Tagged With "JV"
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Overrecruiting & College Junior Varsity Teams?
I have heard that some coaches over recruit and some players end up on their JV teams. Are there any programs that are known to either over recruit or have JV teams? Thanks.
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Playing for HS and Showcase at same time?
I am a newbie, so please accept my apologies up front if I have posted to the wrong area. We have a situation where we have a player on the JV team at his school in Texas but he is also playing on a tournament team. Glancing through the...
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Pop times/HS teams
Hey everyone I am 13 years old and I am a catcher. I am just wondering if at my level I have a chance to play JV baseball as a freshman. I can throw pop times down to second on 80 foot paths in the low 1.9's and hopefully 1.8's by the end of the season. I have good good blocking and receiving skills, and hit pretty well. I am batting like .500-.600 in JR's. I am only in 7th grade so I still have about a year and half till the season would start up but I am wondering if at my rate I have a...
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Re: Overrecruiting & College Junior Varsity Teams?
Uhhh..... I think you are coming at this from the wrong angle, of the 700 plus NCAA baseball programs lots have JV teams and a number over recruit. There is no magic list with this information. I suggest you and your son make a list of target schools that fit his profile, dig into them and THEN ask questions about the specific programs.
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Re: Overrecruiting & College Junior Varsity Teams?
If a school fields a j.v. team and brings in a ton of players, then the term is really "enrollment driven recruiting". At least that's how I've seen it with a couple of local D2 programs. Last season, one of those schools had over 90 kids on the fall roster. At the other school, they have 85 this year in the fall. You're basically bringing in a ton of walk-ons, giving them a small amount of academic money, and hoping they'll foot the bill for the rest with a shot of making the team. At one...
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Re: Overrecruiting & College Junior Varsity Teams?
Thanks. From browsing the site I see some specific schools being mentioned as over recruiters -- including one that was recruiting my son, and which prompted me to post this question. Sometimes my instincts are actually correct!
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Re: Pop times/HS teams
You're young yet. POP's look ok at 80 foot bases -- I'm thinking it would be just over 2.0 on 90 foot. So keep working. Most JV level catchers are in the 2's for pop. Work on your receiving skills -- get your pitchers strikes. And hit the snot out of the ball. You seem to be on the right track. Good luck.
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Re: Pop times/HS teams
I don't see why not. And you can achieve a lot by working hard at it. Why not shoot for Varsity? I know is a rare thing in most cases, but it doesn't hurt to set the bar high and work to try and achieve it. And I know that at your age when you look at Varsity players they look large, strong and intimidating. And they are large and strong compared to your age group. But that doesn't mean you can compete at their level. Your body is just starting to mature that way, so just be aware that...
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Re: Pop times/HS teams
Hey Ben, sounds like everything is on track but it really depends who is above you. Don't just restrict yourself to the catcher spot, make sure the coach knows that is your primary but you are willing to play where ever the coach needs you to play. The number one thing my son's coach looks for in a catcher is the bat, the second is the speed in which he gets the ball AFTER it gets passed him. make sure you can scramble quickly, some of those HS backstops are beyond brutal!
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Re: Pop times/HS teams
Study the game. I need a SMART catcher as much or more than I need a 2.0 pop time. I can handle a dumb 1st baseman, but I need intelligence, or savvy, behind the plate. You're in charge of the biggest decisions out there. Be a student of the game first and foremost.
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Re: Pop times/HS teams
Plus beware of the coach who will take a player who played a different position and "convert" to a catcher. Make sure you can adjust and hit.
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Re: Pop times/HS teams
I think alot of this also depends on how good your high school baseball teams are. We have many freshman in our school district who play JV and also a few who play Varsity as a freshman. But that being said, our baseball program is not the best in the district. We have many talented players but for various other reasons, the program is not successful.
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Re: Pop times/HS teams
Maybe some of you can answer this question that I was thinking about as I was watching my son's team last week....why is the number of passed balls a catcher allows in a season not a statistic people seem to be interested in? Why is it all about pop time? The catcher on the team we were playing allowed many passed balls and every time our players moved up a base (even stole home one time). I was thinking that it did not matter what this catcher's pop time was if our team was getting so many...
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Re: Pop times/HS teams
Passed balls should be a rarity - the equivalent of an error by an infielder. More important would be the ability to corral a wild pitch (those pitches which are not controllable with ordinary effort). Once you get passed both of these (treat them as prerequisites) the catcher needs to be able to control the base paths and therefore must be able to throw out runners. I'm sure if that opposing catcher had a 1.7 pop time but had several passed balls, a coach may be able to coach him up on...
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Re: Pop times/HS teams
Ben, Sounds like you have a lot of talent. Keep working and you will end up playing a lot. Louise, You are right, the number one most important thing is receiving the ball. If you can't do that you won't get very far as a catcher. However, there are lots of catchers that are good at receiving the ball. Then they are separated by their other abilities, which throwing and release is a big difference maker.
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Re: Pop times/HS teams
Louise, Pop time to me is not that important as long as I throw out runners which I do. It is just a statistic to see where you are. Just like a 60 yard dash time most will probably not run that same speed but it shows if you need help or if when you out by a defending player he just has a good arm.
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Re: Pop times/HS teams
Passed balls for a catcher are like errors for a SS or wild pitches for a pitcher... not that important of a stat unless they're really bad. They can distinguish you on the negative side, but not so much on the positive side. I think the definition includes the phase "ordinary effort". Are you sure the opposing catcher was giving up passed balls, or was he just not very good at corralling wild pitches?
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Re: Pop times/HS teams
One other important thing about passed balls/wild pitches is if the pitcher does not throw the pitch that is called and crosses up the catcher. Most times those will be scored against the catcher as a passed ball because they often hit the tip or part of the catcher's mitt. But really that one should be on the pitcher, and many people watching a HS game with no replay have no idea the catcher was crossed up and blame him. I agree the catcher's fundamental job is to catch pitches. But the...
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Re: Pop times/HS teams
And a pitcher who doesn't telegraph that he's throwing to the plate would help with those outs at second!
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Re: Playing for HS and Showcase at same time?
I doubt if there are any rules to prevent this, but HS coach would likely not like this at all. There are unwritten rules that Select team ball starts after HS, as there is always a concern for injury and overuse, (especially with pitchers). If your son gets hurt playing on the weekend the HS coach will get very angry and make it harder for him and others to play on team in the Summer. That is why there is an unwritten truce.
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Re: Playing for HS and Showcase at same time?
Originally Posted by Aleebaba: I doubt if there are any rules to prevent this, but HS coach would likely not like this at all. There are unwritten rules that Select team ball starts after HS, as there is always a concern for injury and overuse, (especially with pitchers). If your son gets hurt playing on the weekend the HS coach will get very angry and make it harder for him to play on team in the Summer. That us why there is an unwritten truce. Thank you!
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Re: Playing for HS and Showcase at same time?
In many states, it is not allowed. I know in Illinois that applies at any level. Have seen freshmen teams have to forfeit games because of it..
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Re: Playing for HS and Showcase at same time?
Your best bet is to contact UIL directly. Darryl Beasley, asst. ath. dir., 512-471-5883, dbeasley@uiltexas.org . You may want to consider the coaches position, if the JV player would be considered for a move to Varsity come playoff time. I'm in Dallas, & unless it is a reversal or a very recent change, I don't believe UIL would allow it. I know Varsity players could not. Son did attend a couple tournaments/showcases in the fall, missing a day of school each time due to travel, no...
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Re: Playing for HS and Showcase at same time?
UIL does not govern activities outside of school; May students participate in non-school activities? Answer: Students may participate in non-school activities at anytime. This means that a student may play, practice or praticipate in a try-out for non-school teams The statement above was copied directly from the baseball manual in the Q&A section. The manual can be viewed on http://www.uiltexas.org/baseball .
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Re: Playing for HS and Showcase at same time?
Yep, familiar with the above. OP didn't specify whether these were weekend tourneys, or otherwise conflicted with HS season schedule. That is the unknown factor. Times have changed.
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Re: Playing for HS and Showcase at same time?
Had this come up for the first time last year and there were no real problems. Kid was a catcher. He did not miss his HS games. Only time it affected him was he had a weekend tourn and did not get in until 2-3 a.m. Monday morning and we had a district game Monday afternoon. He was dragging after 4 tourn games and getting in lat and then playing that Monday
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Re: Playing for HS and Showcase at same time?
I would think that any HS kid that skipped a school practice or game, would very quickly find himself playing for the showcase team only, so there would be no further conflicts. Time spent at HS practice or games would not be "outside of school". School activities come first. I haven't seen much of this problem beyond freshman ball. Once you get to the older, the tounaments don't typically start till June, do they? My son's team will start practices in early May, but always on Saturday or...
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Re: Playing for HS and Showcase at same time?
Thank you for all of the great answers.... Just to clarify.... There is no conflict between the high school team and the tournament team. High school games and practices are during the week. Tournament games are on the weekend. We had always heard that it was the coaches that didn't want their players playing and getting hurt outside of school, and then we heard that it was a UIL rule, but the UIL rules for texas do not actually state whether they can or cannot play during a district season.
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Re: Playing for HS and Showcase at same time?
JeffLovin, My opinion only, but kids need an adequate amount of down time/ recovery time & study time. There is truth to the saying "there's only so many bullets in the holster"...During HS season, 2 games a week + 1-1/2 to 2 hrs a day practice, during a week seems like plenty of playing time for kids under 18 & not in College. After HS season is done, there's 3-4 days a week until mid Nov. That's still a lot of innings, AB's or whatever. When he gets to college baseball will consume...
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Re: Pop times/HS teams
Not only that, pitchers that are 1.5 or higher to the plate are doing their catcher a disservice.
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Re: Pop times/HS teams
Also college coaches figure they can teach a catcher to block and receive pretty easy. Arm strength on the other hand is harder to coach.
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Re: Pop times/HS teams
I agree. A catcher who can throw out runners is a plus but at the HS Level I would be very happy as a Coach to have a catcher that blocks everything and knows how to Play the game. If you can hit a Little that helps too. of course you should work on your Pop time but most catchers lose way more runs through wild pitches/passed balls, throwing Errors and maybe even dropped third strikes than they gain through throwing out runners. of course to Play college you Need to throw out runners but I...
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Re: Pop times/HS teams
Don't let anyone tell you pop time does not matter, it's all that matters. I don't believe that, but I'm not the ones recruiting. No ones going to teach blocking 92mph wild pitches, you have to just react and the only way that happens is if you have been doing it all your life. Keep up your blocking, work hard on framing, and work hardest on ball velocity. Good luck!
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Re: Pop times/HS teams
"Maybe some of you can answer this question that I was thinking about as I was watching my son's team last week....why is the number of passed balls a catcher allows in a season not a statistic people seem to be interested in? " Passed ball or wild pitch? This statistic is not very helpful because 1) most HS scorekeepers can't consistently identify either, and or the/coach or scorekeeper changes the scoring for other reasons. AND/OR 2) A catcher working with a strong pitching staff will have...
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Re: Pop times/HS teams
Kids mom made this observation. Little Johnny is a much better catcher when the pitchers are good.
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Re: Pop times/HS teams
I'm not sure that it matters all that much. a bounced throw by the SS is not an error by the 1B but still coaches expect the 1B to pick pitches. of course many wild pitches are not catchable at all but a good catcher will still catch more of those borderline wild pitches. what matters in the end is how many pitches go to the backstop and I think a Coach can judge that quite well no matter how the scorer scores it. for example a pitch that bounces 2 feet left of the plate would be a wild...
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Re: Pop times/HS teams
Ben , As speaking from experience , my son started this past season at Varsity as a freshman in 29 games , he started at the 8th spot in the line up then moved to the 2nd and 5th spot mid season, and ended up at the 3rd spot in our Region game, most of the advice is true, you have to work hard , you must treat framing and blocking like a art(take pride)! I wasn't so much on pop time for my son , as I was for arm Strength, he was @ 80 mph from the chute, don't know what the pop time is, ill...
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College club team reminder
Based on recent talks with a client, here's a reminder about NCAA rules regarding club team participation. An athlete will be charged with a season of eligibility by the NCAA if they competed on a club team at a college or university that sponsored both a varsity team and a club team in the same sport. This applies even if the club (or "JV") team participation was at the JUCO level. In that situation, an athlete who plays on the club or JV team will be using a season of eligibility if they...
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Re: College club team reminder
Agree! Rick's post is exactly the reason if a serious NCAA question arises, ask the expert!