Day 3 of a high school tryout.

That's awesome rain. That's a big cut to get through. Good luck through the next one. Let us know how it goes.

Are 8th graders located in the same school or near by? In my town it would be a logistical nightmare to have 8th graders playing on the high school teams. Luckily for now (they were taken out of the budget but re-instated by the school board) we have middle school sport teams, so son will play his 8th grade year (this season) for his middle school.

Just wondering how that worked in your town??

Most of the 8th graders with the exception of a couple come from the middle school that feeds into the high school on the same campus. This past year they built a new elementary school on the same campus but all schools are in seperate buildings. In other words, most of the kids can walk to the high school after school for tryouts. It is considered a 4A school.

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That's awesome rain. That's a big cut to get through. Good luck through the next one. Let us know how it goes.

Thanks so much. I just heard the second cut was today and 3 more were weeded out. So he is one of the final 7. It makes the weekend a better one for him.

Rain,

So if an 8th grade kid tries out for the Freshman team, and doesn't make it, does he then try out for an 8th grade team at his school? Or is there one? Just curious.

I coach at a Catholic, 4 year school, so this is not a situation that we ever have to deal with. I have tryouts for 10th thru 12th and a separate tryout for the Freshman team. All Freshmen try out for the Freshman team. If we see a kid who should move up to JV/V, we will either do that, or keep an extra kid on Freshman team, figuring we'll move that other, better kid up to JV/V at some time.

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So if an 8th grade kid tries out for the Freshman team, and doesn't make it, does he then try out for an 8th grade team at his school? Or is there one? Just curious.

TCB,
There are no middle school teams around this part of KY. In other words, if a kid doesn't make the high school team trying out then he will play and practice for his summer team earlier than first anticipated, that is if there are enough to play on his summer team. There is always that possiblity if my son makes the final 3 or 4 in this tryout the coaches may bump him up to play with the (JV team) sophmores. They are in need of some outfielders. However, he plays 1B and pitches too which I think is confusing those who are watching. I hope it is, that was the plan.

I'm curious if Kentucky has any restrictions regarding the number of years a student athlete can play HS sports?

If a player is limited to four years of eligibility, what happens to those 8th graders the make the team in their senior year (5th)?

Good luck to your son rain delay!!!

JD,
I have been reading this and wondered the same thing.
We have a school here in South Florida where all phases feed into each school. Nova. I am not aware that any 8th grader (we have no middle school ball either) plays on the HS team or any other. I might be wrong, but are players allowed 5 years of HS ball?

Do not many of female HS athletes play varsity beginning in the 8th grade ?---many states cover it all by using an age limit---

I amnot sure, TR, our middle school sports have nothing to do with HS and don't feed in anywhere, perhaps you are correct with the age limit only.

TPM,

In florida and it is mostly the private schools, you an play as early as seventh grade if possible. 8th graders can play varsity or JV as well. Usually comes in to play at the smaller schools based on numbers. The restriciton is at the end with the age limitation.

you are correct trhit my daughters both played varsity softball from 7th grade. They had to be 13 and pass a state test given by their PE teacher. Strength, speed, agiltiy etc. Not hard to pass if you are an athlete.

It's a state by state thing. A buddy of mine's son played in 5 high school state bkball tournaments in Kentucky. Once in a while you read about a kid winning or competing in 5 wrestling or swimming championships.

Should have also put in that you have to be a school that has those classes at the school. In other words, you can not come over from another school ie middle school to play. For instance, a school that has 7-12 grades can have players. The public schools in Florida are 9-12 which is why they do not have 8th graders.

Thanks chalkline.

High school is considered 9th-12th grade in Ky.and is in a seperate building from the other grades. However, because of the lack of middle school teams, 8th graders can compete for spots on the high school roster. I always thought this was allowed because of the rural counties in this state that have hard time getting get enough players for their high school teams.Also, if my son were to play as an 8th grader this year, he would have 5 years of elgibility at his high school. It seems living here, the summer elite teams are much more important in getting noticed from colleges and such. However, my thought is if my son can get practice day in and day out for his high school team that can only help him down the road with his resume.

Thanks for clarifying that rain delay.

I curious what part of Ky you are in. (I was raised in N KY) Obviously I wasn't good enough to play HS as an 8th grader.

Let us know how it works out.

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Originally posted by rain delay:
They are in need of some outfielders. However, he plays 1B and pitches too which I think is confusing those who are watching. I hope it is, that was the plan.

Can he play the outfield? One thing that a lot of kids trying out for high school teams will find out is that they will have to change their position if they want a roster spot. It's to their advantage the more positions they can play to get their foot in the door. Of course if they can hit or pitch, they're in pretty good shape.

When my son tried out, every year, he said it was like a 2-1 ratio of potential infielders to outfielders. He knew where his best shot was at making varsity. He was a converted shortstop with a lot of outfield experience in all-stars, travel and Legion ball.

He tried out primarily as an outfielder and listed catcher and pitcher as his secondary positions. In his four years, he played all three outfield positions, pitcher, catcher and first base.

Yes, T-Bone plays all outfield positions, first base, and pitcher. So far, he is equally talented in all of these postions. His natural position is first base. A few years ago and especially last year during summer ball I had him working on his skills as an outfielder more so because alot of kids didn't see this an honorable position to play when they were younger because the ball was rarely hit to them out there when they were 9 and 10 years old and to be honest most coaches placed their weaker players in the outfield during those days. So some kids at this tryout are only infield players and at only one postion because they never have learned any other position while playing with their summer teams. My son told me the other day while playing center field at tryouts he was used as an example of how an outfielder suppose to hit the cut off man. A good sign I hope.

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Originally posted by hisbiggestfan:
you are correct trhit my daughters both played varsity softball from 7th grade. They had to be 13 and pass a state test given by their PE teacher. Strength, speed, agiltiy etc. Not hard to pass if you are an athlete.

The difference with girls is they physically mature faster. A studdette twelve year old is probably playing 14U travel.

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I curious what part of Ky you are in. (I was raised in N KY) Obviously I wasn't good enough to play HS as an 8th grader.

.

Thanks Jersey,
I'm not real far from Cincy. LOL I wasn't good enough to play as an 8th grader either on a HS team[

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The difference with girls is they physically mature faster. A stud twelve year old is probably playing 14U travel.

Good point RJM. I know my daughter finished growing by the time she was 13 years old and she had the strength, speed and agility to play volleyball with the 16 year old girls at that time. 2 years difference in age during the teenage years between boys can be a huge difference. While with girls the difference is minimal most of the time.

You're right about the outfield thing. The "weaker" players--as they are perceived--are placed in the outfield. The theory is, an infielder can play outfield but an outfielder cannot necessarily play infield. Funny thing is, a lot of the "weaker" kids on Bum, Jr.'s old kiddy-ball teams are now pitchers in college and the the old infielders are working at Wal-Mart.

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Originally posted by Bum:
The "weaker" players--as they are perceived--are placed in the outfield. The theory is, an infielder can play outfield but an outfielder cannot necessarily play infield

That's probably the biggest myth out there regarding baseball because what's drilled in everybody's head at the youth level.

The RF position, which is where weak little leaguers go out to die is a far more important position in high school since lots of balls go out there and things I've heard from players with little to no outfield experience is they "don't feel comfortable out there". Yea, because the angle you watch the game at and the trajectory of the ball sliced to right makes it different. In high school, the so called 'weakest' of the three outfield positions is LF.

Kids who learn to play outfield before high school have a better opportunity to make the varsity earlier. Usually, with the exception of studs, the upper classmen get the key positions. If a kid can hit early on, the first position to open up are usually right and left. From 13U to 15U I encourage players to get outfield time.

RJM excellent advice....I encourage my son ( lefty ) to start to get some experience in the outfield..he would always pitch and play first in his younger travel days. When he was a freshman made JV as pitcher and when he did not pitch he play right field...this alowed him to get in a few games on varsity later in the year.

Bum, I will not be surprised those Out fielders went longer on their carrer. In the good travel team, those OF positions are reserved for power hitters or best pitchers. Our Infielders are usually smaller or more agil kids with average arms. Maybe 3rd baseman has a better arm. Other than taht, those who got tools (arm & bat & speed) usually play in the OF. College or Pro scouts don't even care where you play at HS, they want see the tools, period.

I always tell my son to keep as many gloves in his bag as possible...meaning learn to play as many positions as possible. You never know where you might end up.

He plays 2b for our summer team. But when he tried out for the middle school team about 20 kids went to SS and about 20 to 2b. There were only about 5 or 6 kids at 1b and none of them could catch as well as he could. I told him to get his 1b glove out and get over there. He started on the middle school team that year at first as a 7th grader, which not a lot kids do at our school. It came down to either sitting at one spot or playing in another. They can always move later if the need arises.

Good Luck!