Alternative to HS Softball?

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Like Uber said, you can get a team together but there is no one to play. There are no tournaments or leagues for those age groups at that time because everyone is playing HS ball. There really isn't any alternative. It really sukks for the home schooled travel ball players, they don't have a choice to play and have nowhere to go until HS is done.

I know very little about home schooling so.... don't they have a school they are associated with and have the opportunity to play on their team?

 

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Another twist is that with high school "pay to participate" fees approaching the cost of a travel team fee, spring club ball could be the straw that breaks OHSAA's back. The challenge is getting enough families to buy in, and that's a steep hill to climb. The majority of high school softball parents do not have a travel ball mind-set, so that's a huge challenge. You have to consider why these parents aren't involved in travel ball in the first place.

This is the main reason I am hearing more and more about not playing HS and doing travel. There still isn't "critical mass" but in a few years and a higher percentage of pay to play and it could happen.

 

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http://www.softballexcellence.com/dugout/miscellaneous/why-play-school-ball/

11 REASONS TO PLAY SCHOOL BALL
By: Cindy Bristow

1. School Pride!
2. Be a Part of Your School Athletic Program
3. May be Only Time in Your Life You Can Play for Your School
4. Possibly be a Part of Some Big Rivalries
5. Play with Your School Friends
6. Get to Play Another Position You Don’t Get to Play During travel
7. Get a Lot of Playing
8. Exposure to Another Coaching
9. Possibility to be a Leader
10. Learn Patience with your Teammates
11. Enjoy Softball

This is an excellent article on the benefits of school ball to serious player. Please read the entire article and not just the table of contents. It is worth the time.

 

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I appreciate all of the input but I was just looking for an option for the kids left out of the option to play. It wasn't meant to create a debate of whether to play HS or not.

And I certainly wasn't wondering about college recruiting but thanks again.

 

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I know very little about home schooling so.... don't they have a school they are associated with and have the opportunity to play on their team?

Not that I'm aware of. The handful of home-schooled players I know of work on their own and practice with whoever is still holding practices whenever they can. Most teams that age aren't practicing or playing until mid-June.

 

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IntheCrowd:So I ask the question, is there an alternative to high school softball during that same time of year?

Back to the question, alternative would be if your child wants to be part of a school event, would be track or if your school has their musical at that timeframe, she can try out for that. However, if she is playing travel ball, she probably should stick with playing for her school. It will get her in shape for June. The ONLY reason I can see why she wouldn't want to play, would be "it's not fun." Face it, why would you do any sport or event over and over, if you're not enjoying it anymore?

MediaSteve wrote about his dd and the horrible experience she had the first 2 yrs in highschool. It turned around for her, and she stuck through it thinking she may have to stop playing, however, you can't tell me she didn't gain something from that experience. I'm sure those 2 yrs will prepare her for something that possibly will hit her in the future...