I was recently told that high school baseball is not about winning. Winning is a bonus and the relationships you build with your coach & teammates, academics, friends and time management are what it is all about. I agree completely.
So do you believe the same for College athletics?
quote:I was recently told that high school baseball is not about winning. Winning is a bonus and the relationships you build with your coach & teammates, academics, friends and time management are what it is all about. I agree completely.
I'd like to see you tell CoachB25 that, my baseball coach(es), and let's go ahead and throw in the football and basketball coaches too. I think every last one of them will WHOLEHEARTEDLY disagree.
I played D1 athletics and here is what I got out of it. I have lasting friends for the rest of my life that taught me life lessons about being on a team. I am not a pro athlete now and seldom does a collegiate athlete go pro. So to answer your question, yes. I believe it is the lessons learned & people I had the honor of meeting along the way that made me in a large part who I am today. The winning is great, but it certainly did not change my life like all the other things that influenced my life.
Bulldog, I never said to throw in the towel. I said that it is not All about winning. Play hard, take some chances and never look back or second guess yourself. But there is a lot that goes along with both winning and losing. I think ultimately it is about building character and facing adversity.
You definitely do not stand alone Playball. Wherein I do not really feel like getting into the whole argument of one vs. the other I will say that there are good and bad in both. A good H.S. program is teaching the game all the time and I think the same can be said for certain travel programs. If you are a travel coach and all you do is get the best players you can find, put a lineup together and play then you are doing that kid a disservice. Playing good competition is not enough for a high school age kid. If you think the elite players know all there is to know about the game you are sadly mistaken. On the same token there are HS coaches that do the same thing in their programs spring and summer. These people are collecting a check and should not be in the profession. The fact of the matter is if your program be it HS or Travel is actively teaching the game of baseball and not just offering good competition then I take my hat off to you. Travel programs that TEACH can be a great asset to kids and even HS programs. However kids should still be involved with there HS program in the summer as the high school programs have systems that these kids need to learn as well. To sum it up I will say this " There are coaches and there are people that coach" We all as individuals need to evaluate where we're at with the above quote.
quote:To sum it up I will say this " There are coaches and there are people that coach" We all as individuals need to evaluate where we're at with the above quote.
Outstanding
GREAT QUOTE!!!!! 
I have been reading this thread for the past few days and I am going to give my two cents worth. I am a high school coach in a very good conference and these are my thoughts on this issue:
I tell my kids that if they are playing on a travel team, then if they have a conflict, then one day they come with us and the next day they go with the travel team, so no team gets screwed.
If a I have a pitcher that is a primary guy for that travel team, then I will hold them on a pitch count during the week (30 to 40 pitches) in the mid week to get them prepared for their next start on the weekend (Basically getting them a bully).
My primary goal for my players is to get them on to the next level regardless of their ability and if they are playing on travel team and it gets them more exposure, that helps me in trying to promote that player during the year since they may have seen them during the summer.
I will say this - Legion is a glorified IHSA summer league (Minus your Arlington Heights Legion, etc) - it is not as good as it was 20 years ago so I would rather have a kid play for the Blues, Sparky, Hurricanes, etc. than play Legion since I know that they will be playing better competition.
Don't fault the HS coach for having his player play for him in the summer. The coach is trying to prepare for the following season and they want to know what they have (More importantly their role players) since they already know their top three or four. As a high school coach, please don't hate the travel league coaches because they will help with exposure for your player.
In the end, I would like to win a state championship but the more important thing for me is to see as many of my kids move on to the next level and that is where I see the greatest satisfaction as a coach.
I tell my kids that if they are playing on a travel team, then if they have a conflict, then one day they come with us and the next day they go with the travel team, so no team gets screwed.
If a I have a pitcher that is a primary guy for that travel team, then I will hold them on a pitch count during the week (30 to 40 pitches) in the mid week to get them prepared for their next start on the weekend (Basically getting them a bully).
My primary goal for my players is to get them on to the next level regardless of their ability and if they are playing on travel team and it gets them more exposure, that helps me in trying to promote that player during the year since they may have seen them during the summer.
I will say this - Legion is a glorified IHSA summer league (Minus your Arlington Heights Legion, etc) - it is not as good as it was 20 years ago so I would rather have a kid play for the Blues, Sparky, Hurricanes, etc. than play Legion since I know that they will be playing better competition.
Don't fault the HS coach for having his player play for him in the summer. The coach is trying to prepare for the following season and they want to know what they have (More importantly their role players) since they already know their top three or four. As a high school coach, please don't hate the travel league coaches because they will help with exposure for your player.
In the end, I would like to win a state championship but the more important thing for me is to see as many of my kids move on to the next level and that is where I see the greatest satisfaction as a coach.
My sons HS coach should be half as gracious as you.
quote:Don't fault the HS coach for having his player play for him in the summer. The coach is trying to prepare for the following season and they want to know what they have (More importantly their role players) since they already know their top three or four. As a high school coach, please don't hate the travel league coaches because they will help with exposure for your player.
3-6-3 great blog, I will say that it is not a matter of fault or hate, it is a matter of continuity vs. exposure (competition).
And who thought there would be nothing to talk about after the weekend, huh?
Sull-
“I just knew there had to be some HS coaches on here that made some sense . All of that other bunk that we have had to endure on here from the other HS guys is just that ..bunk”
What is bunk about what the HS coaches are saying here? Please answer me, you never seem to answer any of my questions you just want to ask the same question over and over when I and others have given you many reasons and examples to back up our thinking (bunk).
You still haven’t answered this one either:
Like I said I’m not talking about your top 5%-10% of HS players here, bell curve, the middle. At what point does a coach decide which summer ball teams and tournaments qualify for "BIG TIME" travel ball?
Say you have 7-10 kids that want to travel out of town on Thur for a tournament of some kind. 2 are on a B T team, 1 is on a solid team, and 4-7 are on OK travel teams. Where do you draw the line? These 3 can go but you guys have to stay? What if your team needs players to play a HS game and has OF and P playing INF because the starting INF and 1-4 on the staff are in Ohio, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Not all teams carry 40 players for summer league. Is that fair to the other players on the HS team who might not be as talented, but deserve more? Who speaks for them?
I know.
Keep working hard,
Justin Stringer
Do It Right Baseball
Lane Tech Baseball
www.doitrightbaseball.com
HSBASEBALLWEB SPONSOR
“I just knew there had to be some HS coaches on here that made some sense . All of that other bunk that we have had to endure on here from the other HS guys is just that ..bunk”
What is bunk about what the HS coaches are saying here? Please answer me, you never seem to answer any of my questions you just want to ask the same question over and over when I and others have given you many reasons and examples to back up our thinking (bunk).
You still haven’t answered this one either:
Like I said I’m not talking about your top 5%-10% of HS players here, bell curve, the middle. At what point does a coach decide which summer ball teams and tournaments qualify for "BIG TIME" travel ball?
Say you have 7-10 kids that want to travel out of town on Thur for a tournament of some kind. 2 are on a B T team, 1 is on a solid team, and 4-7 are on OK travel teams. Where do you draw the line? These 3 can go but you guys have to stay? What if your team needs players to play a HS game and has OF and P playing INF because the starting INF and 1-4 on the staff are in Ohio, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Not all teams carry 40 players for summer league. Is that fair to the other players on the HS team who might not be as talented, but deserve more? Who speaks for them?
I know.
Keep working hard,
Justin Stringer
Do It Right Baseball
Lane Tech Baseball
www.doitrightbaseball.com
HSBASEBALLWEB SPONSOR
LTB, I have to ask you question. Do you feel it was right for my sons HS coach to bench him his entire junior year because he played travel ball the summer before against his wishes??
Playball - I totally agree but summer is what it is. You can play a team and they are out there to win a game or two or you play a team that wants to get everyone in and if they win they win or if they loose, they loose - no big deal. I like the idea of playing better competition but the problem that comes from it is that they do well with their travel team and they think that they are god and all of that. My thing is what have they done to make "Our" team better - they may have had a good summer but they weren't the person that people were trying to get out or the person that they worried about facing - the end all result is that they had good teammates around them - better than the ones that they have around them in high school. The problem that I face is that they may be our best player but on their travel team they may be just a member who has done well. How do you get them to be at that elite level?? How do you get them to overcome adversity?? It is a very difficult thing for me/team to deal with. I told my kids at the end of the season about the word entitlement and asked them what they thought that it meant - and only two of them knew. Todays kid thinks that they are entitled to something and that is wrong. It comes from discipline, working hard, and having talent and intertwing that into positive outcomes on the field. I think that kids think today that they are entitled to something and the end all result is that a hs coach puts out the best 9/10 to win a baseball game. I have a hard time with that one and I have had letters/emails written about me in a negative way. Any thoughts on this issue??
NO. but I dont have all of the information in the matter so I couldnt really speculate any further. The point is that their are coaches out there that are bad people and coaches, most of us arent. If there is a bad one I would highly suggest finding a new place ASAP or suck it up and play by his rules.
It really is very simple.
Keep working hard,
Justin Stringer
Do It Right Baseball
Lane Tech Baseball
www.doitrightbaseball.com
HSBASEBALLWEB SPONSOR
It really is very simple.
Keep working hard,
Justin Stringer
Do It Right Baseball
Lane Tech Baseball
www.doitrightbaseball.com
HSBASEBALLWEB SPONSOR
I really can't give you all the info as it is not the place. Yes, there are good & bad of both I agree. However, do you suggest my son switch high schools? You can't be serious.
Sunday Scores from the Tournament
Team A 17 Team F 0
Team C 15 Team E 0
Team G 16 Team D 6
Team A 12 Team C 1
Team G 16 Team A 7
I took this from a different section and cleaned up the names to not create tension. What if coach has 1 player on G, 1 on A, 3 on D, 4 on C, and 1 on F? What baseball related development happened during this tourney? What is considered “best competition”?
I am all for kids playing in the summer I really am. I did it when I was in HS (Sam Biondo's legion team) but only because there was no HS summer ball. If I didnt have summer camp, summer league, lessons, wife, and young son I would be playing as well. Baseball is the greatest game on earth, we all can agree on that, and it needs to be enjoyed during those hot summer months.
What us coaches are talking about here is player and program development. And yes, we think that our program is the best and most qualified to teach and develop these players. We are the ones that are hired and own the various credentials that make our staff more qualified to teach these players than area travel coaches. Now I’m not saying that some travel coaches don’t have degrees or accreditations that make them qualified to teach but the good majority don’t.
We aren’t saying that you can’t play travel ball guys. We are saying that we would like to have a say in your development during critical summer months. You ever thought that summer ball is so good because they have been learning the game and developing their skill set for the past 4 months with their HS programs?
Keep working hard,
Justin Stringer
Do It Right Baseball
Lane Tech Baseball
www.doitrightbaseball.com
HSBASEBALLWEB SPONSOR
Team A 17 Team F 0
Team C 15 Team E 0
Team G 16 Team D 6
Team A 12 Team C 1
Team G 16 Team A 7
I took this from a different section and cleaned up the names to not create tension. What if coach has 1 player on G, 1 on A, 3 on D, 4 on C, and 1 on F? What baseball related development happened during this tourney? What is considered “best competition”?
I am all for kids playing in the summer I really am. I did it when I was in HS (Sam Biondo's legion team) but only because there was no HS summer ball. If I didnt have summer camp, summer league, lessons, wife, and young son I would be playing as well. Baseball is the greatest game on earth, we all can agree on that, and it needs to be enjoyed during those hot summer months.
What us coaches are talking about here is player and program development. And yes, we think that our program is the best and most qualified to teach and develop these players. We are the ones that are hired and own the various credentials that make our staff more qualified to teach these players than area travel coaches. Now I’m not saying that some travel coaches don’t have degrees or accreditations that make them qualified to teach but the good majority don’t.
We aren’t saying that you can’t play travel ball guys. We are saying that we would like to have a say in your development during critical summer months. You ever thought that summer ball is so good because they have been learning the game and developing their skill set for the past 4 months with their HS programs?
Keep working hard,
Justin Stringer
Do It Right Baseball
Lane Tech Baseball
www.doitrightbaseball.com
HSBASEBALLWEB SPONSOR
I dont know you situation, I was speaking generally. Sound like you have to suck it up then if you cant transfer. There are not a lot of options.
I just reread your first post. Was your son producing at the time of his "benching"?
I just reread your first post. Was your son producing at the time of his "benching"?
My son had a wonderful soph year. .390 and infield starter. He never even the chances this year which was a real shame. He is not even prepared to play summer ball for HS or travel. He only batted a handful of times this season with his HS and he is devastated by the treatment of his HS coach.
I don't seem to get the feeling that parents want their athletes NOT playing summer high school. The drift I am getting is that they want to do BOTH - they just don't want their kidws getting all the grief and abuse when he isn't there everyday. Or am I reading these posts wrong?
Their high school team is made up of their friends - many of them lifelong friends. They aren't Benedict Arnolds by wanting to play with other kids & shouldn't be treated as such. There is no room for that IMO in a school setting. I am (was) a teacher and just try that in the classroom....see how long it takes until you end up in the office!
I don't think that the kids on the team care if a kid misses SOME time away. They might not like it if the kid is gone ALL summer but I don't think we are talking about that here.
Signed,
Benedict Arnold's dad (just kidding)
Their high school team is made up of their friends - many of them lifelong friends. They aren't Benedict Arnolds by wanting to play with other kids & shouldn't be treated as such. There is no room for that IMO in a school setting. I am (was) a teacher and just try that in the classroom....see how long it takes until you end up in the office!
I don't think that the kids on the team care if a kid misses SOME time away. They might not like it if the kid is gone ALL summer but I don't think we are talking about that here.
Signed,
Benedict Arnold's dad (just kidding)
quote:Originally posted by LTBB47:
You ever thought that summer ball is so good because they have been learning the game and developing their skill set for the past 4 months with their HS programs?
Keep working hard,
Justin Stringer
Do It Right Baseball
Lane Tech Baseball
www.doitrightbaseball.com
HSBASEBALLWEB SPONSOR
Give me a break...you're not really serious...are you?
NC42dad, you are right in this assessment. My son just wants to play lots of ball. He loves being with his Travel team and HS team. Almost all the kids on his HS play travel, but last year when my son asked the coach about missing some HS games, evidently he was the first one to approach his coach and the coach went off on him. At that point everyone else was very, very cautious with asking about missing any games. This was his HS coaches first season and he evidently was going to do things differently then it was done in the past. At that point it was beyond repair as their relationship had gone south very quickly due to the HS coach telling him that if he missed HS games then he was off the roster. It was a very bad situation.
That is a ridiclous statement. My sons HS coach was given a great group of kids. It was certainly nothing that he did.
quote:Originally posted by Bravescoach:quote:Originally posted by LTBB47:
You ever thought that summer ball is so good because they have been learning the game and developing their skill set for the past 4 months with their HS programs?
Keep working hard,
Justin Stringer
Do It Right Baseball
Lane Tech Baseball
www.doitrightbaseball.com
HSBASEBALLWEB SPONSOR
Give me a break...you're not really serious...are you?
Where in the infield soph year?
It is common for juniors to not play much and only get a handful of at bats if the team has seniors that play that position or other jr or sophs that are or might be better options.
I would start hitting, running, throwing, the whole works everyday maybe twice a day. Its either that or spend the summer feeling sorry for yourself. Players are made in baseball.
I will give you a perfect example of what im talking about. We had an OF during his Jr year who was the last number on our depth chart. We were certain we would have to cut him next year if he didn’t progress. At the end of the year I gave my typical “summer is the time for players to be made” speech and this kid took it to heart. I run 8 weeks of summer camp and this kid was waiting for me everyday when I pulled up at the field and he would take my keys and unlock the weight room and I wouldn’t see him until we at lunch (3 hours), he would then come out and eat Hero’s with us (the best subs on earth). He would then proceed to the track for about an hour of various running/sprinting/plyos. He would the take about :30 min of switch hitting tees (did I mention he was teaching himself to switch hit too?) :30 min of flips, and about an hour live. He would then go home and shower to go a play a summer game with us and then with his summer league team. He started all games in RF his Sr. year and in his 1st at bat went ya-ya left handed (the side he learned to hit with). He made himself a player plain and simple. His work ethic and drive I still marvel at today, the definition of a hard-worker. He will be one of my instructors at out event on Thur.
It can be done if you are willing to do what is so difficult for most. WORK HARD!
Keep working hard,
Justin Stringer
Do It Right Baseball
Lane Tech Baseball
www.doitrightbaseball.com
HSBASEBALLWEB SPONSOR
It is common for juniors to not play much and only get a handful of at bats if the team has seniors that play that position or other jr or sophs that are or might be better options.
I would start hitting, running, throwing, the whole works everyday maybe twice a day. Its either that or spend the summer feeling sorry for yourself. Players are made in baseball.
I will give you a perfect example of what im talking about. We had an OF during his Jr year who was the last number on our depth chart. We were certain we would have to cut him next year if he didn’t progress. At the end of the year I gave my typical “summer is the time for players to be made” speech and this kid took it to heart. I run 8 weeks of summer camp and this kid was waiting for me everyday when I pulled up at the field and he would take my keys and unlock the weight room and I wouldn’t see him until we at lunch (3 hours), he would then come out and eat Hero’s with us (the best subs on earth). He would then proceed to the track for about an hour of various running/sprinting/plyos. He would the take about :30 min of switch hitting tees (did I mention he was teaching himself to switch hit too?) :30 min of flips, and about an hour live. He would then go home and shower to go a play a summer game with us and then with his summer league team. He started all games in RF his Sr. year and in his 1st at bat went ya-ya left handed (the side he learned to hit with). He made himself a player plain and simple. His work ethic and drive I still marvel at today, the definition of a hard-worker. He will be one of my instructors at out event on Thur.
It can be done if you are willing to do what is so difficult for most. WORK HARD!
Keep working hard,
Justin Stringer
Do It Right Baseball
Lane Tech Baseball
www.doitrightbaseball.com
HSBASEBALLWEB SPONSOR
YES I am very serious. Whatever your thoughts about your HS coach may be I know there is VERY GOOD baseball being taught at many HS in IL. Dont let one bad apple spoil the bunch.
LTB. the problem here is that my son was penalized for playing travel ball last summer. Due to the lack of play time this year (most important year for HS exposure) my son will have to do the very thing he got benched for by his HS coach in the first place-play travel summer ball. It is a real dilema. So, does he play HS and continue to sit on the bench all summer with his HS team or play travel ball and sit on the bench next Spring again because his coach will not play him if he plays travel this summer. He won't get better sittig on the bench thats for sure.
Where did he play in the INF?
He was penalized for playing summer ball his soph year? Did he get an invite to play on the varsity summer team and instead chose to play travel?
quote:Originally posted by LTBB47:
YES I am very serious. Whatever your thoughts about your HS coach may be I know there is VERY GOOD baseball being taught at many HS in IL. Dont let one bad apple spoil the bunch.
Coach...with all due respect, let's maybe modify your statement to read: "Don't let the bunch spoil one good apple." How's that?
Playball
Your words are exactly mine. I am a coach who was coached at the HS level by 2 fellows that are in the HS Hall of Fame. I played for a man who is in the Cape Code Hall of Fame for being the winningest Coach in Cape History.
I have played for numerous championship teams in my lifetime. If you think for one second I dont understand the meaning of a team , you are sadly mistaken. I am all about being a teammate.
I am also all about the experience of playing for your HS team. Those are your school buddies and are lifelong freindships usually. Problem is there are a few outside influences that are clouding the situation. ( I know there is more to the story..)
I basically consider myself an extension of the HS season. Not trying to do any more or less than the school. I too enjoy coaching young men and at the same time instilling values and work habits that can be taken with them into every day life. To insinuate that we as travel coaches simply just put out top kids and play them is an insult to me and every coach that I had the privlidge to play for.
You paint the picture that the travel guys dont understand what it is you do.. I personally think some of the HS coaches are painting a very unfair picture. I think its time to start telling the people whats really going on in the Chicago area.
Theres more to this story I just know it...
Tonights question is,, Where do the IHSA coaches hold there clinics every year?????????
Your words are exactly mine. I am a coach who was coached at the HS level by 2 fellows that are in the HS Hall of Fame. I played for a man who is in the Cape Code Hall of Fame for being the winningest Coach in Cape History.
I have played for numerous championship teams in my lifetime. If you think for one second I dont understand the meaning of a team , you are sadly mistaken. I am all about being a teammate.
I am also all about the experience of playing for your HS team. Those are your school buddies and are lifelong freindships usually. Problem is there are a few outside influences that are clouding the situation. ( I know there is more to the story..)
I basically consider myself an extension of the HS season. Not trying to do any more or less than the school. I too enjoy coaching young men and at the same time instilling values and work habits that can be taken with them into every day life. To insinuate that we as travel coaches simply just put out top kids and play them is an insult to me and every coach that I had the privlidge to play for.
You paint the picture that the travel guys dont understand what it is you do.. I personally think some of the HS coaches are painting a very unfair picture. I think its time to start telling the people whats really going on in the Chicago area.
Theres more to this story I just know it...
Tonights question is,, Where do the IHSA coaches hold there clinics every year?????????
Bravescoach--
You do not seem like a rational man--you paint a broad picture and make unfair accusations against LTB and playball.
What's the matter, get cut from your high school team? Didnt get a job as a high school coach? Why the angst?
You do not seem like a rational man--you paint a broad picture and make unfair accusations against LTB and playball.
What's the matter, get cut from your high school team? Didnt get a job as a high school coach? Why the angst?
LTB, my son was allowed (after much discuusion with all the HS coaches) to play on both last summer. From that point on from last summer, he was left off the roster for all his HS games this year. He was a bench warmer due to his coaches displeasure with him playing both travel & HS last summer. He made sure that he was the first one at every practice, game, etc and was the last one to leave everyday. He did everything that he could to get back in his good graces, but the coach was done with my son.
Mr.Stringer
Let me clarify my thoughts so you understand where i am coming from and we can stop going around in circles.
I am not against high school summer baseball
I respect the high school baseball coach and what he stands for .
I did not intend to devalue or degrade the summer high school schedule , the non-travel players , the coaches , and what they are trying to accomplish with their programs.
If you want me to try to answer the question you posed to me ..you know as well as i that those are extraordinary circumstances . Most teams dont have 7 players looking to travel on the same weekend. Ive never seen it .Most have three or maybe four .With the proper communication made in advance between player and coach those situations should be able to be worked out. Obviously , if the HS coach feels he is going to be short players -then a decision has to be made i guess .
I personally know many high school coaches --in the city and suburbs . However , most of them do not post on here so we cannot get their thoughts on some of these issues. I do know firsthand that most of them are very flexible with regards to the hs schedule vs. travel and will bend over backwards to help out their better players by allowing them to miss the hs games when necessary...in fact they reccomend it. They see the value of it for the player. If you are going to try to tell me that there should be concern for the other hs players who may not yet be good enough to play on a decent travel team ..i do not agree with that and neither do these hs coaches . Why should the travel player be held back ? Because it might be sending the wrong message ? cmon it is what it is. One of the reasons the travel player has gotten to where he is , is due to years of hard work ..which includes training , conditioning , proper nutrition , etc ..things you have talked about ---not just due to being blessed as a superior athlete . The player has to be able to enjoy the fruits of his labor .i.e. the opportunity to play against the best . He can set the example for the others to try to reach that point.
I used the word " bunk " basically to describe what i think to be bogus reasons that some of the HS coaches use to try to keep the travel player around when he really doesnt have to . Read coachbs statement in his last post . he said it best and that it central to the issue which is being discussed here .
You have mentioned over and over about training, conditioning , etc. This would be the opportunity for you --the coach--to try to DEVELOP these other players and see what they bring to the table in game situations . Lots of playing time when the travel guys are not around ( maybe even if they are around ) . Whenever i speak to the hs coaches that i know, that is the first thing that pops out of their mouth when this is being discussed ..they can use this opportunity to get a good look at the new players --sophs , maybe a few freshmen and even some juniors and seniors who didnt get a lot of playing time in the spring . The travel players attend more than enough of the HS summer games for the coach to see what kind of " continuity " he will have as far as how the other players mix in with them .
On the other hand , there are a handful of HS coaches who are anti travel and will go to great lengths to try to prevent the travel player from playing.
you now have some hs coaches scheduling weekend tournaments to try to compete with the travel , but it just cant be done effectively in my opinion . In most cases ..IMO...it is being done for the wrong reasons .
The two entities should be able to compliment each other ..not war against each other .
In my opinion the HS coaches that dont see it that way should start to realize the positives far outweigh any of the so-called negatives.
Mr.Stringer..ive done my best to respond to you ..now you have ducked one of the most important issues on this topic---where is the player going to receive more exposure to colleges/scouts -- here in the chicago area when your lane tech team is playing clemente or my sons notre dame team is playing maine south OR when the ILL Sparks are playing in a perfect game tourney in East Cobb GA ? Do you think it would be a wise move on the part of the player/parent to solely rely on his high school coach help him get the necessary exposure required to get to the next level ? The fact is ..the player is just flat out not going to get that exposure here in the chgo area during the summer .
Will be anxiously waiting for your response.
Ive repeated myself because you have failed to directly respond to my thoughts/questions/concerns on these central issues .
For the hs coach who has his heart in the right place for the players ..i commend him
for the others . i have to question him and his motives .
Let me clarify my thoughts so you understand where i am coming from and we can stop going around in circles.
I am not against high school summer baseball
I respect the high school baseball coach and what he stands for .
I did not intend to devalue or degrade the summer high school schedule , the non-travel players , the coaches , and what they are trying to accomplish with their programs.
If you want me to try to answer the question you posed to me ..you know as well as i that those are extraordinary circumstances . Most teams dont have 7 players looking to travel on the same weekend. Ive never seen it .Most have three or maybe four .With the proper communication made in advance between player and coach those situations should be able to be worked out. Obviously , if the HS coach feels he is going to be short players -then a decision has to be made i guess .
I personally know many high school coaches --in the city and suburbs . However , most of them do not post on here so we cannot get their thoughts on some of these issues. I do know firsthand that most of them are very flexible with regards to the hs schedule vs. travel and will bend over backwards to help out their better players by allowing them to miss the hs games when necessary...in fact they reccomend it. They see the value of it for the player. If you are going to try to tell me that there should be concern for the other hs players who may not yet be good enough to play on a decent travel team ..i do not agree with that and neither do these hs coaches . Why should the travel player be held back ? Because it might be sending the wrong message ? cmon it is what it is. One of the reasons the travel player has gotten to where he is , is due to years of hard work ..which includes training , conditioning , proper nutrition , etc ..things you have talked about ---not just due to being blessed as a superior athlete . The player has to be able to enjoy the fruits of his labor .i.e. the opportunity to play against the best . He can set the example for the others to try to reach that point.
I used the word " bunk " basically to describe what i think to be bogus reasons that some of the HS coaches use to try to keep the travel player around when he really doesnt have to . Read coachbs statement in his last post . he said it best and that it central to the issue which is being discussed here .
You have mentioned over and over about training, conditioning , etc. This would be the opportunity for you --the coach--to try to DEVELOP these other players and see what they bring to the table in game situations . Lots of playing time when the travel guys are not around ( maybe even if they are around ) . Whenever i speak to the hs coaches that i know, that is the first thing that pops out of their mouth when this is being discussed ..they can use this opportunity to get a good look at the new players --sophs , maybe a few freshmen and even some juniors and seniors who didnt get a lot of playing time in the spring . The travel players attend more than enough of the HS summer games for the coach to see what kind of " continuity " he will have as far as how the other players mix in with them .
On the other hand , there are a handful of HS coaches who are anti travel and will go to great lengths to try to prevent the travel player from playing.
you now have some hs coaches scheduling weekend tournaments to try to compete with the travel , but it just cant be done effectively in my opinion . In most cases ..IMO...it is being done for the wrong reasons .
The two entities should be able to compliment each other ..not war against each other .
In my opinion the HS coaches that dont see it that way should start to realize the positives far outweigh any of the so-called negatives.
Mr.Stringer..ive done my best to respond to you ..now you have ducked one of the most important issues on this topic---where is the player going to receive more exposure to colleges/scouts -- here in the chicago area when your lane tech team is playing clemente or my sons notre dame team is playing maine south OR when the ILL Sparks are playing in a perfect game tourney in East Cobb GA ? Do you think it would be a wise move on the part of the player/parent to solely rely on his high school coach help him get the necessary exposure required to get to the next level ? The fact is ..the player is just flat out not going to get that exposure here in the chgo area during the summer .
Will be anxiously waiting for your response.
Ive repeated myself because you have failed to directly respond to my thoughts/questions/concerns on these central issues .
For the hs coach who has his heart in the right place for the players ..i commend him
for the others . i have to question him and his motives .
quote:Originally posted by ballyall:
Bravescoach--
You do not seem like a rational man--you paint a broad picture and make unfair accusations against LTB and playball.
What's the matter, get cut from your high school team? Didnt get a job as a high school coach? Why the angst?
ballyall...contrary to your belief, I have not accused LTB or playball of anything. We simply have a difference of opinions along with others on this board. Call me what you wish, but I think I've supported my position by citing specific facts...unlike yourself. And no...I was not cut from my high school team nor have I ever applied for a high school coaching position. My "angst" (as you describe it) should be pretty clear from my original post along with my previous reply to playball.
quote:To insinuate that we as travel coaches simply just put out top kids and play them is an insult to me and every coach that I had the privlidge to play for.
You paint the picture that the travel guys dont understand what it is you do.. I personally think some of the HS coaches are painting a very unfair picture. I think its time to start telling the people whats really going on in the Chicago area.
Theres more to this story I just know it...
What are you talking about?
This has been one of the best post to read since I have been on this site. What seems to be very clear is that a battle line is being drawn between high school and travel teams. It is also clear that once the battle truly begins there will be winners and losers. Coaches, teams, programs and unfortunately student/athletics. As a retired travel coach who coached at a number of current college players as well as a larger number inbound 2008 boys here is how I see picture. Travel is good for high school baseball. Look how Prarie and Sam Source influened LT. Longshots and Rob Rooney, the Downers North and Downers South progtams. What about McHenry Hurricanes in the North and Heat from Homer Glen to their Southwest and Catholic powerhouses.
How about HS coaches like Bonebreak from Benet. Tim McAlpin from Proviso West many years ago and then at Stagg. Both my sons were coached by Phil Fox, the recently retired coach of DGS, who is truly a gentleman. The same holds true for Darrell Orrile, the new coach (sp). As i stated before, it would have been a pleasure to have my son(s) coached by our moderator.
How about the guys like "Sparky" who has given my sons lessons in the past and you need to tackle to put a couple dollars
in his pocket after he paid for cage time. Not only lessons but instruction. What about the Steve Haywoods from Strikes. Balance needs to be created and that occurs through communication.
You guys need to talk more and fight less.
How about HS coaches like Bonebreak from Benet. Tim McAlpin from Proviso West many years ago and then at Stagg. Both my sons were coached by Phil Fox, the recently retired coach of DGS, who is truly a gentleman. The same holds true for Darrell Orrile, the new coach (sp). As i stated before, it would have been a pleasure to have my son(s) coached by our moderator.
How about the guys like "Sparky" who has given my sons lessons in the past and you need to tackle to put a couple dollars
in his pocket after he paid for cage time. Not only lessons but instruction. What about the Steve Haywoods from Strikes. Balance needs to be created and that occurs through communication.
You guys need to talk more and fight less.
I agree that this has been one of the best topics and conversations that we have had in a while. Don’t think I am one of the guys that is “battling” with the travel guys, I see the importance of the exposure that playing for TT or Sparks will bring to a young man. I am not nor have I ever argued that point with you. When we have had a player who has had that opportunity you bet we let him pursue it. We owed it to him.
Sull you and I both know that playing for those elite teams will bring a player more national and Midwest exposure than even playing for his spring HS team. A coach would be a jack*** if he tried to stand in the way of a kid in that type of situation and if that is happening out there I am sorry for the players/parents because we all know that’s wrong. To rely on just your HS coach in general to handle your exposure is a bad idea. It is up to the HS coach to find opportunities for his players but that responsibility also lies with the family of the player. But like I have been trying to say I’m not talking about the 1 player each couple years you might have that is good enough to play in that type of situation. I am talking about the over abundance of travel teams that fall into line after those said teams.
Sull we play on 6/25 & 7/7 at your place, I’ll buy you a snow cone and we’ll talk. This has been fun, you bring up good points.
I think the moral of this story is “COMMUNICATION IS THE KEY”
Have a great day! Both teams are in 1st place and summer in Chicago is here, what a great town to live in right now.
Keep working hard,
Justin Stringer
Do It Right Baseball
Lane Tech Baseball
www.doitrightbaseball.com
HSBASEBALLWEB SPONSOR
Sull you and I both know that playing for those elite teams will bring a player more national and Midwest exposure than even playing for his spring HS team. A coach would be a jack*** if he tried to stand in the way of a kid in that type of situation and if that is happening out there I am sorry for the players/parents because we all know that’s wrong. To rely on just your HS coach in general to handle your exposure is a bad idea. It is up to the HS coach to find opportunities for his players but that responsibility also lies with the family of the player. But like I have been trying to say I’m not talking about the 1 player each couple years you might have that is good enough to play in that type of situation. I am talking about the over abundance of travel teams that fall into line after those said teams.
Sull we play on 6/25 & 7/7 at your place, I’ll buy you a snow cone and we’ll talk. This has been fun, you bring up good points.
I think the moral of this story is “COMMUNICATION IS THE KEY”
Have a great day! Both teams are in 1st place and summer in Chicago is here, what a great town to live in right now.
Keep working hard,
Justin Stringer
Do It Right Baseball
Lane Tech Baseball
www.doitrightbaseball.com
HSBASEBALLWEB SPONSOR
quote:What seems to be very clear is that a battle line is being drawn between high school and travel teams. It is also clear that once the battle truly begins there will be winners and losers.
I think this is more about not drawing lines in the sand than it is about it. This is the work that coaches (on both sides of the fence) have to work out to ensure that there is no battle.
There is no more to this story.
It may not be about "drawing lines in the sand" at Palatine but it is for many people at their schools.
I am sure what we read in this forum is only a fraction of what is going on.
I am sure what we read in this forum is only a fraction of what is going on.
With communication our son has been able to play both H.S. summer baseball and travel baseball for three year. It can be done. Thanks to the NNHS coaches for their cooperation.