Split Decision article

[supersteve17]

CSense,

 

Did you realize that two ro three of Ezell's championships were won against L. Valley?

The point here? I see another case where a private school beat a public school with the public school as having possibly the best team in school history.

 

 

We seem to still be a little off topic.

 

I still honestly do not understand how Boyd can be so dominant in 1A softball to the point of being able to compete with ANY school in the southeast regardless of classification (words from a Boyd person) by being able to take who just so happens to show up at the school in the 6th grade or whatever.

The point was that you had said something in an earlier post about how LV could not compete with BBS or at least did not have the same opportunity to be good (sorry, can't recall the exact quote.) They (LV) have historically competed very well with BBS and other schools across the state. When they had quality pitching, they were BETTER than anyone except Ezell-Harding. Pitchers seem to make the difference in softball especially at the HS level. LV had one of the best players in the southeast a couple of seasons ago (Jennifer Reed -- last year's Southern Conference Freshman of the Year for UTC) yet they could not compete with BBS because of pitching. I would go so far as to say that if you put Sarah Warren on any one of the top four teams in any district in the state, they would instantly become a contender for the state title, without regard to classification.

 

BTW, the fact that BBS can compete with any school in the southeast is contingent on having a pitcher of the quality of Warren and/or King. In King's senior year BBS defeated the Alabama state champs from two different classifications. That sort of thing could not necessarily happen every year.

 

The moral of this story is that pitching wins championships in high school softball.

 

Yes, the softball philosophy part of this dicsussion is a little off topic, but it is very much on point with regard to the "split decision article."

 

[Gov]

I thought Tyner was a magnet school.

 

It is both. It is a magnet school within a community school. The best of both worlds

[gobigred]

This one pitcher does not pitch every game does she?

On most high school softball teams, yes, one girl pitches every game.

Silverpie is right. The throwing motion of a softball pitcher is a natural movement that produces relatively little stress on the shoulder and elbow. They can throw every day if necessary. Consequently, one stud pitcher on a high school squad equals one very competitive team.

 

It is a team sport in theory, but the success of any fast pitch team is totally dependent on the quality of their ace hurler. Softball is not a very good point of reference for this discussion.

Dang gobigred, Soddy-Daisy (5A enrollment) has had at least two ace pitchers at the same time over the past 4 years and still could only beat Boyd (1A enrollment) about half the time.

 

There must be a little more to it than one player.

Well there you go! My point exactly. I would expect two teams with great pitchers to play about even in women's softball regardless of classification or the supporting cast!

 

Tell you what, I'll take my high school team with one all state pitcher and average position players and beat your team with an average pitcher and all state position players eight out of ten times. If you were a betting man, would you bet against me?

[CSense]

Supersteve and gobigred

 

Lookout Valley did it for three years, but someone posted on this thread that Boyd has more state appearances for softball than any other team in the area. There was a sense of dominance portrayed. Yes Lookout Valley may have a certain girl or two come through who can compete with anyone, but to be able to do it year in and year out there must be more to it than just luck of who enrolls which brings me to SD and Boyd.

 

SD 5A enrollment, Boyd 1A enrollment. SD with equal pitching as Boyd if not better since SD has had two aces to Boyd's one.

 

For some far fetched reason than you guys want to admit, there seems to be more similarities between a 5A public school and a 1A private school than 1A private to public.

 

Could SD have been able to dominate in the same region as Boyd over the past 20 years? Not sure since Boyd has split the games with SD over the past 2 or 3 years you would sort of think that they may have split in a longer running series.

 

gobigred, what you say may be true about fielding a winning team. I will make you a similar challenge. You field a team from within a one mile radius of your house and I will field a team with players from all over the south including players from within your boundary and see who more likely could field the winner. Deal?

[sportsguy1]

There have only been a handful of pitchers that have helped make Boyd become a power in softball. You take the fact that these girls probably started pitching in 9th grade and each has a 4 year cycle and that pretty much covers all of Boyd's success. I am sure that Boyd has attracted some players, espeically in recent years, just due to the program. However, all of their recent pitchers attended Boyd before they were in middle school, long before anyone would know that they would become great pitchers. And with pitchers being the key in softball Boyd has had a good run...but it is not like these girls were recruited to come play...they were already there.

Edited January 29, 2004 by sportsguy1

[gobigred]

gobigred, what you say may be true about fielding a winning team.  I will make you a similar challenge.  You field a team from within a one mile radius of your house and I will field a team with players from all over the south including players from within your boundary and see who more likely could field the winner.  Deal?

It could well depend on how many all state pitchers lived within my one mile radius! C'mon now CSense, you can do better than that! How many high schools can you name that only draw students from a one mile radius? Can you name even one in Tennessee?

 

My point to you is that softball is not a good point of reference for your defense of public schools. A 1A public with an all state pitcher could be very competitive with many if not all teams in 5A.

 

FYI, I am in favor of giving small rural publics relief in classification, especially in football, but splitting all public and private schools is not the best answer. The multiplier is a good start, and it should be placed, with appropriate variances, on the enrollments of all public and private schools that do not have strict zones IMO.

Edited January 29, 2004 by gobigred

[Gov]

FYI, I am in favor of giving small rural publics relief in classification, especially in football, but splitting all public and private schools is not the best answer. The multiplier is a good start, and it should be placed, with appropriate variances, on the enrollments of all public and private that do not have strict zones IMO.

 

See, everyone can come to some type of compromise, isn't it great when everyone gets along.

[CSense]

There have only been a handful of pitchers that have helped make Boyd become a power in softball. You take the fact that these girls probably started pitching in 9th grade and each has a 4 year cycle and that pretty much covers all of Boyd's success. I am sure that Boyd has attracted some players, espeically in recent years, just due to the program. However, all of their recent pitchers attended Boyd before they were in middle school, long before anyone would know that they would become great pitchers. And with pitchers being the key in softball Boyd has had a good run...but it is not like these girls were recruited to come play...they were already there.

Sportsguy seems to be the most honest of the private supporters. He understands that a private school can attract some players from other areas just due to the program.

 

 

About the one mile radius, I know there is no school who has a zone of a one mile radius, but I think you get the point.

 

And you do not have to use softball as the example. Pick any sport. It all works the same. The smallest of private schools can attract (enroll) students from a much larger radius (zone/boundary) than the largest of public schools, much less the small public schools.

 

Why is that so hard to understand?

[TDJ85]

While I have done very little if any posting, I have followed this thread quite closely. From what I know ( from friends with daughters who play softball ) and seen, pitchers start training and working at a very young age. You do not suddenly decide in 10th grade that you want to pitch. A lot of time and money goes into developing a pitcher. I think this gets back to the topic of private school participation and parental involvement, not the least of which would be financial.

[gobigred]

And you do not have to use softball as the example. Pick any sport. It all works the same. The smallest of private schools can attract (enroll) students from a much larger radius (zone/boundary) than the largest of public schools, much less the small public schools.

 

Why is that so hard to understand?

I understand perfectly!

 

It is obvious that ANY school that has access only to a strictly zoned population base has a disadvantage as compared to ANY school that can draw from a larger base, even if enrollment is equal.

 

It is also obvious that ANY school that charges several thousand dollars for tuition is has a disadvantage as compared to ANY school that does not charge tuition, even if enrollment is equal.

 

What you are missing here is that athletic classification issues are not nearly as one dimensional as you seem to think they are. Public schools and private schools both have advantages and disadvantages in terms of access to student athletes.

 

To borrow from your post, "Why is that so hard to understand?"

[gobigred]

While I have done very little if any posting, I have followed this thread quite closely. From what I know ( from friends with daughters who play softball ) and seen, pitchers start training and working at a very young age. You do not suddenly decide in 10th grade that you want to pitch. A lot of time and money goes into developing a pitcher. I think this gets back to the topic of private school participation and parental involvement, not the least of which would be financial.

You are correct that experience and training are vital to the success of a softball pitcher.

 

Are you trying to convince us that there are no kids in public schools whose parents have had them taking private pitching lessons for years? Don't kid yourself. I frequently spend time (and money) at a private baseball / softball training facility, and I assure you there are plenty of public school softball players there receiving pitching and hitting lessons.

[TDJ85]

gobigred--

 

Did not mean to imply that at all. My whole point was to show that private schools do not have a strangle hold on the best pitchers. It is hard work and parental involvement that is needed for development. It seems some will want to show that as a private school advantage.