about softnall try your high school and explain the your trying to get involved in a sport and u need help to play and understand the game. also try your local newspaper they have listings of towns around your area looking for girts to play softballtry their first if possible its for ladis for ages 15-18. then go out for the high school team that way u wont go blinded

Wow, your in a bind, this is a situation more then a few have experinaced, the best thing to do is be direct with the coach. Tell the coach your thoughts and see how he reacts. If this doesn't work go to the Athletic Director of the school.

tell him the truth its your choice so do what you think is the best plus im sure he will definetly still play u even in school ball :)

Everyone has a boss in this case it would be your school Athletic Director as for how to handle the coach give him the benifit of the doubt and talk to him if he reacts negativly then proceed to the next higher person until you have reached the top but go thru the chain look into your particular schools reporting structure and follow it you may not get the answer you are looking for but you would have atleast done your due dilligance as far as expressing your concerns to the right people. The main thing to remember is to keep a positive disposition and dont be afraid to get your parents involved knowing that they to have to keep a level head and follow the chain of comand

sup

Kelly - Do you play tournament ball and school ball during the same months of the year? Our girls don't. I am the middle school coach in my county and we are not allowed to coach a travel team with the same age girls we coach for school ball. Even though I was not in agreement with it at first, your situation makes me realize it is for a good reason. Anyway, if you do not play them at the same time, I would go out for school ball, make the team and play the school season before I mentioned anything to the coach about wanting to leave the travel team. If he plays you regularly in school ball, that will be proof that you are worthy of a position and playing time. After the school season, when it is time to make a decision about travel ball, you still want to leave the travel team, go to him and let him know how you feel. Do want you need to do. If when the next school ball season comes around, he shows clear prejudice against you, you will have plenty of grounds to go up the ladder - over his head - all the way to GHSA if need be. Your high school AD, Principal, and/or Superintendent should fix it before you have to go that far. He should be ashamed of himself for using his position to intimidate young athletes to play travel ball for him. Good Luck!

Kelly - first be clear that he has the ability to get to know the girls better that play all year for him - so it is easy to show favorites. That doesn't make it right but it happens.

Second if decisions are not being made on the HS team based on stats and practice attendance during the school year etc, then your parents have plenty of content to talk to the athletic director about.

Third, have your parents ask to see the evaluation form or "Decision grid" he uses to make decisions. If he refuses it is a perfectly good question for the AD. Great coaches have these because they bail smart coaches out of bind when they are acccused of favortism. Whwn they can pull one of these out and show you the data they are very smart indeed.

Next: Be your own decisionmaker and do what you need to do. Your play speaks for itself in the end.

Finally, be open to the idea that you don't know everything that might have happened between he and your friend, nor are you probably the best judge of her skills. Perhaps he is making the best decision for the team from his perspective and it might have nothing to do with the summer travel team. It's easier for someone who is being benched to blame it on a reason that is not attached to their skills or perfromance. Worry about your needs and goals and be careful about making judgments.

I agree with alot of people about being honest with your coach. If you do decide to leave to go on to bigger and better things and the coach wont play you in high school, then it would be best to sit and talk to him..not your parents but you. That made a huge difference for me when I did it. When he asks you questions make sure you give him complete answers and dont hold anything back and be prepared. Try to think of what he will say in response to what you say so you arent left off gaurd.

kelly-

what you should be is be staright up with him. Tell him that you dont want to play on the tournament team because its a little to much and your very sad about it so you still are going to play on high school because you love the sport, and that you are very happy that he will be coaching the team..kinda make it sound like theres nothing you can do adn that your sad that he wont be your coach!

Well it really depends on why you want to quit. I would say just to try to tough it out until the end. Gosh wut r yall still doin playing travel ball anyway!!! This coach sounds totally bogus. If being on the travel team is too much, he should respect that. No girl should be punished for not wanting to play for a team!!! That is just wrong!!!

Need to find out more info. Why do u want to quit? Will quitting his team advance ur abilities or increase ur playing time? Don't forget high school is where the college coaches start watching u or getting to know names, so if u have talent it's something to think about. I would sit down one on one or with ur parents and discuss ur issues with the coach and see if there is a compromise in the situation. Remember respect is key too when discussing issues with an adult. I played year round softball. I had played on Chula Vista Bobby Sox Allstars and we won nationals 3 years in a row. Out of high school i attended university of utah with a full athletic scholarship for pitching. I served in the Army and also played softball. In 1990 I went to Japan and played professionally for Toyota. Michelle Smith came to play on the team after me. I have an abundance of experience playing ball and I know it can get very political at times but u have to remain strong, give 100%, and play ur game. Don't let anything bother you just prove it to urself and set goals for what u want to accomplish.

Well all I can tell you is that you should confront him about the situation. If your better skilled than your friend then that's a good argument to rely on, because of the competition you'll face in high school. You should bring up a good point as to why you want to leave the tournament team, because if you want to leave, just to leave, then it shows your not dedicated 100%. All I could recommend is to try and cope with it if you really want to play high school softball.

well, you could ask your parents to play along, and tell your coach that they wont allow you to play..or that you cant afford to travel right now...of course, idk y you want to leave travel ball...it's the best!