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cabbagedad posted:
3and2Fastball posted:

Couldn't find a picture of Hitters' facility, but here is Stiks, in the Milwaukee suburbs.  Similar facility.  40 foot ceilings, full size infield.  Not perfect for indoor games, especially for outfielders (!), but better than not being able to play, or playing outdoors in 39 degree weather.

image

Oh, OK.  This is really cool but I thought when you said "can accommodate games inside", I thought you meant actual games.

My son played for this organization and has played many games on this turf.  No its not 'real' baseball but 3and2 is correct it beats just getting rained/snowed out all the time.  Outfielders can not practice their craft.  And infielders don't get work on pop ups.  Other than that is it real baseball.  Anything on the ground is played like normal.  The running game is normal.  And bottom line it is about pitcher vs. hitter and there is nothing not real about that.  By March/April it gets old after playing indoors since December roughly.  And you are itching to get out and do it for real but you are a better player for all those 'games' you played indoors December thru April.

Golfman25 posted:

Ok, a few things.  As our season starts to wind down, it's be a real crap show.  Even so, I am still leaning play for HS.  But can perfectly understand why one would choose not to.  

Northern springs are always an issue.  But this spring was an aberration.  In the past we have had a few good days, followed by a few bad days, followed by a few good.  So the disruptions were minimal.  This season, it was weeks at a time.  So, like most it's at all games all the time as there are no open dates left.  Makes it difficult to practice and for guys to show what they got.  In our case, we are regressing.  I wouldn't use weather to make my decision.  

The facility thing is probably doable in a cheaper state like Wisconsin.  Here in IL, forget it.  A few have tried.  Ended up bankrupt.  Places are packed the winter.  Summer it's a ghost town, but the bills still need to be paid.  What they could potentially do however, is a HS field complex like Lakepoint.  4 HS sized field with turf and lights.  It would all schools to play even if it rained during the day.  We get knocked out by the 3:00 storm that rolls thru and it's perfect weather by 4:00.  But the field is too wet to play.  

golf you just hit one of my pet peeves.  Fact is coaches are lazy now a days.  Of course not all but most.  Back in the day before Illinois restricted amount of games you could play My high school played 50+ games.  We were almost never rained out.  When it was raining during the day coach would allow some of us to get out of school to work on the field.  We would dig a hole in our low spots.  Everyone knows where the low spots are on their field.  We would put bilge pumps in the holes.  The rain would run into the hole and get pumped into the parking lot.  We used fans, flames and whatever else we could.  When I coached the coaches gave up their prep periods to work on the field and take players out of study hall to help.  Now the young new wave coach sits on his ass and says the field is unplayable.  Many of these coaches are from outside the building sadly.  Our profession is dying lets be honest.  Now its a hobby for these guys.  For us it was a passion.

2020dad posted:
Golfman25 posted:

Ok, a few things.  As our season starts to wind down, it's be a real crap show.  Even so, I am still leaning play for HS.  But can perfectly understand why one would choose not to.  

Northern springs are always an issue.  But this spring was an aberration.  In the past we have had a few good days, followed by a few bad days, followed by a few good.  So the disruptions were minimal.  This season, it was weeks at a time.  So, like most it's at all games all the time as there are no open dates left.  Makes it difficult to practice and for guys to show what they got.  In our case, we are regressing.  I wouldn't use weather to make my decision.  

The facility thing is probably doable in a cheaper state like Wisconsin.  Here in IL, forget it.  A few have tried.  Ended up bankrupt.  Places are packed the winter.  Summer it's a ghost town, but the bills still need to be paid.  What they could potentially do however, is a HS field complex like Lakepoint.  4 HS sized field with turf and lights.  It would all schools to play even if it rained during the day.  We get knocked out by the 3:00 storm that rolls thru and it's perfect weather by 4:00.  But the field is too wet to play.  

golf you just hit one of my pet peeves.  Fact is coaches are lazy now a days.  Of course not all but most.  Back in the day before Illinois restricted amount of games you could play My high school played 50+ games.  We were almost never rained out.  When it was raining during the day coach would allow some of us to get out of school to work on the field.  We would dig a hole in our low spots.  Everyone knows where the low spots are on their field.  We would put bilge pumps in the holes.  The rain would run into the hole and get pumped into the parking lot.  We used fans, flames and whatever else we could.  When I coached the coaches gave up their prep periods to work on the field and take players out of study hall to help.  Now the young new wave coach sits on his ass and says the field is unplayable.  Many of these coaches are from outside the building sadly.  Our profession is dying lets be honest.  Now its a hobby for these guys.  For us it was a passion.

Hey, don't give up hope.  I have had the pleasure of watch and listening to some excellent coaches over the past two years coach our opponents.  Yeah, they tend to be the older fellows.  But I think part of the problem is the "young kids" don't get a chance.  It's not a meritocracy.  Instead seniority rules.  In our case the less qualified older guy got the nod ahead of the "kid" who had only been there for a couple of years.  Well, guess what?  Rumor is he's bolting for a better gig. 

Ironic thing is, the one young coach they gave a chance -- a fantastic young woman -- has built a girls program from the cellar to multiple regional championship games.  She is so dedicated that she actually attends local youth practices to work with the coaches on what they should do and teach.  

phillyinNJ posted:
RJM posted:

Healthquest Sports Dome at Diamond Nation

Flemington, NJ

https://vimeo.com/35835322

While it appears there isn't an outfield, look closely. The fence around the infield is removable. There’s a full outfield beind the partition. In the spring they collapse the dome and remove it.

I think they only allow 13U and below to play in the dome...but still better than nothing.

When my son was in high school (turning 25 now) they had a Sunday winter high school league. Maybe things have changed. Maybe hitting homers off the back wall was bad for the dome.

I guess it depends .....if your kid is looking to play down south in college and lives in the north for 99% of the kids it doesn't matter. (If they are the 1% they will come see him). Get on the best travel ball program possible that has a reputation for being followed by college scouts and then go perform down south in the summer. This is hard to do when your only in one or two tourneys at PG. if  the kid wants to play in the north and lives there then the quality of competition may matter a bit more but at the end of the day if he's got to have skills that obviously separate him from the pack. Of course all this depends on what level the kid is projected to play at  by the scout (not the dad)

Son played HS in Newport Rhode Island (fog , wind, rain). Pro Scouts saw him on the Summer Curcuit and attended every game and his Soccer and Ice Hockey games from time to time prior to the season. 

He loved his HS teams and players have attended his college games as supporters and hecklers.

He played in SEC and did not sign when drafted out of HS.

The scouts will come, they must come, if the player is considered a "prospect."  Scouts don't just mull around HS games searching for prospects anymore. They scout the big events and create a "Follow" list.

I Recall a scout telling my son, " You'll never see 78 (mph) again."  

Play HS for the fun and enjoyment and future HS Alumni events. Best memories your have.

Play summer with the right team (might not be the area Travel team), and the chances of being seen by scouts is immeasurable.

 

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