not play. Frankly many High School coaches could not field a team if players had a choice to play somewhere else. With the possible exception of the military or prison, no where is this situation replicated in real life. Unless you are a sheep you always have the alternative to leave and go somewhere else.

 

[Bob516]

you always have the alternative to leave and go somewhere else.

For my DDs, they do have the alternative to leave, but not to go somewhere else for school ball. Since TB slows down during school ball time, there wouldn't be much for them to do during the school softball season.

 

[obbay]

Actually, depending on her health, NOT playing might afford DD the best opportunity to get back in the game- practicing on her own/ with TB coaches at their facility as well as strength and conditioning that she will need badly.

 

[Sparky Guy]

As a travel ball coach and high school coach, I can tell you that it pisses me off if a girl choose not to play for her high school. But I can attest that high school coaching is different than travel. We have different girls that have to have basic coaching in how to throw and hit. I have 5 girls that play travel (3 of those play basketball) so I have to take time to practice simple crap, and I know it makes my travel girls irate, to have to throw and the girls cant catch it. CAN'T WAIT TIL SPRING!!!

So what you're saying is it's OK for a travel player to dumb her game down to the lowest level player on the team or endure what they know is poor coaching? I know it's a team sport and all of that. But there comes a point when a player needs to decide if what's best for the team isn't in their best interests with improving as a player. Too many times I've seen players weeks to recover from poor coaching in HS as they hit the travel season. With how compressed the summer season is for HS kids they can't afford the two weeks.

 

[Sparky Guy]

For my DDs, they do have the alternative to leave, but not to go somewhere else for school ball. Since TB slows down during school ball time, there wouldn't be much for them to do during the school softball season.

They can do track or another sport if the softball situation at their school is that bad. Not necessarily to change schools.

The phenomenon of players not playing HS is growing the Chicagoland area. A spring league was formed a few years ago. Last spring there were enough girls to form 8 teams.

 

[sluggers]

Obbay, my advice is to let your DD do whatever she wants.

And, when it is over, tell her to live with the good and bad results of her decision.

 

[Bob516]

They can do track or another sport if the softball situation at their school is that bad.

I doubt my girls would want to play lacrosse or run track, so they would be out of luck. I would not force them to play school ball if they absolutely did not want to, but I would encourage them to stick with it.

Even though there MS coach is terrible, they still want to play. Now with one of my girls being a dominant catcher last season, and her twin suddenly becoming a dominant pitcher, they are talking like it is going to be a good season despite the coach.

That spring league does sound amazing.