Jr Legion Divison 2

I would like to have input on this??? I think Jr Legion teams that have young players 14 years old to 16 years old should have a division 2??

 

Coach, I am not sure what your question is, if you can provide a little more info maybe I can help you.

 

Jr Legion D/2

If you have a young team 14 and 15 year olds you cannot play with Jr teams that have half 16 and 17year old on it. For example Stanly Co has only Freshman and rising sophmores. Morresville has a run over of 17 year olds that dont make the Sr team and they drop down to play Jr Ball.It is not a good feeling to have a young 14 pitching to a 17 year old stud???

 

I have to respectfully dissagree. Playing against older bigger kids will only make them better. Plus if the kid is a 17 year old stud he wouldn't be on the jr. team but rather on the big team.

 

Coach, We were full of 8th, 9th & 10th graders last year,(and most every year) no 17 year olds. We played lots of teams that had numerous 17 year olds.(including Mooresville) We felt we had a successful season. Any above average 17 year old will be on our senior team. No we were not a bad Senior team, won our division. In our program the Senior coach decides who plays up and who plays down. I am sure most programs work that way.

 

I disagree Its a little different when 1a and 2a play 3a and 4a schools Iam the coach of the Stanly Co Jr Team and most of our rising Jrs play Sr ball so that leaves me with alot of Rising 9th and 10th graders. I just dont like playing teams that draw from where there are alot of kids. I keep all the players that tryout which is about 18. I`m trying to build a new program and when players hear that we get waxed playing bigger teams they dont want to play. Please understand where I`m going with this..

 

Westside Coach, you have a good idea about having a younger age group,,,,,,,, however, keep in mind American Legion has only had the current "Junior" level division for a few years now, really its still in its infant stages. There are numerous legion programs who still don't even have a junior team today. Seriously at many places, kids either make the senior team or they get cut. So while the current Junior division may have its flaws, I do think you have a good idea about more expansion sometime down the road. Keep in mind that American Legion baseball is a national organization, so rule changes must be voted on nationally, but you can start by emailing ideas to the NC Commissioner Roy Waters.

There "IS" a silver lining for you, afterall if your team is so young and your always facing older competition "NOW",,,,,,,, then you (as the coach) just have to find a way to keep your boys together. Because if you can keep your group together, sometime soon either this year, or the next,,,, your youngsters will become the more experienced bunch and you should be the ones dishing out the spankings.

Good Luck.

 

Thanks for the input Tj21 It is easer to keep a travel team together I know I have been coaching Travel Baseball since 1992. I think that the Legion program is where players get alot of looks from college coaches. I guess its just hard for the Coach (me) not to be so competitive. I love teaching the game to young players I guess thats why I have coached for so long for The Love of The Game and not Money.

 

Don't get me wrong, I never said you shouldn't be so competitive,,,,, hell all I ever had growing up in the 70's was competitive coaches, in fact my HS coach is still regarded as one of the best in this area in terms of winning. He thought we had a bad year if we finished 2nd, and as a result in my 4 years of HS ball we only had one bad year.

Good luck, if you coach in Stanly County I can't feel too sorry for you, because there's great baseball players all over that area. Stay in touch. tj

 

Drop the 19's out and make it 17 18 Sr 16 15 Jr..