World Series or State Championship?

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Which one would you like to win more?

 

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I can honestly say a high school state championship. My daughter's travel team has won
two NSA East World Series, a USSSA Series, has two second place NSA World Series trophies,
and numerous Indiana state ASA, NSA, and USSSA titles. I guarantee you she'd trade everyone of them
for a chance to win a state title. As a Freshman a hbp and a dropped pop up cost her her chance to pitch in a State finals, and the softball fire that burns within her is for her High School.

 

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Good question, ccc. Since the question is USSSA WS vs State Champs I voted for State Champs.

If it were ASA, I'd probably say ASA for sure. There you're going up against the best in the country.

Not to put down a USSSA WS title, mind you, just saying that is where I would rank them.

 

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Asked the dd & she said State Championship without any hesitation.

 

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Good question and interesting results so far as there is sometimes a seemingly large portion of posts regarding the lack of interest in school ball... ( I said seemingly )

 

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First of all I think that either one who be a great accomplishment and it would be something that any player or coach would remember for a lifetime.

Having said that I believe that when it comes to playing for and representing your high school team in a state championship event there is so much more to that then there could ever be to winning a World Series event. I am not drawing any difference between the WS events because I am assuming that the person who started the thread is referring to a world series or national title in general. Please correct me if I am wrong.

I can tell you from personal experience that when a high school team wins a State title the whole town becomes involved. It is something that the school and town or city owns forever. It becomes the new benchmark for every season that will come after it. What I noticed most was the pride that every person in the town has when they talk about "their" team and how "they" all won the championship together. I am not sure that this type of city or town spirit can be duplicated if a local travel team won a World Series.

I am not minimizing a World Series (or Nationals) win by any stretch. It is an awesome accomplishment just to make it to the final 10 teams left in any of those tournaments. Its just that the accomplishment is recognized by a smaller group of people generally speaking and it is mostly extended family and a few others who support these hard working players. When it is High School team that wins a State Championship, suddenly everyone remembers who all of the players were, they remember what the final score was and they will always remember that they supported those players and the team and then somehow they were a part of the championship as well. This most likely can not be duplicated in travel ball.

 

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state championship. Aworld series is a award for a organzation, a state champ is a award for a comunity and that last forever in your schools trophy case.

 

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State Championship for sure.

 

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Well said Wave....I think you hit the nail on the head....or the bat on the ball... ;D

 

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Not to call anyone out... but where are the TRAVEL over SCHOOL supporters. I am a travel ball coach and I think it is invaluable. It is a way good players get better. Competition is the key. I just have read so many negatives against school ball that I am wondering where they are. Just for Fun.....

 

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?I have had the opportunity to be involved in both high school and travel ball and while there are many people (parents) who have issues with their HS coaches (real/unfounded), the connection between school, players, and the community can't be recreated in travel ball. ?As Wave said, the number of people involved with a travel team is much smaller than the number in a community, thus the value of such an accomplishment (certainly recognized as a best of the best) will be shared and remembered by a smaller number. ? Whether each community member follows the HS team or not they will feel the pride of the HS team winning a state championship, simply by virtue of being a community member. ?This may be even more true for those who grew up in a small town.... many stay/return to raise their families and already carry the many memories and pride of attending/representing their local HS.
? Now, had this question been asked when my DD was younger (before HS), I probably would have said a world series (for selfish reasons of course), but I have still felt the pride of our HS team going to the final four just a few years ago, as did our community... and now that my DD is in HS, I dream that one day I will have the opportunity to see her play in a state championship game.
? ?I will continue be a huge supporter of travel ball (for it's many offerings), but since we have been fortunate enough to know that our DD is getting an excellent experience in HS, I just can't say that I'd like to see a world series victory over a state championship. ?Would I like to see her be part of BOTH....ABSOLUTELY! ?

 

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Without a doubt to me it would be a High School championship as far as more meaningful.

 

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By Pigpen

I will continue be a huge supporter of travel ball (for it's many offerings), but since we have been fortunate enough to know that our DD is getting an excellent experience in HS, I just can't say that I'd like to see a world series victory over a state

I think he stated something very important there, it depends on your experience on a highschool team, if it is a good one you may tend to lean more towards the state side of things, and vice versa, a bad experience could take you the other way.
The question i would ask the folks that prefer the State to the World is if your team is good enough to get to the big show in Akron, how many travel ball players were on that team to help it get there.
Travel teams (and players) feel the same pride that high school teams do when they win big, Compuware, Stingray to name a few and although it may not have a community following, the players themselves still understand the work and time it takes to get to play in and win at that level, and to me thats what it is important, so the long and short of this is, you need travel to make high school succesful, and you need highschool to keep the egos of the community stroked, but speaking for myself, i would take an ASA-A- World any day........

 

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bouldersdad I should let you know that pigpen is indeed a lady. Do not let the nickname fool you.

 

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lol...thanks Wave....no big deal ....the name is misleading....I guess it was just the "catcher" coming out in me when I choose the name ?;D ?What can I say....the best part about being a catcher was wearing the gear, making a great tag at home (while blocking the plate ?) and getting dirty! ?When you're the catcher, they expect you to look like "Pigpen"....cloud of dust and all. ?

 

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lol , sorry about that

 

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hmmmm...just my two cents.......I doubt you will ever find a travel coach who has not at one time or another discussed the hard work and countless hours of practices, clinics, scrimmages, games, etc....is the price we must pay if we intend to be an effective high school or college player. Why does it have to be one or the other? Please do not take this wrong as I do not know all the HS teams throughout the state...but does anyone honestly think that the HS player shows up her freshman year and is a stud? Do we think they learned what they know in rec ball? Do we think Greenville players would be State caliper without the travel programs those girls play for? Travel ball gets these girls ready for school ball.....I do not believe you can have a good HS team without good travel programs.
Now with that being said, there are HS programs who play the players who have earned the spot and then there are those who play the girls for reasons other than to build a highly competitve program...it shows......look at the good programs.....in reading the posts many of the good programs are not afraid to play freshman up if they earn a spot...then there are those who play the upperclassmen regardless if there is someone better in the program, just a difference in philosophy from the different schools I suppose.
My guess is that both HS and Travel want the championship......am thinking it would be great to have both!

 

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So Viper....... do you think girls play travel ball to become a better HS player? I have heard comments from others that HS is travel ball spring training. In my opinion I believe most play in the summer so they can shine come spring.

 

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lol , sorry about that

No problem! ?;D ?

I think girls play travel ball to become better players period. Obvioulsy they must love the game to be willing to give so much of their time to developing their skills, and being a better player by the time you get into high school is certainly an added benefit.

 

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Cannons......I think the girls play travel ball because it is a higher level of competition in most cases. Most schools are not fortunate enough to have the talent top to bottom a travel team can put together simply because of school districts. Some schools are fortunate to be 12 deep most are not. Travel teams offer a different venue altogether. I believe the travel ball girls for the most part play the game just because they enjoy the game be it travel or high school...seems to me it is more the parents who seem to want to differentiate the two. Who really cares which one is a precurser for the other....any game time is good game time! I think both are equally important and I would bet if more HS Coaches and travel ball Coaches would slip their ego's into their back pocket and work together both would benefit their respective programs.