quote:
Originally posted by socalhscoach:
Coach_May I agree 100%. I am currently coaching at a school that was opened 3 years ago with 9 and 10 graders, so naturally we drew part of our student body from another school. Year 1 we had 9 players in our SO class from that other school, year 2 we had 4 of those players, and now in year 3 we have 1 player left. The number 1 reason is they, like you said, they all wanted to be players. They did not have the work ethic to be players because the other school required nothing of them.
That's a very interesting post socalhscoach. But yet, I'm afraid it rings loud for most HS programs nowadays. Someone alluded earlier to the "fumes" disease that takes place for these young men from 8th grade all the way up to their Senior year. Perfume and car fumes take many a player away from the game they loved playing as young un's.
And of course, you unfortunately have to dabble in poor grades and drugs with the mix today.
I'm beginning to think that it's not so much a decline but more of a lack of desire and dedication as they enter the high school years. All of a sudden this game takes work after school every day. 3 games a week. Practice maybe 1 day on the weekend. THEN when summer arrives the school is requiring players to commit the month of June to baseball. That fun they used to have when they were little begins to dwindle.
The summer before my son's 10th grade year he begin playing East Cobb ball. He couldn't get enough of it. The 1 1/2hr drive to and fro almost daily for either practices or games was nothing to him (or me), but he did it so he could get better and play against the best. Why do I mention that? Because he begin telling some of his other teammates to come and play and all of them said "no". They were enjoying their summer off.
Most say they want to play, but when it gets right down to it I don't think they really do nowadays.