Bypassing JV softball and playing travel instead?

When the season starts, I will see if she followed through on the idea of not playing HS softball. Personally, I hope she plays but will be interested to see how it works if she doesn't.
 
What about the situation where 60 players are trying out for 2 teams and a 15 year old is not selected for either JV or varsity?
 
Amigo said:
What about the situation where 60 players are trying out for 2 teams and a 15 year old is not selected for either JV or varsity?
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As has been stated multiple times already, there are very few 16U travel teams that play in the spring... One is because there are not many quality players who would be available to playing the spring due to HS ball and two is because there are very few tourneys in the spring for 16U or 18U teams....
 
Eric Stratton said:
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.
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Spot on, great post.
 
Our team has had a VERY good run of it the past 6-7 years we have won our league , made it pretty deep into the state tournament a few times had a few All State players ect ect and we cant even field a JV Softball team.

Year in and year out the HC makes a push to find new girls and if its not CLub Volleyball , its Travel soccer or girls LAX that is pushing them away from softball.
 
93 red ls said:
Our team has had a VERY good run of it the past 6-7 years we have won our league , made it pretty deep into the state tournament a few times had a few All State players ect ect and we cant even field a JV Softball team.

Year in and year out the HC makes a push to find new girls and if its not CLub Volleyball , its Travel soccer or girls LAX that is pushing them away from softball.
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The sport is shrinking. Even the big schools are struggling to field JV teams and to have quality varsity programs. A lot of local recreational leagues are lacking teams and blending age groups, Parks that offered Fastpitch are no longer offering travel leagues summer or fall.

Back 10-12 years ago most of the GMC had Freshman teams. Now most only have Varsity and JV.
Most of the ECC struggles with fielding JV programs. Pitching is no where where it use to be and IMO needs to go back to 40 feet to give more teams a chance as in most leagues its either a walk fest or like slow pitch.

Here is a CHL varsity game for the ages...https://icrctv.com/video/softball-21-mariemont-vs-indian-hill
CHL game IH-Mad
 
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HSFB Fan said:
The sport is shrinking. Even the big schools are struggling to field JV teams and to have quality varsity programs. A lot of local recreational leagues are lacking teams and blending age groups, Parks that offered Fastpitch are no longer offering travel leagues summer or fall.
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The same could be said for pretty much every sport... Kids don't want to work hard and parents just let them sit around the house and play stupid video games or watch/make stupid tiktok videos.... This generation is a bunch of lazy, out of shape kids....
 
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ImpracticalJoker said:
The same could be said for pretty much every sport... Kids don't want to work hard and parents just let them sit around the house and play stupid video games or watch/make stupid tiktok videos.... This generation is a bunch of lazy, out of shape kids....
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Yep I worked at a school that has dropped 4 ladies sports due to not enough ladies going out. Pay to play may inpact some but the fees at this school were cheap. $60 per sport cap $150
 
Amigo said:
What about the situation where 60 players are trying out for 2 teams and a 15 year old is not selected for either JV or varsity?
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What I've seen lately is some travel ball players who choose not to play HS because they believe they may be cut or will not get any playing time.

Seems that softball has a feast-or-famine problem. Some schools have a wealth of talent and some of the players never see the field. Other schools are scraping by just to field a varsity team. Heard about one local school that is unsure whether they will have a team because the only pitcher decided not to play. I'm guessing they will play but the team will not be competitive.
 
Yappi said:
What I've seen lately is some travel ball players who choose not to play HS because they believe they may be cut or will not get any playing time.
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In over 35 years of coaching HS and travel softball I have never seen a true travel ball player who was cut or didn't get playing time.... The problem today is that "travel ball" is so watered down... Teams call themselves "travel ball" teams but they are just glorified rec teams who go to some local crappy tournaments and play other similar "travel ball" teams.... Another name for these teams is "daddy ball".....
 
ImpracticalJoker said:
In over 35 years of coaching HS and travel softball I have never seen a true travel ball player who was cut or didn't get playing time.... The problem today is that "travel ball" is so watered down... Teams call themselves "travel ball" teams but they are just glorified rec teams who go to some local crappy tournaments and play other similar "travel ball" teams.... Another name for these teams is "daddy ball".....
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Agreed. But who's fault is it? It certainly isn't the parents today. The rec leagues dried up long ago. The stewards of the game of softball let this generation down.

Also, I'm curious what makes a "true travel ball player"? Is it a player that can go to college and play DI? DII? DIII? NAIA? Or just someone who could start for a solid HS team?
 
Yappi said:
The stewards of the game of softball let this generation down.
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Who exactly are "the stewards of the game"?
Yappi said:
Also, I'm curious what makes a "true travel ball player"? Is it a player that can go to college and play DI? DII? DIII? NAIA? Or just someone who could start for a solid HS team?
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I would classify a "true travel ball player" as someone who challenges themselves to improve their skills as a player and competes against others with a similar mindset... At the younger age groups, the parents have to do their due diligence to find situations/teams that will accomplish that goal for their daughters... They also need to seek out other opportunities for their daughters to improve their skills like camps, clinics, private instruction, etc... As the players reach the older age groups (16-18 under), if they have shown the desire to continue to challenge themselves at a high level they can have more input on what situations/teams they play on... In order to get better you have to play against players who are better than you that force you to raise your game.... True travel ball is not for everyone...
 
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ImpracticalJoker said:
Who exactly are "the stewards of the game"?

I would classify a "true travel ball player" as someone who challenges themselves to improve their skills as a player and competes against others with a similar mindset... At the younger age groups, the parents have to do their due diligence to find situations/teams that will accomplish that goal for their daughters... They also need to seek out other opportunities for their daughters to improve their skills like camps, clinics, private instruction, etc... As the players reach the older age groups (16-18 under), if they have shown the desire to continue to challenge themselves at a high level they can have more input on what situations/teams they play on... In order to get better you have to play against players who are better than you that force you to raise your game.... True travel ball is not for everyone...
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I think this is pretty much spot on.
There are various degrees of travel ball IMO once you get to the HS age groups:

Top Level is a team that has players from a large area over multiple states who do not practice. Their schedule is essentially meeting up on Thursdays/Fridays in cities to play tourneys. We have had girls on teams like this and it's "we are in Chicago this weekend, KC next weekend, Denver the weekend after that, and South Carolina following that ect..." These players are almost all D1 - Think Beverly Bandits

Mid-Level is a team that has players usually from 1 state or bordering states that will practice 1x per week (with some of their players driving 3hrs or so to practice) and then play tourneys that are usually within a 6-8hr drive with a few being outside those boundaries. These players are going to be a mix of lower D1, D2, D3, and NAIA - Think Ohio Hawks

Lower Lever is a team that has players from an area usually no farther than 1-2hrs from each other. They will practice 1x-2x per week and play a mix of local tourneys and ones that are within 2-4 hrs of their base. They may fundraise for a further trip to end the season as a way to end their season. These players are a mix of girls who will end up playing D3, NAIA, or an occasional D2 team or not even play at all.


*If your team consists of players who all live within 15min of each other, play local tourneys and travel no further than 1-2hrs away, this is what I would consider a Rec Team. There is nothing wrong with this level as it has its place to keep girls engaged and playing. A lot of the dads who start these teams are looking for wins and trophies and schedule accordingly.
 
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I know that this won't go over well but those definitions of travel ball are a little depressing. I can't believe that there is ever a need for girls to come together from multiple states unless they live right on a border. Teams that live within 15 minutes are a Rec Team? I could put together a team of 12 girls from a 15 minute radius of several areas of the state that would be lights out. The biggest challenge would be convincing the parents that this team is "elite" enough for their daughter.

The money being spent on softball (and baseball) has gotten out of hand. The return on investment is almost nothing. DIII players get nothing. Most DII and DI players get nothing or very little. I talked to a DII college coach who explained that DII can offer 7.2 scholarships, which they divide among the most important players. BUT, this school did not fully fund its scholarships, so the number of scholarships was actually less.

Also, the girl who was the inspiration for this thread plays on a mid-level travel team. She'll probably play D2 or D3. Her Summer teammates will likely mostly play D2 and D3. Two players could be DI players but not counting on it. They fit the definition of Lower Level from above but usually beat the Ohio Hawks.
 
Yappi said:
I know that this won't go over well but those definitions of travel ball are a little depressing. I can't believe that there is ever a need for girls to come together from multiple states unless they live right on a border. Teams that live within 15 minutes are a Rec Team? I could put together a team of 12 girls from a 15 minute radius of several areas of the state that would be lights out. The biggest challenge would be convincing the parents that this team is "elite" enough for their daughter.

The money being spent on softball (and baseball) has gotten out of hand. The return on investment is almost nothing. DIII players get nothing. Most DII and DI players get nothing or very little. I talked to a DII college coach who explained that DII can offer 7.2 scholarships, which they divide among the most important players. BUT, this school did not fully fund its scholarships, so the number of scholarships was actually less.

Also, the girl who was the inspiration for this thread plays on a mid-level travel team. She'll probably play D2 or D3. Her Summer teammates will likely mostly play D2 and D3. Two players could be DI players but not counting on it. They fit the definition of Lower Level from above but usually beat the Ohio Hawks.
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They are very depressing but if you look at programs that fit into each of those categories, that's what it has become.
I just happened to look at one of the teams listed on the Beverly Bandits website and they have players from Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Georgia, Wisconsin, New York, and Illinois. That team has players committed to Illinois, Florida St, Auburn, Michigan, Louisville x2, Northwestern, Belmont, Wisconsin, Rutgers, Stanford, Kentucky, Michigan St, Indiana, and Leheigh - all of which play at the NCAA D1 level.
I agree you can put together a team that lives close to each other but, it's not being done. Everyone is chasing these dream teams. It seems long gone are the days of neighborhood pride, city pride, or even state pride. All these upper-level travel teams have ruined that.
 
Yappi said:
Also, the girl who was the inspiration for this thread plays on a mid-level travel team. She'll probably play D2 or D3.
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Since HS ball starts next Monday, any word on what this girl has decided to do? What travel team does she play on? The original crux of this thread was that if she plays 16U and didn't play HS ball she would not be playing in any quality travel ball stuff until summer since 16-18U travel teams shut down until after HS season is finished....
 
I'll update when I find out. My guess is she will play HS this Spring for the reasons stated in this thread.
 
Yappi said:
I know that this won't go over well but those definitions of travel ball are a little depressing. I can't believe that there is ever a need for girls to come together from multiple states unless they live right on a border. Teams that live within 15 minutes are a Rec Team? I could put together a team of 12 girls from a 15 minute radius of several areas of the state that would be lights out. The biggest challenge would be convincing the parents that this team is "elite" enough for their daughter.

The money being spent on softball (and baseball) has gotten out of hand. The return on investment is almost nothing. DIII players get nothing. Most DII and DI players get nothing or very little. I talked to a DII college coach who explained that DII can offer 7.2 scholarships, which they divide among the most important players. BUT, this school did not fully fund its scholarships, so the number of scholarships was actually less.

Also, the girl who was the inspiration for this thread plays on a mid-level travel team. She'll probably play D2 or D3. Her Summer teammates will likely mostly play D2 and D3. Two players could be DI players but not counting on it. They fit the definition of Lower Level from above but usually beat the Ohio Hawks.
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We've beat this dead horse quite a bit but the families I have seen dump thousands upon thousands of dollars into their kids baseball and softball and not get anything in return is immense. Weekend after weekend dropping $500-$1000+ and most importantly losing time with your kids for other things (camping, trips, etc.).

I've started advising young parents that if your kid absolutely loves the game then have at it but if you believe your kid is getting a scholarship someday, don't.
 
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irish_buffalo said:
We've beat this dead horse quite a bit but the families I have seen dump thousands upon thousands of dollars into their kids baseball and softball and not get anything in return is immense. Weekend after weekend dropping $500-$1000+ and most importantly losing time with your kids for other things (camping, trips, etc.).

I've started advising young parents that if your kid absolutely loves the game then have at it but if you believe your kid is getting a scholarship someday, don't.
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The vast majority of parents paying for their kids to play on these teams are because their child loves playing the sport. Even those good enough to get a scholarship, they likely really enjoy the sport, thus parents paying for something their kid enjoys.
 
zz125 said:
The vast majority of parents paying for their kids to play on these teams are because their child loves playing the sport. Even those good enough to get a scholarship, they likely really enjoy the sport, thus parents paying for something their kid enjoys.
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Many kids THINK they love the sport. I coached travel for years. My kids were good. By game 60 if you asked them, in their heart of hearts, they’d a rather been at the pool playing with friends rather than another money maker worthless tournament, usually playing all of the same teams. Kids see dad loves it so they love it.

No kid gets into 8U travel because they love it.
 
irish_buffalo said:
Many kids THINK they love the sport. I coached travel for years. My kids were good. By game 60 if you asked them, in their heart of hearts, they’d a rather been at the pool playing with friends rather than another money maker worthless tournament, usually playing all of the same teams. Kids see dad loves it so they love it.

No kid gets into 8U travel because they love it.
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Up until 16u Yeah many ladies play for their dad maybe mom16+ most play for themselves.
Now we did not play an Ohio schedule outside of Stingrays or Best of Best at 15U and above as we played about an 8 hour schedule from Ohio including a couple Tenn events, Oaklahoma events, Atlanta, Chicago, etc. Most of our ladies while graduated from college still contribute and give back to the game as coaches and managers.
 
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ImpracticalJoker said:
In over 35 years of coaching HS and travel softball I have never seen a true travel ball player who was cut or didn't get playing time.... The problem today is that "travel ball" is so watered down... Teams call themselves "travel ball" teams but they are just glorified rec teams who go to some local crappy tournaments and play other similar "travel ball" teams.... Another name for these teams is "daddy ball".....
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this can be said for baseball as well.

I have tried to explain this on this very forum page and i get looked at like i have 5 eye balls. and get the dumbest comments back.

For baseball the TRUE "travel" or "elite" players travel the country coast to coast PG style events and organizations ect ect.
 
Looks like Taylors schedule was just completed.


We will have a JV team this year!
they will be playing about 10 games!

Ross/Reading/Seton/New Richmond looks like each team twice!
Even given the last 5-6 years of success taylor has had , this is our 1st year with JV in awhile

Even the POY for girls CHL bball came out to play this year!
 
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