Need Advice from HS Coach Regarding HS / Travel Tournament Conflict

[sbmom19]

In our state the high school activities association prohibit a player from practicing or playing on any other team during the HS season. If caught that player would be banned from competing on the HS team. Likewise for coaches.

 

[TravelDad#16]

It won’t be long before travel will be all year round and HS Softball and Baseball will not have numbers to support teams. This is because of what someone else brought up earlier about competition. Our area is very spotty on talented teams 1-9 in line ups. Also there are HS coaches who despise travel and aren’t good coaches who drive girls away from playing in HS. College coaches aren’t around during HS season to watch games. But they are around when travel season is going watching at showcase tournaments every weekend. We have two out of eleven who aren’t playing for their HS because of poor Coaching at the HS level.


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[LHV_NY_SB]

In our state the high school activities association prohibit a player from practicing or playing on any other team during the HS season. If caught that player would be banned from competing on the HS team. Likewise for coaches.

What's the point of that? That just seems extreme. Hypothetically, let's say the girl does competitive dance in the evenings and has competitions on the weekends that don't interfere with school ball, or plays PGA Jr. for a local golf course, that girl would be banned from the HS team??

 

[PapaBear]

It won’t be long before travel will be all year round and HS Softball and Baseball will not have numbers to support teams. This is because of what someone else brought up earlier about competition. Our area is very spotty on talented teams 1-9 in line ups. Also there are HS coaches who despise travel and aren’t good coaches who drive girls away from playing in HS. College coaches aren’t around during HS season to watch games. But they are around when travel season is going watching at showcase tournaments every weekend. We have two out of eleven who aren’t playing for their HS because of poor Coaching at the HS level.


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There are also not very good travel ball coaches who drive girls away from HS ball. To each their own, not saying either is better than the other as each player is unique, but travel ball is now the new rec ball. because of the mass exodus of players. Each team, area and school class is different. It's true coaches are not at games like they are in the summer for travel or fall. But if your kid is on radars and the HS has link to live games, if they want you they are watching. My daughters future coach watched live or rewatched her games while traveling or at home.

 

[TravelDad#16]

I agree there are bad travel ball coaches, I see it all of the time. But when a travel ball team has better coaching, better parental support and equipment than a HS team, things have to change or left behind.


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[radness]

But when a travel ball team has better coaching, better parental support and equipment than a HS team, things have to change or left behind.


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Add to that applies to all teams across the board some people pick other high schools because of that reason some people pick travel ball teams over another travel ball team for that reason.

When ANY team has better coaching better parental support and Equipment than another team it should stand as an example!

 

[PapaBear]

I agree there are bad travel ball coaches, I see it all of the time. But when a travel ball team has better coaching, better parental support and equipment than a HS team, things have to change or left behind.


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That's fair as long as the HS program is in shambles. This topic comes up often and it seems it's a default response to say "travel ball is better" but in reality not a better option but a chest out. A good high school team obviously needs invested players/coaches. Athletic director/admin staff to support improvements and a softball board that can raise funds to support the vision the program wants to achieve.

 

[wvsteve]

What's interesting in all of these posts I skimmed through was that not one of them stated what their daughters wanted to do. It seems to hinge completely on what the parent thinks is best for their daughter.

 

[PapaBear]

What's interesting in all of these posts I skimmed through was that not one of them stated what their daughters wanted to do. It seems to hinge completely on what the parent thinks is best for their daughter.

Agree, I can only speak for my own. She enjoys the time being playing with her friends, going to the local rec park and seeing little ones with their hair done up just like her. If you can impact your community, create a passion to the next generation to be the next one then you've done a great job to the game and community. You get out of the HS experience what you put into it, sometimes it might now be shown until your time is gone and some reap the benefits while they are there.

 

[Texminoh]

My DD played showcase level club ball out of NJ for 4 years... 3 year varsity starter for her high school (a big high school with a good softball program where, for better or worse, 75% of the varsity starters every year also are showcase level club players (two from her graduating class are now playing D1 softball)). I don't recall if the state/school explicitly forbid it... but I can confidently say that in NJ, a large number of girls playing high school varsity ball also play club ball... and for high school aged girls, the club teams (neither high end nor mid-level) do NOT ramp up tournament play until after the high school season is finished... and it would be considered really bad form (if not forbidden) if a varsity starter bailed on a high school game to play club tourney... and very likely would not do your DD any favors for future HS varsity lineup inclusion.

IMHO, there are not going to be any college staff/scouts worth worrying about at a spring tourney when high school ball is underway. Summer and fall is where that recruiting happens.