? for Funnel and other local coaches

Like all things coming, Obama will certainly make a change.

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Like all things coming, Obama will certainly make a change.

LMAO

This is easy! I was the head coach at DeSoto in 2005 and 2006. Before I got there, they had won maybe 3 district games total the last 3 seasons. In my first year there, we finished 11-15, 5-9 in district. In my last year there we were 15-13, 7-7 in district and beat Lamar and Martin once and swept Arlington in district play (actually we swept Arlington both years).

I had 2 players get drafted when I was there. We had some talent, but zero depth. My #1 was real good, but there was a drop off to #2. 1-5 in the line up was good, 6-7 was OK, 8-9 were D.O.'s.

I fought hard for that facility to get upgraded. But the interest is just not there from the kids. Very few kids play a high level of select ball, and yes, football and basketball dominate the discussion in that town.

DeSoto was good for me because I did not have to coach football and it was a huge challenge. You would think that as a 1-horse town that they could be more competitive on a yearly basis. Some things are just tough to explain.

Thanks Funnel. Appreciate your feedback. That is what I figured but I wanted to ask anyway.

i lived and coached youth baseball in de soto during the time that benny jones was there and baseball was very big with alot of talent but as soon as those kids started moving to waxahachie and midlothian the talent never came back.

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Originally posted by go pirates:
i lived and coached youth baseball in de soto during the time that benny jones was there and baseball was very big with alot of talent but as soon as those kids started moving to waxahachie and midlothian the talent never came back.

You just hit the nail on the head!

I graduated from Grand Prairie in 1991, and I seem to remember Desoto always being good, at least while I was in HS. Now, I could be wrong on this.

It seems a lot of talent has left Desoto and other areas in the same region over the past few years (Grand Prairie has really lacked talent as of late).

The answer is easy and what most can imagine. During the mid-late 90's and early 2000's, the demographics of DeSoto changed, becoming largely African American. The decline of baseball with African American youths is well documented. Just google it. Someone said "...the talent left" or "...didn't come back." I wouldn't characterize it as lack of talent. Clearly there are talented athletes. It's simply that most African American youths become interested in sports other than baseball - principally basketball and football.

My wife and I moved to DeSoto in 1991 when Travis was born. We moved from there to Rockwall in 2005 as he was about to enter High School. I coached and worked in the youth league there as Trav grew. When he was in T-Ball, we had about 900 kids sign up for the baseball league. Registration dropped each year. By 2001-2002 we *may* have had 300 kids. Eventually, "sign-up day" only needed 2 folks to help across all age groups - no one coming to sign-up. Desoto, Duncanville, Cedar Hill all were combining leagues at that point as none of us could sustain a league alone.

We (Desoto) rebuilt Grimes Park in about 2001-2003. When it was finished, we looked around and realized there were no DeSoto ballplayers left to play there. The folks (former Desoto Youth League board members) that started Texas Tournament Baseball proposed to the city that they use the facilities for tournaments. From the start and continuing today, there are many tournaments at Grimes each season but almost never a team from Desoto will play there. There are no teams. With no youth teams, that says it all for the high school.

I lived in DeSoto from 1972 to 1977 and most of the talent from those years were mainly home grown. It was a small town and back then we were 3A with 4A being the biggest. In the 80's most of the talent came from families that moved from Oak Cliff. Once the town started growing (as Rockdad stated) a lot of people migrated south to Midlothian, Red Oak and Waxahachie. Same can be said for Duncanville.

Clearly their is declining interest in baseball from the African American community. I played for funnel on those teams, and i have help coach little league in the city for years. I have seen very talented kids play baseball at a young age, but it is short lived for most. the problems in desoto with baseball are exactly like what you hear in the stories on espn with african americans not playing ball. south dallas needs a chapter of RBI. it would really help because the talent is there.

Texas Crude,

He meant RBI. RBI is an initiative by Major League Baseball to get inner-city youths playing baseball. They provide uniforms, equipment, etc. The problem with DeSoto is that it is hardly inner-city so I don't know if RBI would consider them.

Rock44, you and your classmates/teammates were part of a special group that unfortunately, will come through DeSoto once every 10 years or so. I know the coaches there are excited about their sophomore class. Hopefully the Eagles can compete in their new district.

i realize that desoto would by no means qualify for any RBI program, but if you cross I-20 into dallas, then your getting into a area where RBI might be able to work out. If there was an RBI program in south dallas, some of those kids would wind up in Desoto high school.

Also Texas Crude, in some aspects baseball has become a rich kid sport, but i know the mexican community has found away around it. kids in dallas can play three, 15 game seasons (spring, summer, fall) for about 100 bucks per season per kid. the only thing is it is predominately hispanic. Then for the high school age kids there are the "beer leagues" teams are sponsered and very competetive. I play for the "Los Broncos" in the Lega de Azteca and its great for teens and men. the point being is the hispanic community has found a way around the cost.

Rock,
Do you play against a kid named Shawn Burris?

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With no youth teams, that says it all for the high school.

FD is in youth team heaven right now, but another reason baseball parents move is to give their kids opportunity to wear the school colors.

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Originally posted by willbwatchin:

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With no youth teams, that says it all for the high school.

FD is in youth team heaven right now, but another reason baseball parents move is to give their kids opportunity to wear the school colors.

willbewatchin,

You are absolutely correct on both fronts!

beast,
the name is not ringing a bell at the moment.