Travel Practices During HS Softball Season

[Sam]

I don't know of a single moron travel coach that doesn't do it.......6 hour Sunday practices once a month (minimum) for 18 Gold teams that wear players out for the HS games, at a minimum, and potentially injure players for the rest of the season. And this practice is done for what reason? To keep the Gold teams sharp? Laughable. 95% of the Gold coaches out there can't find their a$$ with both hands and a flashlight.

It is solely to reiterate the Gold coach's own feeling of self-importance, to stroke his/her ego and to take that month's dues from the parents. All this at the kids' expense. The HS coach sets their lineup based upon a kid's commitment to the team.....not to the travel team.

The travel coaches could decide to go completely dark during HS.....but that would cost them too much money.

[rowdyone]

or have your DD play travel for one of there high school coaches than they can't practice on Sunday. My DD's team had to move some of there practices to Saturday so she could practice with them.

[Pale Rider]

Sam, that's based on your situation...Not everyone shares your opinion (nor mine for that matter)
Our HS ball is weak...lots of time, few reps, simply wear and tear.. I WISHED we could go to TB every weekend...but the State where most of our TB team players doesn't allow any TB anything during HS season...which, IMHO is stupid...Our State doesn't have that rule and some HS coaches decree that you cant play TB during HS season...I'd tell that coach to go pack sand up their butt..for the record, that's my wife and I's kid...School has zilch control over her off school grounds...

[jonriv]

Pale Rider- I hear you- However, they do have the "right" to set elegibility rules

What seems to work best around here(CT) is when the TB and HS coaches work together. Many of the HS coaches are now also TB coaches. I Many of the off-season HS workouts are run through the TB programs . It seems counter-productive when the relationship is adversarial. BTW- TB goes dark during TB season here as well. Does not hurt in the recruiting cylce since the HS season here pretty much coincides with teh college season

[exD1dad]

I agree with Sam, here in SoCal when you're playing 2 games a week & practicing 3 even if your HS team has a terrible coach (most parents biggest complaint) & a terrible team "Gold" team practices from Feb through May extra practices overkill IMHO.

As far as TB & HS coaches "working together" that's a joke when dealing with ego's. Last year my DD got stuck in a pissing contest when both had fall practices on the same day. TB & HS coach both said "have your coach call me" right. At her school athletics count as gym classes & she receives a grade & is expected to attend practice. Now the TB coach preaches "school first" but kicked her off the 18G team when she couldn't make practice. Then again it's a business for this TB coach, IMO no 14 or 15 year old should have to deal with this type of problem, it's a game that's supposed to be fun, again my opinion

[jonriv]

Agree with you D1-- is kind of overkill and 15 year olds should not have to deal with

[AlwaysImprove]

In our area HS and TB work well together. For the most part.

The problem is not just TB coaches. The parents are a big part of the problem. Shut your gold team down and you will likely see people leave your team. People are so jumpy now a days.

Yeah, if you are Firecrackers, SoCal A's, Batbusters it may not be an issue. But if you are down the list a ways, it gets very competitive for players. Shut down when no one else is shutdown, you will definitely put players that may not go into play, into play.

[fastpitchdad05]

In our area HS and TB work well together. For the most part.

The problem is not just TB coaches. The parents are a big part of the problem. Shut your gold team down and you will likely see people leave your team. People are so jumpy now a days.

Yeah, if you are Firecrackers, SoCal A's, Batbusters it may not be an issue. But if you are down the list a ways, it gets very competitive for players. Shut down when no one else is shutdown, you will definitely put players that may not go into play, into play.

This is a really good point and one I never thought about before. DD plays on a team that can at least compete with the big dogs and beat some on good days and I'm sure the coaches believe that having the kids at these off-season Sunday practices shows their commitment to the team and helps to keep them from straying.

That said, I still think they should be banned and that all CA districts should have to follow the Tom Dodd rule, not just the two that currently do.

[Sam]

We just lost a starter for the rest of the season because of an injury suffered during a 6-hour Sunday TB practice. If I had my way, I would bench any player who attended her TB practice after HS season started in January.

[PDad]

That said, I still think they should be banned and that all CA districts should have to follow the Tom Dodd rule, not just the two that currently do.

It's not that the rest of the sections aren't following the Dodd rule, they simply don't have one in place. The Tom Dodd rule is a local San Diego bylaw, 600.1, that extends CIF's statewide ban on outside competition (bylaw 600) to include practices and tryouts. Evidently fpdad05 found another section that also has a similar local rule. Sections can pass local bylaws that are more restrictive than the statewide rules (e.g. ban outside practice), but they cannot enact ones to reduce statewide restrictions (e.g. allow outside competition).

Ironically, CIF is voting on the opposite today - a proposal to repeal their statewide ban on outside competition (i.e. games) during the season of sport. If that passes, it would have no impact on SD's Dodd rule and sections could pass local bylaws to replace the repealed statewide ban.