High School turnouts

default

Member

• Mar 1, 2009

• #1

OK. Since my DD is a Freshman this year. I am learing about all the changes that has occured since I attended the same HS many moons ago. Besides going through the A-typical learning curves, I'm trying to understand what would be the root causes for many of our better players to be hanging up the gloves and not participating. No real apparent coaching issues, so I'm wondering if it's an economy issue or if this a typical occurence in HS. Anyone else experiencing low turnouts?

 

default

Member

• Mar 2, 2009

• #2

In my opinion there are two reasons for this;

1) I believe that with the increased number of girls now participating in travel ball, the skill level of those girls has far surpassed those that do not. Because of that the less skilled players do not see a real chance of playing much and therefore do not want to participate.

2) At smaller schools your athletes usually participate in 3 sports. By the time spring rolls around they are usually tired of practices, bus rides and sometimes the other girls. They just want a break.

 

default

Member

• Mar 2, 2009

• #3

I guess it depends on where you are. At our school we have had an increase in numbers. Possibly enough for 3 teams instead of the usual 2. I do not think it would be an economic reason unless your school is a pay to play.

 

default

Member

• Mar 2, 2009

• #4

I think ccdteacher hit the nail on the head, especially with #1. The difference between the "haves" and "have-nots" is growing as the number of girls playing travel ball has expanded. Others who don't want to make the year round commitment don't want to warm the bench for those who do.

 

default

Member

• Mar 2, 2009

• #5

Yeah I agree with CCDteacher. Many of the good athletes that made softball their secondary sport have it harder then in the past because there are a lot more girls specializing in softball.

Just a few years back, a good high school team in NWO had 4 or 5 travel kids on it, now most of them are completely made up of travel kids, not leaving room for the casual player.

 

default

Member

• Mar 2, 2009

• #6

I agree 100% with CCD. It was not long ago that some really bad (average, at best) players made varsity squads because there weren't enough girls to cut during tryouts in the first place. Now, those who only wanna play 2 months out of the year see the writing on the wall and realize they are not likely going to be one of the best 14 girls trying out anymore. It is what it is. Maybe that's why so many girls play s-o-c-c-e-r... haha. Kidding.

 

default

Member

• Mar 2, 2009

• #7

CCD this is not true for our school. that is alli will say for now.

 

default

Member

• Mar 2, 2009

• #8

Turnout is down, but basketball is going on. But I agree with ccdteaher at the smaller schools. The dd came home this weekend. After school Track practice. Then Open gym weight lifting for Socccccer. Then she hits the softball cage. So from 3 to 7 she has some type of sports activity. It doesn't take long to burn them out with everyone trying to get some time in. Next year as a Freshman at least track is gone.

 

default

Member

• Mar 2, 2009

• #9

On the flip side, some kids playing travel ball do not want to play for their high school if it does not have a strong program.

 

default

Member

• Mar 2, 2009

• #10

Bad Medicine said:

OK. Since my DD is a Freshman this year. I am learing about all the changes that has occured since I attended the same HS many moons ago. Besides going through the A-typical learning curves, I'm trying to understand what would be the root causes for many of our better players to be hanging up the gloves and not participating. No real apparent coaching issues, so I'm wondering if it's an economy issue or if this a typical occurence in HS. Anyone else experiencing low turnouts?

Click to expand...

My oldest, a very talented catcher, strong bat 573 and fast on the bases only played her Sophomore year at Valley Forge. She felt like she was stepping back down to intown level with girls that only played non-competitive sports and a coach that knew very little about fastpitch and tried to coach using slow pitch mentality. Not a good mixture. She hated it so much she lost her love of the game. . .She's a freshman in college and up until early August, still had a couple of colleges in IL trying to talk her into going back home to play. . .Sad, but I really think a lot of the girls playing travel ball realize that their school teams will offer them nothing in the advancement of their skills and would rather take that time to focus on specific areas of their games/workout programs. IMHO

 

default

Member

• Mar 2, 2009

• #11

That must be it.CCD has a valid point.Our area has a big influx of Travel Ballers playing for the school and although this does bring up the level of play as whole in area it also makes it very difficult for those who are fair to decent ballers to make the cut.This is great for the HS program just sad for the girls who havent turned it into a life change and do not play Travel all year round.Competitive side of me is ecstatic because the level of play is soo high,but what is the trade off?Is it going to be soo hard to get in down the road,that winning becomes more important then learning the game as a team?
Will it be harder for HS teams to click because everyone is from different Travel Groups. In the past in our area 3-5 girls on the HS tm played travel out of 40+ girls on all 3 teams now its about 28 girls play travel out of 40 and every pitcher pitches all year round.The Starting line up top 6 on every tm sees someone for hitting all year round so it makes me wonder ,whats the trade off because there is always a trade off.

 

default

Member

• Mar 2, 2009

• #12

If the girls who work hard all year bettering themselves, why would you not play them girls regardless? You think the football coach would let guys play just because it's the school team? if they don't want to better themselves, then that is their choice as well. But if girls think they won't make it because a school may have 6 or more players that play year round, oh well. That's exactly why they play year round, to be the best they can be at it. No matter what sport it is...

Usually the girls that play travel ball can click, no matter what as each year there are new faces on most travel teams. Heck, how many are asked to sub on teams they never have known anyone on a weekend if they are off? I know mine has and loved it. When they get between the lines, it's like a switch is thrown and the talent just takes over for those ladies, as they all have the same goal when they are out there. There is no room for the ME Firsts of the world.

The successful ones have also figured out that you play for the coach who is coaching you at that particular time. Sure take some things you learn from each as you do with anything in life, but if the coach you are playing for at that time asks you to do things a certain way, you should try and accomodate if it makes sense...

 

default

Member

• Mar 2, 2009

• #13

Hillard, I am with you. I do not mean to offend anyone, but this mentality of lets be fair to everyone really gets me. I constantly see this and wonder, are you going to teach a child that we have to be fair at everything in life. Let's get real, the reality of the situation, even as adults is that the nothing is fair. You have to take what lemons life gives you and make lemonade.

When are we going to help to push everyone to be their very best and give them the life skills to be able to coop with the realites of the real world.

You want any sport or academic team to be the best you have to select the best to play. Would you want to go to a doctor that was given their license to practice because he just didn't make the cut?

Again, not meant to offend it's just my humble opionion

 

default

Member

• Mar 2, 2009

• #14

Kids don't like to be cut. If they think they will be cut, they most likely won't even try out. Someone was mentioning trade-offs and I think this is one of them. And it is not a good thing that kids are made to feel they have no chance so don't even bother.

Everybody thinks because their daughter plays travel ball that they are automatically better then everybody who doesn't. This is simply not true - especially at the younger ages. There are so many teams out there that if you have the money and the time, you will be on somebody's team. I know we are talking about high school but not everybody who plays travel ball is a great player and there are more than a few that probably wouldn't even be classified as good.

Yes, obviously a talented, driven player who trains all year and is PROPERLY taught should be a much better player than an equally talented, driven player who only trains 3-4 months a year. But there are 700+ schools that have softball teams. Are there 9,000 travel ball players in the state of Ohio over any 4 grades that are vastly superior to EVERY kid who doesn't play travel ball? I doubt it.

I find it hard to believe that in many high schools, especially smaller ones, that the extremely talented, athletic 3-sport player has no chance at making the high school team.

 

default

Member

• Mar 2, 2009

• #15

I can't respond to all schools, but most I know ,have a no cut policy. That doesn't mean you might be a senior and set the bench. We have had to have three teams, due to this policy in the past.

 

default

Member

• Mar 2, 2009

• #16

Everybody thinks because their daughter plays travel ball that they are automatically better then everybody who doesn't. This is simply not true - especially at the younger ages. There are so many teams out there that if you have the money and the time, you will be on somebody's team. I know we are talking about high school but not everybody who plays travel ball is a great player and there are more than a few that probably wouldn't even be classified as good.[/QUOTE

This is about HS ball. There are many girls that get involved in 10U and 12U ball for experience, but by 14U a sorting process begins, and I don't think that there are lots of "no-skill" players playing travel ball. And if we get to the top 50-80 teams in Ohio, the girls are pretty good.

Of course there are athletic girls that don't play travel ball that can make the HS team. But that is the case with any sport. Girls that play travel ball are going to be superior players, on average, than girls who don't play as much.

Click to expand...

 

default

Member

• Mar 2, 2009

• #17

Everybody thinks because their daughter plays travel ball that they are automatically better then everybody who doesn't. This is simply not true - especially at the younger ages. There are so many teams out there that if you have the money and the time, you will be on somebody's team. I know we are talking about high school but not everybody who plays travel ball is a great player and there are more than a few that probably wouldn't even be classified as good.

This is about HS ball. There are many girls that get involved in 10U and 12U ball for experience, but by 14U a sorting process begins, and I don't think that there are lots of "no-skill" players playing travel ball. And if we get to the top 50-80 teams in Ohio, the girls are pretty good.

Of course there are athletic girls that don't play travel ball that can make the HS team. But that is the case with any sport. Girls that play travel ball are going to be superior players, on average, than girls who don't play as much.[/quote]

 

default

Member

• Mar 2, 2009

• #18

Everybody thinks because their daughter plays travel ball that they are automatically better then everybody who doesn't. This is simply not true - especially at the younger ages. There are so many teams out there that if you have the money and the time, you will be on somebody's team. I know we are talking about high school but not everybody who plays travel ball is a great player and there are more than a few that probably wouldn't even be classified as good.

Click to expand...

This is about HS ball. There are many girls that get involved in 10U and 12U ball for experience, but by 14U a sorting process begins, and I don't think that there are lots of "no-skill" players playing travel ball. And if we get to the top 50-80 teams in Ohio, the girls are pretty good.

Of course there are athletic girls that don't play travel ball that can make the HS team. But that is the case with any sport. Girls that play travel ball are going to be superior players, on average, than girls who don't play as much.

 

default

Member

• Mar 2, 2009

• #19

The original question was why are some schools seeing a down trend in numbers, and I think the main reason is above. Not saying every school experiences it, and not saying its a good or bad thing, but it is no doubt what is generally happening.

With fastpitch being relatively new in our area of the state, we saw an up trend in numbers as more girls got involved in travel ball ... but as the overall talent went up, more girls decided that they didn't want to make that "full-time" commitment and didn't want to ride the bench or only play JV if they didn't feel like they would ever play varsity .. so our numbers have started going back the other way while the program has gotten better and better.

Some girls/parents will blame it on politics or favoritism, but other girls know they are not of the same talent level and decide they'd rather spend their time other ways ... other sports, working, etc. Know of at least 3 girls in our school who looked at it this way and didn't come out their senior years, and wish they hadn't their junior years as well.

 

default

Member

• Mar 2, 2009

• #20

Our school district is on the border between D1 - D2 and they only field a 12 player Varsity and 12 player Jr. Varsity softball team. With only a limited number of slots available any given year, the turnout for tryouts will usually only be in the 30 count. The part time softball players pretty much know what the outcome will be even in the junior high since the junior high club teams also have cuts. However, every once in a while a none travel player will make the team but this is more of a political appointment than anything else and usually results in a better player being cut.