High school politics

[Jojo]

yes and yes.....if they care about winning.

Hard to believe but some coaches could care less about winning.

 

[mann]

I've seen A few girls who had their best years as frosh or soph and just look average their junior and senior years. For some it's true they coast once they are entrenched. Others play hard regardless.

UHH, this is because the longer they are coached by "teachers' the more there skills decline.

High schools in my neck of the woods do not hire the best for the job, they hire teachers.

Freshman are continually brought up, only to be replaced by upcoming freshman, then they quit.

Jv always beats varisity, unless they have the top four freshman playing up during the game.

 

[Doug Romrell]

Hard to believe but some coaches could care less about winning.

I would agree. However, I don't believe most high school coaches are only about winning. Some are focused on other worthy causes, but others are downright malicious. Coaches like parents and players are human, with negative personality issues (i.e., narcissism, etc.) showing up in many, even to the point of focusing first on winning pissing matches and getting even with some parents or some player or some competing travelball coach. For some coaches, it's all about them, not the players.

 

[CoogansBluff]

But tryouts are where the evaluation of ability occurs and is graded. Be real. No outside activities can be graded as a basis for playing HS ball.

Good point. While it would be valuable to watch and follow travel ball, it also presents what some would view as an unfair tryout. It's impossible to be fair and objective with that. Are you watching my DD's travel ball team as much as another kid's travel ball team? Did you see every player on their travel ball team, or just some of them?

An issue at the local high school (and many others, I've come to learn) is that one of the coaches is a coach for a local travel team, and about 6 of his travel players are trying out. How do they deal with that conflict of interest? Should it be allowed? You have a choice between two girls, one JV, one varsity, one plays travel for your team, the other doesn't. You have to live with one player and her parents for 10 weeks, the other player and parents for 52 weeks. I think I'll save myself some stress and put my travel girl on varsity.

 

[riseball]

Agree that outside activities should not be considered for tryouts for HS ball. Attendance of TB tournaments and even practices is more about building relationships within the community and expanding your knowledge of the game. That is unless as a HS coach you already know it all and have all the answers.

 

[GunnerShotgun]

But tryouts are where the evaluation of ability occurs and is graded. Be real. No outside activities can be graded as a basis for playing HS ball.

As a High School coach you should be invested in the community teams (rec, all star, and travel) so you know whats coming to your tryouts. Why wouldn't you as a high school coach want to be as informed as possible?

I can't stand watching High School coaches playing catchup in the Spring with regards to the players and talent they have. While High School softball is a small sample size, travel ball is not.

 

[Little Angels Softball]

Does a coach have the responsibility to scout travel ball? This is a good question.

Does a high school coach have time to do this? Is it part of the job?

yes and yes.....if they care about winning.

Yes and yes ... if they care about coaching.

 

[1696]

If your dd seems fine, the best thing you can do for her is nod and smile. And if she's frustrated, my $0.02 is 'control what you can control", get out from behind the backstop and go stand waaaayy down the foul line.

Took me DD#1 and 4 years to 'get it. Didn't hurt DD#1 at all. College coaches scout summer ball. DD#1 is starting as a college freshman.

HS is spring training. TB is 'the season'. DD#2 outplayed all but 1 varsity player last summer and she worked hard all winter. Tryouts were 4 days in a gym... and she'll start on JV ... and I'll be standing waaaayyy down the foul line...

 

[Pdiddy]

Look, each family pays for our services at school, and as such, deserves equal access to sports, based on ability shown. Coaches can yes inquire and see about what kids may be coming in. But tryouts are where the evaluation of ability occurs and is graded. Be real. No outside activities can be graded as a basis for playing HS ball.

In addition, you can't go around recruiting 8th graders.....good grief.

You have TB. Go for all of what you want there.

PS Being a senior and a TB player are not mutually exclusive.

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geeze....wrong again.....you are on quite the roll there aren't you? Maybe in your broken down system the only shot any player gets is in your little "tryout" period at your private school the first few days.....and that's fine. But "YES" .....there is another approach other than yours that can be used in the evaluation process. I know this is really hard for you to understand....but it is possible to actually go watch the kids play outside of HS, I realize that would mean some extra work for no pay for the lazy HS coaches out there, but it might give a coach some better insight on what a kid can do as well as her limitations....

Oh, and yet wrong again about "you can't recruit an 8th grader".....clearly people do. You really need to get out from under that rock you live under....Hell, in some states those 8th graders can play in HS....and plenty of 8th graders getting college scholarship offers too outside of DA ville....

 

[Pdiddy]

Yes and yes ... if they care about coaching.

well said....