High School Ball

[Redhotz]

I am really looking forward to H.S. ball. My older daughter is a senior and not a travel ball player. She is not the best player on the team, but she has a great attitude and coaches love her. She probably won't play too much, but she has fun just being with the team. Hopefully she will see some time. I don't worry too much about her making the team because she is so easy to be around. Our younger daughter is the travel ball player and a freshman. If life is fair (and when does that happen) she should make varsity. Then all will be right with the world and I can watch both kids play at the same time. She should start, but again you never know and she could end up on J.V. Cross your fingers and hope for me. Her starting will cause a lot of grumbling, moaning etc. from all the parents whose kids didn't pick up a bat since last fall - they forget my DD has been practicing with the travel team all winter, working with a hitting coach and hitting hundreds of balls a week. Somehow that doesn't count - but I will enjoy the dirty looks!

First i would like to say you are wrong. Your DD hitting hundreds of balls a week will help her to stand out. And everyone on the team will see it even if they want admit it, they will no.I have coached travel ball for 11 years, middle school and HS ball and it doesn't take me but one day to see who has played before..or who plays travel ball. i have an old saying "YOU SHAKE THE MILK LONG ENOUGH THE CREAM WILL COME TO THE TOP" I promise you it will Redhotz coach

[artomatic]

no fear:
I think the college coaches want to see the girls get good grades and support their school, so high school does play a part.
ive heard the reason they like the showcases is they can see alot of players at one location, where in a hs game, they only see a couple players...
my opinion is the high school team could be good or bad, but the girls are with their friends and it instills some school spirit...
this is from a perspective of watching my oldest kid who doesnt play travel now in her senior year and in her 4th year on the high school team...she likes the atmosphere...im sure some others on the board can give you more info...
it will probably be somewhat different in a couple years when my younger daughter, who does play travel, gets to high school...

*another note to No Fear-i wanted to thank a couple coaches and players from your team who came and sat in our stands sunday at the friendly after you were finished playing and watched some of our game. it looks like you have a great atmosphere and some nice kids and coaches...keep it up and good things will happen.
art

[Gone in 2.6]

no fear:
I think the college coaches want to see the girls get good grades and support their school, so high school does play a part. this is from a perspective of watching my oldest kid who doesnt play travel now in her senior year and in her 4th year on the high school team...she likes the atmosphere...im sure some others on the board can give you more info...
it will probably be somewhat different in a couple years when my younger daughter, who does play travel, gets to high school...

*another note to No Fear-i wanted to thank a couple coaches and players from your team who came and sat in our stands sunday at the friendly after you were finished playing and watched some of our game. it looks like you have a great atmosphere and some nice kids and coaches...keep it up and good things will happen.
art

First off you can show this (school spirit etc) without being on the high school softball team. Band, basketball, debate team, theater etc all fufill the criterea of representing/supporting your school.

That aside, after having spent the past year chatting with, visiting, talking on the phone and emailing with college coaches, I saw almost zero indication that there was any interest in high school sports (The only calls made to dd's school were made to her guidance councelor).

We've only had one coach even ask why she wasn't playing High School ball and none have called her track coach to ask about her conduct etc. However they did call present and former travel ball coaches.

About a week ago, I talked to DD's future college coach to ask if he would prefer for her to play high school ball in '09 to get ready for college. He said it didn't matter to him and that he was only concerned that she continue to get good coaching in travel ball and play in the strong summer tournaments.

I do acknowledge that others' experience may differ. But this is ours.

[artomatic]

I do acknowledge that others' experience may differ. But this is ours.

thanks for the info from a travel parent of a high school age player. my oldest daughter doesn't play travel, so hs is her season. that's what she wants, and i'm fine with that....again, I would think that in a couple of years, when my youngest who does play travel starts hs, my perspective is sure to change...and I think that grades are still important...

[Cannonball]

Cannonball.

I would like to know what part of the country you live, and where your kids are going to D-1 softball programs without playing travel ball. I know some kids in California, Texas, Georgia, and Florida that will play anywhere.

I agree that boys playing baseball can still get recruited out of high school without playing on a top select team. Pitchers especially, and especially if they are 6' 4" or better. But if a boy is throwing 85-90 mph, or better yet 90+, he can get recruited by a D-1 program even if he can't throw alot of strikes. The accepted rule in baseball is you can teach a kid control (not command), but your can't teach 90+ velocity.

Don't kid yourself. The same rules don't apply in softball. No one should leave with the impression that high school has anything to do with getting recruited except imaybe in a very few isolated parts of the country.

Hello cannonball here the question in california softball players have to play HS to be recruited or is a posibility to get recruited if you play HS
I was thinking the only way to get recruited is if play travell ball.

Many of our girls never play travel ball. Yes, they still get recruited. The midwest and in particular in some of these small communities, people know which programs are consistent with talent. Typically, that means there is still a good feeder program in place even if it is rec. Our girls don't get the exposure yours do and so, when I say they play D-I, you would still never know the schools. However, they do get their educations partially funded and that's big. Our pitcher last year is a freshman this year at a Missouri Valley D-I Program. She got exposure in many forms but mostly we made a few DVDs with out editing program here and sent them out. Also, our coach has a lot of "contacts." This particular school came to see her and another better know player play against each other. They took our girl. As I posted, with our sophomore class, the climate for our school will change since most of them and the freshman class, including my daughter, have played travel.

I'm sorry, I forgot to add that we have girls playing at Illinois State (injured already), University of Evansville, Middle Tennessee State, and have had in the past some go as far away as the University of Buffalo. One other thing to note, some of our girls go to places like Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. They just won the NCAA D-II National Championship. My girl is known by their staff since she attends their clinics. I'd love for her to play there. They will be D-I next year.

Travelball, I don't understand your intent but it seems to suggest that our kids must suck if they don't play travel ball. Some have been very good. Our team (My dd's summer team) was organized, played some local ball, entered the ASA Class B Tournaments, qualified and won a National (Regional) Title in ASA B. We might not be all the frills, brightlights, hoopla, etc. you are but some of our kids get after it. If I took that wrong, I apologzie.

[NO FEAR]

Cannonball.

I would like to know what part of the country you live, and where your kids are going to D-1 softball programs without playing travel ball. I know some kids in California, Texas, Georgia, and Florida that will play anywhere.

I agree that boys playing baseball can still get recruited out of high school without playing on a top select team. Pitchers especially, and especially if they are 6' 4" or better. But if a boy is throwing 85-90 mph, or better yet 90+, he can get recruited by a D-1 program even if he can't throw alot of strikes. The accepted rule in baseball is you can teach a kid control (not command), but your can't teach 90+ velocity.

Don't kid yourself. The same rules don't apply in softball. No one should leave with the impression that high school has anything to do with getting recruited except imaybe in a very few isolated parts of the country.

Hello cannonball here the question in california softball players have to play HS to be recruited or is a posibility to get recruited if you play HS
I was thinking the only way to get recruited is if play travell ball.

Many of our girls never play travel ball. Yes, they still get recruited. The midwest and in particular in some of these small communities, people know which programs are consistent with talent. Typically, that means there is still a good feeder program in place even if it is rec. Our girls don't get the exposure yours do and so, when I say they play D-I, you would still never know the schools. However, they do get their educations partially funded and that's big. Our pitcher last year is a freshman this year at a Missouri Valley D-I Program. She got exposure in many forms but mostly we made a few DVDs with out editing program here and sent them out. Also, our coach has a lot of "contacts." This particular school came to see her and another better know player play against each other. They took our girl. As I posted, with our sophomore class, the climate for our school will change since most of them and the freshman class, including my daughter, have played travel.

I'm sorry, I forgot to add that we have girls playing at Illinois State (injured already), University of Evansville, Middle Tennessee State, and have had in the past some go as far away as the University of Buffalo. One other thing to note, some of our girls go to places like Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. They just won the NCAA D-II National Championship. My girl is known by their staff since she attends their clinics. I'd love for her to play there. They will be D-I next year.

Travelball, I don't understand your intent but it seems to suggest that our kids must suck if they don't play travel ball. Some have been very good. Our team (My dd's summer team) was organized, played some local ball, entered the ASA Class B Tournaments, qualified and won a National (Regional) Title in ASA B. We might not be all the frills, brightlights, hoopla, etc. you are but some of our kids get after it. If I took that wrong, I apologzie.

my DD play travelball she star when she was first year 14 now she is 15 and still good pitcher sometimes hers team play 18u gold and she pitch from 43' the question was because i don't knoe too much about how is the recruiting proses but tanks for the tip.

[hotwheels]

Grammar, OUCH!!!

[Travel Ball]

Cannonball: No offense meant. Just always looking for new places to put our girls. You'ld be surprised what a lot of travel team coaches and parents of travel ball players know about the most obscure schools in the most remote regions of the country.

I'm still not sure the region of the country you live in, but I'm guessing it might be the northern Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, or Wisconsin area. If so, you are sitting in one of the fastest growing areas of softball talent. These universities are almost universally committed to growing their women's softball programs. I suspect it is only a year or two before very, very few girls in that area of the country will be recuited by any Div. I or Div. II school unless they are regularly playing travel ball and college showcase events.

I NEVER think girls suck because they don't play on travel teams or because they live and play softball in Montana, the Aluetian Islands, Guam, etc. I do know that for the vast majority of the top 100 Div. I or Div. II programs, you can count on one hand the number of girls who did not play on travel teams. On rosters in the Pac 10, Big 10, Big East, ACC, SEC, Big 12, Conf USA, WAC, Big South, MAC, Mountain West, Ohio Valley, and even the Missouri Valley Conerence, it is almost unheard of. Just my experience.

[NO FEAR]

Cannonball: No offense meant. Just always looking for new places to put our girls. You'ld be surprised what a lot of travel team coaches and parents of travel ball players know about the most obscure schools in the most remote regions of the country.

I'm still not sure the region of the country you live in, but I'm guessing it might be the northern Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, or Wisconsin area. If so, you are sitting in one of the fastest growing areas of softball talent. These universities are almost universally committed to growing their women's softball programs. I suspect it is only a year or two before very, very few girls in that area of the country will be recuited by any Div. I or Div. II school unless they are regularly playing travel ball and college showcase events.

I NEVER think girls suck because they don't play on travel teams or because they live and play softball in Montana, the Aluetian Islands, Guam, etc. I do know that for the vast majority of the top 100 Div. I or Div. II programs, you can count on one hand the number of girls who did not play on travel teams. On rosters in the Pac 10, Big 10, Big East, ACC, SEC, Big 12, Conf USA, WAC, Big South, MAC, Mountain West, Ohio Valley, and even the Missouri Valley Conerence, it is almost unheard of. Just my experience.

that's a good view sometimes i see more talent in rec allstar than travell

[papabearo]

For our family, it's a great thing that my freshman DD is playing H.S. This gives me an opportunity to spend time coaching my 7 year old's 8U rec ball team. I can't believe I'm starting over again! Sheeesh.