OHSAA needs to look at adding a 7th week to Softball

[ZingBot]

Two main reasons they need to look at this are...

Pitching is no longer what it once was. Many smaller schools rely heavily on one pitcher, those who are lucky may have an OK backup option. When the weather is poor these kids are throwing 6 or 7 games in a week. I know all the "well they pitch 3 or 4 games in a weekend" that's great but at some point, if it's not the physical wear we need to look at the mental side.

Also, Spring sports are heavily competing against Spring Break, I know a certain Dayton school that shuts its program down for 2 whole weeks. If they didn't they wouldn't have a team. It makes rescheduling games a nightmare, and in the long run, it may help bring some kids out that may not otherwise.

 

[Eric Stratton]

In some years it gets to the point of being ridiculous and just turns into just trying to be healthy when the tourney starts when you have just 2 games/week.
I've always thought Softball should be in the fall when it rains less and Soccer in the spring since it can be played in the rain. One brief thunderstorm at lunchtime is enough to cancel of softball game but not for soccer. Fall sports start playing games now during the 3rd week of August which means if Softball was in the fall, the tournament would start the 1st week of October and end the 1st week of November. I'm sure there are a million reasons against it but just my opinion

 

[CedarBuck92]

In some years it gets to the point of being ridiculous and just turns into just trying to be healthy when the tourney starts when you have just 2 games/week.
I've always thought Softball should be in the fall when it rains less and Soccer in the spring since it can be played in the rain. One brief thunderstorm at lunchtime is enough to cancel of softball game but not for soccer. Fall sports start playing games now during the 3rd week of August which means if Softball was in the fall, the tournament would start the 1st week of October and end the 1st week of November. I'm sure there are a million reasons against it but just my opinion

This is not an attack on your idea. Just pointing out a few things that would need to be addressed. I am ignoring outside leagues (JO/Travel).

If we move Softball to fall and soccer to spring what are we doing with Volleyball? Do we move it to Spring too or does it stay fall? Will that cause issues with numbers? I am aware of a number of girls who play both.

 

[Eric Stratton]

This is not an attack on your idea. Just pointing out a few things that would need to be addressed. I am ignoring outside leagues (JO/Travel).

If we move Softball to fall and soccer to spring what are we doing with Volleyball? Do we move it to Spring too or does it stay fall? Will that cause issues with numbers? I am aware of a number of girls who play both.

All good points and like I said there are a million reasons that it's probably a bad idea. I was just looking strictly at weather. Heck flip both volleyball/soccer for softball/track!

 

[CedarBuck92]

All good points and like I said there are a million reasons that it's probably a bad idea. I was just looking strictly at weather. Heck flip both volleyball/soccer for softball/track!

The idea came up in 2020 to move baseball to a Mid-May through June Season with postseason to follow. How would you feel about that for softball?

 

[Eric Stratton]

The idea came up in 2020 to move baseball to a Mid-May through June Season with postseason to follow. How would you feel about that for softball?

I'm good with that but the travel ball coaches are definitely not going to be happy! Since we cannot play 7 days a week, anything that keeps us from playing something like 21 games in 22 days after a week of rain works for me.

 

[NewOldBlood]

These are all decent ideas, but we can't just ignore the impact travel ball has on the game. For any really good player that has a real opportunity to play at the next level, travel ball comes before school ball. And I'm not just talking softball and baseball, I'm talking volleyball and soccer. The main recruiting windows for baseball and softball are in the fall, when colleges are in session and schools are out recruiting and hosting camps. The main recruiting time for soccer and volleyball is in the spring, when colleges are in session and schools are out recruiting and hosting camps. The best players are going to choose travel ball over school ball if they are forced to choose. With already shrinking numbers in softball, few schools can afford for their best players to skip out on school ball. Bottom line, the schedule needs to stay as is and all we can do is hope for good weather in late winter and early spring. Some year it will work out, some years it will not.

 

[BigK72]

These are all decent ideas, but we can't just ignore the impact travel ball has on the game. For any really good player that has a real opportunity to play at the next level, travel ball comes before school ball. And I'm not just talking softball and baseball, I'm talking volleyball and soccer. The main recruiting windows for baseball and softball are in the fall, when colleges are in session and schools are out recruiting and hosting camps. The main recruiting time for soccer and volleyball is in the spring, when colleges are in session and schools are out recruiting and hosting camps. The best players are going to choose travel ball over school ball if they are forced to choose. With already shrinking numbers in softball, few schools can afford for their best players to skip out on school ball. Bottom line, the schedule needs to stay as is and all we can do is hope for good weather in late winter and early spring. Some year it will work out, some years it will not.

I agree with a lot of what you're saying here. I know my daughter and a few others on her travel team have had the discussion as to whether or not they'll continue to play school or just train/work travel in the spring. I think if enough girls on their team decided to stick to travel, they'd transition to one of those higher level teams that just play tournaments all year round.

There are a lot of issues with the school ball climate that just pushes girls away, and I'm starting to see it as my girls get older.


More on topic though, what if we stopped being so finicky with the weather/canceling games? I remember seeing a photo from Alaska I believe where a girl is pitching, and the entire diamond has about 2 inches of water on it. It might take extra work from grounds crews/coaches to work the field, but isn't that better than the alternative we're seeing this season especially?

Found the picture.

 

[Auggie]

Club sports not only allow better players opportunities against similar comp but also have a $s component to them, their schedule will probably take precedent for the foreseeable future. So if softball will be staying in the spring here are some suggestions, (most have flaws so there will be objections to each):

• As mentioned above extend the season to a 7th week.
• Use as many field turf diamonds as possible even if it means the home team has to travel a distance. Also any field turf game should play through the weather.
• Schedule and play games on Sundays.

 

[NewOldBlood]

Club sports not only allow better players opportunities against similar comp but also have a $s component to them, their schedule will probably take precedent for the foreseeable future. So if softball will be staying in the spring here are some suggestions, (most have flaws so there will be objections to each):

• As mentioned above extend the season to a 7th week.
• Use as many field turf diamonds as possible even if it means the home team has to travel a distance. Also any field turf game should play through the weather.
• Schedule and play games on Sundays.

This is a big one in my opinion. I don't think there are any rules that prohibit Sunday games, but most schools stay away from Sunday games. I find it ironic too, because as a travel softball parent I've spent damn near every summer and fall Sunday in the last 10 years or so at some ballpark around the country. The extra week is not a bad idea. I've always thought post season games were too spread out anyways. The postseason could easily be condensed by a week or maybe even two and the regular season extended by the same time period.

 

[NewOldBlood]

I agree with a lot of what you're saying here. I know my daughter and a few others on her travel team have had the discussion as to whether or not they'll continue to play school or just train/work travel in the spring. I think if enough girls on their team decided to stick to travel, they'd transition to one of those higher level teams that just play tournaments all year round.

There are a lot of issues with the school ball climate that just pushes girls away, and I'm starting to see it as my girls get older.


More on topic though, what if we stopped being so finicky with the weather/canceling games? I remember seeing a photo from Alaska I believe where a girl is pitching, and the entire diamond has about 2 inches of water on it. It might take extra work from grounds crews/coaches to work the field, but isn't that better than the alternative we're seeing this season especially?

Found the picture.

My daughter is a pitcher and she really enjoyed school ball despite being more talented than all but a few other players in the program. I think some of it was the level of success she had in school ball, but she also like representing her school and her community. As a pitcher, you still get to work on your skill set so that makes a difference, too. I can see the other side though. We had a girl on our travel team that was a DI level catcher through summer ball, that never caught an inning in 4 years of high school ball because she pitched and played SS. I guess it didn't really effect her in the long run, but could she have gotten more out of working on her catching skills and hitting to prepare for summer ball than by playing on a below average high school team.

 

[BigK72]

My daughter is a pitcher and she really enjoyed school ball despite being more talented than all but a few other players in the program. I think some of it was the level of success she had in school ball, but she also like representing her school and her community. As a pitcher, you still get to work on your skill set so that makes a difference, too. I can see the other side though. We had a girl on our travel team that was a DI level catcher through summer ball, that never caught an inning in 4 years of high school ball because she pitched and played SS. I guess it didn't really effect her in the long run, but could she have gotten more out of working on her catching skills and hitting to prepare for summer ball than by playing on a below average high school team.

I get it completely. I support our school team and will continue to encourage my travel girls to play. Softball/baseball is so different from the rest of HS school sports. With everything else (unless you're super elite level), kids play for their school and don't think twice about it. They spend a majority of their time within the sport working on/with their school team. With softball(I assume baseball as well), players spend all but maybe 3 months working with their travel team and almost value it more. It's backwards, and I personally do not like it.

 

[Eric Stratton]

Travel Ball is a completely different game than HS or College as there are no time limits in the HS or College games. Playing 1hr 15min time limit games changes the way the game is played in my opinion.

 

[Eric Stratton]

This is a big one in my opinion. I don't think there are any rules that prohibit Sunday games, but most schools stay away from Sunday games. I find it ironic too, because as a travel softball parent I've spent damn near every summer and fall Sunday in the last 10 years or so at some ballpark around the country. The extra week is not a bad idea. I've always thought post season games were too spread out anyways. The postseason could easily be condensed by a week or maybe even two and the regular season extended by the same time period.

No rules against it as long as you haven't played the other 6 days of the week as teams can't play 7 days straight in Ohio. I for one, would be in favor of playing every Sunday and taking more days off during the week when girls have school and homework.

 

[CedarBuck92]

No rules against it as long as you haven't played the other 6 days of the week as teams can't play 7 days straight in Ohio. I for one, would be in favor of playing every Sunday and taking more days off during the week when girls have school and homework.

I do not think games should be scheduled on Sunday's but am ok with Sunday afternoons being used for make-up games. As for taking days off during the week, it will just get filled with practice time. Practice is important but isn't a day off.

 

[MCGal]

I agree with a lot of what you're saying here. I know my daughter and a few others on her travel team have had the discussion as to whether or not they'll continue to play school or just train/work travel in the spring. I think if enough girls on their team decided to stick to travel, they'd transition to one of those higher level teams that just play tournaments all year round.

There are a lot of issues with the school ball climate that just pushes girls away, and I'm starting to see it as my girls get older.


More on topic though, what if we stopped being so finicky with the weather/canceling games? I remember seeing a photo from Alaska I believe where a girl is pitching, and the entire diamond has about 2 inches of water on it. It might take extra work from grounds crews/coaches to work the field, but isn't that better than the alternative we're seeing this season especially?

Found the picture.

That's just dangerous for a number of reasons... and what happens when you hit the ball? It lands and plops? Lol

 

[BigK72]

That's just dangerous for a number of reasons... and what happens when you hit the ball? It lands and plops? Lol

I agree that picture is extreme. However, how many times have we seen muddy fields be deemed unfit to play? I'm saying be a little more lenient.

For example this spring, my school has canceled games or had the other team cancel. but then a school <10 miles away is still hosting a game. This was mostly due to some of the cold weather we've been having. But, you can't tell me that its too cold to play at School A, but then School B 10 minutes away is warm enough to play.

 

[NewOldBlood]

I agree that picture is extreme. However, how many times have we seen muddy fields be deemed unfit to play? I'm saying be a little more lenient.

For example this spring, my school has canceled games or had the other team cancel. but then a school <10 miles away is still hosting a game. This was mostly due to some of the cold weather we've been having. But, you can't tell me that its too cold to play at School A, but then School B 10 minutes away is warm enough to play.

It's almost exclusively up to the hosting to school to decide whether to cancel or not. They may confer with the visiting coach or AD, but ultimately the home team makes the call. What I've found is that some schools and coaches just are not that concerned with getting games in and will cancel at the drop of a hat. Others will go out of their way to get their field ready and will rarely cancel due to temperature. The overall condition of the field matters as well, design, location, drainage, composition of the dirt on the infield all play a role in field prep. Schools with a little more cash to throw around with good facilities often have an easier time getting a field ready to play than those that are more cash strapped.

 

[Auggie]

I do not think games should be scheduled on Sunday's but am ok with Sunday afternoons being used for make-up games. As for taking days off during the week, it will just get filled with practice time. Practice is important but isn't a day off.

Why not schedule on Sundays? If they need a day off Wednesday or Thursday would be much better as many teachers schedule tests or make term papers due either Thursday or Friday and this would give a student more time to prepare.

 

[Smarty2022]

I agree with a lot of what you're saying here. I know my daughter and a few others on her travel team have had the discussion as to whether or not they'll continue to play school or just train/work travel in the spring. I think if enough girls on their team decided to stick to travel, they'd transition to one of those higher level teams that just play tournaments all year round.

There are a lot of issues with the school ball climate that just pushes girls away, and I'm starting to see it as my girls get older.


More on topic though, what if we stopped being so finicky with the weather/canceling games? I remember seeing a photo from Alaska I believe where a girl is pitching, and the entire diamond has about 2 inches of water on it. It might take extra work from grounds crews/coaches to work the field, but isn't that better than the alternative we're seeing this season especially?

Found the picture.

Everyone involved in a Game being played in these conditions should be Fired immediately. Playing in these conditions is beyond assinine.

 

[Yappi]

I would definitely support shortening the state playoffs. Should be able to play 7-8 games in two weeks. The schedule for this season:

Sectional 5/7-5/14
District 5/16-5/21
Regional 5/25-5/28
State 6/2-6/4

IMO, the tournament should start around May 20th and the winners should expect to play everyday. The softball regular season should schedule and play games right up until the tournament. Seeing schedules that end the season on May 4th just doesn't seem right.

 

[CedarBuck92]

Why not schedule on Sundays? If they need a day off Wednesday or Thursday would be much better as many teachers schedule tests or make term papers due either Thursday or Friday and this would give a student more time to prepare

A few reasons I don't want them scheduled on Sunday. 1. I can see some conflicts with girls needing to choose between church and ball. 2. I can see this turning into another day to try to squeeze in that double header.

Also most schools aren't practicing on Sunday so the girls get an actual day to rest and reset. I have zero faith that coaches would actually give the team a day off during the week.

 

[ZingBot]

A few reasons I don't want them scheduled on Sunday. 1. I can see some conflicts with girls needing to choose between church and ball. 2. I can see this turning into another day to try to squeeze in that double header.

Also most schools aren't practicing on Sunday so the girls get an actual day to rest and reset. I have zero faith that coaches would actually give the team a day off during the week.

Heck the catholic schools down here play on Sunday.

Badin played Ross last Sunday

Badin is playing Fenwick Next Sunday in a DH

Only rule is from the archdiocese… they can’t start earlier than 1pm to give people time to attend mass

 

[Yappi]

Heck the catholic schools down here play on Sunday.

Badin played Ross last Sunday

Badin is playing Fenwick Next Sunday in a DH

Only rule is from the archdiocese… they can’t start earlier than 1pm to give people time to attend mass

That's great. With the way the weather has been this year, playing a double-header on Sunday could relieve some scheduling issues. Very tough to sit through a whole week of rainouts and have a nice, clear day on Sunday with rain in the forecast for the next week. Need to get the games in sometime.

 

[CedarBuck92]

Heck the catholic schools down here play on Sunday.

Badin played Ross last Sunday

Badin is playing Fenwick Next Sunday in a DH

Only rule is from the archdiocese… they can’t start earlier than 1pm to give people time to attend mass

If there is a rule where they can't start until after 1 I could get behind that.

 

[pickcosportsfan]

I would definitely support shortening the state playoffs. Should be able to play 7-8 games in two weeks. The schedule for this season:

Sectional 5/7-5/14
District 5/16-5/21
Regional 5/25-5/28
State 6/2-6/4

IMO, the tournament should start around May 20th and the winners should expect to play everyday. The softball regular season should schedule and play games right up until the tournament. Seeing schedules that end the season on May 4th just doesn't seem right.

Play sectional semifinals on 5/14, sectional finals on 5/17 and district games on 5/19 and 5/21.

 

[y2h]

Go to a Harbin like system, less teams equals a shorter postseason which enables a longer regular season.

 

[Auggie]

I was recently in Northern California and was shocked at the amount of these large all purpose field turf facilities in use with a climate where it only rains a few months a year. Speaking to my friend it is this way because of the amount of teams and participation they are getting in some key sports, namely soccer, baseball, and softball; the grass just cannot take the abuse. It is almost like ice time in the northern cities where hockey teams practice at ungodly hours due to availability, same thing is happening there. I then asked how they pay for these and many of them are funded by the cities they are located in, their public and private schools (to they get these parents to help promote the bond issues) get prime time days and hours. Then they turn into profit centers off hours when they lease the time out to clubs and adult play. Lights go on at 5 in the AM when the club/adult practices start then during school hours they do maintenance or they even get some retiree use. School practice takes up late afternoon with school games early evening then adult leagues play after and up to 12:00AM. On the weekends its all games from 8:00 to 12:00AM, if not there is practice going on any open field.

Some of the suburbs in Ohio with the means and space should talk to these communities about how they can make it work, makes a lot of families happy when they can see their kids compete and not have to pound salt because of yet another rainout.

 

[Smarty2022]

Softball has a hard enough time Covering the Games 6 days a week, 7 just might not be possible unless on Schedule as necessary from start of the season. A large number of Umpires work real job and Softball 6 days a week and take Sunday’s for Family,other hobbies etc... I think a good plan maybe to start the season with if Conference Game rained Out, they are made up 2 Sunday’s a month. Get the Dates if needed on Schedule and they will get people to Umpire them if they happen.

 

[Yappi]

This weather is killing me. Regular season coming to an end just as the weather breaks and makes games more enjoyable...