Players who bypass high school softball

[Little Angels Softball]

If a girl who wants to play in college can find a decent travel team to play with in the spring, I pretty much would forego high school ball every time. Go where the college scouts are and where you're playing with like-minded girls with coaches who have the same goals as the girls.

 

[softballphreak]

Some areas I've heard don't allow TB during HS season. Our TB teams generally respect our HS Spring schedule and don't play until the season is over. They still practice but most aren't as demanding during HS season. Of course, we have our share of HS coaches "forbidding" TB practice or play. Those, I believe, are in a minority. And obviously not aware of the benefit to the players and thus the HS team.

 

[riseball]

Some areas I've heard don't allow TB during HS season. Our TB teams generally respect our HS Spring schedule and don't play until the season is over. They still practice but most aren't as demanding during HS season. Of course, we have our share of HS coaches "forbidding" TB practice or play. Those, I believe, are in a minority. And obviously not aware of the benefit to the players and thus the HS team.

I want to see the strong HS team that does not have 1 or more TB pitchers.

 

[Little Angels Softball]

Some areas I've heard don't allow TB during HS season. Our TB teams generally respect our HS Spring schedule and don't play until the season is over. They still practice but most aren't as demanding during HS season. Of course, we have our share of HS coaches "forbidding" TB practice or play. Those, I believe, are in a minority. And obviously not aware of the benefit to the players and thus the HS team.

By rule here, our girls cannot play TB games if they're playing in HS. We send 'em out of state if they don't want to play HS, although most do.

 

[Doug Romrell]

Some areas I've heard don't allow TB during HS season. Our TB teams generally respect our HS Spring schedule and don't play until the season is over. They still practice but most aren't as demanding during HS season. Of course, we have our share of HS coaches "forbidding" TB practice or play. Those, I believe, are in a minority. And obviously not aware of the benefit to the players and thus the HS team.

HS softball players are not allowed to play travelball during their high school softball season, so during the high school season (late winter through spring) around here, travel teams aren't doing anything, as almost all travelball players play high school ball. I agree with this restriction (as long as there is going to be high school ball).

 

[sluggers]

So, my wife loves Starbucks. She likes a "vente no foam no fat latte", and then puts exactly one package of Sweet and Low...not Splenda, not Equal, but Sweet and Low. So, she gets her coffee exactly the way she wants it every time.

I'm not a coffee drinker, so I asked her about other coffees. She said, "Actually, a lot of coffee is good. But I get *exactly* what I want at Starbucks."

That is kind of the way TB is...parents construct the "perfect" situation for their DD. They find a coach the gets along with their DD. Maybe they want a coach that is a martinet and runs practices and games like a precision clock. Maybe they want a coach that is laid back and doesn't sweat the details. So, they find a coach that perfectly fits them. They also find a team where the DD makes friends easily. They get a TB schedule that they like. They do exactly the amount of travel they want. The know where she is going to play on the TB team and how many innings she is going to get every game. Some parents even help select the TB uniforms.

In other words, the parents create an almost *perfect* softball experience for themselves and their DD. They also pay quite a bit for that experience. (I'm not knocking it...we did the same thing for my DDs.)

So, *OF COURSE*, the parents don't like HS ball and think it is inferior--not because it necessarily is inferior, but because there is no way that a school (college or HS) is going craft the softball team to meet one particular set of parents demands for a "perfect" softball team.

The unfortunately reality is that playing for a HS team with respect to the interaction of the players and coaches, is actually a lot more like playing in college...the parents don't have any control over the coach, the schedule is something that appears to have been designed by a sadist, and decisions as to PT appear to be made by the use of a dart board.