Year Round Travel Sports- Positive or Negative Opinions?

[yossarian]

Coaches and parents are equally the cause. Coaches extend the practice season because they feel they won't be as prepared as other teams. Parents go along with it because they fear their kids will get passed over. I think a break is good because absence makes the heart grow fonder. That being said, I know my kid would prefer to practice as much as possible.

 

[mike_dyer]

A lot of people at my kid's school let her know that college coaches were only interested in multi-sport athletes, she kept blowing them off. Their claims got more and more ridiculous as time passed. One of them told her that the coaches would absolutely be around to watch her play other sports.

Finally she said something like "Yap. All of the d1 college coaches I have talked to have told me that it's their dream to drive a few hours one way on a week night in the dead of winter to watch me play in a jay vee basketball game against Wynford High School."

They worked on me a little bit too, I just don't have as much patience as she does. After about the 2nd or 3rd time they mentioned it I asked them which sport they felt I should force her to play.

"Well,,, we don't want you to force her to play anything..."

Yes you do. You keep telling me and her that she has to play other sports. We both keep telling you she is not interested, even slightly, in playing any other sport. You won't take no for an answer, so which sport should I sign her up for and then force her to participate in?

They finally quit.

Professionals do very few things and they do them very well. Amateurs like to dabble.

 

[Heavy Hitter]

Many college coaches both men's and women's like multi sport athletes. Is it a must? No! Also, every college athlete is an amateur.

 

[mike_dyer]

I understand that by definition all college athletes are amateurs.

Come on, man..

 

[Heavy Hitter]

No it is not a "Come in, man". Less then 1% of all college athletes go pro.

 

[mike_dyer]

No it is not a "Come in, man". Less then 1% of all college athletes go pro.

Ok, so you're implying that I meant my daughter, who is a junior in high school, is a professional softball player.

......

Sure.

That's exactly what I meant.

 

[mike_dyer]

In other news, I don't actually mean it when I say "it's hotter than hell outside" or "she's going to kill me if I don't mow the lawn today."

 

[Heavy Hitter]

I already have kids in both high and college playing sports(DI). My high school kid is going on to play at the next level(DI). One was a multi-sport athlete the other was not. So you are saying the one who only played one sport is a professionals and the other who played multiple sports is an amateur? An yet they are both playing/going to be playing DI sports.

 

[mike_dyer]

I already have kids in both high and college playing sports(DI). My high school kid is going on to play at the next level(DI). One was a multi-sport athlete the other was not. So you are saying the one who only played one sport is a professionals and the other who played multiple sports is an amateur? An yet they are both playing/going to be playing DI sports.

Why yes.

As I have pointed out, I say things like "she's going to kill me if ____________ (fill in the blank)" all the time and then she does, as evidenced by the fact a ghost is typing this.

 

[mike_dyer]

This might surprise you, but the best way to get real good at something is by doing it.

A lot.

I s'pose I was vague and I may have meant my daughter, who is a junior in high school, plays for the Racers...

 

[Heavy Hitter]

Keep trying to spin it however you want.... And guess what there more than a few high school athletes who could go on to college and play sports and don't. They where very dedicated to their sport and practiced all the time. They just decided not to play in college. There are other kids that no matter how hard they work no matter how much time they spend practicing will never excel in playing a sport. There other kids that can spend very little time playing a sport and play in college then professionally because they are just that athletically gifted.

 

[Louuuuu]

As usual, Mike leaves me scratching my head.

 

[daboss]

It's time for me to express my opinion since things have taken a slight turn away from the true point of the post.

I have talked to numerous people in the medical field and all agreed it is overall healthier for the development of a young girl to take a break from the repetitious motion of pitching. I did not ask the question about hitting or overhand throwing. My concern was the windmill pitch and the pros and cons of pitching year-round. Especially in young ladies before the age of 16, they believed a break was in order so the body could R&R. The general consensus was for the kids to get involved in something else that used a different core group of muscles or at minimum used the same muscles in a different manner. Everyone is different but I have based my own opinions after consulting those people and advise others to consider a secondary interest that is physical in nature--------------or not.

Besides all the obvious reasons dealing with the body's development during their growing years, I believe it is extremely helpful for the mental development of a child to explore other facets of life. People skills along with a host of life lessons can be experienced and become a major part of character development that may or may not be available within the confines of the softball diamond. Many of these girls we are discussing are already standout players where they are and can benefit from the challenges away from the game. I do a lot of work to mentally prepare my pitchers for what is bound to happen sometime throughout the course of their career. They need something outside the circle to balance the sanity and simply be a kid for a while.

My students come to me every week starting in November and pitch regularly till March, School age girls are released to practice with their school coaches when they report to them. That's normally only a week or 2 earlier. They pitch and/or play into August in most cases. at that time I recommend they find something else to do until November. Take a few months off from throwing and let the shoulder rest. FYI, it does make them hungry to get started again in November. A healthy mind is as important as a healthy body. Modern day parenting tells us to keep them busy following the train of thought "Idle hands and idle minds" are not normally a good thing. Having a child miss out on life time experiences for the sake of the game will eat at them forever once the cheering stops.

The cheering will stop....................

 

[Hilliarddad3]

What sport do you put first if there a conflict? Out of season softball or the in season sport?

No brainier, in season sport, they committed to it so do it. High school supersedes travel in off season sports. It's an upfront discussion before signing with your travel team that X is a three sport letter earner so summer schedule is softball...

 

[mike_dyer]

Keep trying to spin it however you want....

Trying to spin what???

This is really pretty simple stuff. I can't believe that I have to explain it to an adult. Who has children.

If you read my quote and honestly thought I meant that 9 year old kids who play one sport exclusively are professional athletes someone is spinning something, and lots of it.

 

[mike_dyer]

As usual, Mike leaves me scratching my head.

Here, it's really complicated stuff.

I posted something like:

"Professionals do blah blah blah, yadda yadda. Amateurs yadda yadda yadda, blah blah."

Apparently that means I'm some kind of slack jawed mouth breather who thinks..... well, I'm not real sure what he thinks I think anymore because it's too stupid to follow.

He figures I think something though. Oh, and he also thinks that I'm spinning something. I'm not sure about that either.

At any rate, whatever it is he thinks I think isn't any good.

Get it?

....I don't either....

 

[mike_dyer]

By the way, this quote about professionals and amateurs that has caused so much heart burn,,, Ironically I think I jacked it from a book that Dan John wrote, he coaches Olympic throwers.

Olympians are, by definition, amateur athletes. But Dan John used the word "professionals" to describe them.

He must also be "trying to spin it", whatever that means.

 

[CARDS]

My DD played a variety of sports vs. girls and boys because she wanted too... and she was pretty dam good at them...As she hit 14 she stayed with weight lifting, golf, bowling, softball and riding a dirt bike. She did this all the way through High school.
In college she did golf and softball along with hitting the weights. As a travel player she had offers from many schools from D1 to NAIA for golf or softball but chose to go to a school where she could do both and play in the position she wanted too on the softball team while having the chance for a quality education.

One of her football coaches once said "if you have to practice so much its no longer fun this may not be for you"....I think this apply to just about everything...