Goat Pastures or Softball Fields?

Softball Welfare?

Looks like some of you are looking for a welfare system to fund and execute the projects that you all are too lazy to do yourselves. Don't you get tired of giving all the excuses of why you don't have what you need?

Handouts don't ever come, folks.....but hard work is a sure cure for just about everything that ails you, especially laziness! As CFBall says, it's the parents that are the key....and organized parents, with a work ethic, can accomplish amazing things!!!!

CC, Butler, Alex Central and others have wonderful softball complexes....the result of planning, parental involvement, and hard work! Sorry, Guru & Co., I just don't subscribe to the "pity party" approach to obtaining your goals.

 

That's great when people can come together and get things like this accomplished. That's a great and fortunate situation.

But you do have to have all that support, and it's not as easy as snapping your finger as some like to think. I mean to have the school admin., AD, other coaches (when it affects their practice fields), parents, boosters all on board, it's tuff. And some take a helluva lot more convincing than others, and it's a shame when people try to block things like that, KNOWING that it's for the benefit of these kids. But too many people have Tunnel vision and if it doesn't help them directly, or inconveniences them just a little bit, they'll fight it tooth and nail.

 

In the post I made, I stated that the county never built the first athletic field at South Caldwell, the parents of the players (true they were in the booster club) did the work, we built the stands, added the lights and built conscession stand for the football field and baseball field, the only outside help, which we paid for, was the ecection of the light poles, and a crane to lifte the concrete seats to be placed on the risers.

What must be accepted is that the parents did the work, makes no difference if they were football or softball parents, they are the ones that did the work and raised the money.
While it is true that one or two parents can't do the job, forty or fifty sure can get the job done.
What will surprise you is when the other parents,(booster clubs) see that you are willing to do the work, you will surprise how much more help you will recieve.
By the way, softball in most cases have more numbers that most of the sports have, example, they have more number that basketball, boys or girls, question is, why don't you use them. or at least point them in the right direction.....

 

So you're saying that everything was done fairly and evenly with all sports, and that's how it should be...right?

 

You are still off the topic.....nobody ever said they didn't want to work for the purpose....read C-a-r-e-f-u-l-l-y NOW , the thread is about why are girls facilities crappy in the beginning, while boys have better facilities without doing anything ???? In other words you don't mind if the girls play in sewer fields, and if they wanted better fields they should clean up the crap, is that what you are saying ???? But the boys get the great view,and valley to play their sport, but the heck with girls if they are not willing to sweat a little.....HMMMMMMMM, that really sounds fair !!!!

 

Okay if this is true than why aren't their facilities nicer ???--- don't get me wrong this was not suppose to be an argument thread, but a few have made it so, but I just don't understand why it appears that girls are looked upon as less important in sports ?????

 

Dawgfan and nctiger explain the way it is supposed to be done. There is no reason why your daughters should have crappy facilities. Let's just say, I'm glad I don't go to the same school as Guru and NOGA87....it must be really bad there.

On-topic or off-topic...if you let your daughter play at a crappy facility, its your own fault.

 

WHATEVER------

 

This has been an interesting thread. Although the point of the thread is about the overall poor facilities of the softball fields; the comparison with their baseball brethern is relevant.

An example; South Meck baseball field was ranked as the 2nd best field in the state in a published article that follows that kind of thing. Why is that? That get very little money from the school's booster club; it is one of the oldest high schools fields in Charlotte.

The answers:

- They have a tradition of very successful teams (community pride)
- They have a leader each year of their own baseball booster club. This person is very active in setting financial goals and obtaining them to match field improvement needs
- They have a coach that is very committed to the program (it's a year long commitment, not seasonal
- The coach takes pride is his facility and works on his field every day

South Meck's softball field

Although it doesn't come close to be called a pasture, I certainly wouldn't call it a field of dreams. So why is there such a disparity between the two fields?

- Most of the years, the coach has not been a teacher at the school. And probably just as important, not a PE teacher. The PE teacher, if they are a coach, has much more freedom to have work done or construction supervised during the day. Now, we can debate "they shoudn't be doing this" all you want, but the bottom line is they do.

- Coaches of successful programs have the ability to get sponsors to donate anything and everything they need. The HS baseball coaches, in general, have a lot of respect from parents, sponsors, the community, teachers and Principals. For whatever reason, I don't believe the softball community shares those same views towards many of the HS softball head coaches.

If you look at both Butler and Central Cabarrus, they have commonalities. They have very successful programs, very committed coaches to their programs and tremendous support from the parents and booster clubs. Basically, the coaches have garnered respect for their programs, themselves and their school. They take pride in everything they do. They will not tolerate or accept having their program play on an inferior field as their 'home".

To me, the head coaches have everything to do with the playing field. But you have to ask yourself; if the HS coach doesn't appear to care about the players and is doing this to supplement their income, how can you expect that same person to lead the charge to insist, cajole and demand that they develop a better ballfield.

I think there is something to this:

Better coach = Better fields

A committed coach = Best fields