What is the goal of HS varsity softball?

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Feb 26, 2018
3
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A few years back we took a chance and hired a travel ball coach at our HS to coach SB. He was trained in a medical profession but was a very successful D1 baseball player and had a heart for coaching. He was introduced to league SB by his daughters and that transitioned into a successful travel ball coach. He finally made the decision to give up his profession and follow his heart.

He won his first State title in his second year. The starting 10 were 7th, 8th, 8th, 9th,9th,10th,10th,11th,11th,11th.

His goal, our goal as a school program, is to win. BUT - to win while preparing the girls for life. Its a life lesson for a senior to watch 7th and 8th graders run on the field. Life isn't fair, sports aren't fair, there will always be a bigger, faster stronger player on the field. There will always be a smarter, prettier, more qualified candidate in life.

What a blessing to learn it in a team setting with support from a peer group, and support at home, than to have to learn it on there own in the real world.

Tournament ball is for proving and exposure - High School ball is where life is learned.
 
Last edited:

Cannonball

Ex "Expert"
Feb 25, 2009
4,854
113
In my school and many others in my area, if you don't win, you will get fired. I was asked this week to coach a sport where the AD has stated to me that they expect to win. If I do, wow. Then again, I am retiring and so, maybe I could do it differently the second time around.
I have decided not to coach the sport I alluded to in the previous post. Then, all heck broke lose and this week, one program had the entire staff released. Again, I can't speak for all school districts around this nation but in some areas like where I live, HS sports is serious business and if you don't win, you will be fired. BTW, in my school, at the end of the school year, and at this time, each coaching staff is called in and given an official evaluation. That is when you find out if you are coming back again next year. Personally, I like it because I intend to do my job and I intend to win.
 
Apr 6, 2017
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HS ball should be geared to win however I’m not a fan of freshman playing varsity. We have a small school and it’s very political. Coaches from travel are slowly entering the picture(parents). The dugout is going to be real full over the next few years.(if they can wiggle in!)
 
May 15, 2016
926
18
Its a life lesson for a senior to watch 7th and 8th graders run on the field. Life isn't fair, sports aren't fair, there will always be a bigger, faster stronger player on the field. There will always be a smarter, prettier, more qualified candidate in life.

DDs are learning the opposite life lesson, position is not always based on merit.

They are freshmen travel players and there are only three other travel players on the team, all upperclassmen. At the parents meeting before the season started the HC said there are freshmen (DDs) who should be playing varsity and upperclassman who should be playing JV, then said he is playing all of his returning players from last year.

Life lesson, life isn't fair. The connected will often advance before the skilled person.
 
May 20, 2015
1,095
113
HS ball should be geared to win however I’m not a fan of freshman playing varsity. We have a small school and it’s very political. Coaches from travel are slowly entering the picture(parents). The dugout is going to be real full over the next few years.(if they can wiggle in!)


freshman are HS students, yes?

if the team is putting it's best 9 out there, and freshman are part of that best 9, then so be it.......

now, best 9 doesn't ALWAYS equal the best 9 players, or the best at every position.....it is sometimes about the best 9 you can put out as a unit (we have 2 catchers......one is a little better, the other is still real solid.....the better catcher is also better defensively at other positions, so often the slightly lesser catcher catches, and that makes the overall team better)


my DD is starting 2b as a freshman.....hitting .650+ 5 games into a 16 game schedule......has been the best defensive 2b we've seen so far......i KNOW she will get discounted when it comes to all conference selections (if she holds up her performance so far) because she is a frosh........we'll have coaches pushing far inferior seniors ("it's their last shot")......we'll have one that will put forth at least one girl at a position she didn't even appear at during the season......just another extension of trophies for all imho

bottom line is, it shouldn't matter your class or age......what do you bring to the table, period
 
May 20, 2015
1,095
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Oh, if life were only like that.

beauty is our varsity coach is very much cold-hearted in this regard......loves his players even if he won't admit it, but does what is best for the team, period
 
Feb 8, 2019
120
28
Up until this season, the goal of our HS team was to just make it to the first round of the playoffs. One and done. Usually a .500 record makes it to the playoffs.
 
Apr 16, 2010
924
43
Alabama
To me it's about the pride of playing for your school and with your friends. DD is lucky that she gets this and gets to play in a competitive program with a coach that will play the best player. The only time he plays an upper class-man over a young player is when all things are equal the junior/senior gets the nod. DD played varsity as a 7th grader and he told all of the parents in the first meeting that he would play a 7th grader over a senior if they earned the spot. there was a little grumbling when she became a full time starter but he gave everyone the opportunity to earn a spot. Heck she missed the entire regular season, 43 games, this year with a broken ankle and he started her in her first game back in the post season the day she was cleared to practice and play. She was the best option so she played.

For us it's also 3 months and 50-60 games of getting ready for the summer. About 70% of the time we face decent pitching so she is getting AB's and defensive work in games to go with the practices. When we roll to travel she is in shape and ready to go. I do see some of our girls come from weaker programs and it takes them a few weeks to adjust and get back to playing at a high level. Luckily our HS season helps us get ready. Our classes are broken into areas and out of 5 teams 3 were ranked in the top 10 in the state for 5A. Only two advanced. We played about 70% of our games against ranked teams in our class and other classes. We start regionals today with 8 teams competing for two spots in the state tourney. Of the eight teams 4 were ranked in the final poll this season. We are 5 and will have to get through 1, 3, and 7 to advance.
 
May 29, 2015
3,731
113
As we’ve seen here, there is a myriad of answers ... personally I believe a scholar-athlete program’s goal should be to use the sport as a teaching tool in order to make our student athletes better people.

No matter what the answer is, the KEY to succeeding at that given goal is spelling it out ahead of time and making sure everybody — players, parents, coaches, and administrators — EVERYBODY knows and understands that goal and how you will get there.
 

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