Off Season workouts

I will give it thought and reply ASAP. I do want to make sure all my information is as correct as possible before I post.

 

I agree with these thoughts, the baseball coaches have asked for changes, but manytimes they fell on deaf ears. I will agree that football definitely has an advantage with this. Remember, during the summer months, coaches can do anything with unlimited numbers, which is advatageous to football as it is preseason for them. The football coaches organization has united coaches and they have pushed for these changes that benefit them. IMHO, the NCHSAA has been more receptive to the football coaches because of their unity and strength in numbers. Plus the money factor that we all know about since football pays the bills in most schools or is at minimum the largest revenue source for athletic departments.

There are several things that I believe must happen for our voice to be effectively heard: And I have said this before here.

1. Baseball coaches need to unite as one voice. We have the NCBCA and this organization is getting the ears, so to speak of the NCHSAA. Ronald Vincent (JH Rose) and Pete Shankle (AD and Fmr Head coach at Southern Durham) are well respected in the state as well as the NCHSAA. But without significant numbers, we are sill small and weak. This is one avenue, to join and become activists.

2. We have to convince School Principals and AD's and get them on board at the school level. They are the ones that attend the regional meetings of the NCHSAA where decisions are considered and voted on. To get their support means that we have to show that any changes are economically feasible and in the best interest of the student-athletes. But AD's and principals actually vote at the regional meetings.

Only until we are united as coaches will we continue to grow.

You can get information on the NCHSAA at their website. www.nchsaa.unc.edu

 

Something really needs to be done about these dead periods. They say they do this to get more students to tryout for another sport.but tryouts don't last a whole month usually only 3-5 days. Why not just shorten dead periods to a week, better yet eliminate them as they do not really serve a purpose. If a kid wants to play a sport they will. As for workouts having only 8 at a time is fine but when those 8 go home you should be able to have 8 more. Many of the kids really want to be there and get frustrated when told they can't. If the people in power would use their heads they would see it is better for them to be here practicing ball than what many end up doing when they have to much free time. Trust me on this one I know!!!
Also softball coaches have formed a NC coaches association to have their voice heard. If baseball would do the same and these 2 groups get together and address this they could have a strong voice. I know for a fact the kids want to see this rule changed as do all the good dedicated coaches. Let's get it done

 

My point is that there is abaseball coaches association, it is just that the coaches don't join, yet complain when things arent going their way. The opportunity is readily here, yet not being taken advantage of. Why is this the case? I dont have the answers to that. BUt if you do, I am willing to listen and discuss.

With regards to the dead periods, I agree that they are too long. However, they do serve a purpose because at some schools some sports encourage players to specialize, which I am wholeheartedly against.

 

I agree that no one should be made to specialize in only one sport but I don't think kids nowdays can be made to do that if they really eant to play another sport. But what these dead periods do is hurt tho ones who do want to specialize in one sport and try to develop the skills to maybe get a schloarship or a chance to play after high school. Those weeks that they don't get to practice some player from another state who is able to practice is getting better and will be the one to take the schlorship.
As for the coaches association someone needs to step up and push this, send e-mails to ALL the coaches in the state, and just get the word out. Like me I knew of the softball association only because of what I read here and on i-high. I didn't even know of baseball having one. If I don't know many others don't also.

 

I agree with you wholeheartedly, sbmom. I also realize what you are saying about the dead periods and agree with you because I feel very similar.

With regards to getting the word out, I believe that every high school in the state gets clinic and association membership materials. In fact, I had materials addressed to me at school as "Head Baseball Coach" and to me personally at home as I am already a member. I am not sure that it is a point of not getting the information, it is the fact I believe that everybody just doesn't join.

 

A post made on the softball board brought up another bad aspect of dead periods I had overlooked. Many high school coaches are also starting to coach AAU and travelball teams. If they stay within the rules they cannot take their teams to tournaments during September which is a big month or in November if any of his high school players are on the team. Also he wouldn't be allowed to practice this team in those months either. I could see this leading to kids giving up on high school ball so as to be able to play summer and fall ball. These coaches who do both school and travelball are some of the better coaches out there and are giving so much to our kids and to not be able to play during the month of September is a shame.

 

HE can work with no more than 8 per day legally, that means that only 8 on the roster can be his school players. That stinks but we have to live with it for now.

 

The coach can have as many of his HS players on the team as he wants after school is out and can practice with any number during the summer vacation. Bad thing is if the dead period is all of august this year his whole team has to quit playing while they are still on summer vacation since school starts back in late August. To me the schools system should not be able to regulate this when school is not even in. The kids love to play during their break and now for almost a month of their summer break they won't be able to play or practice with their coach. As someone else put it this gives them a lot of FREE TIME and that is not a good thing. The powers at be need to wake up and look at thing like that and do what is best for the kids which they hardly ever do. These dead periods ARE a bad thing and the only purpose they actually serve is on paper. I hope someone who knows how will do something to change this rule.

 

Quote:
"The coach can have as many of his HS players on the team as he wants after school is out and can practice with any number during the summer vacation."

Sorry but I don't believe this is allowed. The NCHSAA states that for baseball no more than 8 are allowed for out-of-season workouts. It also goes on to state: "Any individual who coaches an NCHSAA member high school, head or assistant, paid or non-paid, faculty or non-faculty, parent volunteer, etc., must abide by the skill development, out-of-season workout rules. If a high school coach also coaches and 'outside' or 'club' team, whether head or assistant, and has any athletes from the high school on that outside team, he cannot work with any of them during a dead period, and is limited to no more than the sport-spedified limit of them per day in an out-of-season workout."

"On August 1, the fall sports season begins and those restrictions are in place."

My interpretation of this is, and what I have been told by my son's HS coach, is that the 8 player rule is always in effect for baseball, except during the season.