Freshman teams

I wouldn't do it, unless you just can't generate enough interest in the program to field a respectable freshmen team. Seems odd for a big school.

Texan,

I see a couple of reasons...

1. In reference to your post a few weeks ago regarding the talent pool of entering freshmen...the pyramid does get smaller as players get older. Those freshmen that "have a lot to offer" are going to be playing JV, and the one's that "have IT" (very few) will be priviledged to play Varsity. In my son's case, he's the first in his schools' 27 years.

2.In Texas, our Robin Hood plan is reducing school budgets, thus reducing the "extra curricular" programs. Even if there were enough freshmen to field a good team, there's not enough $$$'s to support the staff or facilities needed. Only in Houston, at Bellaire have I seen a Coaching staff of 6+ BASEBALL Coaches!! I imagine not all are exclusively baseball, but how they can afford it is beyond me.

There may be other reasons...But this is what comes to mind immediately.

What part of Texas are you in?

I'm from Cornelius, NC (about 20 miles north of Charlotte) and I would say that is the norm around here. Two of the biggest schools in our area (one about 2400 and the other about 2100) only have JV and Varsity teams. About 18 players to a team.

I haven't heard of a school that size not having at least 3 teams. Every school in the southern part of houston has 3 teams at the 4 and 5 a levels. There are a few that have 4 teams. I do know that there have been 2 5A teams that have dropped their 4th team, and now have only 3. Not because of money, but because of the quality of players, became more of a hassle then it was worth.

I come from the largest H.S. in the state if Indiana, but I have been at smaller schools. My experience has been that if a school doesn't have a true freshman team, they keep their freshmen on the J.V., and schedule some "freshman" games, which turn out to be like "B" games for freshmen who don't get the playing time that they should on the J.V.

I feel that it is definitely better to have an actual freshman team, though. We have one that plays a full H.S. schedule (26 games plus a tournament), and it really pays off for us in getting those kids experience at a competitive level, at least for the most part.

Believe it or not, here in Northern California, 2 teams in high school is the norm for the public schools of that size.

At our high school, when our son was a freshman, they had about 40 kids try out for both teams combined. Only 1 or 2 kids were even cut. This year, they'll probably have about 80 and cut over half. I think its time they added a freshman team, but budgets may prevent it.

Heck, it looks like we will have 2 JV teams and 2 Freshman teams.

The norm here (Oregon) = 1 varsity , 1 jv, and one freshman, all playing full HS schedules. Not many get cut from the freshman & girls/jobs weed out the jv & varsity.

I know at our school if you eliminated the freshman team you would have about 80 guys trying out for 18 spots on the JV. While our freshmen are very talented I think only two or three would make JV. So next year I guess we would have 3 returning sophs. for JV and a bunch of sophs who missed a year of baseball development along with incoming freshmen trying out for the team. That model does not seem to be conducive to developing a baseball "program".

More details have arrived. School has enrollment of over 3000. Supposedly the coach will carry about 20 on the JV team, maybe 17-18 on varsity.

So there will be a couple hundred kids (freshmen & soph's) trying out for 20 JV spots.

Inexcusable, IMHO.

"Show me a guy who can't pitch inside and I'll show you a loser." Sandy Koufax