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

There is absolutely nothing wrong with teams "sprouting" up. Better late than never. It IS "pay to play". No one team, organization or clique has the corner on travel ball, school ball or what type of player any child can be developed into or become, no matter how they are presented.
Michael Jordan was cut from his H.S. basketball team.
Springsteen told a young Jon Bon Jovi that he would never make it.
Ulysses S. Grant graduated next to last at West Point.
In short, todays promise or perception of failure does not perpetuate tomorrows success or failure by default of opinion.

 

Agreed Madison but the reason Michael Jordan (Laney High School) was cut was because the lack of coaching skills / knowledge of the coach that cut him. I personally know the coach who cut him,nickname was "POP", he didn't know talent when he saw it...he use to be my P.E. coach when he was at New Hanover High School in Wilmington in 1977..........this is exactly what I've been talking about "So Called Coaches", that don't know how to cultivate talent. When Michael Jordan's friends were out partying he was shooting basketball proving to his peers that one day he would be one of the greatest baskeball players ever....................These kids that play only rec / school ball will never have the advantage of those that play year round....again you are missing my point...I'm not against school ball,my DD plays school ball ,and she enjoys the girls she plays with on a day to day basis,but she even says that the talent is about 40-50% level compared to 80-90% level in competitive ball.......If you were a college coach which level would you look at to choose your players????...........Softball Guru....

 

Softball Guru, thanks for the reply. I get your point exactly and I agree. Playing year round, particularly with a well coached travel ball team, is definately a distinct advantage.
I have coached my daughter since she was four years old and coached her youth league teams for a couple of years, trying to help her and the other girls develop a good understanding and love of the game along with proper fundamentals. There was only so far I could take her though and knew that it was time to turn her over to more capable coaches and that was with Mixed Forces Softball.
After the travel ball "experience" I fully believe that it creates better ball players.
The problem I have, and I am not sure if this is the former coach in me or just my love for the game, is that I don't believe that travel ball is an exclusive right to just a few players. I see travel ball as being instructional. In that context, I believe that every girl has the right to play if she can pay. Now it may not be with a top notch team. It may be a team formed within her community that may not be great or win many games. It does however provide a distinct advantage, individually, in one aspect, regardless of coaching:
Facing a wide array of talent makes better ball players. If you face the same 5-6 teams all the time, a lot of your skills are falsely defined by the repetition and habit of facing those same teams, even in travel ball. If you face a wide array of talent, I believe that you finely hone your fundamentally instinctive talents (reading the ball off the bat better for example).
Does this mean the girl is going to make it to college? Nope. Is it going to create a better ball player out of her from Point A (beginning of season) to Point B (end of season)? I think so.
In short, the problem I am having is that just because my child may have the talent to play travel ball for a good team doesn't give me the right to say that other girls cannot try to develop their talent and skills even if it is with a less talented, "watered down" team. That money of that childs parents is every bit as valuable as mine when all is said and done.
Part of the problem may be, as parents, our desire to see our children go to college and the fear that they may not make it, thus creating this notion of exclusive right.
My daughter still has to make the grades and continue to develop her talent to make it. There are no guarantees.
If little Suzy down the street is not at the level my daughter is at, I am not going to begrudge her if she is determined to try and then perseveres.
Maybe I am just full of hogwash.
By the way............. I am new here. What does "dd" stand for? Sorry if that question is stupid.

 

DD= Darling Daughter.......... Your point is taken with a grain of salt..I would never begrudge any kid of playing at any level, but I do know that talent can't be hidden and must be exposed if a kid will get noticed for the college entry level.....Mixed Forces is an excellent organization...so is the organization that I play with during the summer.......Best Regards Softball Guru..............

 

No No! I wasn't implying that you would begrudge any child from playing. My sincerest apologies if you thought I was.
That comment was directed at some of the posts I have seen, by others, on this particular thread.
Sorry if I didn't articulate myself better.
By the way, my daughter will not be playing with Mixed Forces this year. She had a great time last year and learned a lot. However, it was over an hour to the practice field. The biggest factor is that my dd wants to be a nurse. The lack of nursing programs at N.C. colleges is stunning.
Therefore, my dd will be playing for a travel ball team out of Tenn. this year. It is only 20 minutes to the practice field and Tennessee is loaded with colleges that have nursing programs. Since the tourneys are all in TN I am hoping that this will be the road to one of those colleges.
I hope that my thinking isn't flawed.

 

No need to apologize I didn't take any offense to what you said...it's kind of funny though, I'm always being taken wrong---------LOL-----------anyway, good luck to your new playing ground.......our team will probably come and play in the ASA Nationals if we qualify in Johnson City the week of July 31-Aug 6.................Softball Guru............

 

I'm not sure if we are playing in Johnson City or not. I have seen the schedule. I know that we are playing several in Pigeon Forge, a couple in Knoxville and a couple in Crossville.
Where are you guys from and what team? I will look for you. My dd will be playing with the 16-U team from Greene County, TN.

 

We are The Lady Blues for Charlotte,N.C.----------

 

One's opinion reflects where one comes from. The Lady Blues is an excellent organization. Not all travel ball teams are excellent organizations just as not all school teams are poor organizations!

It would be interesting to pit the state's best high school teams against the best travel teams.

 

I agree BetterBatter and I am sure that they are a fine organization! Best of luck to you guys this year!