Wanting to play travel ball instead of high school season

[CalvinBall]

I've not gone through all 10 pages of this thread, but if you are lucky enough to live next to a state that plays high school ball in the fall, that is an option.

That is actually why we've never considered playing for an out of state team. Here in Georgia, we play high school ball in the fall while all the surrounding states play in the spring like normal people. Being on a different school ball/travel ball schedule just makes things unnecessarily difficult.

 

[CoachJD]

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.

I don't see it being a huge issue for most teams, assuming not much changes in the way of the schedule as it currently stands.

That one-time exception goes into effect on June 4th. The summer season only runs through June 26th. Assuming some kind of playoffs/State Series (maybe a bad assumption), the last couple weeks will primarily be only the best of the best still finishing up their playoff run.

I also suspect HS teams will just schedule fewer Saturday games. They're pretty rare around here anyway.

 

[CoachYodaD]

I say this to all my athletes, if you don't want to be here, don't be here. But if you do want to play for your school, then I expect your focus to be here, not elsewhere.

We have a spring season, and I get that colleges can't come to any of our games until we get to states. But I have yet to be in a program where I was contacted about 'Sally's' attitude, demeanor, work ethic, and how she is as a teammate from a prospective college coach. I've spoke to hundreds of next-level coaches and the big question they are concerned with is, "is 'Sally' going to fit into the program they are trying to create." Not what awards and accolades 'Sally' has. I have never been asked about my record, or about what TB team 'Sally' plays for.

I also have never had a TB coach tell me that I run a crappy program, or that I don't know what I am doing. I have heard rumors that it has happened, but surprisingly it never came up in our person-to-person conversations.

If the HS program is so bad, as suggested, your DD could work on her team leadership skills, which will pay huge dividends later in life.

 

[gamommax3]

SO many reasons to play high school ball. Building bonds and memories with your classmates, NOT being able to choose the coach, being a leader and teacher to those girls who may not be as talented as you, learning to be a good teammate and sit the bench when needed, everyday practice and weight training preparing you for college, time management, maybe learning to lose graciously and understanding that not everyone CAN make the plays you can (not an error or lack of effort, lack of ability), school pride, a mental and financial break from travel ball, and so many more. I know many others have said these things in the thread. Just play the big showcases, be seen when you need to be, go to camps, and PLAY HIGH SCHOOL BALL. Livestream the high school ball games. Coaches can still watch those. They can see your kid being loud, cheering her teammates on, and being a leader on the field. The college coaches I have talked to want to see that you play school ball and that you are adaptable. So many good lessons to be learned that simply can't be learned in travel ball.

 

[radness]

I say this to all my athletes, if you don't want to be here, don't be here. But if you do want to play for your school, then I expect your focus to be here, not elsewhere.

We have a spring season, and I get that colleges can't come to any of our games until we get to states. But I have yet to be in a program where I was contacted about 'Sally's' attitude, demeanor, work ethic, and how she is as a teammate from a prospective college coach. I've spoke to hundreds of next-level coaches and the big question they are concerned with is, "is 'Sally' going to fit into the program they are trying to create." Not what awards and accolades 'Sally' has. I have never been asked about my record, or about what TB team 'Sally' plays for.

I also have never had a TB coach tell me that I run a crappy program, or that I don't know what I am doing. I have heard rumors that it has happened, but surprisingly it never came up in our person-to-person conversations.

If the HS program is so bad, as suggested, your DD could work on her team leadership skills, which will pay huge dividends later in life.

Can appreciate your statement of commitment to the team!

"Say to your athletes,
If you dont want to be here dont be here"
That sounds like setting a standard immediatly.
At the end of your post you commented about leadership opportunity.
While i like that also...
It is obvious in certain h.s. environments there is no standard set. Or its a standard set very low .
Its not leadership to learn,
its hanging onto a sinking ship....because of no standards that have diminished programs.
Wish it wasnt so, still it happens.

Its nice to read of a h.s. coach setting standards!

 

[IndyHScoach]

And you still miss the point... you expect something from playing school ball... but it's really about what you can contribute to the team, not what the team can give you... And the Varsity letter wasn't important to my DD... Until she earned it.

I do disagree.. "SOMETIMES" the HS team can give TB players things they don't get in the summer. Like the pride of helping her teammates improve. I have also had TB players that needed a little humility, to realize they are not the greatest gift to softball that they and mommy/daddy thought they were. Yes most of the time the TB players are the best of the HS team but not always.

 

[sluggers]

.

I do disagree.. "SOMETIMES" the HS team can give TB players things they don't get in the summer. Like the pride of helping her teammates improve. I have also had TB players that needed a little humility, to realize they are not the greatest gift to softball that they and mommy/daddy thought they were. Yes most of the time the TB players are the best of the HS team but not always.

Due to regional variations, it is hard to make generalizations about softball.

In Chicagoland, it is not uncommon to have all the girls on the HS team paying TB. Rec softball doesn't really exist for kids older than 14YOA.

In downstate Illinois (e.g., Carmi, IL, pop. 5500), there isn't a TB team unless the parents want to drive 30 miles to (wait for it...) Evansville, Indiana. So, if your kid plays TB, she will almost certainly be the best player on the team.

In SoCal, there are rec teams composed of former TB players who, for one reason or the other, decided not to devote their lives to softball. Some of those So-Cal "rec players" are better than some SoCal TB players.

 

[radness]

.

Due to regional variations, it is hard to make generalizations about softball.

In Chicagoland, it is not uncommon to have all the girls on the HS team paying TB. Rec softball doesn't really exist for kids older than 14YOA.

In downstate Illinois (e.g., Carmi, IL, pop. 5500), there isn't a TB team unless the parents want to drive 30 miles to (wait for it...) Evansville, Indiana. So, if your kid plays TB, she will almost certainly be the best player on the team.

In SoCal, there are rec teams composed of former TB players who, for one reason or the other, decided not to devote their lives to softball. Some of those So-Cal "rec players" are better than some SoCal TB players.

As a side note in so cal rec is pretty much completely done right now.
Like a wave of miniature athletes they became tb players now.
Will they go back?
Might be up to the next generation of kids comming in.

Is anywhere playing rec right now?

 

[sluggers]

Will they go back?
Might be up to the next generation of kids comming in.

Is anywhere playing rec right now?

Good point...several years ago, I wrote a post about rec ball being inferior to TB, and someone said I ought to go see a rec softball game in SoCal. So, I did...and it was like watching "A" level TB in Illinois.

 

[radness]

Good point...several years ago, I wrote a post about rec ball being inferior to TB, and someone said I ought to go see a rec softball game in SoCal. So, I did...and it was like watching "A" level TB in Illinois.

This is why we all can have different perspectives!

Also its why i was shocked to see the huge talent gap that is mixed into high school ball here in so cal.