TheOwenFive

if there's anything I learned as the parent of a HS pitcher...don't take things so personally...LOL :idunno:

:popcorn:

The camels actually have the possibility of seven returning senior this year...Mallory McGrath, Jessica Verst, Hanna Owen, Teesha Straman, Jennifer Rawe, Katelyn Brown, and Emily Race. Don't know if all will return, but it's been a fun group of girls to watch the past four/five years. Some of them are in their six year with the team this year.

I am driving my miniature horse saturday night...cheer for me:) LOL

really? That's not very nice to those of us families who work hard all year to put on a good show with our livestock to the customers of the fair....you will find "hillbilly christmas" in the beer tent perhaps...LOL

True:) I'm mainly saying this is how I see most programs headed...to be on Hs you must paly travel...def wasn't like this when we started in 7th grade six years ago, but a sign of the times I think:)

and i'm not on here to bash the program...we have a ton of talent on the team and upcoming. Heck, we could have 5 or 6 returning seniors this year:) I wish they all could start. Would I change some things? Yes. Knowing what I know now and how i've seen it play out, I would have had mine play travel, if we could have afforded it...but she is very scholastically motivated, and we have one playing club ball...we couldn't travel with two and be there for all three:) Just one of those things. I think our coaches have the best interest of every kid at heart, and it's not their fault that this year they will probably have more talent that they have room for on the team...THAT's what I have seen travel ball do (in the past two years alone) and it's NOT a bad thing...if you are a coach. But tell that to the kid that's played for 11 years and they might not see it that way:) Now if we can just get her healed up in time to get back at it (second grade 2 ankle tear in two years) we should be good to go...it's just hard to build a kids confidence up when she knows alot of kids are ahead of her just because they played travel ball...ahhh...the joys of having three teen aged daughters:) LOL

TRust me. Been there done that. Spent thousands on lessons, clinics, equipment. It takes more than reading a book to make your kid successful. And go forbid your HS coach doesn't like your pitching coach, or doesn't like the way your kid learned to bat. HS ball has been a struggle for her since a great freshman year. Younger kids playing up, new favorites each year...it's all part of HS ball. You get what you get and you don't throw a fit:) (you just come on here and rant about it! ) hahahaha I agree with most comments on this thread, however, my hubby and I were just having the conversation about how we have seen travel ball affect our kids HS career since 7th grade and with her NOT being able to play, how that has affected her and her team as a whole. Its interesting to see, thats for sure. That being said, I pray she makes the team this year, she has the talent and she has the WANT, and no, softball is not forever. She will be going away to college on a full academic scholarship:) But she would be crushed not to finish her senior year just because she was "old"! LOL She's been at fastpitch since first grade and it's been a wonderful and crazy ride. Some bad and some good, and I would have changed several things, but she still loves the game and we support her no matter what:) Thanks for the lively discussion:) It's always good to talk softball:)

I really am shocked that several of you say you would cut a senior over an eighth grader...totally disagree, and not just because I have a senior:) LOL I feel that this player has earned her spot and paid her dues, even if she sits the bench, I can't imagine doing that to a kid that has put that many years in unless she was a horrible player or had a horrible attitude, something along those lines...and some comments reiterate what I said earlier...younger is always getting preference...I think that MS should never take a HS position just because she is younger...

I agree with all of the above...I just hate to see, in my personal experience, a kid get overlooked after playing five years JUST because she didnt' play travel ball...NOT saying this is what is happening, just something that I forsee. On the other hand, I have one in another sport, that plays travel but didn't make her HS team...just the way the cookie crumbles i guess. I think I see AAu and travel/club bringing in sooo many younger and younger kids that by the time you are a senior, if you're not a stud, you are yesterdays news:) Unfortunate but true. You can only have so many girls on a team. Also, from my experience, sometimes just because a kid plays travel doesn't mean she's great, or even improved in skills...I've seen girls do great on travel and then come to HS season and fall apart due to different coaching, etc. My whole point is, I don't think just working hard is enough anymore...coaches WANT girls who play year round and will give preference to that. I just hate to see a kid "penalized" for not being able to, and I think travel ball as a whole (or aau, etc) contributes to that. And yes, varsity is all about winning, but if 90% of your kids are on a level playing field skills wise....I say play as many as you can and give them the CHANCE to succeed:)

Totally agree with the above..however...do you penalize a kid if they cant afford to play travel. ..sometimes its not a players choice:)

I agree with scholarships...however...I am wondering about the girl who doesn't want a sports scholarship and doesnt play travel ball...does it seem like these girls dont have a place on a high school team nowadays? Coaches want the girls that play travel only due to their extended play season and experience. ..

I'm curious what you all think about how travel ball has affected High School Softball? Do you think it hurts or helps? So many girls are playing travel and some are choosing NOT to play HS in favor of travel ball. Some people think you MUST play travel to compete at the HS level. Some kids think travel ball is the only road to a scholarship. Some HS stars do NOT play travel...and so on and so forth. I'm curious about the high achieving HS players that don't want to play in college and can't, for whatever reason, play travel ball. Is there a place for them on todays HS teams anymore? It seems anymore that HS sports life revolves around whether or not you play travel or AAU for bball, or club ball for volleyball. Just curious on everyones thoughts?:popcorn:

I'm in no way, shape or form blaming the league for her "plight"...merely stating that if you want your kid to be competitive, get her in travel ball...we didn't know about it at all, or we would have done so! I'm just saying...if you REALLY want the great competition, skill building, and scholarship offers...rec ball is just not the answer...it is what it is...rec league instructional..and all the issues that go along with it:) Nowadays, even to be starting on most HS teams in this area, you MUST play travel ball, and start playing YOUNG:)

We have a daughter that played in this league from 1st to 8th grade. Did she have some good coaching along the way? Yes. Did she have some bad coaching? Yes. Were there some bad fields, bad umps, miscommunications and crazy parents? YES. This is a rec league. My BEST advice is to get your kid into travel ball as young as you can get them there! In not doing so, we did out daughter the biggest disservice! We didn't know about travel ball and no one told us. Now we have a senior bench warmer that showed so much promise as a freshman, then went NO WHERE, despite lessons and hard work. Because of her birthday, she is 18U, too late now in my opinion. If you want a fun, instructional league then CC is fine...but it WON'T get you where you need to be to play even HS ball...just my two cents after six years of HS ball and another eight of rec league