Advice Requested Regarding HS Softball

[Tyler Durden]

Renee - From everything I have learned through travel ball and four years of high school ball, is that in the long run, your daughter does not have to play BUT she has to do something. If the state of softball at your high school is such that her skills are just going to sink and no matter how hard she tries, her attitude might go downhill with her skills then you should see what else she could do that would benefit her softball. Is there a good track coach there that could increase her speed which would improve her softball? Also, coaches like to see how the girls handle their school work while playing. If all of a sudden their grades plummet as soon as softball starts, this may be an indication that there may be academic issues ahead if a kid cannot handle the rigors of the softball season and her school work.

So, if playing high school softball is going to be one long neverending migraine then find another way for her to improve herself and make herself more valuable.

My $.02. Good luck!

That advice isn't worth $.02 catlady. Renee, you continue to get bad advice, and I'm disappointed to see you haven't deleted this thread yet. Anyhoo, let me clarify for you.

If your daughter decides to play in college, I promise you the college coach is going to ask you about high school ball. I promise you they will ask. I doubt anyone on HB would argue that they will ask you.
Soooooo, you will have one of two answers for them.

1-Yes she plays (and I suggest this answer is embellished with all the stuff I posted earlier.

2-No she doesn't play HS Ball. If this is the case, I also promise you the college coach will say Why Not? Now, what you don't realize is, THERE IS NO GOOD ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION.

Let's run thru your options......1-She runs track instead (College coach thinks, kid just isn't that into softball). Yes you will trot out all the nonsense about 'working on her speed'. Coach won't buy it. 2-She is working on her academics (College coach thinks kid is not competent to handle college academics and college ball at the same time) 3-Our HS team sucks, HS coach is a moron, HS team too political, whatever. (College coach will conclude DD is a diva, DDcan't handle adversity, DD doesn't know what the word TEAM means, DD is self-absorbed.
I hope this helps.

[ontheblack]

@Tyler,

In the last 3 years 2 two kids at my kid's HS have elected to not play their Sr year of HS ball. Both asked their college coaches and both times they were told no worries.

[Tyler Durden]

That's nice. Try to stay on topic next time. It sounded to me like Renee's daughter is going into high school, and she is wondering how things will roll out if her daughter doesn't play high school ball. My advice would be different if her daughter was a HS senior who was already verballed or signed. Then I would tell her to ask her college coach. In Renee's case, I assume the scenario is that her DD will have prospective college coaches considering her for their school. They will be asking questions.

[Fredegar]

Agree w/ Tyler. As my earlier post indicates.

And even IF some college coaches won't have a problem with skipping HS ball for whatever silly reason is dreamed up, some coaches WILL be concerned. Why limit college options by raising an unnecessary red flag? Just play HS ball and hopefully enjoy the experience.

[exD1dad]

First off I agree with TD, & believe the player will be on a slippery slope by not playing. 2ndly I have few TB players who has spent all 4 years with the same team (like HS) . Now all my DD's TB teams have had players from all over some traveling over 80 miles to play & they do not meet/practice & see each other etc on a daily basis like HS. In other words part of a players HS identity. Again I state... most of college rosters describe the player with their previous years at the Univ & then what they did in HS. the only mention I ever see of a TB team is if they were National champions.

I believe OTB.. but like Fredgear said the kids already committed & not about to play HS or whatever the poster is eluding to(IE: apples & oranges).

IMO if a kid doesn't play they're a snob (thinking their too good for the program) & if that's not the case then prove you're a stud & win the awards @ the school, league, district & state level. If not you're in serious denial about your DD's future thinking she has a "promising career ahead of her" based upon her 8th grade performance....so wake up & smell the decafe cuz its burning

[CatWoman]

Well, this is certainly not the first time people haven't liked what I had to say and I don't think it will be the last but I do like to present different options as we all have different experiences. Have any of you ever asked any college coaches? We have. None of them were interested in what dd did with high school ball. They all wanted to know how her travel ball games were. Not every girl goes to a school that is loaded with players who know how to play. My dd has had girls jump out of the way of the ball when she is throwing to a base because they can't handle the ball or who have not played since rec ball in 6th grade. She has played all four years but not one of the coaches who was recruiting her was really that interested in what was happening with high school ball. This was my dd's experience. Your dd's may be different.

Raven Chavanne did not play softball for her high school - she ran track. She is an exceptional player and is unbelievably fast. I am assuming that running track in high school probably plays a part in her great speed. If a parent feels that playing high school softball is not in the best interests of their daughter, they may want to look at other options and that is what I pointed out. Again, my $.02.

[Tyler Durden]

Yes Renee, you should probably do what Raven Chavanne's family did. It worked for them, I am sure you will have similar results.
But seriously, what seems to elude catlady is that I am NOT talking about how good or crappy or rec-ish your high school team may be. College coaches don't ask your daughter about high school ball because they care about the team's record or the level of play. They do it to try to draw some conclusions about what kind of kid your daughter is.

[CatWoman]

Tyler - Next time your dd is speaking with a college coach or you are, just ask them. We have a different opinion, that's all.

[CatWoman]

I just thought of one more thing - girls are now early verballing in 8th grade or first semester of 9th grade before they have ever played high school softball. The coaches are going on the girls' travel ball games, not high school.

[exD1dad]

OK Catwoman lets see 90,000 HS in the USA 300ish college teams & you give 1 example of someone who "made it" & didn't play at their HS. Now think of all those who always say HS is the best times of their life, think of all those who don't go to college (if you live in LA think of the 56% that drop out before graduating HS ) then look at the numbers & can you honestly say that advising this person makes sense? I'm no statistician but I believe if a player is more talented than their peers that they would benifit themselves, their teammates & their school by playing, teaching & leading those who she will spend far more time with in the next 4 years than any travel team she will be on.

Lastly had this player already verballed 1 would think the OP would have mentioned it