HS softball

Why not both?

I know I should keep my mouth shut but sometimes something just pops out. As a HS coach and a TB coach I see from both sides. I say let the kid play what she can handle. I hear the argument about getting hurt. I have kids who talk about going snowboarding in two weeks. Talk about taking a chance on getting hurt. How can I tell them not to take a ski trip with the family or friends?
The kid could fall out of bed in her sleep and break something. She could break an elbow as one of my players has during HS basketball two weeks ago, falling hard on the floor.
Here's the way I see it. I got a job coaching HS ball based on my record working with the kids, and based on my softball experience which has been learned in the TB ranks. TB for the younger kids only benefits my HS team. I have had a 14U TB coach call and ask my opinion on the younger kids playing TB while the HS season is on. Here it is: I say go get'em.

 

.....nice post. Fishman

 

All programs don't fit the same mold. The reality is different HS and TB programs bring different levels of intensity. With some lower level high schools, there probably is no argument against mixing in TB during the season.

But there are many upper level high school programs where TB should NOT be mixed in during the season. These types of programs demand top physical conditioning and high intensity practice from their athletes every day. They compete in games with the same intensity, and it shows when they play! And yes, these HS programs are taken seriously by college coaches.

Some travel ball coaches and parents do not seem to grasp the fact that good athletes who give 100% effort in high level programs, need weekend down time for rest and recuperation. If they are off playing TB tournaments on weekends, they will wear down long before playoff time. This is especially true for pitchers and catchers. A worn down athlete is put at higher risk for injury and illness. The rule in Ohio helps protect athletes there from being put at risk unnecessarily. Its just a shame that inflexible rules must be made because common sense takes a back seat to the desires of parents and coaches.

 

Rules and Regulations against kids playing softball? Desires of the parents and coaches? If I hear IT'S FOR THE GIRLS one more time I'm going to puke!

 

Betterbatter wrote: BeSome travel ball coaches and parents do not seem to grasp the fact that good athletes who give 100% effort in high level programs, need weekend down time for rest and recuperation. If they are off playing TB tournaments on weekends, they will wear down long before playoff time. This is especially true for pitchers and catchers. A worn down athlete is put at higher risk for injury and illness. The rule in Ohio helps protect athletes there from being put at risk unnecessarily. Its just a shame that inflexible rules must be made because common sense takes a back seat to the desires of parents and coachestterbatter wrote:

I can understand pitchers needing there rest, but these are kids playing sports. Your talking as if this rest is such an important factor. Myself and I am sure others out here have played almost continuosly in there day. I played hockey up north in my days in HS. It was almost 16 hours a day 7 days a week. If you wanted to be good, you worked at it. Now a days, its "well they need there rest". Sure rest is important and there will be someone who will take this out of context and think I am a piledriver, but in reality playing TB and HS ball at the same time is not that big a deal except for the coaches who want the kid all to themselves. I respect the HS coaches out there, but why would I be paying a hitting instructor to teach my daughter proper techniques in hitiing for 3-4 years then have a HS coach come in and ruin her swing and have the dd just nod her head and say OK coach. Think about it, if thats what it takes to stay on a HS team, forget it, we will stick with TB.

 

Be careful what you wish for.

I mentioned in an earlier post that here in Ohio, we have the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA). We have come up with numerous other acronyms for it due to what we percieve as heavy handed policies and their inability to yield on what we see as common-sense issues. They regulate student transfers, participation in non-scholastic sports during the season, and eligibility just to name some areas. It is what it is and they are not going to go away so we must deal with it.

This association is run by school administrators. Most of them have no athletic program experience. Below is a link to the By-laws. It makes for some interesting reading.

http://www.ohsaa.org/general/about/Bylaws.pdf

The OHSAA website: http://www.ohsaa.org

Yes, school ball is different than travel ball. But school ball creates a lot of community spirit and comraderie that travel ball cannot. School ball is a big part of the girls social world.

It is important that the schools and travel worlds communicate with each other or you could end up with what we have here in Ohio.

 

I agree with Cardcoach2...we need to do both. Most travel coaches do not do much, if anything, with their 16/18U teams during the high school season. I can see a little problem with the 14U age though, but it can be worked out in my opinion. If we work together there should be hardly any problems. One example was the State games. After the first one all the TB coaches asked them not to schedule it during a big showcase event. The next year they scheduled it during the same time as the Dynamites (one of the biggest showcases on the east coast). This caused players to have to decide which one to play in. This hurt the state games in my opinion. I have heard the State games may have a remedy this year and play it during the weekdays. See, it can work!! Travel ball costs parents and coaches a great deal of money and the scheduling is done far in advance so the commitment from the players is expected.

 

just play ball

Yeah, I have to agree that if a player can do it all weekend and still get it done Monday...go for it. Each player is different. There is no substitute for experience. The face of softball at the school and travel levels is changing. More and more I'm seeing girls with private instructors, conditioning coaches, personal trainers, full hitting clinics. Not to bulk up but just to be in top shape year round. My daughter works on her own more than any team she ever played on. And her legs are solid bricks. Running, conditioning the right muscles to prevent injuries, push ups, eating the right foods to help build strong muscles. She does all this and still has a great life with her friends and maintains high academic standards. I used to see and still do, girls taking the Winter months off. But, the ones who want the physical edge are staying in shape, working of physical conditioning and hitting when they can not get outside. More and more HS/TB girls are lining up at training facilities, not at a high school gym. I had a travel ball coach tell me once that you can really tell the difference between the girls who work outside of travel ball and the one's who don't. Now it's starting to become which teams (HS/TB) work in the off season, and which teams don't.