1. This Board Rocks has been split into two separate forums.

    The Preps Forum section was moved here to stand on its own. All member accounts are the same here as they were at ThisBoardRocks.

    The rest of ThisBoardRocks is located at: CarolinaPanthersForum.com

    Welcome to the new Preps Forum!

    Dismiss Notice

Is Club Ball the Beginning or End of High School Athletics?

Discussion in 'Softball Forum' started by change-up2, Mar 14, 2006.

Page 3 of 5
  1. Mar 16, 2006 at 11:29 AM #21
    Bmac1

    Bmac1 Full Access Member

    Posts:
    568
    Likes Received:
    0
    Joined:
    Aug 21, 2004
    Coach Lambros and Chief at north davidson and Coach Poindexter at Central davidson do an excellent job of cultivating, and encouraging middle school players in Davidson County. I'm sure they also help the middle school coaches in any way they can. For the most part, they know the girls and their capabilities several years before they are freshmen at their schools. It is also not uncommon in the summer or fall to see Coach Lambros, Chief and coach Poindexter at tournaments watching and supporting the younger travel teams from their area.
     
    Last edited: Mar 16, 2006
  2. Mar 16, 2006 at 8:01 PM #22
    sbmom

    sbmom Banned From TBR

    Posts:
    107
    Likes Received:
    0
    Joined:
    Sep 1, 2003
    The biggest problem with high school ball is that there are not many good coaches. I would say at least 80% of high school caoches are unqualified. Schools don't do like they do for football and hire coaches. For softball all we get are teachers who get put in a coaching position. I see English , math, science and even PE teachers who never palyed any sport little lone softball or baseball out there coaching our kidds and most of these have no idea what their doing. If high schools would quit living by the code of you have to have a teaching degree to be a head coach and get some good coaches from outside the school system we could have some good high school teams. I see a lot of high school teams and honestly if the players play serious travel ball they usually know more than the coaches do. There are many good coaches out there who would love to coach a high school team but aren't a part of the school system so they can't. What a waste
     
  3. Mar 19, 2006 at 11:36 PM #23
    CFBall

    CFBall Senior Member

    Age:
    66
    Posts:
    5,018
    Likes Received:
    0
    Joined:
    Jan 25, 2003
    Location:
    Western NC
    :ylsuper:

    word is that KMHS Coach is now doing Middle School ball instead of HS Volleyball in the Fall!!:bananalam
     
  4. Mar 20, 2006 at 5:50 AM #24
    Softball Guru

    Softball Guru Banned From TBR

    Posts:
    2,667
    Likes Received:
    0
    Joined:
    Mar 15, 2006
    Location:
    Union County
    Just got back from watching high school ball this past weekend...and you could pick out the kids that play travel ball and those that do not play..I even did a little survey to prove my point by asking a few kids "What travel ball team do you play for during the summer",and I was right 9 out of 10 kids that didn't play travel ball and just played school ball........argue if you want there is a difference in the quality of play...I could take my travel team and beat most of the high school teams that were there this past weekend,and all my kids are under 16 years of age........ How could I make that statement???.......None of my girls have played any high school ball up until this year,and I still have 4 kids in middle school..........yet their quality of play/ability exceeds most of these kids that play school ball only........not trying to sound cocky,but there is a difference in travel ball vs. school ball..........I think the people that say there isn't any difference in travel ball vs. school ball are the ones that do not want to sacrifice their summers,and feel that their kid can still be equal.........it want happen !!!!........"Champions Train And Don't Complain"............Softball Guru....:trophy:
     
  5. Mar 20, 2006 at 6:20 AM #25
    cheeze105

    cheeze105 Moderator Staff Member

    Age:
    70
    Posts:
    3,960
    Likes Received:
    3
    Joined:
    Oct 12, 2003
    Location:
    gastonia, nc
    hs ball

    this is my fourth year in our highschool program. our coach (good as gold) knew slowpitch, but not fastpitch. he recruited me because of my experience with travel ball and mostly because he didnt know how to handle a pitcher like my dd. we had only one travel ball player on our team, my dd. this changed rapidly. the first summer, our head coach didn't miss a tournament, taking notes, learning, filling in the gaps, good guy. next year, we had four travel ball players and the number increases every year. Our head coach encourages our players to play travel ball, even rec ball to increase everyone's experience of the game.

    Middle school ball! Oh my god, we were getting players who didnt know basics like throwing, fly ball's, it was horrible. We started working with the middle school teams that feed our school and others, and we're starting to see a difference. If our head coach or myself isn't at a middle school practice or game, our seniors are helping with the teams. this seems to benefit everyone involved.

    In our conference, four years ago, the winning schools had either a head coach who coached a travel ball team, or a strong affliation with a travel ball coach, this also has changed. I don't know of one team in our county that doesnt have a travel ball coach on their staff, and the competition has come more in line with it. We dont have a rock steady undefeatable team anymore, it has now come down to who makes the least mistakes.

    I remember a few years ago, the same thing was being said about soccer, that club soccer would ruin hs soccer. The opposite has happened, it made hs soccer more competitive. Just look at KM Girls soccer. Dan Potter took five or six talented girls at the ages of 10-12 and played club soccer. What a team. Ronnie Funderburke did the same with KM Softball, he started a 12u team with just girls from KM and managed to keep most of them together until last year. The results are in plain view.

    So, in my humble opinion, travel ball has changed hs ball and will continue to make it stronger, more competitive and the schools who dont bring in coaches who know the ropes, will continue to lose, not only games, but players will start looking for ways to get into the winning school systems.:twocents:
     
  6. Mar 20, 2006 at 6:27 AM #26
    Softball Guru

    Softball Guru Banned From TBR

    Posts:
    2,667
    Likes Received:
    0
    Joined:
    Mar 15, 2006
    Location:
    Union County
    First Time I've Ever Heard This Statement !!!!!

    Talked to a parent this past weekend that was upset because their daughters Middle School coach banned travel ball until after the Middle School season.................HUH ????............Why,there is no prize for Middle School.....no chance for a State Title.......CONFUSED !!!!.........Middle School is primarily to keep the kids in shape for what lies ahead into high school...........GO FIGURE !!!..............I would want my kids playing travel ball to get more practice time....................Softball Guru.......:twocents:
     
  7. Mar 20, 2006 at 7:36 AM #27
    hispeed

    hispeed Full Access Member

    Posts:
    134
    Likes Received:
    0
    Joined:
    Jan 31, 2003
    i've heard of that before. it is because that coach thinks way to much about the wins won't be generated if some of the players get hurt or not as ready to play after playing all weekend. i think that is a load of crap. some middle school coaches that i know think they are fastpitch god and they control the players if they want to be on their team. i say if you play travel ball, skip middle school ball it won't affect your making the hs team.
     
  8. Mar 20, 2006 at 12:16 PM #28
    cheeze105

    cheeze105 Moderator Staff Member

    Age:
    70
    Posts:
    3,960
    Likes Received:
    3
    Joined:
    Oct 12, 2003
    Location:
    gastonia, nc
    Don't make sense to me!!!

    As a HS coach, I would jump at the chance to have a player who has travel ball experience move up to ninth grade. Less teaching of basics and more time to concentrate on sharpening of skills.
     
  9. Mar 21, 2006 at 10:33 PM #29
    EastOfRaleigh

    EastOfRaleigh Full Access Member

    Posts:
    2,462
    Likes Received:
    0
    Joined:
    Jun 15, 2005
    just my thoughts

    I've enjoyed reading the various comments on this thread. My thoughts: there's just something appealing about the "community" aspect of the HS team. Kids grow up playing ball together & the HS team is a culmination of that development within established geographical boundaries. I think it's great to see TB & non-TB players out there together on a community HS team striving for the community / TEAM.
     
  10. Mar 21, 2006 at 10:48 PM #30
    CFBall

    CFBall Senior Member

    Age:
    66
    Posts:
    5,018
    Likes Received:
    0
    Joined:
    Jan 25, 2003
    Location:
    Western NC
    beginning......feeder systems and hard work at the rec and middle school levels are and will always be important.

    great post EastofRaleigh and others.

    working hard with the young ones is priority one.....thank guys who are at that level!! we're watching.
     
Page 3 of 5

Share This Page