Niece Cut From HS Team

[quincy]

Niece played on the freshman team last year but was cut this year after trying out for the JV/ Varsity Team. Not the end of the world but she is upset about it. Now she needs to wait until HS ball is over to play softball again. She is even re-thinking even playing anymore but I think she will.

I think what upset her most is she is a great outfielder, OK hitter and infielder. According to her the tryouts were focused on infield skills and hitting. She does go to a good hitting instructor but she is only an OK hitter.

HS ball matters to some players and the posts that say HS ball doesn’t matter are wrong. It might not matter to the superstars but it matters to a lot of Players.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

It mattered to my kids at the time. The HS that they were at seemed to put sports first and academics, second. Now, that seems so backwards. I felt bad for the kids that were cut from the teams. Their friends were busy with sports while they had nothing. A few of those kids found their nitch and did well at something else.

 

[John T]

A very good life lesson/teaching moment for her. Not everyone makes the team/gets the job, but it is how she goes forward from here that counts. Sports will be over for almost all in a few years and what they do with their lives is what really matters.

 

[softballphreak]

I thought that's why they have soccer, in case you don't make it in another sport.

 

[Steve Huff]

I saw a HS coach, who was primarily an assistant football coach, do tryouts in Montana. Fastpitch was new. I started the local ASA rec league the year before. Tryouts consisted of running 10 laps around the complex.

A girl named Angie had the flu. Her dad called the coach the day before and told him his daughter had the flu and asked to delay or if there wasn't some other way to make the team. I watched the tryouts. Angie was the 2nd best player in the valley and played 3rd base, and was also a catcher. She threw up several times. Ended up on the ground, another player stopped to help her, and they both got cut!
The first 24 girls made the team. No hitting, no fielding, but lots of running!

First, you can't say having the title makes you smart. Secondly you can't say that HS softball doesn't mean anything to the average girl. I started TB teams that summer in all age groups. Angie of course played. When we played the eventual 18U State Champions out of Missoula that July, we had two hits; Angie had both of them.

 

[jinjet95]

I think HS ball matters to the kids, but for different reasons than travel ball does. My DD realizes her team isn't anywhere near the skill level of her summer team, but she's playing with classmates and representing her school. It's a big deal to play a Varsity sport to the kids. It's a great way to meet kids from other grades and other kids tend to recognize the athletes. It helps underclassmen find their way in a new school. In Missouri, HS plays softball in the Fall so my DD met her teammates before she met her classmates. She started the first day of school knowing 20 kids, in addition to those kids she knew in middle school.

 

[JAD]

Coaches have different philosophies when putting together their teams, but the only player we would keep on our TB team who can only play OF is a center fielder who runs like a deer and has a high on base percentage. We will put a girl in LF or RF who can play multiple positions, pitches, or brings a BIG STICK.

 

[starsnuffer]

Sorry she got cut, but look at the silver lining, as doing anything but will just make her and you miserable. This may be the one defining moment that helps her become a better player, if she really wants to be. Going to hitting lessons isnt' enough, and I'd be surprised if any kid who has good instruction and REGULAR PRACTICE does not become a great hitter. What's her practice routine like? How often does she work on the skills she learns at her lesson? How many days is she outside taking fly balls and ground balls? What was her offseason training like?

I'm not saying that every kid needs to do all of those things, just the ones that take their sport serious. She may just miss her friends more then she misses playing softball.

I thought that's why they have soccer, in case you don't make it in another sport.

You haven't seen the soccer teams around here. Talk about crazy sports parenting and travel fees! It's srs biznuss.

-W

 

[quincy]

She/I do not think the coaches made a bad decision, she just would have felt better being cut if she had more of an opportunity demonstrating what she was good at. Being cut is no fun for whatever the reason. It meant a lot to her and she was working on her hitting just did not get there.

 

[nanotech14]

Sorry for your niece,sometimes it is hard to look on the bright side,but this could give her more time to work on her game. My dd is only 13 yo and isnt old enough for school ball around here,but she is out for the year anyways and she is looking forward to have the time to work on her game.I can see why it is meant alot to her,I cant speak for H.S. ball,but my dd use to play little league all stars and it was really alot of fun,you have a whole town behind you,newspapers,local radio and local business all pulling for you,I could see that with H.S. ball too,it is nice being a rep. for your town.TB, dont get me wrong,it is great but you dont have the following as much if any, at your local level.So you do lose out on that school,or community pride,but she will get another chance to try again next year,and she will be better for it.Good luck and tell her to keep her chin up.