VB in the springtime.

[URSUS]

What do you think the feeling would be if volleyball was moved to the spring and softball were moved to the fall? Opposition to it? Apathy? Out right anger? There has been a lot of discussion on the softball board an I was just wondering what some "volleyball people" opinions were.

[5-Sport Dad]

I'm chasing you around, URSUS. This crazy springtime weather has rained out a huge fundraising tournament for one of our brethren and I don't have anything else to do. /bored.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":bored:" border="0" alt="bored.gif" />

 

By the way, me, my family and my daughter - the most important one in this debate - are for playing volleyball during this time of year.

[play4keeps]

Good question.

 

...but it won't happen. Michigan was the last state to play HS volleyball in the spring and last year they finally did away with it and moved it to the fall to match the rest of the U.S. The only teams that I know playing in the spring are the local parochial middle schools.

 

Collegiate volleyball is played in the fall. HS ball is also played (now in all 50 states) in the fall. Travel volleyball is played in the spring and that's a big machine. It is the heaviest recruiting time for VB players if they want to play at the "next level" as college coaches do very little recruiting during their own rigorous season except locally.

 

I'm not sure how moving to the fall would help softball...most of the softball players I know play "fall ball" also. Are you saying the weather is better? Spring in Tennessee is flakey -- cold, wet, hot, you name, we've got it! I don't envy those having to play in practice in March weather. Of course, you'd not have the competition available unless it changed nationwide.

 

I'd be curious to hear why someone would think this is a good idea. I'm sure the arguments are sound (from a softball standpoint) but why would it effect VB? Even if there are common players, athletes choose sports all the time. Soccer and Golf interfere with VB. Track and lacrosse interfere with softball.

 

Thanks for starting the conversation, I'm interested in hearing the views and may pop over to the softball board to see what's up there /rolleyes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":rolleyes:" border="0" alt="rolleyes.gif" />

[5-Sport Dad]

You need to expand your horizons and check out the softball forum. This issue has been debated, argued, discussed...debated, argued and discussed again...and again and again. It's also the reason I've posted more today (and am about to go stir crazy!) than I have in my life /dry.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=" : The Commando Classic (which initially drew almost 60 teams and is a HUGE fundraiser for the Hendersonville softball team) got cancelled because of the unrelenting cold and rain, and I've been forced to sit indoors all day wishing I was really sitting at Drakes Creek Park watching my daughter and her teammates whip up on the other team. But, noooo! Softball has always been played in the Spring and the powers that be won't consider a change. All because you sissy v'ball players can't play in the Spring...'cause it's the cluuuuub season. Well, I'm tired of...

 

Phew! Sorry!! I must've lost it for a minute...

 

I apologize. Lord, forgive me...and all the pygmies in New Guinea...again.

[play4keeps]

You need to expand your horizons and check out the softball forum. This issue has been debated, argued, discussed...debated, argued and discussed again...and again and again. It's also the reason I've posted more today (and am about to go stir crazy!) than I have in my life /dry.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=" : The Commando Classic (which initially drew almost 60 teams and is a HUGE fundraiser for the Hendersonville softball team) got cancelled because of the unrelenting cold and rain, and I've been forced to sit indoors all day wishing I was really sitting at Drakes Creek Park watching my daughter and her teammates whip up on the other team. But, noooo! Softball has always been played in the Spring and the powers that be won't consider a change. All because you sissy v'ball players can't play in the Spring...'cause it's the cluuuuub season. Well, I'm tired of...

 

Phew! Sorry!! I must've lost it for a minute...

 

I apologize. Lord, forgive me...and all the pygmies in New Guinea...again.

 

 

LOL /roflol.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":roflol:" border="0" alt="roflol.gif" />

 

And to think that I have always been jealous of the softball players' parents who get to sit in a camp chair in the sunshine all spring whilst I park my behind on a hard bleacher in a stinky gym...

 

Guess it just goes to show that the grass always seems greener...oh wait, it IS greener and now more so with all this rain!

 

Sorry about the tournament, do teams travel to play (I imagine they would to get 60 teams)--what happens to them and their investment in the weekend?

[PHargis]

I am not sure what the purpose would be except weather and I thought softball had make up games. Certainly there would be no problem, that I can see, it swapping soccer and softball as wet weather does not bother soccer much. The real problem is off season play which has been mentioned. And now comes boys VB and lecrosse boys and girls. Boys VB will not be a

problem as they can play on Monday and Friday nights. IMO softball has a problem no matter what part ofthe year and it is Scheduling. The rest of scheduling is numbers issues and likely

no one wants to give up some more scheduling time. Basketball can play any time of the year. The interesting thing is that this can be worked out in a year. Good luck. They are lining up right now and football is in front of the line. Guess where soccer plays most of theire games but that can be changed.

[oldsetter]

I don't think vb has anything to do with when they play softball. Softball was played in the spring before there was any high school vb. that was the season they picked long ago. If they wanted to move it to the fall, it would have little impact on vb. I don't think many softball players play vb. It is fall soccer that probably hurts vb. Like was mentioned, the big machine for vb is Jan to Jun - which overlaps the boys vb program for high shcool - that needs to get started in TN. !!

[play4keeps]

I don't think vb has anything to do with when they play softball. Softball was played in the spring before there was any high school vb. that was the season they picked long ago. If they wanted to move it to the fall, it would have little impact on vb. I don't think many softball players play vb. It is fall soccer that probably hurts vb. Like was mentioned, the big machine for vb is Jan to Jun - which overlaps the boys vb program for high shcool - that needs to get started in TN. !!

 

 

Actually I think you might be surprised at the number of HS softball players who play HS volleyball. We have 3 on our team. Don't see many on club teams obviously as the seasons overlap and softball plays on weekends like volleyball does.

[TheGreatLineJudge]

Here I was thinking I could be first to the punch. Whoops.

 

I echo P4K's sentiments and pretty much agree wholesale. If anything, you would hurt 1) softball and 2) high school volleyball. If forced to choose between club and high school, most of the kids who play both would likely take club.

 

Sure, the weather is nominally better. But as oldsetter said, softball took to the spring long before volleyball came around. Besides, if you make it to the next level in softball, you'll just have to contend with the same weather conditions as before.

 

Just my two cents.

[5-Sport Dad]

On second thought, y'all are right. Long ago them s'ball people started it in the Spring and by golly who do they think they are wantin' to change now and mess up y'alls high school season??? Who cares if there are gale-force winds and temperatures in the 30's? Buy some portable outdoor heaters, dugout tarps and hand warmers and man UP! Sheesh!! Bunch of idiotic trouble-maker sissy pants'!

 

You purists v'ball people are a lot smarter than them: Y'all wear spandex AND play indoors! Heck, I'm gonna stay over here for awhile and load up on brain cells before venturing over to the s'ball forum again.

 

What was I thinkin'? /rolleyes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":rolleyes:" border="0" alt="rolleyes.gif" />

[PHargis]

Here I was thinking I could be first to the punch. Whoops.

 

I echo P4K's sentiments and pretty much agree wholesale. If anything, you would hurt 1) softball and 2) high school volleyball. If forced to choose between club and high school, most of the kids who play both would likely take club.

 

Sure, the weather is nominally better. But as oldsetter said, softball took to the spring long before volleyball came around. Besides, if you make it to the next level in softball, you'll just have to contend with the same weather conditions as before.

 

Just my two cents.

Your two cents may mean a quarter. A trend may have been started but likely cannot maintain itself. VB is a sport popular in Middle School but is having trouble maintaining itself due to middle school participation and then if school participation existed, likely High school could not handle it unless thinking out of the box occurs. First, no 6th grade experiences except some schools have a very few matches. When students get to high school, not enough Freshman, Sophmore teams, maybe. So, lets say a club has 48 middle school players that are 12 year old along with other clubs that have teams. Where are they going? I guess they will stay in club if schools cannot handle them so it appears so trend might be started but one might have seen it coming a couple of years of go as if siblings have a good experience sisters and friends, etc. But no place to go in school? Something tells me that doesn't need to happen but we'll see. For some reason, younger VB players are developing at a high rate but where are they going.

[TheGreatLineJudge]

Who cares if there are gale-force winds and temperatures in the 30's?

 

 

Once upon a time, I umpired softball. I know how cold and ugly it is in the early spring. I've stood on the chalk line with the wind blowing during a 30-something degree day. Got caught with no gloves and less than protective outerwear. I feel your pain, good sir.

 

Doesn't change my position, though. /smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />