TheOwenFive

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

:popcorn:

I believe the Camels lost 4 Seniors (3 starters). Rachel Carroll graduating will be a tough loss. Depending on how things shake out they have 2 or 3 returning seniors (Jessica Verst 3 year starter infield) (Mallory McGrath 2 year starter probably will be the #1 pitcher) and Hannah Owens (back up pitcher) and a couple of impact juniors (Daniel Orick 2 year starter) Brittany Fornash (earned starting role mid-way through season last year) after that they do have a lot of younger talent. How they do will depend on how the underclassmen fit in.

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.

It's not the people displaying their livestock, etc...it's the people displaying themselves! And yes, most of them are in the beer tent. Looking forward to attending Saturday night if only for the people watching!

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

Us locals like to call this "Hillbilly Christmas".

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

Program at the start of the thread, coaches would have started Brandi Rice and batted her cleanup if healthy. No travel ball experience.

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:)

I believe everything you're saying because I have definitely heard my share of horror stories. But I would have to think she is just in a tough situation because hardly anything you are describing is played out that way in our program. Not saying we're better or anything like that, I'm saying I think we are more of the norm and what you are describing (unfortunate for your daughter), is more of the minority. I say that without any facts and hearing just your side of the story. I'm trusting what you're saying is what you believe and how you feel.

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

I've got a middle school daughter who didn't make the team. She decided to hang up her note from the coach that she was cut to use as motivation. I love the fact that she isn't going to give up and lay down. If this is your daughters SR year, tell her to get after it if she wants it. I always tell my daughter, "nothing comes for free," go earn it. The young are normally hungry and the old wise. Whether your young or old, you gotta realize your strengths and use them to your full potential. Parents and players have got to realize that coaches are doing the best they can ( and yes I cringe for saying that). Reason I cringe is b/c all it takes is one bad coach to leave you thirsty. But the good coaches should full fill that thirst with knowledge and power to want to succeed. That's were it's the parents responsibility to continue to feed the fire (softball player). They say knowledge is power and I read a 180 page book on softball pitching from Michele Smith to let my daughter know that I'm all in with her. Regardless if she continues to get cut, I will know that we did our best to try to succeed(just as in a team).

 

What I'm getting at, is you don't need money to have your kid be successful. Open your mouth and ask questions. Call high school coaches, college coaches or whoever to help you and your child learn. Pick up a softball book, go to games and continue to be involved with your child and they'll be better off. Softball we love, but it's not forever.

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:

Isn't that what the CC league is about? Instructional softball? If you truly thought she was good enough to play in a travel league, you had that choice didn't you? Why blame your daughters plight on the league?

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

What about "open gym" for softball? Not everyone plays travel ball.

 

I know an ump who would show up in exchange for a beer or two after the games. :thumb:

Sounds great since we don't start open gym til February;) LOL

I know that Carey Heuer has some girls that want to play some summer ball but can't find a league to play in...

Nice. Anybody want a senior pitcher/1st base/ OF????

Thank you to the person who sent the information needed to mr. lawildcat!

 

To anyone else who would like information, go to Campbell County Fast Pitch Softball League

Did you ever hear back from ccrgsl? I'm trying to figure out if there will be any teams for high school age this year....

As a cc parent, I wouldn't say anyone is making excuses... bourbon is a great team no matter if we had error or not...they are, to me, obviously a superior team...we have talent, but we are not quite yet in your league this year. Did we expect to win? I didn't. Did we hope to be more competitive? I'm sure. Your pitcher and catcher are the real deal, even if your defense is off, those two are commanding on the field!!! Congrats and good luck, I am rooting for you all the rest of the week;)

Did I miss MVP or was there not one?? Congrats on one hell of a streak;)

It would be nice to get a win....I think in the past five yrs I've had a kid on the team, we haven't beaten them regular or post season....the girls are due and hopefully they will play like they did last night against Scott;)

In the 37th tonight at five at Scott...cchs vs bbhs for the championship again;)

Good luck in this quest.

:idunno:

I know...kinda sucks we don't have any leagues for HS age kids anymore...there are a ton of girls that want to play, just not travel ball...they want to stay local and brush up on their skills....

We are looking for an 18u local team...something for a junior that doesn't want to play in college but to better herself for her senior year....get some playing time and catch up on some skills she missed out on in her hs season, and rediscover her love for the game;) I don't think we have any rec leagues for her age, so trying to find a happy medium between rec league and travel ball....