Why aren't baseball and

[BullFrog Dad]

softball played at the junior high level?

[Phil C]

It is a good question but it could be because there are still little league type programs available to the kids.

[JasperDog94]

That's exactly what I was thinking Phil.

[BullFrog Dad]

Thanx Phil C, I was thinking that's the reason as well. I was so sure that you were going to post that I left "Phil C come on down" out of the topic!!!

[District303aPastPlayer]

they still have the select teams, as well, as the Senior League for when the kids are in Jr High... works well actually.

[Phil C]

Thank you Bullfrog! :) Still it would be interested if they had a few games at the junior high level say at the same time track is going on so the season would end before the other leagues started.

[Rabbit'93]

I think the leagues are only a part of the reason why. The cost of providing equipment and things would probably be another reason.

[Old Tiger]

I believe that is the reason. It would be good though to have it in junior high so you can start developing players.

[Wildcat81]

Old Tiger:
I believe that is the reason. It would be good though to have it in junior high so you can start developing players.I like your answer.They football,Basketball for boys basketball for girls.also track for both.Why not softball,Volleyball.and maybe baseball for boys.Maybe schools should put more into Jr High
sports to develope high school players.

[BIG19]

District303aPastPlayer:
they still have the select teams, as well, as the Senior League for when the kids are in Jr High... works well actually.Actually, Little League has divisions for ages up through 18. Senior League is for 15-16 year olds, while the Big League is for 16-18 year olds. You just don't see much of either of these two divisions playing anymore with all the select teams playing.

Have to agree, it would be nice to see baseball/softball at the Jr. high level. It would lonly help the kids out as they get into high school.

[Bell_06]

BIG19:

District303aPastPlayer:
they still have the select teams, as well, as the Senior League for when the kids are in Jr High... works well actually.Actually, Little League has divisions for ages up through 18. Senior League is for 15-16 year olds, while the Big League is for 16-18 year olds. You just don't see much of either of these two divisions playing anymore with all the select teams playing.

Have to agree, it would be nice to see baseball/softball at the Jr. high level. It would lonly help the kids out as they get into high school.I've been told that the larger school divisions have talked about starting softball and baseball in Jr High...In part the tournament teams have aided in the disintegration of little league and recreational ball programs. Most kids who are serious about the sport want more then either of the local programs can offer. The decline of little league will most likely continue and with it the skill levels to play the sport well.

The reason why 3A will most likely not support the idea is the simple fact that they don't have enough students. We tend to have kids who play multiple sports, often overlapping. Plus Junior High is what strongly feeds the band program. Add yet another popular sport into the Jr High program and the band would be greatly reduced.

If baseball/softball were to be introduced into the jr high level it would add some credibility to the sports. No longer would you just have in high school Volleyball/Football preseason conditioning and training.. then off-season Volleyball/Football conditioning with no time given to the training skills of softball and baseball. And that would throw a big ol' monkey wrench into the AD's scheduling. Large 5A schools already have set blocks year round for baseball and softball, there is still some overlapping but not enough for the high school volleyball, football, and band programs to feel threatened. Just my 1:00 am opinion.

[BIG19]

Was giving this subject much thought this morning and here is what I came up with. If all other sports, football, basketball, volleyball and track these sports are all played on the same size fields/courts from 6th-12th. In baseball/softball there would have to be new fields created for the Jr high kids. There are not many kids, that I know of, in the 6th through 8th grade age ranges that can effectively play on a high school size field. Now I know that some of you are saying "yeah right", but watching the kids playing LL for the past 6 or so years they all have problems moving from a LL field to the size of the high school field. Pitching being one of the major spots of weakness along with the long throw from either 3rd or SS to first. Not so much an issue with softball as with baseball, but still an issue none the less. Now comes the money issue with new fields. Now after saying all this, I would love to see this happen for the Jr high kids. Just my thoughts and opinion.

[Old Cardinal]

On the question of softball, I think the public school ignored the situation, for what ever reason, and the phenomenon of Select team & ASA/AFA type league play has filled the vacuum. It is a little unfair, in that the kids in isolated rural towns tend to not be able to play(Jr. Hi. age) Select team ball as easily as the more suburban raised girls. Practice plus games are a real commitment and cost....As for the boys, there are leagues where real baseball rules are played at a much younger age than LL and that seems to be the driving interest of the more athletically prone youth. Each year the boys (real baseball rules)programs capture more and more of the youthful players.

<small>[ January 31, 2004, 09:13 PM: Message edited by: Old Cardinal ]</small>

[dawgdad]

If Little League is ever to attract more kids they need to look at the rules in the younger divisions. Pony and select type leagues play by baseball rules,L/L has rules that hinder the kid when it comes time to play at the older levels. Also in smaller towns it seems that by the time a kid gets older 15-18 and still wants to play baseball,there are few others at his age who are still want to play. His only recourse is to play with a select team and they are usually pretty far away. Don't know about junior high baseball because of the expense to the schools (more taxes or parents pay extra for their kids to participate).