hs softball

Oh man...

...I could get into sooo much trouble here like I did last year! Let's just say we have not parted ways on this...

 

I think the problem of losing TB players sometimes comes from the inability to differentiate between a highly competitive TB situation and a normal HS situation. My daughter has been playing TB for four years now and at 13 is struggling to enjoy School ball at the middle school level. I have tried to push her more toward a social perspective of playing with her friends at school and not so much a competitive one. It is difficult. I do agree that volleyball and soccer present problems for softball and it is mainly due to the fact that softball is such a pitcher-catcher dominated game. The other sports do seem to be more team player friendly. I love softball even when my daughter is not pitching but I can see how interest is lost if you are a positional player and also the intimidation factor if you do not play TB.

 

Politics, BS, and bad Coaches.........

......... do have some part in why interest in the game at the HS level has declined. I have seen my share of coaches both in HS and in TB that should not even be aloud on a softball field, much less be a coach. The reason our head coach and myself volunteered to coach, was #1 for our DD's, #2, to give the program the respect that it deserved, and #3, to give back to the school that we graduated from. But more importantly, to try and make a difference in these young players lives'. IMHO, I think we have accomplished these things and are continueing to do so. Yes, we want to win conference titles, make a deep run in the playoffs and maybe even make it to the Creek.
But if none of that happens, if our players have gotten better throughout their HS careers and accomplished academic success, then we have done our jobs. In the five years we have been at Garner, our girls have finished the school year with the highest cumulative GPA of any varsity team. And have won 3 conference titles, finished 2nd one time and made it to the Creek once.

 

Leave it to softball4ever to continue my education on softball and how it relates to the girls. Thank you

 

HS with 9 TB players....

.....Hey, if the 9 TBs are the best then they start, period.
Don't EVER forget the expense......the expense of a kids time to TB, the expense in $ to TB, and the committment to atleast trying to be the best that one can be. If a kid does not play TB, and she hits in the cage, and takes ground balls on Sat. instead of hanging out in the mall, then she'll compete for a STARTING spot. Its got nothing to do with what one parent or another does to "back" someone up.
HS is GREAT!
I could care less about what quality/experience a HS coach has.
As long as he/she is in it as a TEACHER/educator, you know, the career of reaching kids minds that they chose when they pursued their degree. As long as these folks want to "coach", I say let them do their job. Leave them alone.
Our kids, ALL of them will learn something from these fine folks, as long as you mom/dad stay out of it.
Bottom line: You'll get out, what you put in!
If a kid decides to not study for an exam in..say history, and then makes a D on the next test.....should mom/dad scream and holler at how sorry the history teacher is?

 

Why few women coaches?

In a former life I coached middle school sports (football, basketball, track . . . . in that time softball didn't exist, at least schools). All the coaches I knew, male and female (we had girls basketball) were, like me, ex-players. I realize fastpitch is relatively new but it is odd that more ex-players aren't showing up in the coaching ranks. I know I certainly identified with my coaches as a high school athlete. I suspect that longterm health of HS softball will depend, at least to some extent, on the sports ability to develop a core of female coaches.

 

Exactly