Way to go North Davidson

Nothing personal but you are a jerk. make your one more post and get lost:fan_wave2

 

Nice quote Guru, If you are a guru then you would know that these two programs go together. It gets me every year how some of us try to take away from the overall beauty of the sport of softball. This a wonderful time for High School. Where do you think these kids come from a walmart. Alot of travel ball coaches in our area come to good high schools/ middle schools to pickup players because of the programs. Also schools incourage this and work hand and hand for the good of the cause.Also in quality games such Central and North,Butler/AC,Forbush/pisgah, not to mention great conference matchups there is always coaches of all levels watching.

As a matter of fact the North/Central there was a total 10 from different schools.All of them there to see warmups and how kids did preparing for a big game. So I guess the word Showcase really did take great meaning for once. Not with the bases loaded and the score tied or down one, then a beeper goes off and we shake hands and walk off never seeing what the defense could have done or the pitcher, or the batter. So if you are a guru you should want everything to count.

Also in school it counts when you win or lose. As a great team went home on Tuesday possibly the best team ever in North Carolina and they can't play again this weekend in Raleigh with a chance to win again. But you have that luxury.Also you want your kids to go to college and your way is the only way. But in College it counts also just ask Western Carolina and other good schools who are watching now as the NCAA is still playing. Also after the super regionals this weekend there will be 8 left so I believe the lessons learned in School ball are just as valuable as yours.

Also school kids grow in many ways to make them closer. If you don't like your travel ball team or you feel like you don;t want work to get better you just switch teams in mid stream, Or better yet you start your own.But there is always that kid that everyone wants and someone steals them away, unless you are of the select few who I totally respect and they growup in your system.These I know work with the home shools as well as the schools far away where kids travel from.

Then there is the schools that believe in their coaches. You know you would take a girl Coach Sherrill has worked with. Why he's trained 100's of kids who make your team as good as they can get. Guru I'd like to see you take kids's cut them then have to train them and stand across the lines for a season and play top quality programs from around the state and then tell me school ball is not special. But on the other hand YOU ARE THE GURU. :banginghe

 

I can think of a few well known players that have changed schools to play on different school teams....

I think that "guru" was just pointing out that the High School coaches should appreciate where a lot of these girls come from - and that is travel ball. And that is long before they get into 9th grade. Some High School coaches know what to do with the talent and some don't. But HIgh School ball is not the end all for Softball, it is just one more component of it. It's fun to represent you school and community, and to play with the girls that you grew up with. They also like the recognition that they get in the community. But most of the better athletes are ready for travel ball to start when school ball is over.

This is one of the unfortunate truths about girls sports in general, not just softball.

 

Mastering fine points of the game are what separate the good from the best. The fine points are learned at practice and performed at games. Travel teams are full of excellent athletes who play alot but don't practice much during the travel season. Some of them have mastered the fine points, many have not. The ones who have not, are getting by on their athletic ability alone. The ones who have, learned it with good coaching and lots of practice, and will be the ones earning college scholarships in the larger college programs.

High school programs practice two days for every game they play. Travel ball teams practice (maybe) two days for every 3-6 games they play. Travel ball players who demonstrate the best fundamentals are usually the ones who come from the best school programs.

Softball needs both school ball and travel ball. They both serve the sport. The reason players are attracted to travel ball is because its less intense. They can play under less pressure, have fun, extend their season beyond school ball, and not get burned out.

Those who talk junk about school ball either have had no experience with a good school program or are just not very bright!

Some of the better school programs in west central NC: Central Cabarrus, North Davidson, Butler, West Forsyth, Central Davidson, Mt. Pleasant, West Stanley, Forbush, Southwestern Randolph, Kings Mountain, West Rowan, East Surry, North Moore, and the list goes on.

 

AGREED!!!!

You are indeed correct in all you've said. They can co-inhabit,but one without the other weakens the other for sure!

 

HS vs. Travel

I may be one of the few who actually coach both HS and travel.

I encourage all of our kids at HS to get a summer team if they don't already have one. if they play 75-100 games during the summer (about 15 tourney's worth), that is almost 3 full seasons of HS games.

If my pitcher can stand out there and throw 4 games on a 95 degree day, surely (well, hopefully) they shouldn't have a problem throwing a game on a 75 degree day in April that means something.

It makes them tougher (travel). It makes them tougher at the plate because just about every pitcher at 14 and up is committed and throws nice stuff.

You don't see that in HS. About every 3rd pitcher can bring it.

You also have to realize there is alot of pride for a kid to represent their school (most kids) and HS is forever (please pull out your old dusty yearbooks :imagestor

Travel ball can pull from a 90-100 mile radius, HS typically is 5-8 miles, so if you are stuck with stiffs who don't really care, it shows quick.

By the way, Softball Guru is my hero. :banginghe :banginghe

 

no limit

a question: when it's time for tryouts & practices next year for the HS team, do you give all girls the same "look" & opportunity regardless of their TB or non-TB status?

& on the mileage , the travel ball teams really have no mileage limits / boundaries.... do they? to me, that's what has always impressed me more about the school teams when comparing championship teams in school ball vs. travel ball. the school teams are limited to boundaries so there's more of a "fairness" element, comparing apples to apples.

 

I agree When SWR went to final four in 1999,2000,and finally won State 2A in 2001 they had girls that had either played together or against each other sine 4th grade from rec. ball, travel ball and school ball. Then for the next two years 2002,2003, I don't remember any playing other than High school and they were not near as strong,In 2004 they made it back to final 4 thanks to four good travel ball team coaches, again this year 2006 are going back to final four,they have nine travel ball girls that I know of maybe more,that I am not aware of so rec, travel and High School does work together as long as the coaches work towards teaching,being competive and promoting the girls best interest. Congratulations SWR GO COUGARS GOOD LUCK AT RALIEGH

 

EnkaMom12, I agree. Evidently some of these people have never watched a good ole Play-Off game between K.M and Enka. There is nothing better, than watching 2 teams go at it in the Play-Offs with a lot of people from there Home town watching. Travel ball is great, but it does not compare to these school Pride games.