I know there are some parents of high-level travel players who are concerned about their DDs playing high school softball because of the lower level of play. With that in mind, I'd like to provide a story of one of my former players who completely transformed a high school program because of her willingness to embrace playing high school softball.
Several years ago I accepted a head coaching position at a local high school of about 650 students in a major metro area. Because it's a private school, we can face schools with enrollments of nearly 1,700 in the state playoffs. We play an opponent nearly every game that has a committed DI player so this is a very good area for softball, yet the school I went to was really well known as a soccer school. After spending almost the entire winter trying to encourage girls to play softball, we had eight girls show up at the first day of practice (I obviously wasn't very convincing but we were able to talk a few other girls in to joining and we had 10 for the opening game of the season). We began to build the program and two years later I heard that a girl from one of the best travel programs in the area was coming to our school. I didn't know the girl and she didn't choose the program for softball, obviously.
I was both excited and concerned. I was excited because she was an outstanding talent. I was concerned because I knew she was going to be playing not only with all rec-league players but some girls who had never even played softball before. I was very concerned about her having a really bad experience. We talked about it at length. She's a wonderful young lady and she assured me that she would handle it well but I really don't think she even understood the level of play.
From day one, this young lady made it her objective to make everything about the program better. We dressed differently, warmed up more effectively, and competed at a higher level in practice. Even though she was a freshman, the older girls looked at her for leadership and that's what she provided.
Primarily because of this one young lady, we went from having eight players at the first day or practice to having more than 30 less than two years later. Through her travel successes playing for one of the nation's top programs, she signed with a DI school. The high school team went from beginning the 2009 season with only eight players to last year winning a league title, albeit the weaker of the two six-team divisions.
So, for those lamenting the beginning of high school season, your daughter can have a tremendous impact on the high school program. This year, her senior year, this young lady will play with an all-state catcher, and two other girls who played at PGF nationals this past summer.
She could have taken a different approach and thought she was better than everyone else the girls she impacted wouldn't have nearly had as good as an experience.
Several years ago I accepted a head coaching position at a local high school of about 650 students in a major metro area. Because it's a private school, we can face schools with enrollments of nearly 1,700 in the state playoffs. We play an opponent nearly every game that has a committed DI player so this is a very good area for softball, yet the school I went to was really well known as a soccer school. After spending almost the entire winter trying to encourage girls to play softball, we had eight girls show up at the first day of practice (I obviously wasn't very convincing but we were able to talk a few other girls in to joining and we had 10 for the opening game of the season). We began to build the program and two years later I heard that a girl from one of the best travel programs in the area was coming to our school. I didn't know the girl and she didn't choose the program for softball, obviously.
I was both excited and concerned. I was excited because she was an outstanding talent. I was concerned because I knew she was going to be playing not only with all rec-league players but some girls who had never even played softball before. I was very concerned about her having a really bad experience. We talked about it at length. She's a wonderful young lady and she assured me that she would handle it well but I really don't think she even understood the level of play.
From day one, this young lady made it her objective to make everything about the program better. We dressed differently, warmed up more effectively, and competed at a higher level in practice. Even though she was a freshman, the older girls looked at her for leadership and that's what she provided.
Primarily because of this one young lady, we went from having eight players at the first day or practice to having more than 30 less than two years later. Through her travel successes playing for one of the nation's top programs, she signed with a DI school. The high school team went from beginning the 2009 season with only eight players to last year winning a league title, albeit the weaker of the two six-team divisions.
So, for those lamenting the beginning of high school season, your daughter can have a tremendous impact on the high school program. This year, her senior year, this young lady will play with an all-state catcher, and two other girls who played at PGF nationals this past summer.
She could have taken a different approach and thought she was better than everyone else the girls she impacted wouldn't have nearly had as good as an experience.
