TB vs HS Poll

[sluggers]

TB had better competition.

But, HS ball is where my DD got hooked on the game. When she was playing HS ball, there was a paragraph in the Chicago Tribune talking about her. The only way I'm going to get in the Tribune is if my kids pay $200 for them to publish my obituary.

 

[4KidsDad]

I understand the results of the poll may be painfully predictable however I thought it was a good exercise to run anyway. It's better to get some numbers rather than just keep making assumptions.

I am surprised the numbers are so skewed right now. I would think that high school ball would be scoring higher. Call me naive I guess.

I don't have an agenda here... I'm not trying to bash one operation or the other. Personally, we're not in high school yet and I'm trying to understand how it all works.

In my high-school days, Club ball or tournament ball was non-existent and high school was the apex of youth sports.

 

[YOCOACH]

Really?! You're surprised?! You're trying to compare bananas to pineapples.

What it comes down to is the coaching level and time being spent with the players whether it's HS or TB. The difference between TB and HS is that the HS coaches have the girls for maybe 3 months out of the year and they are dependent upon the players willing to play for their school and able to play due to the HS jurisdiction. Some may be Tbers, some may be rec ballers and some may have never played before. Even the best HS coach doesn't have the time to turn those players that haven't played at a high level into the Tbers that have. A majority of these same HS coaches do an incredible job with the talent at hand in the short time they have these players. However, does this equal the TB experience? I think not.

In TB, the coaches get to choose the top players or, players that fit their team from across several states and get to develop these players 9 months out of the year for the most part versus the HS coach that is "stuck" with the players in his jurisdiction willing to play for the school and have maybe 4 weeks worth of practice before games start.

The comparison of play is not valid. The comparison of skill is not valid and the comparison of experience is not valid. You are trying to compare a TB team of nearly equal level of talent/skills with a few exceptions, that has parents that are pretty much like minded in getting their DD's to the "next level," playing similar teams in skill level , player mental attitude and trying to compare them to a HS team that may consist entirely of players that may have played very little or none at all.

So if you were a HS parent of a TBer that had to play for a HS team that had few skills or experience and got your butts kicked by every HS team that was loaded with Tbers how would you vote?

Of course most of us will vote for the TB experience because it will usually offer a far better alternative to HS ball. We get like minded parents, like minded and skilled individual players that have been taught over 9 months or more how to play this game at a high level, better competition for the most part and nip and tuck games, which in turn, make it's more fun all around. Yes you can cheer for the your HS team that consists of 8 Tber starters kicking the snot out of their opponents which consist of 2 Tber Starters and the rest being rec ballers but really...how much fun is that? How can you realistically compare the two?

ETA: Please don't take this as a slight to rec ballers since their are many fine programs out there that could easily rival many TB programs. I know this from first hand experience last year.

 

[YoungBuck]

I like the poll question. What I see is a good example of where sports is going. At one time schools were the ideal place to offer sports - not the case anymore. Some of you might find schools do a downright lousy job !

I would be alright to see public schools no longer offer sports.

 

[Doug Romrell]

A major important difference between HS and TB is that in HS ball the players are essentially tied with a particular coach. This can lead to monopolization of power 12 months of the year--they can directly or implicitly demand players play on their TB teams if they want to be given equal chance on the HS team. The problem with monopolization is that abuses of power tend to follow, particularly if it's a group of daddy coaches of a single TB organization who have control of the high school program. There is a tendency in this case for things to be built around the daughters of the coaches. As many of you know by now, there is no fewer than four daddy coaches in the dug out of the local HS team. Guess who get most the pitching time? Guess whose daughters are on the field every inning?

In TB you still have daddy coaches. BUT.... there is no monopolization. Players generally have a choice. That is, unless they have been lead to believe by the HS coach that there is no chance for them in HS if they don't worship at the HS coach's TB altar.

 

[Doug Romrell]

I like the poll question. What I see is a good example of where sports is going. At one time schools were the ideal place to offer sports - not the case anymore. Some of you might find schools do a downright lousy job !

I would be alright to see public schools no longer offer sports.

Some HS programs might well do a great job instructionally, but do a lousy job with politics, biases, and such.

Softball, like many other sports, would flourish even more than is currently the case if it were simply dropped from public schools. If for nothing else than to kill the monopolization, thus abuses of power in this regard. Competition is good.

 

[Lenski]

Yeah, playing HS sports just isn't worth the hassle and we should get rid of them. Nevermind that HS athletes have an overall better GPA than non-athletes, become mentors or be mentored by a teammate, build leadership skills, learn time management, represent your school and community, and build friendships with teammates of different grade levels. Not that they will need to be proficient in these things if they plan on playing at the next level.

Sarcasm aside, participating in HS sports is what the student-athlete makes of it. My dd flourished in HS softball concerning her growth as a person and teammate. She was voted team captain by her peers her sophomore through senior year. Her teammates looked up to her and she mentored many. She made lesser-talented teammates better through instruction and positive attitude. At the end of each season she was a captain, both players and their parents thanked her for being a great teammate and tutor. TB might be better to hone one's skill on the field, but HS Ball is better to hone one's skill to be a teammate, mentor, teacher, and a positive member of school and community.

 

[CoogansBluff]

At one time schools were the ideal place to offer sports - not the case anymore. Some of you might find schools do a downright lousy job !

I suspect high schools do a better job than ever at HS sports. When I played HS baseball in the late '70s, I loved it and couldn't wait for the season to start. It was a big part of my life. I still treasure the memories. There was no year-round baseball.

But that said, the coaching was lousy. Our team was lousy compared to most teams I see today. We had a different coach all 4 years of my high school. We had no batting cages, just a field. Time was wasted. The instruction was poor. We were lucky to have a coach who actually played baseball. We only played 12 games. The only girls sports we had in HS were basketball, tennis, golf and track. Now, my DD's school has all that + softball, volleyball, lacrosse, cross country.

Yes, travel ball exceeds HS ball in what it offers, but not because the glory days of HS ball has passed. HS sports are better today, IMO.

 

[CoogansBluff]

Softball, like many other sports, would flourish even more than is currently the case if it were simply dropped from public schools.

No, no, no imo. ... I know lots of HS-aged girls who play travel just to stay sharp for their high school teams. Their high school teams are the only reason they still play. They love their HS teams, with all their flaws.

I know your experience in HS ball has been awful. But the problem is your particular HS program, not high school softball and sports in general, IMO. Your comments remind me of the Burgermeister who outlawed toys because he tripped and fell on one.

 

[Slappinandstealin]

I think they each have their places. I strongly believe that HS athletics should be available to every student as part of their education to be a healthy adult who knows what a team and team effort are. Saying that, I think they should be free, and have minimal, if any cuts. They also have a responsibility to let all the members play some-not equally on JV and Varsity levels, but equal practice time and a chance to earn a starting spot. The coaches also have a responsibility to play all the students and it shouldn't be all about winning all the time...
TB is chosen and focused on winning.
That's why my DD plays both. Sure, she gets frustrated with the 8 error games and the girls who can't remember if you have to tag the runner or the bag in a force, but she's learning different lessons.