Keeping and posting high school stats

[sftblldud]

Oh, yes it is!!! Stop drinking the Kool-aid. We have a number of top D1 committed student athletes in and around our area and from talking to the kids and parents it is the consensus that they would just rather skip HS.

[anonlooker]

Then why don't they skip it? There's nothing that says travel ball players have to play HS softball.

Travel ball shuts down to accommodate HS play. This wouldn't be the case if there was an overwhelming consesus among travel ball players to skip HS.

[sftblldud]

I agree, totally!!! It is my gut feeling that the kids and there parents think it would upset there college coach, and don't want to risk the fallout. But, it is of my opinion that college coaches don't care if you play HS.

And yes it would free up time to play TB during the HS season. I think we are on to something, and I hope this does not die out. If we all make a push then we can make a statement.

Thanks for your reply.

[anonlooker]

The problem with your idea is that the vast majority of HS players are not signed to D1 programs, and never will be. HS ball will go on with or without travel ball players. Add to that the consensus among parents (that I speak to) that its nice to have a break from the constant grind of travelball, there's little chance of a mass exodus away from HS softball.

Secondly, I would imagine there are some college coaches who do want to know how their kids conform and perform in a scolastic environment, where, unlike travel ball, you don't get to pick your coach or teammates. School ball and travel ball are completely different animals, and they won't be playing travel in college.

As to stats, you can say college coaches put no stock in them, but they sure aren't shy about quoting HS stats and awards on the college player profiles. If TB stats are so much better, why not use those?

[sftblldud]

The difference between HS and TB is that with TB the girls actually want to be out there playing, where as HS a majority of the kids don't want to be.

My DD's college bio did include her TB stats, and if you look into it you'll find that Mike White over at the Univ. of Oregon includes the TB team the kid came from on his roster page.

[anonlooker]

Yes, Oregon includes the travel team on the roster page, and then on each players bio page refers almost entirely to HS exploits. I must have missed your DD's page where actual TB stats are listed. The fact remains that the vastly overwhelming majority of college bios refer to HS and not travel. Even, to use your example, Oregon.

And while the majority of kids on your HS team are going to D1 schools and don't want to play HS softball, the majority of HS players don't even play travel ball. They play HS only because they choose to.

While I'll grant there are areas with an abundance of travel ball players, this hardly constitutes a majority. And the picture you paint - of girls who don't want to play school ball, yet are going to school to play ball - is disturbingly dystopian.

[CheckWriter]

DDs team committed 8 (or 9) errors in a game. Those are tough games. Character builders. Most not that bad.

DD gets to play with some friends that don't play travel ball, occasionally play against TB team mates old & new and we don't have to drive & fly back & forth across the frickin' state for a few months.

I feel sorry for you and your DD if HS ball is that much of a burden for you.

JMO

[rbi]

I was just talking to one of my softball buddies about what HS ball means to our kids. Its been a little intense around our neck of the woods lately with my DD's team ranked high nationally and everyone fighting tooth and nail to beat them. We just got done playing a league game and I wont even mention the score, it was really bad, and now this team wont play the remaining two league games we have with them.To my DD its a time to not be under the gun every weekend, having to perform with college coachs pacing in the back ground. Not having to sleep on the road with 5am wakeup calls, with barely a breakfast to hold her over for two games. Its a time to have fun with her classmates, and get in the car after its over and drive 5 minutes to a warm home cooked dinner after a 12 hour day. Sure its a time you still want to play your best, but its a different feel, a more relaxed feel, and 9 times out of 10 you play better. Its a time to play with kids that probably will never play at the next level on your team, and those kids love just being around the big time TB kids. MY DD is trying to have fun with all of this HS stuff as she knows its back to the grind stone before you know it.

HS stats are HS stats, you have to read between the lines....

[NumeroUno]

Right before the TB team went on our high school break I heard a couple of our older girls saying they couldn't wait for hs softball to start to get a break from the TB thing. My dd is enjoying her hs team and enjoying playing 5 minutes from home instead of an hour thirty from home. She isn't the only one enjoying it

[454Malibu]

Thanks for all the thoughts! I will just let it be and provide stats as needed to the best of my abilities!