IL - Junior High Decision on Travel Teams

[BrianMonk]

Many of the junior high schools in IL are part of the IESA. The IESA has come out with a ruling that eliminates a rule (by-law) - The old rule was playing on a non-school team(s) in the same sport during the J.H. season in that sport was prohibited. E.G. you couldn't play on a travel/recreational softball team during the J.H. softball season.

Now, each school determines what is and what is not acceptable and the IESA does NOT get involved.

Is this good? Bad? Not a big deal?

Here's a link: IESA News: Non-School Participation Eligibility and Coaching School Participation During the Season Become Local Decisions

 

[Westwind]

Don't like it.

Wish school sanctioning bodies would keep their noses out of our travel ball.

 

[quincy]

I think it is good. DD’s school softball is in the Fall, HS is in the Spring.

There are a lot better Players out there then are playing at DD’s school. All the Travel Ball tryouts are going on now so I sure Players skipped MS to tryout and be on a TB Team. The 2 should be able to co-exists, MS last 6 weeks or so, more or less the off season for TB.

 

[redhotcoach]

Next you will be switching high school season to summer like us next door. Your travel ball season will be march and april, (if it's not a snowy year.)

 

[quincy]

I think HS is done in May for most Players. Through the end of April who knows what the weather is going to be, settles down a little bit in May.

Our Rec. League Teams have practices with the non HS Players for a few weeks before the HS Players join them and the games start.

Around here TB/ Rec. have all the good months to play their games and tourneys so they should be able to co-exist.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

Thanks. I didn't know that had changed. The 2 could co-exist, if people just worked together. MS sports were one of the most fun things that my DD did and she played everything but track.

I think that the coach would still have a rule "school sports first." It was always school first, no matter is it was a field trip, band or choir.

You just know that crazy parents will have their daughters pitching on 2 teams and back to back days. How is a MS coach suppose to handle that?

In Central IL. our MS program was fairly good, but that was 10 years ago. Plus, it is a way for beginners to start the game in 6th grade.

 

[MsDinosaur]

I'm sure DD would love to play softball for her MS, but they don't have a team. (I think maybe BB is the only sport they have.) It's probably a few days or weeks short of two more years till she can go to tryouts for her HS team.

 

[chinamigarden]

Don't like it.

Wish school sanctioning bodies would keep their noses out of our travel ball.

Schools only made up such rules when travel ball started sticking their noses into the school season. There is no rule that says you can't play travel ball 12 months of the year. You just can't play school ball

 

[GOINGDEEP]

From the sound of the article the IESA is pretty much saying " we as the state governing body can't handle or enforce the rules fairly, So here local school.........you deal with it". I hope the HS governing body has better leaders.

I think all will be fine, it's just MS sports. And that's coming from us having a competitive MS in sports.

I agree with any rule, you will have some idiot pushing it in the wrong direction from its intention.

 

[Westwind]

I just can't help wondering what problem they are fixing. Maybe if they had ms ball here I would know.

This ruling could very well prevent ms teams from being organized in this area, not that small schools have enough girls to get this done anyway.

Would love to have ms ball here either way and agree it would be a great way to expose more girls to sb.

I think the IHSA rules cause the most problems in the border areas. The Iowa tb teams have to be careful how many Illinois girls they have on their teams since the Il girls can't play or practice with the tb team until first of June or so. As far as playing tb and hs at the same time, Iowa does hs softball in the summer, lots of girls do both there and somehow it works out.