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From a NJ newspaper...
NJ Softball: Play the part, look the part
By Sean Reilly
April 11, 2010, 12:08PM
After two decades of covering softball, you realize certain things will never change whether you like it or not. Parents yelling batting tips to their daughters and annoying chants that come from the dugout are two things that come to mind.
But if I were a member of the NJSIAA softball committee, there is one thing that I'd work hard to legislate. Is it too hard to ask that all members of a team wear the same uniform?
I'm not talking about the the occasional instance when a JV player might be called up to the varsity and have to wear a jersey that looks slightly different.
What really seems inexcusable to me are the many teams --- and there are loads of them -- that allow girls to wear their own personal batting helmets that aren't adorned with their school colors, but rather the colors of team they play for during the summer and fall.
Aside from the idea that it presents an unprofessional look to see a team whose colors may be blue or red have a batting order that has girls stepping to the plate in helmets that might be yellow or green, it needlessly sends other bad messages, like ones related to the importance of high school vs. club teams, or the thought that individual needs may be more important than those of a team, when the idea of high school athletics is to teach the opposite.
I watched a game recently where one team had every player wearing the exact same uniform -- including the same undershirt, jersey vest and batting helmet --- and the opponent had its nine starters dressed in seven different ways. Two infielders wore different colored visors -- (one's wasn't even a team color). One infielder wore sweat pants over her shorts, others wore pants inside of their shorts (and not all were the same color). A couple players wore white shirts under their jerseys; others wore blue. As for the batting helmets, as you'd might expect, there were a wide variety of colors and styles in use, very few in school colors.
When a team takes the field that way, it not only puts forth an unprofessional look for its players, program and school, the appearance could also reflect poorly on its inner-workings and how it functions on a daily basis.
Oh, and one other thing...surprise, surprise, the team that looked the part also won the game I just described above. Paying attention to a ``little'' thing like making sure its players looked the right way might not have won the game, but it's probably one of many small details that could have made the difference.
What does your school allow? Ours stated Nothing can be worn from your summer teams. I like it. Play for the team you are playing for in the season you are. Could you imagine a B-Ball team wearing their AAU stuff??
NJ Softball: Play the part, look the part
By Sean Reilly
April 11, 2010, 12:08PM
After two decades of covering softball, you realize certain things will never change whether you like it or not. Parents yelling batting tips to their daughters and annoying chants that come from the dugout are two things that come to mind.
But if I were a member of the NJSIAA softball committee, there is one thing that I'd work hard to legislate. Is it too hard to ask that all members of a team wear the same uniform?
I'm not talking about the the occasional instance when a JV player might be called up to the varsity and have to wear a jersey that looks slightly different.
What really seems inexcusable to me are the many teams --- and there are loads of them -- that allow girls to wear their own personal batting helmets that aren't adorned with their school colors, but rather the colors of team they play for during the summer and fall.
Aside from the idea that it presents an unprofessional look to see a team whose colors may be blue or red have a batting order that has girls stepping to the plate in helmets that might be yellow or green, it needlessly sends other bad messages, like ones related to the importance of high school vs. club teams, or the thought that individual needs may be more important than those of a team, when the idea of high school athletics is to teach the opposite.
I watched a game recently where one team had every player wearing the exact same uniform -- including the same undershirt, jersey vest and batting helmet --- and the opponent had its nine starters dressed in seven different ways. Two infielders wore different colored visors -- (one's wasn't even a team color). One infielder wore sweat pants over her shorts, others wore pants inside of their shorts (and not all were the same color). A couple players wore white shirts under their jerseys; others wore blue. As for the batting helmets, as you'd might expect, there were a wide variety of colors and styles in use, very few in school colors.
When a team takes the field that way, it not only puts forth an unprofessional look for its players, program and school, the appearance could also reflect poorly on its inner-workings and how it functions on a daily basis.
Oh, and one other thing...surprise, surprise, the team that looked the part also won the game I just described above. Paying attention to a ``little'' thing like making sure its players looked the right way might not have won the game, but it's probably one of many small details that could have made the difference.
What does your school allow? Ours stated Nothing can be worn from your summer teams. I like it. Play for the team you are playing for in the season you are. Could you imagine a B-Ball team wearing their AAU stuff??
