- Dec 11, 2010
- 4,728
- 113
Local hs started this experiment years ago. In fact, the 19’s and 20’s are the first graduates that had the “opportunity“ to participate. The hs coach is a home builder and had resources. They built a really nice quad, cages, concession stand, all first rate. They built an indoor hitting facility and hit all winter. The summer teams played local. It was exact how I would execute it if I was going to do it. I’ll add that overall, he benefitted softball in our region.
Yet the feeder teams stunk. The hs team was mediocre, maybe worse than it was before. It did not improve their Hs program.
The question is ”why”.
I can only guess but here is what I saw, looking in from the outside.
Lack of true competition for playing time/positions. If lil Suzy was a ss at 11 years old, she was a ss forevermore.
Parents manipulating the situation for their own benefit.
The teams were built around filling in the empty spaces of volleyball and basketball. If there was some stupid school summer sports activity they would cancel practice, etc.
Really nice players that played competitive travel not getting playing time because they weren't on the low level hs feeder team. (This could be a function of poor player evaluation. The longer I’m around fastpitch the more I think coaches at most levels are terrible at player evaluation.) Part of this may be because Player A has lower stats playing against good competitive teams and Player B that hit 9 home runs one weekend against the worst pitching in the area. Player B can’t hit hs pitching but they have convinced themselves she is a great hitter..... etc
Last, it kicked politics through the roof. The parents and players never got a break from each other. Instead of going out and making new friends from all over the place they lived in the vacuum of local sports. There was no reason to work hard on your game. Some kids were going to play the position they played when they were 10 and hit in the same old spot no matter what. After all Daddy A sold seed corn to Coach A, Grandpa B donated a Gator, Mom C played college softball (for a year before washing out of a D3) and Player A’s brother is a great football player. And player B HAS to play when she isn’t too busy with volleyball.
We live in an adjoining town and kids from our town somewhat benefitted from their teams as they needed warm bodies to fill out the teams. Some moved on after a year or two on these train wreck teams- they saw a benefit. The ones that stayed didn’t benefit. It was a stagnant environment.
I’m really against it. We never were involved in it but a lot of our friends and their daughters were. Total dead end.
Yet the feeder teams stunk. The hs team was mediocre, maybe worse than it was before. It did not improve their Hs program.
The question is ”why”.
I can only guess but here is what I saw, looking in from the outside.
Lack of true competition for playing time/positions. If lil Suzy was a ss at 11 years old, she was a ss forevermore.
Parents manipulating the situation for their own benefit.
The teams were built around filling in the empty spaces of volleyball and basketball. If there was some stupid school summer sports activity they would cancel practice, etc.
Really nice players that played competitive travel not getting playing time because they weren't on the low level hs feeder team. (This could be a function of poor player evaluation. The longer I’m around fastpitch the more I think coaches at most levels are terrible at player evaluation.) Part of this may be because Player A has lower stats playing against good competitive teams and Player B that hit 9 home runs one weekend against the worst pitching in the area. Player B can’t hit hs pitching but they have convinced themselves she is a great hitter..... etc
Last, it kicked politics through the roof. The parents and players never got a break from each other. Instead of going out and making new friends from all over the place they lived in the vacuum of local sports. There was no reason to work hard on your game. Some kids were going to play the position they played when they were 10 and hit in the same old spot no matter what. After all Daddy A sold seed corn to Coach A, Grandpa B donated a Gator, Mom C played college softball (for a year before washing out of a D3) and Player A’s brother is a great football player. And player B HAS to play when she isn’t too busy with volleyball.
We live in an adjoining town and kids from our town somewhat benefitted from their teams as they needed warm bodies to fill out the teams. Some moved on after a year or two on these train wreck teams- they saw a benefit. The ones that stayed didn’t benefit. It was a stagnant environment.
I’m really against it. We never were involved in it but a lot of our friends and their daughters were. Total dead end.
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