HS Coach dictating summer play

[SBGeneral]

Hello everyone..... New to HeyBucket & thought I would see what you all thought over here. I posted this topic on e-teams as well.


DD will be a freshman next season. She has a golden opportunity to walk into a starting role her freshmen year. Our Coach is "old school" & set in her ways but is arguably the best & most respected HS coach in our area.

In past summers, Coach has coached a team during summer for her girls to have a place to play. Now for this summer she decided to make it MANDATORY for her Freshmen & sophomore players to play with her on this team. That team will play about 5-6 tournaments around the dead periods & all during the months of June & July.

Here is the problem... DD is on a summer team that is planning on attending ASA Nationals. This has been one of DD's goals for a few years. Just like playing for her HS team has been. If DD plays with the HS team during the summer she will miss out on attending any of the ASA qualifiers & will arrive late to Nationals if she is even eligible to play with her summer team.

I know someone out there has been threw this before. Got any advice? How should I approach the situation with the HS coach? Thanks in advance!!

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DD dreams at the moment is for a major D1 collage. As a matter of fact we live 10 minuets for her #1 choice. Said collage is notorious for going west to find there pitchers. Only one in state pitcher has played there in the last 6 years. DD's travel ball organization works closely with this collage. They actually know DD & myself by name. That don't mean anything other than we have connections outside HS ball.

HS coach has run this program for over 14 years & the AD has been by her side for the last 10 of those. Small community, small school & the Softball program is the diamond of the school & community. 12 appearances in the State in the last 14 years with 10 State Titles. So personally, I don't think talking to the AD will do anything but cause more problems. HS coach does have a lot of connections with smaller collages in our area.

I have had 2 "face to face" meetings with the HS coach already. She pretty much told DD & myself that if she wanted to play HS ball she would see her this summer. She also made it VERY clear how she feels about travel ball (and it aint good)

Everyone I have spoke with tells me that HS play is almost a necessity to play Collage ball. Or at least, it she doesn't it will always be something she has to explain why she didn't if she is even given a chance to explain.


I have thought long & hard about this. I have asked everyone I know there opinion. I have even tried to rally a few parents / players with me, as she will have 4 Freshmen playing travel ball starting this year. But no one wants to confront her. I personally don't feel playing with the HS team in the summer will be the best path for my DD. The competition level wont be the same.


Thanks in Advance!!!

[TulsaEliteGold]

This same scenario happens to a lot of kids in our part of the country; especially with our HS ball being in the Fall (Aug-Oct). Where the HS Coaches just want to continue building a strong program and is totally anti-travelball, but is that the best thing for your kid? Forget about how good the HS team is or how good the travel team is; what is best for your kid? Make the decision that is best for your kid and don't worry about the coaches.

A lot of HS coaches don't really realize the level of competition that your kid faces in travelball. I don't care how many State Titles a HS team has won, most HS Championship teams couldn't beat very many 18U or 16U travel teams.

How many kids from this State Championship HS, who did not play travelball, have signed with that "Dream School"? How many kids from other Travelball teams have signed there?

Do what is best for your kid!!

[purpleshins]

The strong HS program makes it a hard decision! I know you don't want to rock the boat, but I would want to ask her what makes her think she can control your kid or any other in the off season.

If your DD's ultimate goal is to play college ball, is the HS coach willing to take her players to college exposure tournaments? Travel ball coaches are willing. How many college coaches do you see at HS games?

IMO, you coach needs to be reported to your state HS sports governing body.

[purpleshins]

SBGeneral, what state are you in?

[TulsaEliteGold]

I would also question if the coach even has the authority to require "Mandatory" participation in Summer Tournaments. My guess is NO they do not have that authority and in fact it may even be against your State HS Athletics governing rules for them to even assemble their kids together as a team during the summer. I know many states do have very specific rules in regards to this matter. However, these rules are rarely ever monitored unless a situation like yours is brought up.

This Link will give you websites and contact information for all State Athletic Associations:
http://www.nfhs.org/stateassociations.aspx

[jofus]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that she can't do that...

of course, proving that is the reason your DD is sitting the bench next season would be difficult at best

[SBGeneral]

purpleshins.... We are in Tennessee


The rules governing some of this was changed last year & is ultimately why this is a problem now. There used to be an issue with HS coaches requiring players to play Fall ball with them. This was Aug-Nov after the HS season was completed. New rule is what we call the 5 rule. No more than 5 players can be on a team from the same school. This does not apply to Jan-Aug as they consider that the new season. They added a few dead periods in there but that is the only regulations during that time.

Most HS teams hold tryouts the first of February after the new school year has started. Other HS coach holds tryouts in August before school ends witch means players are more or less bound to what she says during summer.


TulsaEliteGold......

I haven't did the research myself but have talked to a few people that have. It is our understanding that HS coaches aren't breaking any rules doing what they are doing. My be in-ethical but not breaking any written rule. But with that said the HS coach can choose to "pick" or "not pick" any player they choose for there team, for any reason they want (or dream up). They can also "pick" a player & never let them see the field because of ego... Seen it happen before...

[TNSoftballDad]

purpleshins.... We are in Tennessee

Hmm...putting this with your history of the program...I'm a little confused. According to the TSSAA archives, no program has won 10 state titles in the last 14 years, though I know of one that won 12 in 14 years 1988-2001. But it currently has a male coach.

Maybe this coach's record getting blown up and she's being made out to be better than she is?

[TulsaEliteGold]

I have known several HS coaches that have placed the same requests on their kids before and they usually do have very successful State Championship HS programs. I fully understand their reasoning for doing it. But when their kids become Seniors and are still Unsigned, they always end up calling Summer Coaches to try to get picked up for Fall Exposures because they were not recruited by any good schools out of HS. I know one school in particular who has won back-to-back titles and is in the hunt every year; they only had 2 seniors this year, both of which were 4 year starters, both were still uncommitted through Jan and may still be because of lack of exposure.

This is probably just the first of many problems you will face with a Coach making those requests. If she thinks that Top Colleges are recruiting kids straight out of HS ball, she is full of herself and dreaming. I have been to HS & Travel Tournaments all over the US and can promisse you there are very rarely ever any Top Colleges recruiting kids out of HS. They may go to a LARGE HS tournament to watch a girl on their lists or may attend one of the bigger West-Coast HS Tourn. But, when they see a girl they like, the first question recruiters always ask is "What Travel Team do you play for during the summer?" College Coaches want to see how the kids perform against the best players in the country and the only place to accomplish that on a consistant basis is in Travelball.

[Demonboy]

My advice for what it's worth.

Ask your DD if she'd rather play with her summer team and go to ASA Nationals (in a vacuum without considering "consequences").

1. If yes then go to ASA nationals, high school coach be damned, consequences be damned. Life's just too short.

2. If no, play with high school coach in the summer

It really can be that simple.