Not playing high school ball...does it matter?

I know each situation can be different, but many, many good points made in this post.

The hardest thing for me to get over is the lack of quality coaches at some HS across the state. I am used to HS baseball coaches where the majority are excellent and take pride in their programs and are some of the best teachers in the state. But I am learning it's still a "progress in work" in softball at some HS.

 

Progress

I know there is a lot of questions about the abilities of some hs coaches vs tb coaches. I think there are some reasons for this

1a. I can remember as a very young boy going to watch my Dad play fast pitch in a Steel Mill league. How many hs coaches grew up watching games at a young age? I would bet a lot of them didn't and probably have never played either.

1b. Many tb coaches either had dd who played or they played themselves?

2a. HS coaches play 3 games per week and spend the other 2 days trying to explain to the players the intricacies of the game within the game.

2b. TB teams usually play 5,6,7 or more games in a weekend against some of the best competition. The players will see, remember, and copy something they saw that worked(as will coaches).

3a. How many HS will only hire a teacher to coach regardless of that person's experience with fast pitch?

3b. TB coaches ,each and every one, coach fast pitch because they absolutely love it.

There are many HS coaches out there who are doing a wonderful job, and also TB coaches who are spending countless hours making these young players the best they can be. The best of all these coaches put the needs of the players foremost.

But we also know there are HS coaches telling kids they shouldn't play TB during the HS season, and, TB coaches telling players that playing HS ball will mess them up due to the level of the competition.

IMHO there is room for both. Although I am a HS coach, I encourage my players to play TB (on week ends) I actually had a player ask me once if she could skip my practice because her TB coach wanted her to come to his batting practice on a TUESDAY. I know that the girls see good competition in TB. I don't schedule week end games. But situations like this is a no win for everyone. If I say no then I'm labled as a TB hater, if I say yes then the rest of the team thinks I'm showing special treatment to the TB player. BTW I told her no and asked her to have her TB coach contact me so that we could discuss it. Never recieved the call. I wish, as someone else stated earlier, that HS and TB coaches would work together more (and I know some do). But sometimes I get the feeling it's HS vs TB and the kids are stuck in the middle. JMO

 

Progress

Sorry didn't mean to double click

 

Nice Post

Most travel ball coaches want HS to do well and try to prepare the girls to give the HS coach more and to understand one helps the other!

 

Although tb is really just taking off in my local area, the area to my south has been involved with it for a long time. Their success directly relates to the amount of experience their players bring to the field plus the quality of the coaches in hs and tb. I have never had more than 1 or 2 girls on my team with tb experience. They were usually heads and shoulders, knowledge and fundamentals wise, above the other girls. The rec dept here started coach pitch for 6-8 yr olds last year. Until then, my dd was playing Dixie Youth bb. Last year she played coach pitch and played in 3 tournaments last fall (10U) with a tb team. I really enjoy watching her play with other girls chasing the yellow ball. This year Dixie Youth is trying to start Dixie Darlings (8U, 10U, 12U,14U) here. So eventually girls are going to get to the high school with 4+ years behind them. This year it looks like I'm going to have 8 or 10 tb players coming out. I'm looking forward to not having to spend quite as much time teaching the things they should have learned when they were 10 or 12. The vast majority of my girls the last 3 years played from Feb till May. Even though I did Fall work outs and Winter workouts, it's not the same as playing for 8 or 9 months per year. So to all the tb coaches out there from a hs coach who is grateful for the dedication and commitment for the work you do, thanks for the help.

 

From the years of reading this forum, I gathered that is a problem in many areas. I believe Coach Sherrill addressed this in his interview and left one to believe it is getting better.

 

question?

I enjoy reading your posts you have an insight into FP that is intersting. My DD has experienced the Parent Kind. She asks me all the time what does the coach gain by doing this, what did you tell your DD? I do thank all the TB coaches that she has played for or tried out for that sees the talent that see has, this is what keeps her playing, a kid needs a reason to keep working and the TB coaches have given her what she needs, reconition of talent. I told her if see don't want to play hs then she don't have too but she loves the game and wants to play.

 

JMHO

First of all there are few and far between good quality high school coaches. Coach Sherill and Coach Lambros are some of the most knowledgeable coaches in N.C. and their kids are a definite bi-product of their skills, but the majority of high school coaches don't even know the game or how to position the players where they need to be on the field.I would weigh out what my DD was trying to obtain in her future.My opinion that the travel ball experience will present more stiffer competition and will better your DD and prepare her for college ball if this is what she chooses to do. 75% of high school ball will not do anything to prepare her for what she will face at a higher level of play. This is not a put down ,but an observation of my 11 years of coaching,sitting on the sidelines,etc....I believe if you are not challenged you will not get any better in whatever you attempt in life !!!


Guru

 

Understand

I know first hand what softball 1987 says, her daughter was a fighter and also loyal maybe to a fault! Great young lady and has found a home in college. Many western kids have quit playing HS ball and if it was not for fall ball in Ga, many of those might decide to forget HS due to the huge jump they get on us for qualifier! Most young ladies simply want to represent their school in a positive fashion and I think it is great for them to do so.

Said I would not talk about my daughter but on the HS front, I must! She was allowed to hit less than half the games she played in HS but made all-conference her first year in college and hit .377 in conference on a team that finished second in league and third in league tournament. She has been a steady starter for three years and enters her final year starting tomorrow. I think I held her back as it was easier for me to sit her at times on the Blues than deal with unhappy parents, she suffered because of my spongy backbone! LOL to my DD as she heads toward HOME! You have given 100% even when injured and made me a very proud POP, who is honored U call me Dad! (sorry got off the subject)

 

thanks

I will pass this information on to her and tell her to keep working hard and it will pay off one day. I just hope that college coaches don't look so much at what DD does in hs and more at TB. New year of hs maybe it will be better. Maybe she can add to the homerun balls for the mantel (2 last year as a freshman).