Important QUESTION!

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Now I am at the point in my highschool career where I'm focusing in on my grades and my athletics. I'm starting to wonder where my college career is going to go and what I'm going to do. True, I am only a Sophomore, but what I do now will determine what I do next year and my senior year. I am concidering not to play highschool softball, but rather take private lessons all winter and spring for travel; bad feelings run deep in my school, and if you chose to "shun" the coaches, team, and/or sport by not playing one year, you're guarenteed not to play in years that follow. I'm confident in my playing skill and everything, but I'm starting to worry whether or not I'll make college softball without more highschool, but yet still plenty of travel and private lessons. Someone PLEASE help me out here! PLEASE

~confused :-/

 

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Since you are a sophomore did you play Varsity last year as a Freshmen? Did you have fun? Playing High School ball is the only time my DD really gets to play with her school friends as none play the level of travel she does.....No our school doesn't have a great softball program...( they actually had the football coach coach the team up until this year....we are great @ football but "s##k @ softball) But she is glad she is playing for her school and with her friends and they get to see why she spend so much time on softball and not going to the mall with them, LOL. She will letter for 4 years in softball and as a Freshmen has already set 3 school records, kinda a neat thing, plus she can put it on her profile...... She is a sophomore this year too. Good luck with your decision. Remember you will only improve sooo far with lessons and batting cages, true improvement comes in games situations against real batters and pitchers and you do get about 20 games plus or minus when the 16u -18u aren't playing yet.....Although I do believe the bulk of your visibilty for college is in you travel team they are also looking @ your school work and will note if you could maintain grades and play ball @ the same time and make sure your High School coach doesn't have college connections that could eventually help you, (I know our coach didn't but maybe the next one will). Again, good luck with your decision.

 

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Ovenmitt,
why can't you play high school softball and take your private lesson(s) on the side?????
You'll get 80-90 at-bats (some better quality than most) and you'll live your high school experience, which only happens once.
Enjoy and keep working hard!!
Good things happen to people who work hard!!

 

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ovenmitt,
Personally I think Bigtrain is right on the money. If you want to play in college, make sure you are on a summer team that can help you get there. However, I wouldn't recommend forgoing you high school experience to do this. These are the people that you likely grew up with, and should enjoy your time.

 

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While I can understand that politics within a team make for a less than perfect experience, IMHO missing HS softball would be a mistake. A college coach deciding between two girls with equal skills may look at the fact that you didn't play HS softball as a negative factor even if your reasons are valid to you. Perhaps you can think of HS softball as a means to an end. I have known a player who made the decision not to play HS ball, but then played summer ball. She was not as prepared when it came time to play in the summer and I always wondered how, if someone loves the game that much, that they can't put up with politics for the love of the game. Good luck with your decision.

 

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There is more to Softball then Hitting and Fielding. What about the Mental aspect, Mature Aspect. You will learn alot about the game with the High School team. Don't count it out.
My daughter was a freshman Varsity starter last year, and had a blast with her team. I know she would not trade it in for anything. She also learned alot from the older girls as well as the coaches.