The high school softball season doesn't begin until February. The break thee kids should be taking is in the pre-season - just like football and basketball does.

 

I'm glad you need a break. Take it. If the girls are going to continue playing during the summer regardless of whether the coach is allowed, then the rule serves no purpose. Remember, this is to keep coaches from forcing girls to play. No one is being forced to play anymore! This rule isn't "protecting" anyone!

 

The rule may be about high school, but it only impacts travel ball and the development and recruiting of players. It hurts the players to have their coach be forced to sit out a third of the summer season. That's not debatable.

 

Pre-season for many is basketball or another sport that immediately precedes softball....no such thing for a multi-sport athlete to "take off" the "pre-season".

 

It only impacts travel ball and player development IF the summer coach is a high school coach.

 

Heck if you played for @RCC9 or @Lawnboy13, you probably need a couple weeks of peace and quiet ! :dancingpa

I'm not saying don't have a dead period. I'm saying the dead period for spring sports should not penalize the players by imposing the dead period during the most critical competitive season outside of high school. Have them take 2 weeks off in January, or December, during the holidays. That's effectively the same thing for spring sports as forcing football coaches to not have practice during the couple of weeks leading up to the beginning of the summer season.

 

There is no pressure to play. Kids that want to play are going to play regardless, and the kids who enjoy softball but don't want to make it a year round sport won't play.

You guys are saying that hardly any high school coaches coach travel ball. OK, so the ones that do are typically pretty high level. They aren't going to be forcing anyone to play who doesn't want to play and who isn't good enough to contribute to a high level team. This is a solution in search of a problem.

The high school softball season doesn't begin until February. The break thee kids should be taking is in the pre-season - just like football and basketball does.

 

I'm glad you need a break. Take it. If the girls are going to continue playing during the summer regardless of whether the coach is allowed, then the rule serves no purpose. Remember, this is to keep coaches from forcing girls to play. No one is being forced to play anymore! This rule isn't "protecting" anyone!

 

The rule may be about high school, but it only impacts travel ball and the development and recruiting of players. It hurts the players to have their coach be forced to sit out a third of the summer season. That's not debatable.

 

That's all your opinion and you'll looking at it through your lens only.

 

I've shown you exactly who it protects and impacts. Especially in my program. And it serves the exact purpose it was intended for...to keep high schools from scheduling year round...not select teams. Again, the individual can choose to play through the dead period. Some high school athletes choose to play through dead period and some don't. I have 44 kids in my program. Only about 10-12 of them play serious summer ball. That's less than a quarter of the kids I coach. So this rule actually serves a purpose for 3/4 of my kids or they would be practicing year round with me! Again, NOT EVERY KID THAT PLAYS HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS WANTS TO PLAY IN COLLEGE. The rule is intended to protect the kids that play high school. If you choose to play above and beyond the high school workouts, that's your choice and they can't control that. It doesn't mean the rule doesn't work and isn't serving a purpose. I can't give you any more clearer examples than my own program!

 

Basketball doesn't have a pre-season break! BBAll is a winter sport! And all those kids that are interested in playing at the next level play right through the dead period like softball. So do volleyball players and soccer players. But again, the rule is intended to keep passionate high school coaches from being able to schedule year round. You say your kid plays year round anyway. Thats great! So do mine. But that doesn't mean every kid wants to do that or should be pressured to do that by their High School coach. Because there are several that want no part of playing year round! Again, you're looking at it through your lens. Not a program's lens.

I'm not saying don't have a dead period. I'm saying the dead period for spring sports should not penalize the players by imposing the dead period during the most critical competitive season outside of high school. Have them take 2 weeks off in January, or December, during the holidays. That's effectively the same thing for spring sports as forcing football coaches to not have practice during the couple of weeks leading up to the beginning of the summer season.

 

There is no pressure to play. Kids that want to play are going to play regardless, and the kids who enjoy softball but don't want to make it a year round sport won't play.

 

Show me what other sport where this doesn't apply exactly the same way as softball.

 

"should not penalize the players by imposing the dead period during the most critical competitive season outside of high school" All critical recruiting for any sport is in the summer. "

 

So tell me...if I were allowed to schedule workouts year round, would that have an affect on my kids that don't play summer ball and don't care about a softball scholarship and don't want to workout year round? Would they feel pressured to come to the workouts when they really needed a break in the middle of the summer...because we are working out 12 months a year?

You guys are saying that hardly any high school coaches coach travel ball. OK, so the ones that do are typically pretty high level. They aren't going to be forcing anyone to play who doesn't want to play and who isn't good enough to contribute to a high level team. This is a solution in search of a problem.

 

Again, you're looking at this from your lens. I'm saying there are plenty of "other" kids that would choose not to play year round and without the rule, high school coaches could schedule high school workouts year round and those kids that are not wanting to play year round WOULD feel pressure to go to their high school workouts because of the fear of losing their spot on the high school team. Again, the rule has NOTHING to do with travel ball kids. It's about protecting the normal average high school athlete that is completely content with just having a high school career. The elite kid (or someone that thinks they're elite) can choose to do whatever they want to gain an advantage. But again, that's not for every kid!

How many high school softball coaches practice their teams through the summer? I'm asking an honest question - I have never heard of any, but that doesn't mean it isn't going on. If this was a huge problem, then you'd see coaches pressuring kids to practice/play outside of the 2 week dead period during summer. I've never heard someone say that their kid has high school practice during the summer.

 

Also, we're talking 2 weeks. How does that stop year round sports and coaches pressuring kids to play the other 50 weeks? If my kid gets 2 weeks off during the summer it's OK, but if she decides not to participate in voluntary workouts in September, there's no pressure then? Since the goal of high school is education first, wouldn't it make more sense to have a dead period while the kids are in school, so they aren't pressured into practicing instead of concentrating on classwork?

How many high school softball coaches practice their teams through the summer? I'm asking an honest question - I have never heard of any, but that doesn't mean it isn't going on. If this was a huge problem, then you'd see coaches pressuring kids to practice/play outside of the 2 week dead period during summer. I've never heard someone say that their kid has high school practice during the summer.

 

Also, we're talking 2 weeks. How does that stop year round sports and coaches pressuring kids to play the other 50 weeks? If my kid gets 2 weeks off during the summer it's OK, but if she decides not to participate in voluntary workouts in September, there's no pressure then? Since the goal of high school is education first, wouldn't it make more sense to have a dead period while the kids are in school, so they aren't pressured into practicing instead of concentrating on classwork?

 

I have no idea how many practice year round. I'm saying this is the KHSAA's rule and way to keep it from happening if someone wanted to. As another poster said, it's a way to insert a dead period and ensure that at least two weeks a year where kids and families cannot be contacted by their high school coaches. And yes there is pressure in Sept. and that's exactly why they have at least two weeks in the year when they ensure no student athlete needs to worry about being contacted or pressured to attend. It's designated family time for players and coaches. Heck, some private schools have added a week and extended it to 3 weeks!

 

If dead period was during the school year, when would you propose that happen? As a high school coach, dead period stinks more for fall sports than it does for winter and spring sports. I would hate to be forced to stop our softball workouts for two weeks right before my season is getting ready to start! I'd much rather take the break after the end of a long season. I think the dead period is perfect for softball. At the end of the season, the kids are ready for a break from their coaches and teammates. Then they refresh and come back ready to start working on the next year...without the departing seniors from the prior year. We take June and July off. A quarter of our kids choose to continue to play with their summer teams. But 3/4 of them have two full months off. That works perfect for us! We start back in August and do something til June.

How many high school softball coaches practice their teams through the summer? I'm asking an honest question - I have never heard of any, but that doesn't mean it isn't going on. If this was a huge problem, then you'd see coaches pressuring kids to practice/play outside of the 2 week dead period during summer. I've never heard someone say that their kid has high school practice during the summer.

 

Also, we're talking 2 weeks. How does that stop year round sports and coaches pressuring kids to play the other 50 weeks? If my kid gets 2 weeks off during the summer it's OK, but if she decides not to participate in voluntary workouts in September, there's no pressure then? Since the goal of high school is education first, wouldn't it make more sense to have a dead period while the kids are in school, so they aren't pressured into practicing instead of concentrating on classwork?

 

Why do you think that is? Partially because dead period lands in the dead of summer. So why start something when you know you have a two week layoff coming up? You either go right when you get out of school (like summer high school bball does) or you start back up with school starts. So you say it's only two weeks, but it also helps influence start and end times that may be longer because of the dead period.

The dead period where it is now is an inconvenience to hs softball coaches who also coach travel teams. But the dead period is not intended for the coach it was put in place for the players/students benefit. Im not a fan of where it is but I don't think that it will ever change because the voice of those who oppose it is not a blip on the radar to KHSAA.

epic thread hi jack .. carry on .. LOL

It does serve a purpose. I coach high school. I have players that don't play summer. If there was no rule, I would be tempted to continue to work out during those two weeks. We already workout 10 months a year, so it's definitely serving our program. And It forces dedicated coaches to take a break. A break that I need and the players need. This rule is not about travel ball!

 

Why is it needed???...It is needed for the exact reason I state above.

 

As far as traveling out of town...it really makes no difference. The rule states that you are to have NO CONTACT with any player or parent. If they are just traveling out of town to play so they aren't seen, they are still taking a huge risk. One email or discussion can take you down. With social media and kids that talk to each other, it really wouldn't be that hard to discover a coach bending rules. One disgruntled parent would turn them in in a heartbeat.

 

When I said play elsewhere...I didn't say a thing about playing out of state. But if you look back at my posts about that, you'll find that I did take my kid out of state to play. Taking your kid out of state doesn't hurt KY talent. They still live in KY and are playing at a very high level. It just may not allow for more great orgs to develop in KY...which I could care less as long as there are some kind of options for kids. If a kid comes into my program and plays travel ball with an Ohio team, I don't look at them differently...other than I feel like they are passionate about the game and sought out the best place to play for their family. Again, the KHSAA could care less where kids play summer ball. Not one of their rules are based on select leagues or competition or where a kid plays or how many options they have outside of high school. I'll say it again. You can choose to play wherever you want. You seemed to have chosen to play with a team that has a high school coach. Then you deal with the rules. It's that simple. I don't like driving 55mph!

 

To your "it's not a big deal". You're looking at this through your own microscope. If a kid chooses to play and continue playing through the dead period, that is their choice! The KHSAA can't control individual choices. But they can control what they own. As I said, if that rule wasn't there, I would be tempted to keep practicing throughout the summer. And I have kids that don't play summer ball and could care less about a softball scholarship. Those kids do get a break in my program and it's about the only break they get. Again, you are looking at your situation, not an entire program's situation. If you choose to continue playing through the dead period, then that's your choice not to give your kid a break. But the KHSAA feel kids do need a break from high school training. I'm with you, my kid played right through the dead period all her life. She has a great scholarship and wouldn't have changed it for the world. But that's not every kid.

 

You say kids are being forced to play and want to play and play regardless if their coach is there or not. Well then tell me why it matters so much if the high school coach is in attendance during those two weeks?? What does it matter???? Someone else can't make up a line up? No one else on the travel staff knows how to coach bases? I mean what does the coach really do once the game actually starts???...That someone with some knowledge couldn't do for two weeks? My daughter never played on a team where I was worried if the head coach wasn't going to be there a weekend or two. And yes, she played at a very high level.

 

Again, this is really a silly conversation. I coach high school softball and I look forward to the dead period every year. And I know some of my players do as well! LOL! But if you choose to have your daughter play through it, that's fine. I did too! But the rule for high school is never going to change because dedicated athletes want to work harder outside of school ball. The rule is in place to protect high school athletes and coaches. It doesn't care that some high school coaches want to coach a select team. If they do, they follow the rules like every other sports. As I said, just about all recruiting seasons for any sport is in the summer. So it's pretty much the same for every sport. It's not just softball.

 

 

Like not paying your Association dues, and dealing with the consequences? :lol:

 

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

The purpose of this rule is to allow FAMILIES a break from the pressure, real or perceived, to put their kids on the field, court, etc...or risk being penalized if they don't.

 

The same mindset you are employing about summer ball, not high school ball, is part of the reason kids need a break.

 

The rule wasn't put in place to penalize any particular sport, it was put in place because ADULTS demonstrated their inability to understand that FAMILY is more important SPORTS.

 

If the KHSAA doesn't implement a mandatory dead period, then the pressure to play is real and doesn't allow the families to get a break from the year round grind of sports.

 

Dead period is a necessary evil imposed because of lack of judgement by adults at some point...

 

Damn, that's one hell of an answer.......and 100% spot on.

I have no idea how many practice year round. I'm saying this is the KHSAA's rule and way to keep it from happening if someone wanted to. As another poster said, it's a way to insert a dead period and ensure that at least two weeks a year where kids and families cannot be contacted by their high school coaches. And yes there is pressure in Sept. and that's exactly why they have at least two weeks in the year when they ensure no student athlete needs to worry about being contacted or pressured to attend. It's designated family time for players and coaches. Heck, some private schools have added a week and extended it to 3 weeks!

 

If dead period was during the school year, when would you propose that happen? As a high school coach, dead period stinks more for fall sports than it does for winter and spring sports. I would hate to be forced to stop our softball workouts for two weeks right before my season is getting ready to start! I'd much rather take the break after the end of a long season. I think the dead period is perfect for softball. At the end of the season, the kids are ready for a break from their coaches and teammates. Then they refresh and come back ready to start working on the next year...without the departing seniors from the prior year. We take June and July off. A quarter of our kids choose to continue to play with their summer teams. But 3/4 of them have two full months off. That works perfect for us! We start back in August and do something til June.

 

All the NKY catholic schools dead period is extended for one additional week following the mandated KHSSA 2 week period, per the Diocese of Covington.

All the NKY catholic schools dead period is extended for one additional week following the mandated KHSSA 2 week period, per the Diocese of Covington.

 

And we are small schools....just think of what we could do with that extra week and the extra numbers that those BIG schools have