Travel Practices During HS Softball Season

[Pale Rider]

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

Jonriv...exactly where is that 'right' written?...On the birth certificate I basically paid for.?..screw that...A HS coach has no right to require diddly chit;-)...
Get this...we still play HS SP here...yes...really...we have coaches who 'force' kids to play SP or they cant play FP...
we have a quick cure for that Amigo...
Its sorta like the 'rule' coaches cannot start practice here till 1 FEB...hell, some HS coaches never stop practicing...
Some bad mouth TB kids but they damn sure like using them...badly
Again, its one of those results may vary...

[PDad]

The proposal to do away with the statewide ban on outside competition during the season of sport failed to pass, 3-7, with SF, LA City and Northern being the only sections to vote in favor.

CIF passed a 3-hour limit on practices with a 9-1 vote. Football can hold 2-a-days, but not on consecutive days. I find it odd they decided film sessions are considered part of a three-hour practice, but weight training is not.

Rule against prep, club play stays intact

[jonriv]

Rider. You can have ur daughter play wherever u want, but the state can determine elegibilty(ie grades, age etc). If the rules make a player inelegible for playing tb during hs season, having ur dd play or practice with tb puts the hs at risk of forfeiting games for having an inelegible player. If you don't like it. Don't play on the hs team.

My dd always considered the hs season a nice break before the "real" season

[Sam]

It's about commitment. There are no TB games during the HS season. If you choose to practice with your TB team during HS, you show a lack of commitment to your HS team, which can be dealt with by the HS coach. Virtually all of our players playTB. The idiot TB coaches horn in on our season by holding meaningless practices during our season. They threaten our players with removal if they don't attend these stupid exercises in futility. THEY force these kids into making moronic decisions. It's all about their egos and, most importantly, MONEY.

And the parents keep paying......

[PDad]

Here's an alternate view to what Sam has portrayed as the norm.

- Teams have wised up that showcases are a waste after mid-January because college coaches are too busy with their own teams. Worth Cup has a regular tourney format and is the last event for a lot of teams.

- Feb is mainly 14U teams that continue playing. A few older teams play in the Vegas tourney. Even Surf City has turned the Presidents Day weekend event into a HS tourney.

- First 5-6 weeks are usually quiet because HS teams are going 6 days a week with tourneys.

- TB teams start practicing after that as many/most schools cut back to 5 days a week. Practices are normally 4 hours or less.

- Practices are not a real moneymaker for coaches. Teams that collect money monthly during HS season have just spread the total amount they need to collect for the season over more months to make it more manageable for the families. Practices just tend to be the best time to collect payments.

[Pale Rider]

Jon, true enough on grades etc...but they cant say she will play anything...as in she has to play in A, to play in B.
Im not meaning to be argumentative...but within reason, a HS doesn't regulate someone's kids activities off campus...
Granted Colleges are different...comparing oranges and fruit loops...

Sam here kids CAN play TB tourneys during HS season...as long as 4 kids aren't on the same TB and HS team...
HS ball is REC ball with nice uniforms...It may be a problem in your part of the US land mass...but here, its a blessing...
I know several kids who do blow off HS ball here and go play TB in GA...they play HS FP in the fall...so by the time TB season cranks up, the kids are sharp, healed, in shape and not worn down by HS ball...

[jonriv]

Sorry pale. I think we are arguing two different things. I agree with regarding having to play b in order to play a. Ct has strict rules forbidding hs coaches to have players play on their tb or implied pressure to take lessons from the hs coach. We too have limits to how many girls from a coach's hs can be on their team. ie on my dd's tb team. The coach was from a rival hs four of his players were on the team, than the rest were from other players in the same hs conference. He was real good in working on things the girls hs coach's they needed help. Reps at certain pos. etc

[Coachred]

Love this topic. I coach both a HS and TB team. I can see both sides of this argument and understand each perspective. However I have to tell you that I agree more with Sams point of view ( not quite as extreme) then the other.

I agree with Sam in that it is ridiculous to have these kids go 7 days a week at times with a 5-6 hour travel practice that really has very little beneficial factor on these players. Most of the teams spend two hours on vigorous cardio work which is unnecessary, non beneficial, and wears the kid out for two days after the practice which inevitably effects their playing ability on game day. This aspect I think is ridiculous and disrespectful to the HS coach and team.

Now from the travel coach point of view there are a few players on my TB team that I know aren't getting quality reps at her HS practices/games and or they aren't getting coached up properly. This leads to what we TB coaches feel as a necessity to practice. It's a dilemma.

In my opinion if the travel coaches felt it necessary to practice on a Sunday then a two hour practice working their TB teams scheme and fundamentals would be sufficient and worth while. This would work for most people. This concept of running the kids into the ground is actually counter productive to all involved.

Before a few of you jump on me and say, " well if the HS coach conditioned the players sufficiently these cardio sessions wouldn't negatively effect them so much."
I have to say this, unless a person is cardio training 3-4 times a week, the Sunday Tavel practice that is held twice a month with a 2 hour cardio session is a major waste of time!! That is like saying I am going to go on a diet but only watch what I eat on Sundays. Just doesn't work.

I haven't practiced with my travel team one time since the HS season started and won't until the week before the TB season starts back up again. I will let you know if that was a mistake but I feel a break is more important for the kids. The law of diminishing returns is something that needs to be highly considered.

Good luck to you all!!

[Pale Rider]

Sorry pale. I think we are arguing two different things. I agree with regarding having to play b in order to play a. Ct has strict rules forbidding hs coaches to have players play on their tb or implied pressure to take lessons from the hs coach. We too have limits to how many girls from a coach's hs can be on their team. ie on my dd's tb team. The coach was from a rival hs four of his players were on the team, than the rest were from other players in the same hs conference. He was real good in working on things the girls hs coach's they needed help. Reps at certain pos. etc

Naw Jon...its cool, and I see both sides of the issue...
But for us, TB practice is much more beneficial than HS...by a mile...
I understand the wear and tear issues, believe me...

But here, lets put it this way, we'll have a 2 week boot camp with TB team to 'rid the body' of HS ball habits...

[3'sDad]

JR & I live in the same part of the country. HS ball begins about March 1 & ends around Memorial Day. 6 day a week practice (2 hrs) in March, whether inside or outside; then 3-4 games per week in April & May.

There may be a club ball team or two practicing but not many, espeically at the 18U level. The ones that do play will be 14's who consist of middle school players; 14's with HS freshman may sneak in a one day event on a Sunday, especially if it's a charity fundraiser.

6 hour practice on a Sunday during HS season, no way. My kid would have to pull an all-nighter to finish her school work if she had to spend that much time at pracice on her one day off a week - average homework is 4 hrs per night 7 days a week.