How political is Middle and High School softball ???

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At the parent meeting our MS coach said he is not political at all. He wouldn't lie, would he? :lmao: (hope he is not on OFC)

Our HS coaches said the same thing!! I'm positive they wouldn't lie to me! ;&

 

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I don't buy the whole politics ****. I teach, have coached several different level basketball teams, from JV, to varsity assistant, to junior high boys and girls. I can tell you, there were no politics involved.

Two things I looked at: Could they play? Were they good kids and students?

First thing involved was were they really good. Second was if they were borderline, I went by grades and attitude.

That isn't political at all.

I think most coaches I know operate the same way. High school sports, like it or not, is about winning. The best players will play, if they are eligible.

 

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I believe that.
Everyone has an opinion on who is the best even the coach, the only thing about it is his or hers is the only one that counts.

 

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There are alot of freshmen girls that have 4 or more years of travel experience. I'm sure most should make their varsity team, but will be put on JV or even a freshmen team. Is it fair? I don't know. Were using this as a life lesson for our DD, about how things work out in life. We tell her at least your playing ball, seeing live pitching, etc.... I would rather she make JV as a freshman and play every game, then make Varsity and ride the pine. After all this is just practice for summer when the serious games start. It's not that long till June!! Just keep their head up and let them shine at whatever level they make. JMHO

 

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We have never had a freshman team. This year we have 7 travel players coming in as freshmen(more than all of the other classes combined!), all of them could and should compete for a varsity spot. There is still talk of starting a freshman team because there is a good group coming in. All 7 girls beat out 8th graders as 7th graders in MS. Those same girls that were beat out are now sophs and only one of them plays travel. Those sophs will play JV and the freshman will start a new team that wont have any teams to play.
An indoor team that was filled with those same freshmen and 3 sophs beat our varsity indoor team.
IT'S NOT POLITICAL IT'S STUPID!
The coach can do what he wants and there is no way he can make everyone happy. He says he will take the best 9, there will be 9 families that agree with him.
Did I mention that the freshman beat the varsity?

 

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My DD goes to a rather large school. The 8th grade coach knows that this is the final step before HS ball and tries to prepare the girls for it. The best girls will play most of the time and the other girls are worked into the rotation as the game progesses. The girls and coachs are there to win but everyone still plays.

 

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Flatline,
just going on what your saying because I'm not there, it sounds like your coach i just wants numbers and dosen't put the team first.
Every year we here about freshman and how they play all these game but if you look at the (good teams) most of thier upper classmen play just as many games.
Last year 2 freshmen played on are varsity team the pither and catcher. Why? because if they played on the JV team the varsity team would have gotten beat.

 

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being a freshmen by no means, especially with travel experience does not a varsity player make. take it from my experiences last year. my DD played JV, and i did feel like she should have played varsity, however she was young, there were many upper-classmen, and her position (catcher/SS/second/outfield) were pretty much taken or solidified. Now, take it from me because statman would not stray you down a wicked path.
It drove me insane to watch JV ball, i had alot of resentment and even friends she played with who were on varsity was very hard for me. At the end of the season, i finally erupted and now i cannot even email an assistant. Where does that get you? nowhere. In the end, i had to come to terms with several questions.
1--how many freshman players actually ever start varsity? i'd love to see the percentages! probably not that high, and i would even say that in baseball it is even tougher.
2--how did my attitude effect my DD? well, by the end of the season, all she did was complain instead of rising and being a leader. instead of pinch hitting and being proud of scoring a winning run or hitting a triple in a meaningless game and working hard, she constantly griped about her coach and reflected my attitude in her play. in the end, not very pretty.
3--how did my attitude effect the people who are/were/ or that i wanted to remain friends with? i opened up my heart at a summer tryout with a good friend whose daughter and my DD have been best friends forever, yet she played varsity and my DD didnt. and i apologized for acting the way i had in my heart, not necessarily for how i was acting in public (and in public i was a hypocrite, smiling all the way but complaining under my breath)
4--did my DD deserve to play varsity? no. especially after playing JV and getting instead of being a leader. and plus, who really deserves anything? i should be thinking of how many extra at-bats she got and starting every game. how many kids get that?

i'm looking forward to this season, simply because there is nothing set in stone for my DD. She plays on a very competitive travel team but still may play JV or play varsity and sit the bench. i am challenging myself to let go and support her each and every game and to remind her that softball wont always be around and to enjoy it. I love her to much to do anything different.
Love your DD, people, and let it go. Varsity is but a minor bump on the road

 

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Statman Ray, that was written very well! Our attitudes as parents can poison our kids. I've been there and seen it happen too often.

 

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Statman ... very good and honest/humbling post. It is great that you have seen it for what it is, and kept your perspective. You also make a good point that it is very dependent on both the high school a girl goes to, the position your daughter plays, and who is ahead of them. Hopefully, she has also learned from the experience, and will be able to contribute and enjoy this year.

 

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Nice post Ray. I will remember it and heed your wisdom next year when my DD moves up to high school. Thanks

 

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It all depends on the school and the coach. That's all I'm going to say.

 

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DD also played JV her freshman year. The bonus was she pitched nearly every game of the season. It was a great warm up for travel ball. Was my DD "better" than the varsity pitchers? Obviously not in the coaches eyes, and that's what mattered at the time. As a footnote, none of the varsity pitchers that were ahead of her pitched in college.

High school ball is extremely different from school to school, and district to district. Even though parents might say "you put the best 9 on varsity", it's not always that easy for a high school coach. He's the one who has to deal with all the politics and flack - from both sides. The parental flack is more prevalent in high school, because unlike travel ball, you can't just up and switch teams every year. Maybe that's a GOOD thing. It teaches parents to look beyond the trees, and see the forest - and the DD how to deal with adversity.

 

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Musty, agree with what you said. Only, I have to wait and see what my dd does.

Ray, great post. This will be the issue I will have when my youngest gets into high school (by then 6 yrs travel experience by then). We did have 1 freshman start for our varsity team. Finished I think 6-1 or 7-1.

 

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I agree that Ray has the grounded approach a parent needs to take in these situations. My DD is a sophmore this year and at her school they have a "no junior on JV" policy, so she knows this is most likely her last year of HS SB. She is fine with continuing on with travel ball and accepting of the way things sometimes playout. My concerns with her softball have decreased immensely, as well, and have been replaced with worries over her becoming a new driver and her choices in selecting a career path (biology) in preparation of college and beyond. She learned her first lesson in humility as a seventh grader when she cut from the jr.high VB team and I have to say she is stronger from that experience. P.S. - the coach's biggest issue with her is that my DD hits the "Carrier" way. Go figure.

 

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being a freshmen by no means, especially with travel experience does not a varsity player make. take it from my experiences last year. my DD played JV, and i did feel like she should have played varsity, however she was young, there were many upper-classmen, and her position (catcher/SS/second/outfield) were pretty much taken or solidified. Now, take it from me because statman would not stray you down a wicked path.
It drove me insane to watch JV ball, i had alot of resentment and even friends she played with who were on varsity was very hard for me. At the end of the season, i finally erupted and now i cannot even email an assistant. Where does that get you? nowhere. In the end, i had to come to terms with several questions.
1--how many freshman players actually ever start varsity? i'd love to see the percentages! probably not that high, and i would even say that in baseball it is even tougher.
2--how did my attitude effect my DD? well, by the end of the season, all she did was complain instead of rising and being a leader. instead of pinch hitting and being proud of scoring a winning run or hitting a triple in a meaningless game and working hard, she constantly griped about her coach and reflected my attitude in her play. in the end, not very pretty.
3--how did my attitude effect the people who are/were/ or that i wanted to remain friends with? i opened up my heart at a summer tryout with a good friend whose daughter and my DD have been best friends forever, yet she played varsity and my DD didnt. and i apologized for acting the way i had in my heart, not necessarily for how i was acting in public (and in public i was a hypocrite, smiling all the way but complaining under my breath)
4--did my DD deserve to play varsity? no. especially after playing JV and getting instead of being a leader. and plus, who really deserves anything? i should be thinking of how many extra at-bats she got and starting every game. how many kids get that?

i'm looking forward to this season, simply because there is nothing set in stone for my DD. She plays on a very competitive travel team but still may play JV or play varsity and sit the bench. i am challenging myself to let go and support her each and every game and to remind her that softball wont always be around and to enjoy it. I love her to much to do anything different.
Love your DD, people, and let it go. Varsity is but a minor bump on the road

we've al been there Ray. Good post and glad to see honesty and humility from someone that has been there. You learn and go on and hope not to make the same mistakes, even at the age of middle adulthood like me.