Bypassing JV softball and playing travel instead?

Yappi

Yappi

Go Buckeyes
Talked to an incoming Sophomore who said they were bypassing the JV season next year to play travel ball against much better players with the head coaches blessing. She could get a little varsity time but not much and the JV season for their team was fairly bad.

Is this a new trend?
 
 
Yappi said:
Talked to an incoming Sophomore who said they were bypassing the JV season next year to play travel ball against much better players with the head coaches blessing. She could get a little varsity time but not much and the JV season for their team was fairly bad.

Is this a new trend?
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Think she will return to the school team for her Junior year or stay on the travel circuit?
 
Yappi said:
Talked to an incoming Sophomore who said they were bypassing the JV season next year to play travel ball against much better players with the head coaches blessing. She could get a little varsity time but not much and the JV season for their team was fairly bad.

Is this a new trend?
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I don't know of any HS coach that would encourage travel ball over HS ball. (Unless they feel the player or parent may be a problem. Then I could see them encouraging seeking playing time elsewhere). There are several issues with HS age 15 and up trying to play during HS season.
#1 Its going to be hard for one to find a 16U team playing in the spring. They may find a 14U (7/8th graders mostly) that honestly will be less skilled than most JV teams and if the lady is a sophomore she will be too old to play unless the team plays open or HS events.
#2 If the players skills were not good enough to make varsity as a freshman/sophomore maybe the player/parents need to reevaluate the level of play they are able to play. Even on stacked HS teams most carry 14 where players can challenge for spots, pinch run/hit practice with the better players etc.
 
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Amigo said:
Would the spring travel teams be able to play HS JV teams in the spring season?
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I might see like a novelty scrimmage game as a fundraiser or for a special event but I do not know of any decent 14U team that would want to play a HS JV team and I would bet no AD would want to open up that can of worms with insurance, coaching requirements, etc.

The established leagues will want to keep play in league or with other OHSAA member schools. Plenty to chose from.
 
Yappi said:
Talked to an incoming Sophomore who said they were bypassing the JV season next year to play travel ball against much better players with the head coaches blessing. She could get a little varsity time but not much and the JV season for their team was fairly bad.
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I dont see the point unless she's playing out of state all spring. There is no such thing as good travel competition in Ohio or the surrounding states during high school season.
 
zski71 said:
I dont see the point unless she's playing out of state all spring. There is no such thing as good travel competition in Ohio or the surrounding states during high school season.
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Spot on…..if a soph isn’t good enough to play varsity ball, there isn’t a chance there’s anything even available on the travel circuit in the spring
 
Yappi said:
Talked to an incoming Sophomore who said they were bypassing the JV season next year to play travel ball against much better players with the head coaches blessing. She could get a little varsity time but not much and the JV season for their team was fairly bad.

Is this a new trend?
Click to expand...
I called this out years ago as becoming the new norm for baseball. Has not taken hold just yet but it is coming much like it did years ago with hockey.

The travel team is where the exposure is so why bother playing JV? If there is better competition and coaching it would be a no brainer.
 
I will ask this player who they are playing against when I see her again. She is a varsity-level player that is stuck on JV because her school has a solid varsity team. She would have been a 4 year starter at over half the schools in the state but will have to play mostly JV again this year and she said it was an awful experience. High level JV teams have to be really careful who they schedule because there are teams that have no travel ball players and those games get ugly fast.

FYI, she is 16U, so the reason for this thread was to see if there were any other 16U teams out there playing in the Spring.
 
Yappi said:
FYI, she is 16U, so the reason for this thread was to see if there were any other 16U teams out there playing in the Spring.
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Tough place for her to be I'm sure. Best option is to stick it out and hope for a call up at some point. There are no high level 16u travel teams playing in Ohio during school ball. 14u is limited in the spring due to Jr High Some states do have softball in the fall so they may have spring travel opportunities but that would require alot of travel.
 
Yappi said:
I will ask this player who they are playing against when I see her again. She is a varsity-level player that is stuck on JV because her school has a solid varsity team. She would have been a 4 year starter at over half the schools in the state but will have to play mostly JV again this year and she said it was an awful experience. High level JV teams have to be really careful who they schedule because there are teams that have no travel ball players and those games get ugly fast.

FYI, she is 16U, so the reason for this thread was to see if there were any other 16U teams out there playing in the Spring.
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In cases where JV teams are that strong, they should be scheduling bad varsity teams... or other teams with really good JV programs.
 
1) If she is a varsity-level player (and would start for 1/2 of the teams in the state), in my opinion, she should be able to make a 13-15 player roster at her school. Does she play only 1 position?? All of our girls play multiple positions with the exception of a pitcher here and there.
2) I tell kids all the time, it's not about which team you are on or what position you are playing on March 1st. It's where you are at on May 1st and later that counts. Lots can happen during the season!
3) If her varsity team is really good, then there should be ample opportunity for her to get playing time. Everyone has to play league games vs lesser opponents and that's a great time to play some of the younger players.
4) If she is "stuck" on JV playing bad teams, then she can use that time to work on other areas of her game. Pitching might not be the same but she can still move runners, run, play good defense, ect...
5) Be the girl on JV that has to be brought up. Be the leader of the team, do all the little things - make it almost impossible to not bring her up to varsity
It's a tough spot to be in for sure but I've seen plenty of girls who were in the same position work harder and become valuable members of the varsity squad.
 
Yappi said:
I will ask this player who they are playing against when I see her again. She is a varsity-level player that is stuck on JV because her school has a solid varsity team. She would have been a 4 year starter at over half the schools in the state but will have to play mostly JV again this year and she said it was an awful experience. High level JV teams have to be really careful who they schedule because there are teams that have no travel ball players and those games get ugly fast.

FYI, she is 16U, so the reason for this thread was to see if there were any other 16U teams out there playing in the Spring.
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This thread seems odd to me... If this girl plays on a 16U travel team that is made up of decent/good players then the majority of those girls are playing at the varsity level for their HS team... I find it hard to believe that her travel team has enough players to play in the spring.... Not to mention who are they going to play against? Any 16U teams who are even somewhat competitive shut down during HS season since their players are playing HS ball... Also, spring tournaments do not include 16U or 18U since the players in those age groups are playing HS ball...
If this girl's travel team is doing stuff in the spring it most certainly can't be a very competitive team....
 
irish_buffalo said:
The travel team is where the exposure is so why bother playing JV? If there is better competition and coaching it would be a no brainer.
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Exposure for what exactly? College coaches? They are not out there in the spring since that is their season.... Better competition? Against who exactly? The good 16U players are playing for their HS teams in the spring....
 
ImpracticalJoker said:
Exposure for what exactly? College coaches? They are not out there in the spring since that is their season.... Better competition? Against who exactly? The good 16U players are playing for their HS teams in the spring....
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In the North especially, no one is getting recruited based on their HS season. It is all summer ball and camps.
 
irish_buffalo said:
In the North especially, no one is getting recruited based on their HS season. It is all summer ball and camps.
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I am well aware of that fact.... I have been coaching travel and HS softball for 35 years... The point you made earlier was that this girl, and any others who would pass up playing JV HS ball IN THE SPRING to play travel ball, would get better exposure... My point is that the college coaches do not go out and look at players IN THE SPRING since they are in their season... They do get out to see girls in the summer and in the fall as well as at camps....

What kind of "competition" would she see in the spring if she doesn't play HS ball? I would be very, very, very surprised if her 16U travel team is playing any games/tournaments in the spring during HS season... I would be willing to bet that the vast majority of her teammates are playing HS ball so their travel team wouldn't have enough girls to field a team....

The point of this whole thread is whether Suzy Softball should skip her JV season this spring to "play" 16U travel ball... Many others have made really good points and the answer is a resounding NO!
 
ImpracticalJoker said:
I am well aware of that fact.... I have been coaching travel and HS softball for 35 years... The point you made earlier was that this girl, and any others who would pass up playing JV HS ball IN THE SPRING to play travel ball, would get better exposure... My point is that the college coaches do not go out and look at players IN THE SPRING since they are in their season... They do get out to see girls in the summer and in the fall as well as at camps....

What kind of "competition" would she see in the spring if she doesn't play HS ball? I would be very, very, very surprised if her 16U travel team is playing any games/tournaments in the spring during HS season... I would be willing to bet that the vast majority of her teammates are playing HS ball so their travel team wouldn't have enough girls to field a team....

The point of this whole thread is whether Suzy Softball should skip her JV season this spring to "play" 16U travel ball... Many others have made really good points and the answer is a resounding NO!
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I can tell you are upset. Lol.

It is the family's decision to make based on what is best for their daughter.

If some girl is buried on some awful JV team, facing mediocre at best pitching, there is an advantage to skipping and playing travel. I have seen it more than I'd like to admit where the local HS coach picks up a clipboard in late February and drops it in late May. They usually have an awful understanding of the talent that they have, move players out of position, and can't coach a lick. Then they have JV coaches who are worse.

Hope this helps.
 
irish_buffalo said:
I can tell you are upset. Lol.

It is the family's decision to make based on what is best for their daughter.

If some girl is buried on some awful JV team, facing mediocre at best pitching, there is an advantage to skipping and playing travel. I have seen it more than I'd like to admit where the local HS coach picks up a clipboard in late February and drops it in late May. They usually have an awful understanding of the talent that they have, move players out of position, and can't coach a lick. Then they have JV coaches who are worse.

Hope this helps.
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The point is that she will not be PLAYING travel ball in the spring!!!!!!! 16U teams do not PLAY in the spring!!!!!! They wait until HS season is over because the vast majority of their players are playing HS ball!!!! She will not be getting any actual game reps in the spring!!!!! She may go to a batting cage or have someone hit grounders to her or perhaps her wonderful travel coach will give her private lessons but she will not actually be playing the game!!!!! She won't be playing in actual games until the summer when the rest of her teammates are back!!! Maybe you and her family think that is better for her because of those darn know-nothing HS coaches can't compare to those ultra-knowledgeable travel coaches... Don't know what area you live in but here in Stark County the level of HS coaching is very good....

Hope this helps!!!! And no I am not upset, just frustrated...... HS coaches always take a bad rap.... Over the years I have seen just as many travel ball coaches who didn't know their a** from their elbow about softball... Many of them started a team so their little princess would be guaranteed playing time and wouldn't have to compete for a spot....

College coaches want players who aren't afraid to compete and are good teammates... I doubt that any college coach would ever want a player to skip their HS season and sit around for several months until travel ball starts... Get your a** out there and compete!!!!!
 
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ImpracticalJoker said:
The point is that she will not be PLAYING travel ball in the spring!!!!!!! 16U teams do not PLAY in the spring!!!!!! They wait until HS season is over because the vast majority of their players are playing HS ball!!!! She will not be getting any actual game reps in the spring!!!!! She may go to a batting cage or have someone hit grounders to her or perhaps her wonderful travel coach will give her private lessons but she will not actually be playing the game!!!!! She won't be playing in actual games until the summer when the rest of her teammates are back!!! Maybe you and her family think that is better for her because of those darn know-nothing HS coaches can't compare to those ultra-knowledgeable travel coaches... Don't know what area you live in but here in Stark County the level of HS coaching is very good....

Hope this helps!!!! And no I am not upset, just frustrated...... HS coaches always take a bad rap.... Over the years I have seen just as many travel ball coaches who didn't know their a** from their elbow about softball... Many of them started a team so their little princess would be guaranteed playing time and wouldn't have to compete for a spot....

College coaches want players who aren't afraid to compete and are good teammates... I doubt that any college coach would ever want a player to skip their HS season and sit around for several months until travel ball starts... Get your a** out there and compete!!!!!
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They would miss April. If a group wanted to throw together a travel team they could start playing the first weekend in May (HS is still playing through May as you know). They could do weekend tournaments outside of Ohio through April.

So, rather than play on some $chitty JV squad against girls who can barely get the ball across the plate they can play two out of state tournaments in April and stay in Ohio all of May. That is 6 tournaments with an average of 4 games per tournament which would equate 24 games against better competition.

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irish_buffalo said:
They would miss April. If a group wanted to throw together a travel team they could start playing the first weekend in May (HS is still playing through May as you know). They could do weekend tournaments outside of Ohio through April.

So, rather than play on some $chitty JV squad against girls who can barely get the ball across the plate they can play two out of state tournaments in April and stay in Ohio all of May. That is 6 tournaments with an average of 4 games per tournament which would equate 24 games against better competition.
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Good luck "throwing together a travel team".... As has been stated several times on here, the vast, vast, vast majority of QUALITY 16U-18U players are playing for their HS teams.... Especially the key positions - pitcher and catcher ... Good luck finding any good pitchers and catchers not playing HS ball.... Can't speak for the Tenn tournaments since I don't know when HS ball is played in Tenn but those Ohio tournaments that you listed will be lucky to have many, if any, 16U or 18U teams sign up to play.... And if any do sign up they will be made up of, as you phrased it, $chitty players.... Any state that plays their HS season in the spring will not have many, if any, quality players not playing HS ball...

And yet you want this supposed "thrown together team" with $chitty pitching and catching to travel to other states on the weekends during the school year.... Ridiculous....

Since the OP started this thread on Jul 11, 2023, which was way before the current school year has started it would be interesting to know what this girl and her parents decided.... HS ball will be stating next month.... I hope that the young lady and her family decided to have her COMPETE for playing time on her HS team.... College coaches are looking for players who aren't afraid to COMPETE and earn their spot....
 
Just from my experiences I would have to agree. Any decent player is playing HS ball and probably Varsity. If it’s one of the 10% of elite HS teams then there are more than likely good young travel player playing JV as well. Teams that have crappy JV teams tend to also have crappy Varsity squads. There is no way a decent travel ball player is getting buried on a crappy JV team.
I know from first hand experience College coaches value girls who play and do well in HS ball as that is a closer correlation to how the College dynamic for playing time and team chemistry will work.
The travel competition and available players in Ohio for spring 16u and 18u would not be up to par for an A level player.
 
Yappi said:
FYI, she is 16U, so the reason for this thread was to see if there were any other 16U teams out there playing in the Spring.
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The answer to that question is NO, at least none of any quality.... The good players all play HS ball in the spring....

Yappi said:
Talked to an incoming Sophomore who said they were bypassing the JV season next year to play travel ball against much better players with the head coaches blessing. She could get a little varsity time but not much and the JV season for their team was fairly bad.
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What did this girl decide to do? I am extremely skeptical that the HS head coach would give their blessing to skip HS ball to play on a spring travel ball team... Either the coach is completely unaware that there are no quality 16U travel teams that play in the spring OR perhaps said player/familly is a pain in the a** and if they don't play HS ball the coach wouldn't have to deal with them in the spring....
 
Yappi said:
Talked to an incoming Sophomore who said they were bypassing the JV season next year to play travel ball against much better players with the head coaches blessing. She could get a little varsity time but not much and the JV season for their team was fairly bad.

Is this a new trend?
Click to expand...
Does the high school season and travel seasons coincide? I thought spring was HS softball? Then after that would be travel?
If a kid is contemplating not playing for their high school, that's up to them. My guess is they don't get along well with other team members or it wouldn't be a consideration.
 
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