I know it doesn't get talked about much here. But wondering what people's thoughts were on moving softball to the spring. I mean as it stands, girls have XC, Volleyball, Golf, Softball. Take a C or small B and the your spread pretty thin. I know you have your track purest's that will scoff at the idea but as much as I think track is great, I also feel it's dying. Love to hear people's thoughts. Thanks.
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That’s interesting. I would like to see that change.
What I would really like to see is spring baseball to be eliminated and played in the summer like Iowa. IMO, High school baseball and Legion baseball should be one league, in the summer.
What I would really like to see is spring baseball to be eliminated and played in the summer like Iowa. IMO, High school baseball and Legion baseball should be one league, in the summer.
I agree there as well. But you think the NSAA is a good ole boy club. I don't think it holds a candle to the American Legion good ole boy club. Therefore you'd never see them want to give it up to the schools.
It’s just ridiculous that there are two seasons of baseball. Track and Golf are enough in the spring. Baseball in the summer is enough.
Again can't disagree. I'll say the same for softball as well. Club softball has gotten to be a huge. Some kids paying as much as $3000 to play. Cause someone promised them a D1 scholarship. It's gotten out of hand.
Parent of 2 softball kids. I LOVE the idea of playing like Iowa, after state track, in the summe . The problem you'll have is the club SB players who spend 10k a summer on fees/travel/hotels/meals, won't play for their HS, but will play travel ball because they're "guaranteed" a D1 scholarship. Much like club VB has significantly hindered HS girls b-ball with girls doing that instead.
100% agree! Softball is one of the fastest growing sports for the NSAA with the growth coming at the Class C level. Class C schools tend to have Volleyball and all of our some combination of golf, cross country, and softball in the fall. The only girls sports offered in the spring is track and soccer. Very few class C schools offer soccer.
Wrong, schools AD's make the decisions via the NSAA....allegedly, not schools. If you think they listen to students and teachers, you're mistaken.
I think baseball is driven in large part by the Omaha and Lincoln areas. Baseball is huge and frankly most kids (and parents) that focus on baseball couldn't care less about track or golf. Combined with Legion's resistance to change, I don't see anything happening.
Agree and it’s sad. Kids from Columbus,Norfolk and Grand Island etc shouldn’t be going to play baseball on a Tuesday night in Omaha or Lincoln.
Sorry, unless they are guaranteed draft pick, it’s crazy to me.
correct, each school as an voting member, than is usually th AD, or some Admin, the schools make the decisions and community members vote in school board members who guide those decisions, so you are still wrong
I know it has been talked about through nsaa proposals to move softball to the spring especially for smaller B and C schools that do not have soccer. It would seem to make sense as there are more sports offered in the fall for girls (usually volleyball, xc, and golf in smaller schools) and only one offered in the spring (track). This would also seem to make sense as it would also lead into summer softball for the girls who do that as well.
Would Class A softball be in the fall and B and C in the spring? I don't know.
As far as moving baseball and softball to the summer, there are a lot of layers to that. School season conflicting with rec leagues and/or legion ball. School season conflicting with club baseball and softball. Some schools would add softball in the spring which would add cost of coaches, travel, etc. when it doesn't cost the school anything for the kids to play in the summer.
Small schools typically have their weight room programs and kids do summer camps for volleyball, basketball, etc. in the summer. Kids playing club volleyball and basketball in the summer would be affected. I know at OC where my kids are there is a lot going on in the summer--kids often have to do multiple sports in one day as it is--would adding another h.s. season in the summer make this better or worse? I don't know.
If I was a school administrator (and I am not just a lowly teacher and coach) I would not want to add another school season in the summer. It would add more supervision and work time. Would we have to pay administrators more as they would be working outside of their 200+ day contracts?
If I am a small school football, basketball or wrestling coach do I want school baseball in the summer when I typically get to work with my kids in camps and such? I don't know.
These are just one man's thoughts. I have four daughters but none of them play softball--but they do run cross country and/or play volleyball and run track. Moving softball to the spring would allow for other kids to join my kids' fall teams. But it would take away from their track teams. So pluses and minuses to both.
Would Class A softball be in the fall and B and C in the spring? I don't know.
As far as moving baseball and softball to the summer, there are a lot of layers to that. School season conflicting with rec leagues and/or legion ball. School season conflicting with club baseball and softball. Some schools would add softball in the spring which would add cost of coaches, travel, etc. when it doesn't cost the school anything for the kids to play in the summer.
Small schools typically have their weight room programs and kids do summer camps for volleyball, basketball, etc. in the summer. Kids playing club volleyball and basketball in the summer would be affected. I know at OC where my kids are there is a lot going on in the summer--kids often have to do multiple sports in one day as it is--would adding another h.s. season in the summer make this better or worse? I don't know.
If I was a school administrator (and I am not just a lowly teacher and coach) I would not want to add another school season in the summer. It would add more supervision and work time. Would we have to pay administrators more as they would be working outside of their 200+ day contracts?
If I am a small school football, basketball or wrestling coach do I want school baseball in the summer when I typically get to work with my kids in camps and such? I don't know.
These are just one man's thoughts. I have four daughters but none of them play softball--but they do run cross country and/or play volleyball and run track. Moving softball to the spring would allow for other kids to join my kids' fall teams. But it would take away from their track teams. So pluses and minuses to both.
Iowa's fourth season is the answer. No one in Nebraska wants to change their sport from fall to spring (or 'winter outdoor' season, as I call it). Soccer would rather move to fall. Softball won't be interested in the opposite change.
It has always been said that Legion resistance in Nebraska stopped the fourth season. I think that is waning as more and more Legions are having trouble getting numbers and coaches. I think they might be open to the Iowa system where they basically scoop up the high school kids for Legion tournament season.
The resistance that is not waning is the schools' not wanting the problem of a fourth season for ADs to organize and having to find teachers willing to take extra-duty assignments that go into summer months.
I imagine if any movement started, you might hear from football and basketball coaches who don't want to fight an in-season HS sport during their prime off-season months of June and July.
The 3-seasons were created for a 3-sport system: FB, BB and track for boys only. Now that we have a 20-sport system there are always going to be crowded seasons. There is no escaping it.
BTW as a softball parent, I'd love to be going to her games playing for a free HS team from May to July instead of the current system. Just know it isn't happening.
It has always been said that Legion resistance in Nebraska stopped the fourth season. I think that is waning as more and more Legions are having trouble getting numbers and coaches. I think they might be open to the Iowa system where they basically scoop up the high school kids for Legion tournament season.
The resistance that is not waning is the schools' not wanting the problem of a fourth season for ADs to organize and having to find teachers willing to take extra-duty assignments that go into summer months.
I imagine if any movement started, you might hear from football and basketball coaches who don't want to fight an in-season HS sport during their prime off-season months of June and July.
The 3-seasons were created for a 3-sport system: FB, BB and track for boys only. Now that we have a 20-sport system there are always going to be crowded seasons. There is no escaping it.
BTW as a softball parent, I'd love to be going to her games playing for a free HS team from May to July instead of the current system. Just know it isn't happening.
I don't want to speak out of turn here on the Legion Baseball side, but feel I can add a little insight here.
I have been a Post Season Tournament Director somewhere between 6 and 10 times. I have lost track. Part of this process involves sitting in on some meetings and interacting with people that have dedicated a lifetime to Legion Baseball in Nebraska.
Nebraska is consistently in the top 5 States in the nation as it relates to Legion Baseball participation. As we compare Nebraska to other states in this regard, I believe it is important to understand that many of these states really didn't have a Legion program left. If they merged programs at the state level, it may well have been because they really didn't have anything to merge. It was an easy decision because there were so few kids participating in Legion ball in that state.
Legion baseball has some classification rules that just plain wouldn't fly with the High School classifications. One of those rules is regarding a transfer player. If a player FROM school A wants to play FOR school B, then school B gets an enrollment multiplier along with that player. The result is that a team could move from Class C to Class B because of that one player. This type of scenario has been discussed repeatedly with the Parochial school classification and is a sore subject. So, which organization's classification rules would be used?
Another thing that stands out to me regarding Legion Baseball is the organization's desire to find a way for every kid that wants to play to have an opportunity to play. I don't know if people understand the commitment that Nebraska Legion baseball has when it comes to preserving their organization. I have witnessed Legion baseball directors physically pick up the telephone and call area coaches to figure out a way for a kid to play. They step into difficult situations and resolve conflicts for the benefit of the kids. They try to make sure that existing rules are interpreted in a manner in which all parties involved are moving toward the desired end result which is participation. This is admirable in my opinion.
Bottom line is this, if High School baseball and Legion baseball were to merge...would the result be better for all of the players involved? Would participation increase or decrease? I don't know what the end result would be. I do feel that what we have now with Nebraska Legion Baseball is not too bad!
I have been a Post Season Tournament Director somewhere between 6 and 10 times. I have lost track. Part of this process involves sitting in on some meetings and interacting with people that have dedicated a lifetime to Legion Baseball in Nebraska.
Nebraska is consistently in the top 5 States in the nation as it relates to Legion Baseball participation. As we compare Nebraska to other states in this regard, I believe it is important to understand that many of these states really didn't have a Legion program left. If they merged programs at the state level, it may well have been because they really didn't have anything to merge. It was an easy decision because there were so few kids participating in Legion ball in that state.
Legion baseball has some classification rules that just plain wouldn't fly with the High School classifications. One of those rules is regarding a transfer player. If a player FROM school A wants to play FOR school B, then school B gets an enrollment multiplier along with that player. The result is that a team could move from Class C to Class B because of that one player. This type of scenario has been discussed repeatedly with the Parochial school classification and is a sore subject. So, which organization's classification rules would be used?
Another thing that stands out to me regarding Legion Baseball is the organization's desire to find a way for every kid that wants to play to have an opportunity to play. I don't know if people understand the commitment that Nebraska Legion baseball has when it comes to preserving their organization. I have witnessed Legion baseball directors physically pick up the telephone and call area coaches to figure out a way for a kid to play. They step into difficult situations and resolve conflicts for the benefit of the kids. They try to make sure that existing rules are interpreted in a manner in which all parties involved are moving toward the desired end result which is participation. This is admirable in my opinion.
Bottom line is this, if High School baseball and Legion baseball were to merge...would the result be better for all of the players involved? Would participation increase or decrease? I don't know what the end result would be. I do feel that what we have now with Nebraska Legion Baseball is not too bad!
I might have to disagree with your softball presumption. As a coach of softball and dad of a softball players I certainly would love to see the change. I also know my daughters would love to play volleyball as well. I think as you look at many of the smaller B class C schools you have numbers that suffer because of the sports being in the same season. I also see programs that struggle in one or the other or both, be a lot more competitive if they were able to share athletes. And what's the difference between freezing cold state tournament or starting your season freezing cold. I think being able to play your state tournament in "potentially" better weather would be a good thing.
Not sure but why would that be any different from the ridiculous amount of money spent by those playing on basketball and volleyball teams that play 6-9 months out of the year and travel hundreds of miles to play in tournaments.??
Because they want to spend 5k a summer to get a $8,000 scholarship to a school that costs 45k a year!
I am just naive enough to think some kids use club sports to get better for their hs teams. We have a hs girls hoops team playing in Lincoln this weekend that has 8 girls who have played club. All are multi-sport and most are three sport or four sport athletes. None of them or their parents are delusional enough to think they are going to get division 1 scholarships. Parents investing in kids. Kids investing in themselves.
Sorry this is off topic. Just tired of the whining.
Sorry this is off topic. Just tired of the whining.
Unpopular opinion: Under no circumstance should a kid be playing 2 sports at the same time. I am all for multi-sport athletes, but not multi-sports in the same season. If you are playing HS basketball and club volleyball at the same time you are cheating both of your teams. You can't commit to one fully if you are playing another. Kids that play legion baseball shouldn't be going to basketball camp or football camp in the summer. Kids that play football shouldn't be doing shoot arounds for basketball on Sundays during the season. Whatever happened to concentrating on the sport that is in season?
I also think that soccer is 100% to blame for the club sports epidemic and sports specialization. Soccer is the original "club" sport, and the origin of "select" and "competitive" clubs.
I also think that soccer is 100% to blame for the club sports epidemic and sports specialization. Soccer is the original "club" sport, and the origin of "select" and "competitive" clubs.
And no one playing golf should run or lift under any circumstance. And no one playing baseball should ever throw a football or run more than 90 feet. And if you are out for track you cannot shoot free throws even in your own driveway.
If i have learned anything about today's youth, it is that they are incapable of concentrating on more than one activity at a time! Which is why at our school our kids only take one subject per quarter!
(I am just messing with you, Mark).
If i have learned anything about today's youth, it is that they are incapable of concentrating on more than one activity at a time! Which is why at our school our kids only take one subject per quarter!
(I am just messing with you, Mark).
You make good points. My experiences with club sports are much different than yours. I don't think the issue is that kids aren't capable of concentrating on more than 1 thing. They are perfectly capable. I just know it is not good for their bodies. When I was coaching track we would have a light workout the day before the meet, then the kids would go to club volleyball practice from 7-9 at night and kill their legs. They would be a shell of themselves at the meet the next day.
Someone mentioned this on a thread a while back... there is a difference between working out for a sport and practicing your skill. Shooting free throws is not the same as playing in a pick up game. As a fall coach, if one of my kids gets hurt playing a pickup basketball game during my season....I am going to lose it. If one of my kids is shooting free throws I don't have an issue with that. It isn't hard on their body and there is no injury risk.
Going from football practice to club basketball practice in the same day isn't healthy. Going to full pad football camp in June and then playing legion baseball that night isn't healthy. If I am the legion baseball coach I am coming unglued on the football coach that let the kid come to camp.
Not whining, we just differ in our opinions on what athletes should be doing during a given season, which is ok. Different opinions is what makes this place great! But we've gotten WAY off topic, my apologies.
I agree. My kids played club sports. We made that choice because we wanted my daughter to be a good softball pitcher and my boys to be good basketball players. Sure they wanted to get scholarships and 2 of the 3 did. That is not the reason they played club sports.
Along the lines of your point as well...my kids absolutely loved the sport enough to want to play all summer as well. The people they met and friendships that were forged are proving to last a lifetime.
It's not all bad. Sometimes it is just what the kid wants to do.
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