Wanting to play travel ball instead of high school season

[Mike-Coach Q]

As a parent, i do like the break from all the travel, let's us do things as a family. The competition for my DD is not as good as travel. She is also the only pitcher, which can lead to a lot of pitching. She does enjoy time with the high school friends and I think it is important to balance high school and travel. Not sure if she would only do travel or not given the option.

I heard in California, before this second outbreak, that players were going to be able to play travel and high school at the same time this year. Not sure if that was true or formalized, but something I heard.

yes, the governing body (CIF) was going to allow players to participate in HS andTB during the season. Not sure how it was going to work especially with Saturday games.

 

[NBECoach]

Thats a good point and question!
Maybe a poll?
Do you think coaches are held accountable?
H.S. how much

I've coached both for multiple years, not at the same time.

TB coaches for the most part are a DD's parent and the org is usually willing to have them continue as coach as long as the DD is playing with the org. I have seen very few HC's of TB teams relieved of their duties no matter the competency.

Whereas HS coaches are usually not a parent and I've seen a turnover at certain schools here who are non-competitive year after year. Some coaches just quit and others are replaced.

 

[riseball]

Hmmm? Having spoken with quite a few travel coaches about this h.s. play or not conundrum.
Every single coach thinks high school screws up players. To much improper techniques. Bad habit forming environment. They get lazy.
Several coach friends talk about that 'Get them back in shape month'.

Perhaps with covid guidelines the school programs will be even more difficult to provide sports.

Seems travel is still travel.
People have found practice fields.
More tournys popped up
(out of state)
Think travel continuing could be a good time to keep it going!

Likewise college coaches have to get the stink of TB off incoming recruits. HS, TB, and college are all very different. If HS ball is not productive do something else. You are never too fast or too strong so make the most of your time.

 

[nikkilugi]

Parents are usually the problem no matter what level team it is I think. This is coming from the perspective of a parent only, lol. We moved to VA from the KC area the summer of 2019. DD was an incoming freshman. We purchased our home based on a few criteria and school ranking on great schools was the main factor of what area we would look to purchase. Then, of course I looked up the HS softball team . Once we were settled I had a Dad, of a sophomore, who runs the LL in the area immediately messaging me via Facebook. Talking about the HS team and how great it is, how they went further than ever in the state tourney, and how many girls were on Varsity last year. One statement was - lots of talent sits on the bench on Varsity. I appreciated the information and responded appropriately & was friendly. Then tryouts came and DD made V and his DD was back on JV he wouldn’t message or respond to any of my messages again. Why? Obviously he was salty, lol. Now this man has some sway with the program I’m sure since LL maintains the HS fields and helps donate for upgrades to the field. DD made the comment that coaches said JR and SR girls always make Varsity so there is some politics involved in HS at some level. The season was canceled so I have no idea how it would have shaken out but in the one and only pre-season scrimmage DD did bat 4th and played defense all innings minus one. She is looking forward to HS this year since she didn’t letter last year due to playing no actual games, I guess. She is disappointed at that. Her TB coach (non-parent) is already starting to tell the girls TB takes precedence over HS . With the season schedule change in HS in VA the season can extend to almost the very end of June which means only a month for TB since her org doesn’t play tournaments in Aug.....

 

[sluggers]

@sluggers
..ps...your grievances are showing.
"coaches selling a product"...
You have brought that up befor start a post on it.

A primer on basic economics.

When someone offers something in exchange for money that is called "selling". TB coaches offer membership on their softball team for money. Therefore, TB coaches are selling spots on their teams.

Just like in the rest of commerce, the way to make more money as a TB coach is to increase the demand for your product. One way to increase demand is to denigrate competitive products.

 

[radness]

A primer on basic economics.

When someone offers something in exchange for money that is called "selling". TB coaches offer membership on their softball team for money. Therefore, TB coaches are selling spots on their teams.

Just like in the rest of commerce, the way to make more money as a TB coach is to increase the demand for your product. One way to increase demand is to denigrate competitive products.

Yeah one of your grievances that can happen all over the world in all money making activities.
Not every coach does it tho.
Others who are doing an excellent job teaching skillsets.
Its one of your ongoing topics you bring up.
Start a post on it.

 

[MNDad]

Lets not stop travel ball at the most important showcasing and competitive years.
Give players who dont want to play high school the option to stay with their travel teams.
Most of our dd 16u team doesnt want to play high school ball because of low level talent and coaching. After our eldest daughter played 4 years of varsity high school ball the break from travel was obvious.
Speed of the game and talent level.
Our middle age daughter wants to stay on track at her competitive level.
3 local high school options the high school coaches have no competitive experience beyond comming from rec ball. Not even upper age competitive travel.
Give travel players who dont want to play high school the option to keep playing travel ball.
Let whomever else wants to play in high school that option.
Why the heck stop travel when at these ages many teams are looking to showcase.
If high schools want to attract players and keep a strong program they will have to select more intelligent coaches.

I get so tired of these rip on HS coaches. Around here ALL of the top travel coaches also coach HS in the spring. DD’s HS coach was an NCAA All American who won a National Championship with Arizona and went on to coach D1 for almost 20 years. None of that mattered. Every HS season the same usual suspects would bitch about how she doesn’t know what she’s doing and how their travel teams are better than the HS team.

There’s nowhere other than HS where most “travel” kids are going to face D1 commits. Pretty safe bet a travel team made up of all girls with the same HS options doesn’t need to worry about recruiting anyway. Most places call that community or rec ball.

 

[Dandan111]

I see where some of you are coming from. I know my Dd wouldn't
dream of not playing with her school friends. School sports are almost
like rec ball here.

 

[Cougars]

I’m curious to see how the Illinois rule allowing players to do both plays out. Even if the weekdays can be worked out, most high school teams are playing double headers every Saturday. So basically any travel team schedules a tournament is going to have conflicts. I could see there being a lot of travel Sunday round robins next June.

 

[Quigs10]

Well at DD's school, teachers get first shot at coaching. It wouldn't matter if Mike White showed up to interview, Carl the English teacher still gets the job if he wants it. No disrespect to any teachers named Carl of course.

Interesting.

At the school I teach at here in OC for the past 20 years it used to be like that but it has changed the complete opposite now. Our school is very academic (science and math) and music oriented and they do not want to hire and even discourage teachers from coaching because it takes them out of the classroom too much, they limit travel and getting subs and and it costs district more $$. Our coaching sports staff has slowly changed to mostly walk on (non teachers) coaches for most sports.