Glass ceiling for Ohio/Midwest kids?

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Well said msutt1, I could not agree more.

 

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msutt1 great post

Also, as he mentioned, the glass ceiling is as thick as you want to make it. If you want to make it as thin as possible, then somethings must happen. First, the dd who wants to play, is she marketing herself to the colleges by calling them (understanding she knows tey can't call back until senior year) and hoping she reaches them (or telling them what time she will call back), emailing college coaches, working hard on her grades, attending camps? Second, is the parent(s) doing their homeowrk on teams/organizations that has great success that matches their dd's dreams/abilities? Once parent did their job and believed to find a right fit, is the travl coach calling those college coaches and marketing that player? Is the travel coach going to try and attend the showcases to help their players achieve their dreams/abilities? Is the head of organization helping that travel coach into getting into the top possible showcases to showcase the orgs players?

But it starts with the player. Is she working hard on her skilset, or does she spend most of her time on social media on a beautiful day outside (not including rest days)?

 

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This has been an interesting and thought-provoking discussion for sure. But look up the definition of a glass ceiling and it's a barrier that is "unbreakable" and an inequality which does not have basis. While there probably was a very tough barrier in the past and maybe there's still a little bit of a one today in terms of how some coaches still feel about west coast vs. midwest players, it certainly didn't turn out to be unbreakable.

I think we have to acknowledge the fact that the game and the number of top players in Ohio is a lot better/more than what it used to be, but the names Matt mentioned above and some others have certainly helped change that perception. In the end, college coaches are more likely to keep their jobs and be successful if they put the best talent on the field, and at least some are realizing that Ohio is producing some very good talent. It's also easier for the college coaches to see that when our girls are competing in the ASA/USA and PGF nationals, and some of the top showcases across the country. As long as they're only playing in Ohio tournaments against other Ohio players, they're much less likely to get noticed and it's going to be next to impossible for the coaches to see and judge them, and be willing to spend some of their limited scholarship money on them.

 

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coachjwb I like the fact you posted leaving the borders of Ohio to play ball, and that could not be a more true statement. Im sure all the big name athletes that have represented us so well were not recruited out of Ohio tournaments. If you want the best chance to play at a top 20 school, and you are the caliber of player that can compete at that level you have to go where the top 20 recruit from on a consistent basis. Doom Leader or someone that goes to tournaments like Legacy in Atlanta can tell you better than I can what coaches he see in the mix there. Or fall gold in Chattanooga, alot of sec and acc coaches converge there.

If you dream big, then you have to play big. Pretty much bottom line is if you want to get to that level you need to go south and west.

Tim

 

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the glass ceiling is as thick as you want to make it. If you want to make it as thin as possible, then somethings must happen. First, the dd who wants to play, is she marketing herself to the colleges by calling them (understanding she knows tey can't call back until senior year) and hoping she reaches them (or telling them what time she will call back), emailing college coaches, working hard on her grades, attending camps? Second, is the parent(s) doing their homeowrk on teams/organizations that has great success that matches their dd's dreams/abilities?

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Brownsfan, I admire your tenacity and optimism. I wish your formula was that easy - but i think when the time comes you will find that even if you play on the BEST Ohio teams, your daughter as a pitcher will have a hard time getting out of Ohio...even if she plays a wonderful showcase schedule, attends tons of camps with great coaches working behind the scenes.....i think to break that ceiling she would be to be throwing consistently mid 60's in a game.

 

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Brownsfan, I admire your tenacity and optimism. I wish your formula was that easy - but i think when the time comes you will find that even if you play on the BEST Ohio teams, your daughter as a pitcher will have a hard time getting out of Ohio...even if she plays a wonderful showcase schedule, attends tons of camps with great coaches working behind the scenes.....i think to break that ceiling she would be to be throwing consistently mid 60's in a game.

I wasn't talking about my dd. I don't think I even mentioned my dd in my post. Will my dd make it, I'm not a fortune teller so I don't know. She may never make. She may break her leg and never be the same. But as long as she works her tail off trying to achieve her dream, I will do everything in my power to help her achieve her dream. I'm sure the young ladies who are now in the SEC and those are about to go big from Ohio were probably told the same thing. Yes I agree you need the talent, yes you need to be one of the top 5% in the country, yes the odds are against her, and yes I'm telling her to open options as a precaution; but since she's doing everything she can, I'll coontinue to do my part.

But once again, my post was meant in general. Is the dd who has those dreams doing her work? Is the dd's parents doing their part? Is the dd's coaches doing his/her part?