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pops
30 Posts |
 Posted - 10/06/2011 : 07:08:51
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I have a 14 year old freshman who is weighing the pros/cons of playing high school ball this spring versus sticking with his 14u team thru the spring (rather than join the team after H.S. ends)
The high school team is pretty political, and doesn't really play at the highest level. The travel team is top shelf. Don't want to burn any bridges at the school.
I don't think that this will be an issue next year as a sophmore since the travel team doesn't really start until after the H.S. season ends.
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EastsideBB
44 Posts |
Posted - 10/06/2011 : 13:49:58
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| Tough one. We went the HS route. Worked out good for HS. Played JV as freshman and called up to varisty at end of season. Started every game on varisty for sophomore season. Returned to major 14U travel team (freshman year)once HS season had ended. Travel team coach had called to ask when son will return to the team. But we found that players were already entrenched in positions. Got a lot of playing time at first and I think there was some grumbling and behind the scene politicking from certain parents and playing time decreased. I think loyalty was the buzz word. But I will never know for sure. We never want to go through that experience again. My experience leaves me to believe that certain travel teams are more political than HS. Granted it was an elite travel team and a 5A HS team with a below .500 season. Like you said no problem for sophomore season because travel baseball is after the HS season. He actually played up - 17u after sophomore year. You really have to weight whether you will be welcome with open arms from everybody when you return to the travel team. In my opinion unless you an all american superstar travel ball at 14U is less important than travel ball at 16U and above. You also want to make a good impression on your HS team so you can move up the depth chart. Remember you will be playing for your HS for 4 years and you probably change travel ball teams after 14U or play for more than one travel team. |
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pops
30 Posts |
Posted - 10/06/2011 : 19:31:27
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Yes, the kid has a tough decision ahead. The travel team could smoke the high school varsity team. Better at almost every position and deeper at pitcher. The coaching and atmosphere of winning on the travel team is incredible as well. He would also like to stay with that program as long as they will have him.
He says he will probably skip school ball this year and play for the travel team only this spring.
Thanks for the input. |
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PASSBALL
28 Posts |
Posted - 10/11/2011 : 18:47:51
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| My thought process would be play for the school being that the season isn't as long as the travel season. One thing about high school coaches are they can be butt holes. I mean if you guys can make the travel ball on weekends that shouldn't be a problem. Some of the parents may be ill about it, but who cares. My son was in the same situation this past season as a 8th grader. Our high school allows the 8th graders to tryout for freshman and soph teams. So when i was asked why didn't he come out i basically said that he was an 8th grader! The team we had this past year would have played our varsity very well and crushed jv and 9th grade team. The last thing you want is to go out as a 10th grader and he's not playing over kids that you know he clearly better than but they were there. |
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coachpitch
66 Posts |
Posted - 10/16/2011 : 15:06:17
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This sounds good, unless the player is a pitcher. In that case, playing on the weekends DOES matter a lot. He cannot pitch in the week and on the weekends all the time.
There are plenty of high school coaches who are not "butt holes" but I know that they usually have strong thoughts about whether or not they want their players in travel ball. My son's high school coach to be is young enough that he played travel ball as a youth. Yet, he will not allow travel ball during the school season. And, though we are very supportive of travel ball, we understand why he requires that.
You MUST see what is best for the kid and pick one or the other in most cases.
quote:
Originally posted by PASSBALL
My thought process would be play for the school being that the season isn't as long as the travel season. One thing about high school coaches are they can be butt holes. I mean if you guys can make the travel ball on weekends that shouldn't be a problem. Some of the parents may be ill about it, but who cares. My son was in the same situation this past season as a 8th grader. Our high school allows the 8th graders to tryout for freshman and soph teams. So when i was asked why didn't he come out i basically said that he was an 8th grader! The team we had this past year would have played our varsity very well and crushed jv and 9th grade team. The last thing you want is to go out as a 10th grader and he's not playing over kids that you know he clearly better than but they were there.
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oldmanmj
191 Posts |
Posted - 10/20/2011 : 17:10:20
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| 14U is the only year that travel ball interfers with high school ball. 15u and up doesn't start until your high school season is over. It is the threat to not be on the HS team if you don't play HS summer ball that is ridiculous. If you son is older than 15 then there is no interference with the HS season, even if you go deep into the state playoffs. Enjoy the HS experience, school, team etc. and treasure the training and guidance you get from travel ball. |
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bmoser
1633 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2012 : 09:35:44
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Do the High School rules limit the age of a High School Freshman baseball player? I'm thinking of hosting a Dominican exchange student who is a stud baseball player, but he would be a 17 year old Freshman.
Any rules prohibiting this? What about as a Sophomore, Junior, Senior
If so, I guess he'd have to play travel ball instead, right? |
Edited by - bmoser on 04/03/2012 10:20:21 |
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in_the_know
985 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2012 : 11:06:07
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quote:
Originally posted by bmoser
Do the High School rules limit the age of a High School Freshman baseball player? I'm thinking of hosting a Dominican exchange student who is a stud baseball player, but he would be a 17 year old Freshman.
Any rules prohibiting this? What about as a Sophomore, Junior, Senior
If so, I guess he'd have to play travel ball instead, right?
In Georgia, a student cannot turn 19 prior to May 1 of the upcoming season, so good for Frosh & Soph yrs, but maybe not (depending on when he turns 19) for Jr and definitely not Sr. Most states vary the cutoff date (May to Sept.), but GHSA is May 1. The note below is from Fulton County guidelines, which is GHSA. I've provided some links to various references (some are a bit dated), but the quote below is from their 2011/2012 handbook.
If you google maximum age to play high school athletics you'll see many articles from various states with lawsuits & petitions seeking disabled children (i.e., Downs) to play beyond the age cutoff dates.
1.30 - AGE
To be eligible to participate in interscholastic activities, a student must not have reached his 19th birthday prior to
May 1st, preceding his year of participation.
http://www.chsknights.com/docs/Student-ParentInterscholasticAthleticHandbook2011-2012.pdf
http://www.nfhs.org/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=5390
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bmoser
1633 Posts |
Posted - 04/04/2012 : 08:44:39
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| Thanks in the know. Big help. |
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