Definition of "School ball season"

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Coaches,
What do you interpret as being the official season for school ball?
Does the "season" begin when school team practices are allowed or does the "season" begin when the first school ball games are allowed?

 

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When I was a coach the travel team shut down the night before the OHSAA start date.

Len

 

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And that was ......the day that school ball coaching is allowed to begin, or the day that school ball games begin?
Let me put it this way....
This year, pitcher & catcher coaching begins 2/24/14.
The official start of the "season" is 3/29/14.
The OHSAA.ORG website explains that an athlete cannot "participate" with (tryout, practice, workout, etc.) with a non-interscholastic team in that same sport during the school's interscholastic sport season. Also from that website is a calendar which shows "future dates". It shows that the Season Begins on 3/29. That, according to my interpretation is the date after which these athletes must cease any practices with their travel ball teams.
How do you all interpret this? That's why this post is specifically titled the way it is...according to this, the players can practice with their travel ball teams all the way up to 3/29.
Links attached for your reference.
Regulations: http://www.ohsaa.org/sports/rglts/Ge...egulations.pdf
Calendar: OHSAA: Future Athletic Dates

 

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Soon as pitchers and catchers report...weather travel coach thinks it is or it isn't our kids played school ball.

 

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And that was ......the day that school ball coaching is allowed to begin, or the day that school ball games begin?
Let me put it this way....
This year, pitcher & catcher coaching begins 2/24/14.
The official start of the "season" is 3/29/14.
The OHSAA.ORG website explains that an athlete cannot "participate" with (tryout, practice, workout, etc.) with a non-interscholastic team in that same sport during the school's interscholastic sport season. Also from that website is a calendar which shows "future dates". It shows that the Season Begins on 3/29. That, according to my interpretation is the date after which these athletes must cease any practices with their travel ball teams.
How do you all interpret this? That's why this post is specifically titled the way it is...according to this, the players can practice with their travel ball teams all the way up to 3/29.
Links attached for your reference.
Regulations: http://www.ohsaa.org/sports/rglts/Ge...egulations.pdf
Calendar: OHSAA: Future Athletic Dates

I would contact OHSAA and get their definition of "sport season". In bylaw 4-7-3 I found this. It focuses on transfers but I could not find anywhere on the OHSAA website the definition of "sport season":

For purposes of this bylaw, “sport season” shall be determined by the
sports regulations for that sport, beginning with the first date on which coaching may begin and
concluding on the date when the season ends.

We always erred on the side of caution. We never wanted to get a kid in trouble, and many school coaches want the kids on their team to be totally dedicated to the school team during their season.

Len

 

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There is no longer a "pitcher and catcher report" anymore. The whole team starts on that date.

 

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LOL, everybody was a pitcher and a catcher.

 

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There is no longer a "pitcher and catcher report" anymore. The whole team starts on that date.

LOL, everybody was a pitcher and a catcher.

Yup....and that's why the OHSAA got smart and got rid of the "Pitchers And Catchers Report" thingy....lol.

Len

 

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I strongly suggest for you to do your due diligence and contact your OHSAA district board representative on this matter.
Misinterpreted preseason rules cost the Minford Lady Falcons a chance to play in last years State Tournament.


Some great advice I received from a local A.D.
"I tell my coaches, check with me first before you do something you are not sure of. I email the ohsaa about once a week on questions like this. We cant know every rule, especially as muddy as some can be, so I email and leave a paper trail to follow."




Here is the contact info for OHSAA middle school sports director
And the representative for the Southeast District.




Bret Mavis
State Board of Directors, August 1, 2013 – July 31, 2015
7th-8th Grade Representative
Principal, Chillicothe Zane Trace Middle/Junior High School
946 SR 180, Chillicothe 45601
B: 740-773-5842 ext. 1117; Fax: 740-773-9998; Email: bmavis@ztlsd.org


Mark Knapp
Board President
State Board of Directors, August 1, 2012 – July 31, 2014
Class AA Representative, Southeast District
Superintendent, Wheelersburg Local School District
620 Center Street, PO Box 340, Wheelersburg 45694
B: 740-574-8484; Fax: 740-385-3683; Email: mark.knapp@wheelersburg.net

 

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Once they paly in a scrimmage - they are officially part of the team......usually that is mid-March around here at the earliest.........
But Many of the coaches tell the girls once they make the team that they are not allowed to practice with their travel team. So not to ruffle feathers - it is best to stop by the time try-outs are complete..................

 

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This shouldn't be all that difficult.

Travel teams should shut down when HS tryouts start.

By the same token, HS coaches should let their travel players continue to work out with their travel teams until that time. The point being that those players are probably scrimmaging/playing/practicing at a more intense level than their HS's are. If you're a HS coach that has 7,8,10 players that DON'T play travel ball, you have enough projects on your hands to keep you busy.

 

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As soon as they report for high school ball on February 24, I am done with them until they are done with high school ball. I have them 8 months out of the year and the other 4 months are for them to represent their school. They should be focusing on their school team and meshing with those girls, not worrying if they will be penalized for trying to participate with both teams. If you break the rules, the only ones who will pay for it will be the girls. In my opinion, anyone who tries to skirt around this is NOT looking out for the best interest of their players.

 

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Feb 24 is last day for travel ball. I would not risk it. We pull the plug on the 23rd of Feb and will pick it up when HS season is over. No need to risk a players eligibility over an interpretation. JMO.

 

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Ive always used from tryouts untill the last scheduled game or tournament elimination. Dont wanna step on anybody's toes and possibly cost a kid position or playing time at their HS. After tryouts they tend to practice or play 5 days a week through mid May anyway.

 

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Regardless of what the person you happen to talk with at OHSAA says, my strong recommendation is for the travel coach to let them go the day before tryouts/practices begin. Do not put your players in a situation where they have to (or can) make a choice between going to high school practices/conditioning or working with you ... and don't put them in a situation where their high school coaches can question their loyalty to the high school program.

 

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Well stated Coach..............

 

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Everyone talks about the start of the HS season, what about the start of travel ball, not only does their HS season need to be complete, they still need to be released right ?

 

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No, once they are done playing, they are released. So if JV has no more games, a JV player can practice and play with her summer team the next day. Varsity players must wait untill their team is eliminated from OHSAA tournament. That includes any JV player that travels with the varsity. Its all pretty simple and in my opinion very fair.

 

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As a Travel coach, I am not a fan of competing against school ball. I actually support school ball and understand both have there time and place in the sport. Not sure why anyone would want to take the school ball experience away from players or discourage it.

 

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As a former HS coach, I wish I could have had the girls a little sooner. It takes a lot of time and practice to fix what these travel coaches screwed up over the summer and fall and winter.....