Is it right....

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I will try not to get too far off topic here. But I believe that good coaches have their players best interests in mind in the long run. So here is my question:

Where are the college recruiters? High School ball or Travel? Where does it matter more? I have faith that my coach will look out for my dd's needs and future, and that he knows better than I. If he doesn't think she should play school ball, I trust him.

 

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OKI'll be the fly in the ointment here. Last year we had a 12u team with mostly7th graders, and a couple of 6th graders. Some went to schools with a softballteam that was sanctioned, some club, and still others went to schools thatoffered nothing. Our team had an on line discussion weighing the pros and consand what it would mean to the team if some of the kids played on sanctionedteam. The parents on our team voted unanimously to forego school ball last yearand stay together with travel. I can honestly say I didn't exert any undueinfluence in the outcome of the vote but I was happy with the outcome and Ithink our team benefitted by not sidelining the kids who didn't have a schooloption. I did get falsely accused on facebook by a former player (who wasdisgruntled) of not allowing one of her middle school classmates toparticipate.

I have to disagree; it should have never been put to a vote. As a coach of a travel ball team you should have no input on this decision. This should be a choice made by each individual player and her parents, without any outside influence. I do believe a fair question to ask the girls individually, "who is playing schoolball?" So you can plan accordingly.

Thisyear with almost all our kids being "seniors" (8th grade) in middleschool, most will be playing with their school team. I am looking forward towatching some games as a parent and letting someone else take the reins forawhile!

I wonder how many regret not playing the year before.

 

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Again PLAY SCHOOL BALL

 

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Where are the college recruiters? High School ball or Travel? Where does it matter more? I have faith that my coach will look out for my dd's needs and future, and that he knows better than I. If he doesn't think she should play school ball, I trust him.

IT IS A RED FLAG IF YOUR KID DOES NOT PLAY HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL IF HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL IS OFFERED!!!!

I don't care if she plays JV as a senior but should have started varsity as a freshman (btw, college coaches are very much aware of the politics in HS softball)

 

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As far as College goes, I can tell you with great confidence that most college coaches don't even look at High School ball. They deal strictly with the kid's travel team. They do not discourage high school ball, but they really don't pay any attention to stats or performance at that level. In fact in California a well named coach who was just inducted into the ASA hall of fame a couple of weekends ago, insisted that his players only play for his travel team and did not allow high school play. But in regards to this thread, we are talking 7th grade. I see no harm in playing.

 

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I will add school ball , because of the politics , can be 100% maddening .... Our school has been fortunate in that we have won back to back district titles , went to a regional final last year and returns nearly the entire team , so in the off season they released the current coach and hired a guy who has never coached a team of kids older than 12 . Former head coach was never offered job even though he did a fine job with zero drama . And there was no application process , the athletic assoc picked a guy , recommended him to the school principle (rubber stamp) and no other person was considered . So our kids with tons of experience will play for a guy who has never experienced high level 14 , 16 or 18u ball. Not being super critical or personal , just stating the facts that things can go on that drive parents insane . whats a player to do ? smile and nod like flaray suggested I guess ?

 

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Sounds like that's about all they CAN do. That stinks for them.

I'm glad DD's school doesn't have middle school ball. It will be rough enough when she gets to HS (8th grade now) because she plays the same primary position as the HS principal's daughter. Thankfully, if politics come into play, she will only have to deal with it for 2 years. I am hoping that is not the case, but it is what it is.

I just don't understand why coaches don't just look at the talent they have in front of them and work with it, regardless of who is who's kid or plays travel or doesn't play travel, or has green eyes, or whatever. And I'm not saying it's just school ball. It's almost everywhere.

 

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Just to make sure everyone understands the facts of this particular thread ... it is about junior high not high school ball ... and there are different posts in here about whether a coach is right to tell the girls not to play school ball, or Mad Hornet's situation where the team took a unanimous vote last year, where pretty much everyone came back this year, and where some of the girls are playing school ball this year with apparently no issues from the coach. Is someone really going to have serious regrets about not having played school ball in 7th grade??? I really don't think anyone is going to be emotionally scarred from this ...

Now again, I think there is a lot of value in playing high school ball, and would have a serious issue with a travel coach who told his girls not to play there ...

 

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I have to disagree; it should have never been put to a vote. As a coach of a travel ball team you should have no input on this decision. This should be a choice made by each individual player and her parents, without any outside influence. I do believe a fair question to ask the girls individually, "who is playing schoolball?" So you can plan accordingly.






I wonder how many regret not playing the year before.

Should the coach ask this question without informing the group that the team would be on hold for three months if enough players played on a sanctioned team? Would the kids without a school option find out about this some time in March when they were wondering if their team was playing anywhere? I laid out the facts and allowed everyone to make an informed decision. Quite possibly we could have also lost players if the kids without a school option found sitting out for three months unacceptable. Should that be a factor in the parents decision? If I was a parent I would have wanted all the facts before deciding. So if informing the group is considered "influencing" then I'm guilty as charged. To answer your last question. I do know the four kids who didn't have that school option don't regret it. The kid who had a club option didn't regret it. My kid who goes to a sanctioned school didn't regret it. That leaves four others who also had kids who went to schools with a sanctioned team, three of which are assistant coaches who have been with us for three - four years. That leaves one who could have chosen to play with her school team and it still wouldn't have been enough to put the rest of the team on hold. Your opinion is your opinion but I can't say I agree.

 

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Mad Hornet aka anti-Christ. Lol.

 

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Mad Hornet aka anti-Christ. Lol.

Now you know why I always wear a hat.

 

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Shouldthe coach ask this question without informing the group that the team would beon hold for three months if enough players played on a sanctioned team? Wouldthe kids without a school option find out about this some time in March whenthey were wondering if their team was playing anywhere? I laid out the factsand allowed everyone to make an informed decision. Quite possibly we could havealso lost players if the kids without a school option found sitting out forthree months unacceptable. Should that be a factor in the parents decision? IfI was a parent I would have wanted all the facts before deciding. So ifinforming the group is considered "influencing" then I'm guilty ascharged. To answer your last question. I do know the four kids who didn't havethat school option don't regret it. The kid who had a club option didn't regretit. My kid who goes to a sanctioned school didn't regret it. That leaves fourothers who also had kids who went to schools with a sanctioned team, three ofwhich are assistant coaches who have been with us for three - four years. Thatleaves one who could have chosen to play with her school team and it stillwouldn't have been enough to put the rest of the team on hold. Your opinion isyour opinion but I can't say I agree.

Simple answer yes. If the group info meeting wasn't toinfluence the girls from playing school ball then why have it? According to you, 4 girls didn't have the option, 1 girl who could have played club wouldn't. 4 of the kids are coaches' kids and wouldn'thave played. That leave 1 kid, as you say wouldn't have been enough to put the team on hold.

You said in one of your previous post. Most of the kids are 8[SUP]th[/SUP] graders (and the schools that offer) will be playing school ball this year. Do you still not have thesame problem with the 4 girls who school don't offer middle school ball and the one girl who's school only offers club?

 

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Simple answer yes. If the group info meeting wasn't toinfluence the girls from playing school ball then why have it? According to you, 4 girls didn't have the option, 1 girl who could have played club wouldn't. 4 of the kids are coaches' kids and wouldn'thave played. That leave 1 kid, as you say wouldn't have been enough to put the team on hold.

You said in one of your previous post. Most of the kids are 8[SUP]th[/SUP] graders (and the schools that offer) will be playing school ball this year. Do you still not have thesame problem with the 4 girls who school don't offer middle school ball and the one girl who's school only offers club?

The reason to have the meeting was simple. None of those parents have older kids who have been through it. They were unaware that playing on the school team prohibited them from playing on the travel team during that time. All the information was put out there well in advance and an informed decision was made. This year is different for a few reasons. Yes there are still a few players without a school option but now we are to the age where all the other travel teams in our age group have the same issue. A simple look at the available tournaments next spring reveals this. Most of your April May tourneys are 10/12u only. Not so much 14u and up. The other difference is that as 8th graders the kids now think it's more important to play for the school. Either way we have informed parents, different scenarios and different decisions.

But here we are six pages later I am the only coach who has admitted having a discussion about this. Obviously there are coaches who are dictating no school ball to their TB players or this wouldn't be a topic. Any of them care to chime in?

 

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I could see this being an issue during tryout season. If a team has 4 or 5 playing middle school ball or other sports in the spring, those not playing other sports may have a more difficult time organizing practices or picking up girls for spring tourneys. Travel coaches need to be open with information during the offer period in order to let parents make an informed decision. If team A will be able to field a full team in the spring and team B will struggle to field a spring team, it may be more conducive developmentally for the parents and DD to make an informed decision to join team A. Either way, coaches with limited players in the spring owe it to their players to actively pursue opportunities for them. That may include inviting non-rostered players to practice, picking up multiple subs for tourneys, or allowing their own players to sub for others.

 

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Tony ... I am sure there are some others too, but I am guessing most of the fuel for the fire here has more to do with past discussions on here that have started when some people have talked about quitting high school ball and how worthless it is ...

 

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"Middle school ball" should not even be a question for the team/player aspiring to play at the highest level...

These are the years where the young ladies need to be playing at the highest level vs. the best competition.

This way the the high school years are a non issue...If the player develops and improves the needed skill sets during their 6/7/8th grades they will have no problem playing for their HS.

 

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I am not a huge fan of middle school ball and it is more the exception than the rule that I have seen players "get better " during that time. With all of that being said Jr High ball is very important to these ladies and I would never entice or threaten them away from playing for their schools. Like it was stated in a previous posts, it gives some of the girls a chance at being a star. My daughter is a perfect example; she doesn't start on my team but she is a starter and one of the better players on her Jr. High team as 7th grader she hit .400 last year.

 

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I'm a believer in them playing more games... and if they can do it year round... have a ball.

Question, is it OK for a school coach to tell the player to choose a sport? At any age? This is a bit of hi-jack but along the same lines that the original question is from. I know the specialization will come... but is it ok for the coach to force it? Now everyone needs a Simon Cowell to help the path's decision but to have a blanket statement of choose "X sport" over "Y sport" comes up quite often and how is it different than this? Discussion creator since all agree on this original topic....

 

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If the normal season of the sports overlap to the point of causing conflicts, then I agree they should choose one (hopefully the one their Simon says). If they don't overlap, have a ball and play whatever they want. JMHO