HS..School of Hard Knocks

[fastpitch]

What your experiencing is pretty normal in HS for freshman, especially for more competitive HS teams. My DD's varsity team has sophomores who rarely see the field or get an at bat. It's not about equal playing time in HS for some coaches.

Just stick with it. Don't complain. Keep working hard. Those who keep a good attitude and keep working at it will see results.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

It could be a lot of things. Politics could be a problem, too. Is this your first child to go to this HS? It could be something as silly as, "Well, so and sos sister played, so I will start her, too." Or a big one that my kids used to run into, was the kids of faculty member and elected school board members kids got to play before anyone, else, too.

Or, some rumor might have gotten back to the coach that you were talking about him. Or, he might read this website. (probably does.)

Anyway, we went through all the small school problems and then, moved 1500 miles away to a 4A school. Problem solved. DD was either good, or she wasn't.

If your DD wants to play school ball, she will have to sit. Or, she can ask the coach to move her down. Either way, she needs a positive attitude and she needs to lead by example. First to practice and last to leave, is a good start.

 

[YOCOACH]

Again we played a handful of games but she hasn't played. Last scrimmage she was 2-3 HR and single. DD is a better hitter than 4-5 of the starters. I hate saying that...

I have no problem with seniors or juniors starting...but play my DD jv. Give her AB. Don't sit her and have her watch girls strikeout or hit weak ground balls. Let her tear up jv pitching.

As a parent, I agree with you completely. I would much rather see DD play JV and get her at bats and playing time than sit the bench watching the game at the Varsity level. So would she. But it's the price they pay for being a lower classmen on Varsity and it won't change if they make it to the college level.

 

[mogsoftball]

It's just the way it is. In many places the upper classman get the playing time. Doesn't matter how you feel about it, it's the coaches decision. All you can do is tell your DD to be a good teammate and be positive.

If you don't like it then don't play, you aren't going to force the coach to play her, and if you start trouble you will just get branded a trouble maker and make it harder on your DD.

You play travelball to get away form the seniority and local community politics.

 

[softball88]

She has a great attitude. She out hustled everyone in practice yesterday. My wife and I keep telling her to respect the coach, don't complain to anyone on the team and keep hustling. We told her to complain to us her mom and dad only. So far so good.

I have no problem with the coach. He talks to her pitching coach and to my DD. Not my place to talk to him.

 

[maksoftball]

DD is in same position. She made varsity and...sat; HOWEVER, she has been given opportunities to PH for pitcher and relieve pitcher. Last night, asst coach told her she would be playing both JV and Varsity on Friday...told her she wasn't getting the minimum number of games? Shrug...probably has to do with the letter she will be receiving (ordered letter jacket last month). Anyway, she confided to me that she's worried that they will see how well she does on JV and will get stuck there. I reassured her that wasn't the case, and that she should look at it as mound time and more ABs. TB coach also reassured her and was happy that she would get some mound time.

Anyhow, it definitely is common for freshman to sit...especially if the team is already loaded with older/seasoned players. DD has had to watch pitcher get railroaded and hitters strikeout over and over from the bench. She also gets frustrated because she wishes she could have contributed to the team effort in some form. She is the loudest one in the dugout regardless of her frustrations and disappointments. Another thing she has struggled with is perception. She perceives being benched as the coaches having low confidence in her. And when they finally put her in, she struggles (mostly at the plate...not on the mound). I have been trying to teach her to drop everything that she has very little control over (i.e. coaches' lack of confidence, being benched, players' perception of her, etc)...and throw everything she has into what SHE can control (effort, ATTITUDE, hard work, character, etc).

Hang in there. DD is looking forward to May when she will be on the mound for her TB team. TB coach already has it planned out that two of his pitchers (DD included) will be dominating the mound because they didn't pitch in HS ball.

 

[JAD]

Playing HS ball as a freshman is a case of "be careful what you wish for".....everyone wants to make varsity, but are you really better off sitting on the varsity bench vs. playing on the JV team? For an underclassman to start over an upperclassman, she needs to be 20+% better.

 

[maksoftball]

Playing HS ball as a freshman is a case of "be careful what you wish for".....everyone wants to make varsity, but are you really better off sitting on the varsity bench vs. playing on the JV team? For an underclassman to start over an upperclassman, she needs to be 20+% better.

ITA. And for us, playing JV would have been a struggle for DD because of the lack of competition; however, mound time is mound time, so DD would have appreciated the opportunity to get it even if in a JV game.

 

[Slappers]

I wouldn't want DD to play JV only because of the level of JV in the area. Her school's JV team won a game 31-27 or something ridiculous like that. She knows what she has to do to get the playing time she wants.

 

[Cannonball]

Believe me, there are almost as many problems for a freshman if she started every game as a freshman. Still, you do want your dd on the field so this would be a better "problem" than not playing. Personally, I have never understood sitting freshmen on the bench of varsity.