Why few varsity players & JV teams?

saw an article about a large percent of HS's don't have JV softball teams; it said especially in western NC. & same article indicated that at some of those schools the varsity teams only have maybe 10 or 11 players (although that sounds like a blessing!).

Why is this ?? especially with the popularity of the sport.

 

also in east

just to add, last year there were a couple of schools in our conf. that did not field JV teams due to lack of numbers. we're in the eastern part of state.

 

S.C. JV's

As for the Upstate of S.C., almost every school has a JV team and most of them with at least 14-15 kids and some schools even have 2 JV teams.

 

That Is Not Entirely True for SC - Greenville County

Greenville County has a rule that prohibits 7th & 8th graders from playing JV. 7th & 8th graders have to play middle school ball or varsity ball. The intent of this rule was to protect middle school sports. However, it has put a big hurt on JV softball programs in Greenville County. Schools like J.L. Mann, Riverside, etc. are unable to find enough bodies to field JV squads. Mauldin and Hillcrest are even barely able to field teams and they are the high schools with the largest enrollment.

In addition, this rule puts the Greenville County programs at a competitive disadvantage. Coaches throughout the state are able to begin working with their players as they enter 7th grade, typically on JV squads. Greenville County coaches have to pull the kids up to varsity if they want to work with them. They are not allowed to work with the middle school teams.

As we all know, sports and sports decisions are primarily focused on boys sports. This Greenville county rule is not impacting boys JV programs due to the sheer number of participants in boys athletics. Therefore, despite repeated attempts to get this rule changed, we have been unsuccessful.

 

I didn't know that about Greenville County. I know every school I can think of in Spartanburg has a JV and I had seen Mauldin & Hillcrest play JV this year so I just assumed most in Greenville had alot of JV teams too. At my daughters school (Boiling Springs), the only rule they have about JV ball is that 11 or 12 graders cannot play JV, but thats a coaches rule not school or county rule.

 

varsity

I just don't understand why you would want a seventh grader to play varsity. Seems as though putting a 12 year old on a team with 17 year olds would pose several problems.

 

do you know Ivory Latta?

seriously got some 7/8th graders who i would pit against most hs teams or even some travel ball 18us!!

 

Lack of JV teams

I see some growing problems in the HSs in our area over the past 5 years. The number of competent people willing to coach has decreased. The school systems are getting to the point that they do not want a non employee coaching, which to me is very sad. Some of the best coaches in the respective sports are non employees. Some of the people that are coaching, and I use that term loosely, are doing it because someone at the HS thought they would make a good coach even though they have zero understanding of the game, whatever the game is. I have had school board members tell me in the past, that they could care less if our softball team even played a season. What a shame. Until some of the HSs and school boards start understanding the positive impact that HS athletics play in the growth of a child, the problem will continue to grow. If you have qualified people willing to take kids under their wing and help them grow, let'em do it. Keep the politics out of the school system.
Usually the jv teams are the ones that really suffer the most and the are probably the most impressionable. They are considered the second or third string so to speak, expendable. Ask a Monte Sherrill, a Ray Chandler, or a Mike Lambros if they think its important to have a jv team to help a girl improve her skills for varsity play. I would dare say they all think its important.

 

We tend to lose some girls to soccer. Why not put girls' soccer in the fall?

 

Although I try to change the channel when Latta is on, yes I have heard of her. If you are saying that she played varsity as a 12 year old I do think there is a difference between basketball and softball. I also know some 7 graders I would pitt against some 18 year olds but not all 18 year olds.