What is wrong with Volunteer Falcon baseball?

[TheManiac]

What has happened to the Volunteer baseball program? It is becoming more and more embarrassing seeing the scores of the games every few days. A 9-0 one hit loss to cherokee has drove me to post this. As a former player who was a part of teams that were very competitive and won a lot of games, i think i can speak for all former players when i say this is embarrassing. Something needs to change. We have the feeder programs so i dont know what happens at the high school level but whatever it is is not working. So to the entire coaching staff that even though i know its not a lot but is still getting paid to coach baseball FIGURE IT OUT! And to the head coach in particular... A little advise when you assemble a coaching staff try hiring guys that actually know a little about the game. Its bad when the majority of your HIGH SCHOOL players on a team that is well to put it nicely struggling knows more about the game than the majority of your assistant coaches. Im sorry if anyone was upset by this but the bottom line is I care a lot about the baseball program. It was a big part of my life and to see it such bad shape really upsets me. Go Falcons!

[DandDD]

Maniac, I feel your pain. Volunteer baseball was a big part of my life for many years. My son played there during some of the more competitive years. I spent a lot of time on that field and around the players and coaches during that time and for several years after my son was gone. Those teams and the coaches during those years have a special place in my heart. A lot of good athletes and good coaches with a lot of knowledge of the game.

During those years we had a pretty good feeder system, with most of the kids playing travel ball together in the summers or with some team in the area. Either way the competition was good for them. We still have very competitive summer teams in the younger ages but i don't think these High Schoolers are playing much summer time ball. I know that the team is able to play a very brief summer league type thing but it's not that much of a benefit.

It takes dedication to the sport by all team members, not just one or two players. The more you play competitive baseball the more you can develop your talents. There's baseball players in East Hawkins Co. but most don't want to work for it. I really hate it for the one's that do want to work for it.

I moved away from Church Hill a few years ago so i'm not familiar with the new coaching staff. So i can't judge them. But i know for a fact that if, as a player you start working on baseball in Feb. to get ready for the season, play about 25 games during the season, put you baseball gear up til the next Feb. I promise you that you will get your A** handed to you in the biggest majority of those 25 High School games. NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.

Falcon Fan for Life.

[crazzyness]

Well of their two feeder programs, for the last few years at least, Surgoinsville is consistantly one of the worst middle school teams in the area, and Church Hill hasn't really been anything more than mediocre, and I bet some of the better players from Church Hill probably decide to go to DB. The Church Hill Panther travel ball orginization is OK, but nothing spectacular.

 

Its gotta be hard to field a decent AAA team with a well that dry.

[DandDD]

I don't know if the Church Hill kids going to DB thing happens as much as it once did. Several years ago that seemed to be the norm. In recent years i know of maybe a couple of kids that went to DB instead of Volunteer. But those kids went to the city before they got to Middle school age. Elijah Southerland played travel ball for Don Green for years but moved inside Kingsport City limits before Middle school. He would have been a big plus if he had stayed (he's playing baseball for the Tar Heels). There was a Mullins kid that was a stud that played for Don at the same time but moved to Bristol and had a big career at THS. Don't know where he played after High school. Can't think of anybody else right off hand.

I don't know of any high School age travel teams in the Church Hill area. There may be one but i've not heard of them. Bottom line is you have to play a lot of baseball, COMPETITIVE BASEBALL to improve.

My son played around 80 games a year when he was in High School. Around 50 of those games were during the summer. The competion he played during the summer was far better than what he would face during the High School season. That's what made him a good player. Thats what helped him play College ball. It wasn't me or the coaches. It was the level of talent he was playing against every weekend that help him improve his game and learn how to compete and strive to be successful.

You gotta want it. I would bet that only a few of the Volunteer kids are willing to pay the price to be a successful team. My hats off to the one's that do work at it. It'll still pay off for them in the long run.

[DandDD]

And By the way. Losing to Cherokee on the diamond is a sin 

Go Falcons!!!!!

[TheManiac]

To me it sounds like everyone involved in the baseball program is content with being average or below average. That is a major problem. Maybe going to a new conference next year will help but then again it might not. They still have to play south and they are adding grainger. I remember playing rutledge and they always had solid teams. Bottom line is the kids have to want it. Like u said danddd, playing 25 games every spring and calling it quits isnt going to help you. It just kills me seeing the program like this. I dont know what happened, but from about 2002-2010 or so the program was competitive. Its amazing what has happened in the last couple years. No fight anymore. Ill continue to support the program and ill cheer like heck when i get to see them play but id like to see a little more fight thats all im asking.

[DandDD]

I agree Maniac. the new conference isn't gonna get much easier. The Grainger kids are always scrappy and last time i looked the Pactolus Rebels were undefeated this year and are always a force. Wanting to excel is so improtant. A lot of times determination and desire can make up for not being the most talented bunch around. The 04 and 05 teams at Volunteer were probably 4 maybe 5 players strong but they would fight a circle saw, couldn't stand to lose. And they won right at 40 games in those two years combined. In 04 they were tied for 1st going into the last game of the season before losing a tough one at Elizabethton.

I coaches a group from Volunteer that were upcoming freshman in i think it was 06. We played 30 games that summer, went 24-6. won 3 tournaments and played in the USSSA world tournament. They were in my opinion the most talented bunch to ever play at Volunteer. Turns out they didn't play much after they got to High school . Just played their season and kicked back the rest of the time.  Their Senior season they won 9 games. What a disappointment. Great kids but had more important things to do besides baseball. When they lost games it didn't seem to bother them. We had very good coaches there during that time. I had one of my dear friends coach there for several years. An excellent baseball coach (knew the game and how to teach it). i could see the frustration every day i was around him as he tried to figure out how to get em fired up.

Wish somehow someone could instill in our guys the passion to play the game the way it was meant to be played.

Edited March 28, 2015 by DandDD

[wingman10]

You will beat DC

[DandDD]

Bump

[wingman10]

bump

[crazzyness]

The classifacation realignment only applies to football. All other sports remain the same until '17-'18.

[DandDD]

bump