I have a good friend who happens to be one of the very best HS baseball coaches in my area...heck maybe in the country. He's a little worried. So am I.
Why? Is HS baseball in trouble? Lets look at some of the symptoms:
* Fewer and fewer HS coaches are teachers at the school.
* Fewer and fewer HS's are able to even hire experienced baseball coaches...instead more and more very inexperienced kids are becoming varsity coaches.
* More and more HS coaches are being run out of districts by angry parents. They just don't see it as worth the aggravation anymore.
* More and more kids/families are emphasizing their summer travel teams over their HS program. Some are asking if the HS coach can get them into the top summer programs. There are even "reported" cases of kids who cannot pitch in their HS section/region championship game because they're headed off to a national tournament the following week.
* I heard at least one of the AFLAC players announced on TV by his summer program rather than his HS. What is more important to him?
* A father of a truly outstanding 14-year old (he'll be in the rankings soon I predict) recently asked me if his son should even play HS baseball?
* I have a friend who coaches a highly successful travel team who thinks HS baseball will be nothing more than rec. ball in 5-10 years.
Is this stuff right? Is it only in my neighborhood? Is community/home-town baseball being torn at its foundation? From LL on up?
I consider HS baseball as an American institution that cannot disappear or become irrelevant. But I think it is in danger?
Thoughts?
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