High School and Travel Ball?

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What is the typical pattern for a 16u team? Do they form in the fall, maybe play fall ball, practice during the winter, and then disband due to the high school season in the spring? Then reform the travel team after school is out to play tournaments in the summer?

 

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You hit it on the head.... They cannot play after the first school game together in Ohio otherwise there are consequences...

 

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Is it tougher to get commitments at 16u then with all the jumping around?

 

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No, not really. The sticking point is the interference with all of the other school sports that they participate in.

 

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Is it tougher to get commitments at 16u then with all the jumping around?

From 14u this is pretty much the pattern in Ohio. As you said, form the summer team in the fall, play a few "get your feet wet" games in the fall, then work on the "bugs" over the winter. Due to kids playing basketball, rarely will a coach have a "full team" practice. (Hopefully) those kids are off working on their game on their own - hitting, pitching, catching lessons, etc. Then play in spring for the high school team. By summer, the kids are "game ready" and should be nearly up to speed for competitive summer ball.

I don't see how this would prevent commitments one way or the other. It's pretty much a way of life for softball girls.

 

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We start open gym in Feb. Those that are not playing a winter sport, such as basketball, attend to get in shape. Then it goes to 6 days a week, so these kids are ready when travel ball rolls around. Those playing high school ball are ahead of those that are not. You see this mainly in the 14U age brackets where you have 8'th graders and Freshman. Some coaches frown on you doing anything with the travel team after they start practices. So I would check with your high coach.