High School Ball vs Travel Ball

[SoftSocDad]

Plus legislation in states is changing, to get qualified softball coaches in and so that non-teacher coaches who have coached for years won't be supplanted by teachers.

I place a high value on youth sports, but for a variety of non-softball-related reasons I won't go into, teacher-coaches are many times brought in to replace professional coaches as a cost-saving measure.

Saying that high school players must be coached by the most qualified individuals available at any price would be a tough sell in any state legislature.

 

[Sparky Guy]

Plus legislation in states is changing, to get qualified softball coaches in and so that non-teacher coaches who have coached for years won't be supplanted by teachers.

If you do that you'll have another labor uprising with the teacher's union. It's not a money issue. The school will be paying someone a stipend for coaching the sport, it's in the budget. It becomes a matter of who the money is being paid to. As far as the unions go they want it paid to one of their members, a teacher, whenever possible.

Had a situation like that a few years ago at a HS near me. School A has a popular, long-time successful softball coach who was not a teacher at the school. School B, private, had a long-time HS softball coach. Coach from school B left to teach at school A. There was a lot of debate and speculation over what would happen. The transferring teacher made the wise decision to coach basketball instead of forcing the issue with a popular and successful coach. The school A coach is still there.

 

[MsDinosaur]

We began serious TB program around our schools (12u - HS) about 6 years ago. Probably 75% of all HS players came up through that program. The coach - does not participate at all - she has no clue why she won her 1st title 5 years ago and has been either champ or co-champ every year since. She accepts her "coach of year" honors regularly with pride (takes off from May - January) and shows back up for a newly restocked team.

LOL, so ignorance is bliss for her. My old alma mater, a fairly small suburban high school here, went to state this year for the first time in a decade. They had the great good fortune to have a really fine freshman pitcher who decided to play HS ball. However, their coach knows exactly what happened: he told a local paper that he became a tremendously better coach when she got there. ;-)

 

[chinamigarden]

If you do that you'll have another labor uprising with the teacher's union. It's not a money issue. The school will be paying someone a stipend for coaching the sport, it's in the budget. It becomes a matter of who the money is being paid to. As far as the unions go they want it paid to one of their members, a teacher, whenever possible.

Had a situation like that a few years ago at a HS near me. School A has a popular, long-time successful softball coach who was not a teacher at the school. School B, private, had a long-time HS softball coach. Coach from school B left to teach at school A. There was a lot of debate and speculation over what would happen. The transferring teacher made the wise decision to coach basketball instead of forcing the issue with a popular and successful coach. The school A coach is still there.

in Michigan the teacher is given preference, but only if there is an open spot. They can't come in and boot out an existing coach.

 

[amanda_cake]

At our school, the coach has to be a teacher. I think this is a school policy, however.

 

[3sDad]

...apparently, our coach doesnt have to be a coach either...Booster Club pays 2 other coaches, one for hitting and one for pitching...school paid 'coach' knows diddly about either...
For those of you who have a good coach, but in my daughters situation, again I hope she chooses a short, very short HS FP career...

Our softball will start in May...

 

[Catchers43Dad]

What part of the country are you? And if your daughter is 14U, your team has no other HS aged kids to be able to start so soon?

 

[obbay]

Last year our HS "hired" a non-teacher Freshman coach. There is a great deal of politicking involved in coaching from LL up thru HS. I've seen this non-teacher coach have a tough time coordinating work schedule with school schedule. Last year he burned thru almost all his vacation time in order to be around for the team. This year he will have an assistant (non-teacher) coach who is someone he has worked with in the past, , is self-employed and situated locally, so HE will be able to be there for the team.

There's a fair amount of histrionics involved before we even get to the part about whether or not he's even a decent coach. Word on the street is that he already has his eye on the JV coach's job (she is a teacher). he knows how to play the politics and he loves the game.

.. he's not a good coach... but he has embedded himself in the system.

 

[CoachKevin]

My youngest will be trying out on Monday for the HS team, and most likely their JV team will consist mostly of the TB team I coach. I know the HS coach is excited because this is the first year where the majority of the players are also on TB teams. As far as TB practices during the HS season.... they are team enhancements, not practice!!!

 

[NVfishing]

After watching play today all I can say is it's going to be a long 3mo. DD's team is great, it's the lack of competition. All the girls on DD's team are TB players. I think, I know even our fifth and sixth string pitchers could've thrown better than what we saw today. Our girls were told to stay on base during overthrown balls or bad pitches.