East Short on Talent?

It has been said that the east is very short on talent.

I don't believe we are short on talent; I believe the talent we have is not being recruited nor developed.

Is it true that we don't have highly skilled players; or are we spread too thin?

How many organizations are developing players? Or at least helping the organizations that are developing talent?

What are some realistic objectives that someone interested could help with?

What organizations are making a positive difference in the east?

Let it all out; but be positive!!!

 

I'm the quilty party

I could post a picture to demonstrate the problem. It documents the fact that a wooden baseball pitcher's mound sits in the middle of the middle school softball field 1/2 mile from my house. It's the same field where 12 years ago my then sixth grade DD literally dug the forms for the dugouts while serving as manager (and BP pitcher) for her team (6th graders weren't allowed to play). In fact, I just came from discussion with the varsity coach who bemoaned the lack of TB players on his HS team.

There are lots of ways to quantify 'talent' but the easiest question to ask is how many D1 prospects do HS teams have. I'm not sure there were any on the two 4A teams from east at Walnut Creek (don't rip me here, I said I wasn't sure . . . there were certainly some good players on those teams but I didn't hear any 'buzz' surrounding them as prospects). Compare this to the Southview team in '05. . . . At least four players who went on to have successful careers at that the D1 level. I could probably list at least a dozen kids from the Gville, Wilmington & Fayetteville areas in the '04 & '05 classes who have had productive D1 careers and twice that many who were good D2/3 players.

The west has always been ahead of the east but that gap appears to be widening. I can't find anyone who has been involved in the game for an extended period who doesn't think talent is down in the east. I've heard both soccer and vball blamed but those sports have always been around. I think it's worth discussing by individuals who are involved in the game (I'm really not any more).

 

the same comment concerning this thread title was made to me, unsolicited, by somone whose opinion I respect who went to the creek.

I know up at our HS it is going to be bleak after next year but, in all honesty, it was bleak BEFORE a few of us went out and beat the bushes for players when they were 10 years old. Nobody has come along behind to keep the pipeline moving.

perhaps the place to look is your feeder program if there is an issue with quality players coming up. It cannot happen just by playing MS ball and I will say that until my last day...

I would say if there aren't fewer players playing at 10U 12U and 14U statewide in TB therein lies the problem.

 

I remember.....

I remember a time when the Cape Fear Storm and Fuquay Bombs would come over from the east and whip everybody in any given weekend!

That said there did seem to be a difference in talent levels at the State tourney IMHO. Nothing taken away from all the teams that made it. The West was just really strong this year.....

Where are all the SB players going? Even at our school it is difficult to get girls to play TB.

I was EXTREMELY impressed with all the little girls from Alexander Central with there AC Fastpitch shirts on what a culture and legacy Monty is building in Taylorsville. I guess we need more of that so the girls understand at an early age what a priviledge it is to play this game!

Just my .02

 

Amen!

I know Monty has share of critics (recruiting and so forth) but I too have always been impressed by the 'softball culture' that he seems to be able to create. That's what it takes to be successful. My DD started playing ball (baseball) at age 5. So did several of the kids from here who became top flight players.

 

HHHMMMMMM?

the west has more talent than the east?
The HS teams in the west of NC have been awesome over the last few years. Congrats to them for sure. There have been a few dominant east NC teams as well. Wake Forest, Harnett Central, Laney, South Central, etc.
All of the above have been in the final 4 mix.
For every team that makes it to the "big dance", theres 100s that don't,....from both the east and the west.
Does that make any of those kids seen as less talented?
Such a generalization is ignorant.
Fishman

 

Ignorant?

Hmmm . . . my 8th grade algebra teacher called me ignorant and then told me to look up the meaning. The definition was 'not knowing'. She was right about a lot of algebra I did not know and you may be right about softball but the evidence you cite (names of teams from the east who have gone to the creek) means nothing. There will be teams from the east every year regardless of the relative talent level. Is the talent currently playing HS ball in Wilmington, Fayetteville and Greenville as good as it was five years ago? Is this talent closer or further away from the talent in the I-85 corridor? Before you answer remember N Bern and FV couldn't muster a single run off AC and ND. I'm not attacking anyone or running down anyone's daughter but everyone I talk to out here seems to agree that the level of play has declined.

 

In Concord this weekend and in Rock hill

TB this weekend
The talent is there. Maybe some choose not to play MS or HS ball. Private schools are getting a lot of this upcoming talent. Hickory Grove won the NC State private school softball division.

I posted this on another thread....... For those of you who want to see what the future holds for TB HS MS Varsity/JV Showcase or anything else and this is just AAU and there are many more out there.... Just click on this link and see what will be in Concord this coming weekend. For 8U 10U 12U 14U 16U. AAU state Tourney.... About 75 teams will be playing, that's about 800 girls playing FP softball. I don't know how many of these teams are from down east.

http://ncaausoftball.com/pages/ncaau...msplaying.html

There is a showcase in Rock hill this weekend also with about 15 teams

 

....easy there Duke!
If the "talent base" in Greenville has fallen then put your $$$$ where your mouth is, take up where J. Roberts left off.
Damn doc, you're calling it like you see it right?

If you see a problem, then jump in feet first, the kids need someone with your knowledge.

My music teacher used to say " practice makes perfect, only if perfect practice".

If the talent base is slacking down east, its gonna take someone to pick up the pieces, brush the kids off, and move forward.

Fishpal