My two-cents

That's my point coach 27. the kids are working harder at a younger age. I'm talking about kids younger than 14. Not many 11-12 year olds do core body work.

 

They were awesome. My family's big trip each summer was to Cincinnati to watch the Reds play in Riverfront Stadium. It was great!

 

I dunno Putt, you may be right. But I saw the same talent 6-7 years ago, they just didn't have the facilities and the avenues of specific coaching that the kids do now. I really think if the players then had the opportunites now, they would have been just as successful.

I remember a parent asking me for advice on finding a pitching coach in Charlotte to help their son with his mechanics.......there wasn't one.

 

Question for JT or other coaches

I agree that most HS coaches pour everything they have into their teams. Trust me, I appreciate all the time my school's coaches put in at the field.
But why would a coach be upset that his players play showcase, legion or anything else?

If a player chooses to play showcase during the summer and fall then that player is playing good competition, getting at bats against good pitching and generally becoming a better player. This, in turn, means that on the HS fall and summer team the spot that player would have filled is filled by another player who gets more at bats, playing time, and instruction from the HS coach. Thus, 2 of his players are benefiting and both will be better when February rolls around. I see it as a win-win situation for the program. Our HS coach does not see it that way.

(BTW I am not only the parent of a HS player that plays showcase but also the proud parent of a NC Teaching Fellow. Teachers are the BOMB! )

 

I love BRM's posts....he's got style

JT- correct me if I'm wrong. I believe what JT is saying is that he has seen and heard people trivialize the importance of HS baseball. To the point that some have mentioned there is no need for HS baseball for those that are seeking next level exposure.

Listen, he is correct that those talks have been discussed out in the barnyard and the fishing ponds. And there are states, like Iowa, that do not have HS baseball.

But what a travesty that would be...especially in NC. Rarely, will a player for a showcase team ever face the intensity they will face in a rival conference game. The atmosphere, the drama and the tension after each pitch can not be duplicated

 

Your right Braves, it would be a travesty if HS baseball were to disappear in NC. The big games between conference rivals are amazing. There have been a few that I don't think I could even breathe between pitches! (Had to wait til the last out was made before I could let out a sigh of relief!)

HS baseball is important. And, at least in my area, does not appear to be going anywhere anytime soon. Thankfully.
I am just wondering why people think the two can't peacefully coexist.

 

If school sysytems keep cutting sports programs it could happen. More quickly that some think. Look at schools that are being built less and less to fields and sports programs. Programs are starting with nothing and schools give nothing. It is all parent and coach fundraiser feed. It is a shame that some with college educations can not figure it out.

 

BigRedMachine

Braves explained my thoughts well. (Thanks Braves)

I have no problem with kids having opprotunities to play. I agree that the more kids I have playing during summer ball or fall ball (although I love HS football and love baseball guys that play it) then the better we should be. The only stipulation to that is this. If you have guys scatterd about, playing at different levels of showcase, legion, Jr. legion, colt, palimino (we have all those here), can you bring them back together to work as a family with one common goal. Blending these personalities, egos and at times selfishness can be quite the challenge. But what a fun challenge this can be. Guys around here that are able to do that are the coaches I hold in high regard.

When I coached HS baseball, the program I had taken over had very few kids play after the HS season. Most of the guys played from February to May. This was a major concern for me and one we tired to address immediately. (through fall workouts, local camp info, local summer leagues, etc.) A lot of these kids actually jumped at the chance to "do" more. Most of them just hadn't been informed of all the opprortunites out there. For me, ther was no pressure to play with a HS realted team. It didn't matter. I just wanted my kids to be around good people playing and learning to play the game the right way.

Plate Dad - I agree. HS sports (not just baseball) may find themselves out the door if the "wrong" people have it ther way.

 

Thanks for responding JTbaseball

I guess that could be a problem for some coaches. It will be interesting to see how that plays out at our school this year.

I will say that IMO the problem of ego and selfishness does not stem from playing showcase or other venues outside of HS ball. The players that have egos and are "me" players are that way regardless of where they play.
In travel ball such as AAU and USSSA, you do see a lot of egos. There kids can join a team where they will be the star. Then, in a few months when the luster has worn off and a new star has joined, they just move on to another team that has been recruiting them heavily with lots of promises of a certain position and not hitting lower than 4th. The players like that don't stay with showcase very long. They are not used to the concept of having to earn a position and playing time against other highly talented players.
Showcase baseball can be quite humbling. A kid goes from a HS team where they may be better than 80% of the players--to a showcase team where they are merely average. It's not hard to win a position when there isn't much competition for it. It's a whole new world when all 15 kids on the roster are the best of the best. You can go from hero to zero faster than a 90 MPH fastball.
Just comparing my son's HS team and his showcase team, there is way more ego and selfishness on his HS team than the showcase. And that is not from the showcase players. Honestly, a lot of it is from some kids that don't play showcase who seem to measure themselves by what others do. I see that as a problem. But the problem isn't with the kid who plays showcase. It's with the other kid. So is the answer to that problem that no one is allowed to play on other teams? That wouldn't really solve the problem, just avoid it.
BTW, the showcase team is a team, but the teammates draw the line at their HS teams. When the showcase players find out their high schools will get to play each other there is no shortage of "we are going to kick you butt" going on between the players. They may be teammates when they are in their Dirtbag jerseys but they are competitors when in their respective HS uniforms.
(Sorry that was so long. As you can see, I feel strongly about this subject and it is a hotly contested one in our HS.)