HS BALL

[just4fun]

Guess my DD has been lucky, she has had, for the most part, good HS coaches and we have fences. Also, plays in a very competitive district, with 4 other teams that can compete with anyone in the state. About half of the starting line-up on these 5 teams are going to play at the collegiate level. Obviously, not as many as on TB teams, but at least the remainder work for their position and could continue their softball careers if they chose to. However, I do know others that haven't had the same experience. But in our case, we look forward to HS. Of course we also look forward to TB (even though we have had bad experiences there)

[Pale Rider]

Like I said...BE HAPPY you have it good...

[GIMNEPIWO]

When my DD's were done I started coaching HS ... Some problems as I've seen them are : 1.) Some school systems only hire from within, meaning a math teacher with no experience who needs a little extra money gets the nod over anyone with any level of experience. 2.) Title IX can change budgets, but it can't change minds 3.) Horny male Principals will hire a young single woman teacher with less experience from his Alma Mater and ask you to stay at JV even though the AD wants you in the head job since you have proven your dedication and started to turn the program around from the ground up 4.) Previously horny male Principals find out that single woman teachers don't mow grass or drag the infield causing the entire field to go to sh*t inside of a year ... Nor do they win games 5.) Coaches can move to another school and better situations ... at least twice 6.) Some ADs are very good, others su*k 7.) Coaching HS doesn't pay a lot, so it has to be about loving the game, the kids and coaching ... Not money ( last I calculated it came out to about 37 cents an hour ... but there is no fuel allowance so you actually pay them to let you coach )

[Pale Rider]

Our biggest problem is
A. Its JUUuuust a girls sport
B. Coach in a lot of cases hasn't even seen a FP game in person. (insert Math teacher / antique Phys Ed dude)...Now not saying all math teachers dont make good coaches...but actually knowing how to teach the sport would be nice.
C Sloooow Pitch....most folks dont understand, although they share grass, dirt and bases and they actually share very little... that its a different game altogether...Dads who are local beer league slow pitch heros always want to interject what they do on a 61mph curve ball...if they ever saw one....here honey, Use Daddy's rolled, shaved 34 oz skull buster bat...

D. Miniscule monetary support compared to football...Know of a large local football program that has a budget of over $125K...Softball budget is less one 1% of that,,,Excuse; Softball doesn't make any money...Baseball supporters get $5k to clean stadium after home games...they play approx 7-8 home games, that on top of their budget...admin wont even discuss money...QBs helmet cost more than the whole softball programs budget. Ex AD once told me he couldnt care less about softball and I quote he wished, "They do away with the program and let him pave the field and allow him to sell prime, special, reserved tail gating season parking passes" (which was just across road from new $9 million buck football stadium)...I say EX-AD...hes gone on to an NCAA gig...and yes they tail gate at HS games as in booze it up and barbeque

E. Duh...its just a gurls sport....something for girls who aren't cheerleaders something to do...

Don't want to sound like I'm complaining call it more of an explanation, it is what it is and despite concerted efforts by some to keep it beat down...it is improving...but right now HS ball to me, is like having to take medicine that tastes awful, but you have to take it...

I'm happy with my DDs situation, without getting into details, The Coach...I call him a friend, a hell of of a guy for doing what he does...but Ive told him him he probably needs a psyche eval for putting up with what he does....and for what gets in compensation...but he does it for his girls...so I guess its worth it to him in smiles

so I guess its batter up...Eric, take the whole dose of Robitussin

But as I thought about my post, I'd really like to THANK the coaches who do try, who do seek to become better at their game and TRULY care about the girls and especially about what the become and the values they gain, and not just in sportsmanship...life lessons in general...Its a thankless job...I personally know of these fine women and men who do go the extra mile... to those who do care...This Buds for you!

[jonriv]

Our biggest problem is
A. Its JUUuuust a girls sport
B. Coach in a lot of cases hasn't even seen a FP game in person. (insert Math teacher / antique Phys Ed dude)...Now not saying all math teachers dont make good coaches...but actually knowing how to teach the sport would be nice.
C Sloooow Pitch....most folks dont understand, although they share grass, dirt and bases and they actually share very little... that its a different game altogether...Dads who are local beer league slow pitch heros always want to interject what they do on a 61mph curve ball...if they ever saw one....here honey, Use Daddy's rolled, shaved 34 oz skull buster bat...

D. Miniscule monetary support compared to football...Know of a large local football program that has a budget of over $125K...Softball budget is less one 1% of that,,,Excuse; Softball doesn't make any money...Baseball supporters get $5k to clean stadium after home games...they play approx 7-8 home games, that on top of their budget...admin wont even discuss money...QBs helmet cost more than the whole softball programs budget. Ex AD once told me he couldnt care less about softball and I quote he wished, "They do away with the program and let him pave the field and allow him to sell prime, special, reserved tail gating season parking passes" (which was just across road from new $9 million buck football stadium)...I say EX-AD...hes gone on to an NCAA gig...and yes they tail gate at HS games as in booze it up and barbeque

E. Duh...its just a gurls sport....something for girls who aren't cheerleaders something to do...

Don't want to sound like I'm complaining call it more of an explanation, it is what it is and despite concerted efforts by some to keep it beat down...it is improving...but right now HS ball to me, is like having to take medicine that tastes awful, but you have to take it...

I'm happy with my DDs situation, without getting into details, The Coach...I call him a friend, a hell of of a guy for doing what he does...but Ive told him him he probably needs a psyche eval for putting up with what he does....and for what gets in compensation...but he does it for his girls...so I guess its worth it to him in smiles

so I guess its batter up...Eric, take the whole dose of Robitussin

Pale Rider- you need to remind the school Admin about this little thing called Title IX that it is the law of the land and that non-compliance would cost a hell of a lot more than tossing some more funds to the softball program

[Lace]

HS ball is pretty bad. If TB was in session we would not get near HS.

[Pale Rider]

Pale Rider- you need to remind the school Admin about this little thing called Title IX that it is the law of the land and that non-compliance would cost a hell of a lot more than tossing some more funds to the softball program

Title 9 can provide the basic shell of requirements....actual give a damn is a personal choice...field I mentioned being paved was ONLY built after a Title 9 suit was mentioned...that was a few years ago...its a 'nice' field, but compared to the Baseball field and football shrine it sits next to...its the bargain basement model...AM radio and cloth seats in a Malibu with a 4 banger and hubcaps beside 2 loaded Escalades...But now...thats their cross to bear...really dont wanna 'dig up bones' but that's one of those places where girls aren't truly thought of as athletes...if'n you get my drift...

[jonriv]

Pale Rider- you need to remind the school Admin about this little thing called Title IX that it is the law of the land and that non-compliance would cost a hell of a lot more than tossing some more funds to the softball program

Title 9 can provide the basic shell of requirements....actual give a damn is a personal choice...field I mentioned being paved was ONLY built after a Title 9 suit was mentioned...that was a few years ago...its a 'nice' field, but compared to the Baseball field and football shrine it sits next to...its the bargain basement model...AM radio and cloth seats in a Malibu with a 4 banger and hubcaps beside 2 loaded Escalades...But now...thats their cross to bear...really dont wanna 'dig up bones' but that's one of those places where girls aren't truly thought of as athletes...if'n you get my drift...

Then they appear not to be compliant to Title IX requirements- neighboring town near us had a similar situation(they actually had more female athletes then male in the school) They were required to upgrade the softball field to the same as the baseball field

[NatRx]

Wise words from Derek Allister, taken from his latest OnDeck Softball blog http://www.ondecksoftball.net/blog/view ... mpetition/ :


"... No single aspect of the high school experience teaches more about life, and coping with life, than athletics – competition, learning to deal with winning and losing, teamwork, work ethic, etc. In fact, when I was coaching Division 1 basketball, I found that companies loved to hire former athletes simply because athletes know how to compete in the game of life. Athletes know what it means to win. Athletes know what it means to lose. They know that no matter what happened the prior day, a person has to get up and get to work again . . . and again . . . and again. And that ability to handle both victory and defeat is crucial to success in the workplace. So we are all about high school athletics. In our minds, ALL high school students should participate in competitive high school athletics.

Now many people question the competitiveness of high school athletics and use this as a reason to oppose it. Or they cite the coaching as a reason to oppose it. Both arguments are invalid for a number of reasons. First, coaching at the high school level is a lot more complicated than many give it credit for. High School coaches have to coach both elite athletes and mediocre athletes. High School coaches have to incorporate elements of education and sportsmanship into their programs as dictated by the bylaws of every High School Federation we have ever encountered. High School coaches have to answer to administrators who have a broader view of the high school experience. All these are valuable components of the high school coaching experience which then trickle down to the high school athlete’s experience. And to answer the competitiveness issue, let me tell you a story.

One of the greatest pitchers in the history of softball was Cat Osterman. She played high school ball in the Houston area, and her high school team only made the play-offs one time. Yes . . . one time! The young girl who could shut out the Olympic Team in 1998 for six innings couldn’t lead her high school team to even the district playoffs. Why, you ask? Well, they just weren’t very good, and sooner or later, her catcher would miss a third strike, that runner would score eventually, and they would lose 1-0. But all that didn’t really matter. What mattered was the fact that Cat was playing and competing with her friends. What mattered was that Cat and her friends were competing as hard as they could. What mattered was Cat and her teammates had to learn how to bounce back from losses and try again. What can be more noble than that? What can teach a person more about life than that?

This brings me back around to the high school athletic experience and its importance. And this brings me back to our most sincere belief in high school sports. And this brings me back to the importance of High School Federations’ protecting the integrity of the idea of high school sports. So next time you hear people complaining about this issue of high schools and “outside competition” understand where the guardians of high school sports are coming from. They are simply protecting the “high school experience” in the best way they know how. And they should be applauded for their ideals. Just some food for thought."

[Dugout Dad]

I am going to miss watching my kid and her friends play HS ball, it was a nice break from travel. She enjoyed playing with players that she would play against in travel. She walked away with good friends from her HS team. They were so sad when they played their last game together....many are playing in college and will probably play against each other again sometime during the next 4 years....but they remain good friends....first thing they did when they came home for Christmas break was to go out to dinner, catch up, and the next day they went out and hit ground balls to each other.