Team Cuts, how do you handle it?

what effect?

what overall effect is it to a program to be loaded with several talented players in one class (say soph class for instance ) and be weak in #'s & talent from the other classes?

 

what would you do?

Consider this HS scenario: You have a freshman player that's a very good pitcher with a strong TB background , your JV team really needs her services as a pitcher in order to compete , but she would also be among your top 9 position players / batters on the varsity team? Assume that she really is your only option for the JV team's pitcher; without her as the JV pitcher , the JV's will really struggle to win games.
You have other capable 2nd string varsity players, but the freshman is a step ahead in all areas of play.

What would you do?????

 

pitcher

This has happened to my DD for the last 2 years. She has been listed on both rosters, but has been the starting JV pitcher and has been pulled up to run for the varsity. Could she have been a starter on the Varsity? Yes, if you wanted to listen to the parents of the 8 seniors on the team B & M even worse than they already did all season.

IMO, it really comes down to where will she get the most playing time. Is she going to sit the bench on Varsity because even if she is a great pitcher, is the coaching staff going to allow her into the varsity rotation or is she going to be sitting waiting for a chance to play that may or may not ever come. Will she be able to hone her skills on the JV and become a better pitcher that the schools in your conference will be dreading when she does move up to Varsity.

When my DD was first put on the JV team for her sophomore year, I was really kind of upset, but after seeing how the program worked and the fact that we have 3 pitchers in our school and our pitching rotation for the last 2 years has consisted of 1 girl unless she is unavailable, I was fine with her actually getting to play every game and work on her skills. If your big concern is that she letters all 4 years, talk to the coach and make sure that she plays in some varsity games, goes to the conference tournament, and any post season play that occurs.

 

Loaded Classes

My DD graduating class brought in enough girls to field the JV team by themselves. It would have been very strong as all but maybe 3 of the 10 are TB players. Now our Varsity won our 2A conference that year and had been undefeated for 3 years in a row.

Last year, I really feel that our JV was stronger than our Varsity. We had all the same girls as the year before +/- 1 or 2, but the girls we added in all travel where as only 4 or 5 of the 12 on the varsity traveled. They did well, but moving into a 3A situation, you could tell that some did and some did not travel, but the seniors and upperclassmen were very catered to.

Having large numbers of girls come in at one time can be a boon to your program, or it can go along as it always has depending on how your coaching staff handles it.

 

we are in a similar type of situation where I coach.. Three pitchers in the program and the #2 and #3 both should start on the varsity as position players but then you run up against the games played limit rule if you pitch them on the JV... plus the JV team is is really not competative aginst other JV teams in our conference. We thought JV would be a building block or stepping stone to the varsity but the reality is at 1A those girls on the JV are not going out and strengthening their skills in the off season. We are fortunate in that we have built a desire in most of the varsity girls to play travel ball. I am sure this is different in a highly competative 3A or 4A program scenario that has has built a culture around their program.

In the end the program is really all about the varsity and we have made the decision on what to do based on that factor alone.

Also, just to chime in... we play our best 9 regardless of class rank.

 

SPEAKING OF SOUTH MECK THEY JUST GOT A JEWEL AND PROBABLY DON'T EVEN KNOW IT...........DIAMOND FEVER KID ABOUT 6 FEET AND GROWING, AND ONE HECK OF BALL PLAYER....JORDYN DUVAL ,SLAP HITTER,INFIELDER,FAST AS SPEEDY GONZALOS...ALL AROUND GREAT ATHLETE...I WISH SHE WENT TO MY DAUGHTER'S SCHOOL...........SOFTBALL GURU

 

situation

more clarification: situation again is that the freshman girl would be a great JV pitcher, but not good enough yet to pitch for the varsity based on who the varsity already has as veteran pitchers. the freshman girl may be among the best 9 as a position player for varsity and is an above average hitter for her age.
She is basically the only girl that can pitch successfully for the JV. If she does not pitch for JV, that team may have serious trouble getting batters out. The JV & varsity usdually play the same # of games in regular season (thinking about the 23 game rule).

 

Alriiiiiiight...have to go check her out!!!!!Did we recruit her