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Apr 20, 2018
4,581
113
SoCal
Middle School
Middle school tends to be a bit looser with their scheduling. My two daughters only played MS ball in 7th grade before they were pulled up to varsity in 8th grade. Once that happened, spring was done for travel.

Our current organization told us at our end of fall exit interview that he'd see us in mid-June. We're 16U now, so everyone is on varsity.
Middle Shcool Softball??????
Not in So Cal or at least I have never heard of it. I think the TB Lobby would have it outlawed. I don't think most MS could field a team. Maybe softball isn't as popular in SoCal as one might think. Maybe it's just numbers game.
 

LEsoftballdad

DFP Vendor
Jun 29, 2021
2,838
113
NY
Middle School

Middle Shcool Softball??????
Not in So Cal or at least I have never heard of it. I think the TB Lobby would have it outlawed. I don't think most MS could field a team. Maybe softball isn't as popular in SoCal as one might think. Maybe it's just numbers game.
Well, in other areas of the country, we play MS softball. Do the girls in California not play for their schools until they play at the HS level?

Not to take this thread any more off-topic than usual, but we don't have the luxury of year-round softball weather. We field MS teams for the handful of serious players and those who want to play for their school or try it out once or twice. It's a short season, usually around 10 games with no playoffs, but it's a chance for the girls to play with friends. It's normally not the most competitive game because they have modified rules to keep it moving, but it's still a chance to build school spirit.

I know many people downplay school ball on this thread, but I enjoy it greatly, and it benefits my daughters immensely. Even in MS, my younger daughter pitched 50 innings and had around 40 ABs. She hit and threw five days a week. You don't get that with travel ball.
 
Dec 2, 2013
3,410
113
Texas
Middle School

Middle Shcool Softball??????
Not in So Cal or at least I have never heard of it. I think the TB Lobby would have it outlawed. I don't think most MS could field a team. Maybe softball isn't as popular in SoCal as one might think. Maybe it's just numbers game.
In Houston it's rare too. Private Schools and believe it or not HISD has some schools that offer it, but it's an isolated area where there is mix of wealthy and not so wealthy. Many choose to send their kids to private schools. Our league had 2 14U teams and we co-op'd with another league located in this area and played those same MS teams as well. There were actually some TB girls that were mixed in amongst these teams. 7th grade was the last season of Rec ball/Allstars for DD. We actually got 3rd place in ASA Southern "B" Nationals that summer.

But yeah, MS ball not so much.
 
Feb 24, 2022
211
43
We actually have about a 12-14 middle school game schedule and then playoffs. Schools are grouped by enrollment, so you end up playing like sized schools. Our team won the championship last year, and we should have won it the year before, but because of Covid they cobbled together a schedule and included schools of different sizes. We have a very small town/school, so we are in the smallest group, but last year we had 7 club girls on the team (including 3 pitchers!) and the year before we had 9 club girls. The competition is VERY up and down. There are teams where pitchers are literally just standing there and lobbing the ball to the catcher, you have teams that have 1 decent pitcher, and then sometimes you have powerhouse teams (like our school). But we are going down to only 3 club girls this year, so it's going to be interesting. Interestingly, not every town/school has a team. Of the 4 surrounding towns, 2 have teams and 2 don't. Just luck of the draw.

In our area 8th graders are not eligible for high school teams, so we don't have to worry about that.

So, the bigger point is that for first year of 14U and under we don't have anything impacting the season, so theoretically, you could play 14 or so tournaments depending on when Nationals are (and if you wanted to play every weekend).
 
Oct 4, 2018
4,611
113
At 14u I don't think you should be playing any Showcases only tournaments. Very few if any coaches are watching 14u teams that are playing in 14u Showcase tournaments.

I will add this caveat. If your daughter is playing on one of the top 10 teams in the country in the 14u division but they are playing up in the 16u division in said Showcase, you are more likely to be seen by college coaches.

For 99% of 14u teams Showcases are not the ideal format IMO.

Yeah, we play some 14U showcase tournaments, only because that's where the best competition is. We know/expect zero college coaches to come by our fields. And we're not really even ready for them - we have one sheet with all the players basic bio. Took us all of an hour or so to make.
 
Oct 4, 2018
4,611
113
Middle School

Middle Shcool Softball??????
Not in So Cal or at least I have never heard of it. I think the TB Lobby would have it outlawed. I don't think most MS could field a team. Maybe softball isn't as popular in SoCal as one might think. Maybe it's just numbers game.

Wow, I'm surprised. It's big in Georgia. And fun (though less competitive than most travel). We treat it as a time to have fun with school friends, play with less/no pressure, try to hit dingers, work on individual things, try new positions.
 
Jun 8, 2016
16,118
113
Wow, I'm surprised. It's big in Georgia. And fun (though less competitive than most travel). We treat it as a time to have fun with school friends, play with less/no pressure, try to hit dingers, work on individual things, try new positions.
MS ball is fine as long as you have no parent/player issues. Otherwise it is worse than a waste of time..
 
May 16, 2016
1,024
113
Illinois
"Showcases at 14u are to get players ready for showcases at 16u."
Oh yeah, and to get coaches on an all expenses paid trip away from their wives.

What is there to get ready for? I have never understood that saying, or the viewpoint that Showcases are something that players need to prepare for. Showcases are nothing more than pool play games were teams are allowed to bat their entire lineup. Basically you are given a predetermined amount of exhibition games to play but now these exhibition games have a pretty Showcase name attached to them, and the cost is 2-3x more.

As you can tell, I am not a big fan of Showcases. I much prefer the elimination style format.
 
Jun 8, 2016
16,118
113
What is there to get ready for? I have never understood that saying, or the viewpoint that Showcases are something that players need to prepare for. Showcases are nothing more than pool play games were teams are allowed to bat their entire lineup. Basically you are given a predetermined amount of exhibition games to play but now these exhibition games have a pretty Showcase name attached to them, and the cost is 2-3x more.

As you can tell, I am not a big fan of Showcases. I much prefer the elimination style format.
Does anybody even know if college coaches would rather just go to regular old elimination tournaments (assuming competition quality is the same)? The only real advantage for them would be they would know in advance when teams would play the whole event…which I suppose is pretty useful.
 

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