loubrown

Jimbob9, let's not totally discount high school ball. Yes, I am a hs coach, but I was a travel coach long before. My college roommate is an sec coach with an ncaa national championship- regarded as one of the best recruiters in softball. Conversations we have had even before i was a coach lead me to believe that there is definite value in playing high school ball. travel ball has changed recruiting- college coaches can go to a showcase tournament and see hundreds of prospects in a weekend as opposed to traveling to hundreds of different high school games, which happen to take place during the collegiate season. The argument has been made on this board so I won't rehash it. College coaches are recruiting parents and travel ball coaches as much as they are the players- so they have to tell them how important they are. When they call me they aren't worried about the perception of mom and dad- they want to know about the character of the kid. grades, can they lead (their hs teammates who aren't as experienced), whats their work ethic like and how do they handle obstacles. My last point- mom and dad driving 2 hours for a travel ball practice 2x/week is not commitment on the kids part. Staying after school for conditioning in the fall or volunteering to front toss to a teammate afterwards is.