Baseball: What Can We Do

[Skyhawk]

There are schools in this state that take baseball seriously, its just sad that most of them are AAA or private schools. In AA, there are schools that take baseball seriously, but they are few and far between. In A it gets even worse. Something must be done for the good of baseball in the state of Tennessee. We must as "baseball people" rise up, and stop the tyranny of the Football and Basketball world. Until we all work together to improve the image of baseball in the state of Tennessee, we will not reach the level of the other SEC feeder states. If you haven't been to Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas or Florida you don't know what I'm talking about. They put money in their facilities, and allow baseball to thrive as a major sport. We can get to this level in Tennessee, but we as "baseball people" must all work together. Please, give suggestions to improve the image of baseball, if you want to post and be "smart" and say we don't have a problem, then you better back it up, because the info. is in my favor on this.

[PhantomII]

Most AAA schools take baseball seriously, most A do not.

Larger urban areas embrace competitive summer baseball ie. elite travel teams, USSSA, AAU etc.

Most small towns are still stuck with Little League and Dixie Youth baseball. Do you see a correlation?

 

In urban areas where competitive summer ball is played, the parents are serious about baseball. In small towns where Little League and Dixie Youth are played, parents consider baseball a recreational activity. If parents take summer baseball seriously, they will support and push for a high quality HS program. If parents see summer baseball as a recreational activity, that's how they will view their HS program.

[Hack]

We really do need to establish baseball as a major sport. At my school baseball just simply gets screwed over for everything. All anyone cares about is football and I hate it. But what can we do to change it?

[illpete23]

WIN.

 

If you win, they will come (well maybe not, but at least they'll think a little bit).

 

I came from Volunteer and our baseball team has little by little taken steps to seriousness. These small town teams can grow to be the best, but there has to be hard work. That's what has happened in the east side of Hawkins County, hard work and dedication.

 

Good luck in getting baseball to be a "major sport". All I can say is PLAY BALL!

[OSCARtheGROUCH]

Win is right!!! But many times in the smaller schools lots of the better atheletes hang up their baseball spikes to "focus" on football or "focus" on basketball. Occasionally this may be the proper choice if they really do love that sport over baseball but many times they have the bone-head faculty member tell them they should concentrate on football(or basketball) because they won't get anywhere in baseball. This is just a scare tactic that some people resort to, to better their football/basketball programs. After all they get paid to win and no win equal no job. Also football and basketball make the bigger bucks at the gate so the pressure to win is greater. I think if you're talented enough to play and excel at multiple sports--you should play em' all. You're only young once, And by the way, Baseball is STILL the greatest game there is, ever was and ever will be!!!

[eli]

The biggest problem I see in rural areas is that AAU basketball has taken over. They play YEAR ROUND and put more pressure on kids to consentrate on one sport than football ever did. Football is the only sport any more that doesn't have competition outside of its regular season. Football is not the problem it once was, AAU basketball is ruining competitive H.S. baseball and softball in these areas.