I agree that these schools need to make the switch to fast pitch. I believe that KY is one of the last states to offer slow pitch at the high school level. But it is not some of the girls' faults that they are only offered slow pitch.

 

The reason that NKY is the only teams that offer slow pitch is because of travel and such. The teams in the west must have got together and agreed to all go to fast pitch (or at least the vast majority did) so that if a team did not want to go to fast pitch, that they were almost forced to because of the large amount of travel keeping slow pitch would involve. I guess the main reason that it did not die out in NKY is that the younger leagues are still slow pitch. Too bad they did not eliminate those leagues back when most schools went to fast pitch because then the transition after next year would be much smoother. At least the teams like Bellevue and Dayton would have some kids on the team that had played fast pitch before.

I agree that these schools need to make the switch to fast pitch. I believe that KY is one of the last states to offer slow pitch at the high school level. But it is not some of the girls' faults that they are only offered slow pitch.

 

The reason that NKY is the only teams that offer slow pitch is because of travel and such. The teams in the west must have got together and agreed to all go to fast pitch (or at least the vast majority did) so that if a team did not want to go to fast pitch, that they were almost forced to because of the large amount of travel keeping slow pitch would involve. I guess the main reason that it did not die out in NKY is that the younger leagues are still slow pitch. Too bad they did not eliminate those leagues back when most schools went to fast pitch because then the transition after next year would be much smoother. At least the teams like Bellevue and Dayton would have some kids on the team that had played fast pitch before.

 

I agree wholeheartedly that it is not the kids fault. They need to start from scratch like many other schools did in 1995 when they started fastpitch in the KHSAA. Now, these schools are producing college prospects and All American caliber players.

 

You nailed it that they need to start these girls early on so that they are used to fastpitch when they get to high school. When I heard that NKY didn't have a team for their district for the Minor League, Little League or Junior League state tourneys last year, I was shocked. Given the chance, these girls could excel and some would have the opportunity to play at the college level. :thumb:

Some schools offer/field both fastpitch and slow pitch.

If I'm a college coach, and someone tells me about a player to look at, and I find out that they are playing HS beer league softball instead of fast-pitch, I immediately lost interest, because that tells me that they are avoiding the real game for some reason — probably because they can't hit.

 

 

...or maybe they go to a school that doesn't offer fastpitch.

No college coach will be interested in a girl who hasn't played fastpitch and demonstrated an ability to excel at it. I have talked to a few college coaches.

 

!

 

Agreed. That's why I said that if a girl has interest in playing in college and she attends a slow-pitch school, she can play on a summer travel team and been seen by college coaches.

 

My point is that playing slowpitch in high school does not preclude a player from playing fastpitch in the summer.

Start the NKY younger girls playing fastpitch now and become a major factor in this growing sport!

 

Boone County does have a great system for youngsters to start in fastpitch.

 

That's why you see Ryle, Conner, and Boone always in the top 3 or 4 in NKY. Its no coincidence.

I agree that these schools need to make the switch to fast pitch. I believe that KY is one of the last states to offer slow pitch at the high school level. But it is not some of the girls' faults that they are only offered slow pitch.

 

The reason that NKY is the only teams that offer slow pitch is because of travel and such. The teams in the west must have got together and agreed to all go to fast pitch (or at least the vast majority did) so that if a team did not want to go to fast pitch, that they were almost forced to because of the large amount of travel keeping slow pitch would involve. I guess the main reason that it did not die out in NKY is that the younger leagues are still slow pitch. Too bad they did not eliminate those leagues back when most schools went to fast pitch because then the transition after next year would be much smoother. At least the teams like Bellevue and Dayton would have some kids on the team that had played fast pitch before.

 

Why does slow pitch have to go away? There are many girls that do not want to play fastpitch because its too hard to get on base. Some see that as "no fun". So, if that's the case, why not let these girls play slow pitch? What's the harm?

 

We are guilty of saying that "if they want to play in college"....

 

Not every child wants to play sports in college. Some actually want to play in high school because "its fun".

Why does slow pitch have to go away? There are many girls that do not want to play fastpitch because its too hard to get on base. Some see that as "no fun". So, if that's the case, why not let these girls play slow pitch? What's the harm?

 

We are guilty of saying that "if they want to play in college"....

 

Not every child wants to play sports in college. Some actually want to play in high school because "its fun".

 

If they want to offer both, so be it! But the schools that don't offer fastpitch really are not helping their female student athletes.

Boone County does have a great system for youngsters to start in fastpitch.

 

That's why you see Ryle, Conner, and Boone always in the top 3 or 4 in NKY. Its no coincidence.

 

And Boone is in the top 10 for all time wins in fastpitch softball! I agree, no coincidence!!! :thumb:

Some schools offer/field both fastpitch and slow pitch.

 

I commend a school that is willing to support both. But at least offer fastpitch! :thumb:

If they want to offer both, so be it! But the schools that don't offer fastpitch really are not helping their female student athletes.

 

The way the rules read, a school has to make an attempt to field a fast pitch team to be eligible to have a slow pitch team. Now if there is no fast pitch summer leagues for the younger kids, then you are not going to be able to field a fast pitch team. So they field a slow pitch team. The problem arises when you cannot field a fast pitch team and there is no more slow pitch. Will that put the athletics at that school in a difficult position in relation to Title IX? It could.

 

While I agree that more girls should have a chance to go to college on an athletic scholarship, I doubt that many from the 19 schools that play slow pitch will become softball factories (especially since 6 already field a fast pitch team). Should we do away with a sport that is highly competitive just because we think that everything we do in high school should afford an opportunity for a scholarship at college?

 

I know that colleges have looked at slow pitch players for their defensive ability and are willing to work on the hitting aspect. I tend to think that if an athlete is good enough that it would not matter if they played fast pitch or slow pitch--though it would if you were looking at going to a UCLA or Michigan to play softball. But how many large D-1 school softball players does KY turn out every year? I would guess not many.

TaN, your logic doesn't fly. I can think of any number of Eastern Kentucky high schools which don't have a fast-pitch summer league to draw on, yet are still fielding a fast-pitch softball team.

 

The main reason to "throw away" slowpitch is this: Nobody plays it anymore.

Agreed. That's why I said that if a girl has interest in playing in college and she attends a slow-pitch school, she can play on a summer travel team and been seen by college coaches.

 

My point is that playing slowpitch in high school does not preclude a player from playing fastpitch in the summer.

:thumb:

There have been a couple girls over the last few years that came out of the Lloyd slow pitch program to go on & be productive players on Thomas More's fastpitch team.

TaN, your logic doesn't fly. I can think of any number of Eastern Kentucky high schools which don't have a fast-pitch summer league to draw on, yet are still fielding a fast-pitch softball team.

 

The main reason to "throw away" slowpitch is this: Nobody plays it anymore.

 

Do those teams not have any summer league teams (i.e. little league softball) at all? Or do they offer just slow pitch?

 

My point was that if a school was not forced to change, why would they if they did not have the leagues set up at the younger age? Now, should they have had the foresight to see that eventually slow pitch would disappear altogether in KY, and set up the fast pitch leagues so that right now the high school kids would have played fast pitch growing up? I think they should have. But they clinged to the hope that it would stay forever.

Do those teams not have any summer league teams (i.e. little league softball) at all? Or do they offer just slow pitch?

 

East Ridge has a booming Little League fastpitch softball program, so do Paintsville/Johnson County, Magoffin County has one but is only so-so, and Belfry might still have a program (somebody correct me if I'm wrong). Everybody else is playing without significant support (including defending 15th Region champ Shelby Valley and longtime 15th Region powerhouse Pikeville).

 

Over in the 14th Region, Whitesburg (Letcher County) has a good youth softball program.