Front Office Football Central - View Single Post - Kid(s) leaving home

Ksyrup · 05-13-2022, 07:41 AM

Well, we're in the home stretch as tomorrow is prom, next week is (likely) the end of softball, and in 2 weeks, graduation. It's coming fast and furious - one milestone/ending after another in rapid succession.

Since Mack decided against playing basketball in college, this softball season is it as far as sports goes. About 5-6 years ago, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that she would play sports in college. Even though she loves basketball more, I always thought she'd play softball simply because it is much easier to get on a college roster than basketball. But she's always been injury-prone - she's had 4 concussions and broke a bone in her foot 2 times (or 3, depending on which doctor you ask) which cost her 2.5 years of sports. We pulled her out of travel ball and told her that first priority is a healthy high school career. Once she proved she could stay healthy, we were going to get her back into the travel/recruitment circuit during summer of 2020 and then Covid hit ... and that took care of that plan. She got an offer to play basketball off of one recruiting camp but decided against it. I think she was afraid she wouldn't last and didn't want to be at that school for another 3 years if she wasn't playing ball.

Last year was her first full season of softball in several years and she struggled. Lack of reps, trying to figure out whether she could slap or hit normal (she's lefty and fast so slapping made sense), anticipating injuries which made her tentative at the plate and in the field, etc. She lead the team in strikeouts and clearly didn't play up to potential. It was frustrating to watch, but understandable since she just didn't have much time on the field.

So this year, the coach decided her best use would be as a pinch runner and late inning defensive replacement. She wasn't good with it, lol. Eventually she got an AB here and there, showed she could hit, and then when a couple of seniors left the team for a week to go on a senior trip to NY, she started and hit everything. She went from hitting 9th to 2nd and now she's leadoff. The team is good but young, 15-12 on the season. Worst season in at least 10 years, from before Caitlin joined the high school team as an 8th grader. We regularly put kids on college softball teams for over a decade, but this team doesn't have a ton of talent, and very little pitching - first team in a decade without at least one eventual D1 pitcher on the roster. We've had it pretty good...

Anyway, she's hitting .544 this year. It's unbelievable. I've got parents of former players, umpires, opposing coaches offering to put in a word for her with some smaller colleges because they know she could absolutely kill it as a slapper. She'd hit .350-.400 in college the way she's going right now, easy. But... she's already chosen her path, AND her foot - after 3 years of being healed and causing no problems - is starting to hurt again. She's been wearing specially designed inserts that we have to refurbish every 4-6 months which have worked up until now, but the doctor said the next time it's going to be surgery, which will make the foot unstable and drastically curtail any serious athletic endeavors going forward. So it feels like her body is telling her this is the end, and she's going out playing at a level she looked like she'd be at back in 7th-8th grade before all the injuries. Kinda bittersweet.

05-13-2022, 07:41 AM	#365
Ksyrup This guy has posted so much, his fingers are about to fall off. Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: In Absentia	Well, we're in the home stretch as tomorrow is prom, next week is (likely) the end of softball, and in 2 weeks, graduation. It's coming fast and furious - one milestone/ending after another in rapid succession. Since Mack decided against playing basketball in college, this softball season is it as far as sports goes. About 5-6 years ago, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that she would play sports in college. Even though she loves basketball more, I always thought she'd play softball simply because it is much easier to get on a college roster than basketball. But she's always been injury-prone - she's had 4 concussions and broke a bone in her foot 2 times (or 3, depending on which doctor you ask) which cost her 2.5 years of sports. We pulled her out of travel ball and told her that first priority is a healthy high school career. Once she proved she could stay healthy, we were going to get her back into the travel/recruitment circuit during summer of 2020 and then Covid hit ... and that took care of that plan. She got an offer to play basketball off of one recruiting camp but decided against it. I think she was afraid she wouldn't last and didn't want to be at that school for another 3 years if she wasn't playing ball. Last year was her first full season of softball in several years and she struggled. Lack of reps, trying to figure out whether she could slap or hit normal (she's lefty and fast so slapping made sense), anticipating injuries which made her tentative at the plate and in the field, etc. She lead the team in strikeouts and clearly didn't play up to potential. It was frustrating to watch, but understandable since she just didn't have much time on the field. So this year, the coach decided her best use would be as a pinch runner and late inning defensive replacement. She wasn't good with it, lol. Eventually she got an AB here and there, showed she could hit, and then when a couple of seniors left the team for a week to go on a senior trip to NY, she started and hit everything. She went from hitting 9th to 2nd and now she's leadoff. The team is good but young, 15-12 on the season. Worst season in at least 10 years, from before Caitlin joined the high school team as an 8th grader. We regularly put kids on college softball teams for over a decade, but this team doesn't have a ton of talent, and very little pitching - first team in a decade without at least one eventual D1 pitcher on the roster. We've had it pretty good... Anyway, she's hitting .544 this year. It's unbelievable. I've got parents of former players, umpires, opposing coaches offering to put in a word for her with some smaller colleges because they know she could absolutely kill it as a slapper. She'd hit .350-.400 in college the way she's going right now, easy. But... she's already chosen her path, AND her foot - after 3 years of being healed and causing no problems - is starting to hurt again. She's been wearing specially designed inserts that we have to refurbish every 4-6 months which have worked up until now, but the doctor said the next time it's going to be surgery, which will make the foot unstable and drastically curtail any serious athletic endeavors going forward. So it feels like her body is telling her this is the end, and she's going out playing at a level she looked like she'd be at back in 7th-8th grade before all the injuries. Kinda bittersweet. __________________ M's pitcher Miguel Batista: "Now, I feel like I've had everything. I've talked pitching with Sandy Koufax, had Kenny G play for me. Maybe if I could have an interview with God, then I'd be served. I'd be complete." Last edited by Ksyrup : 05-13-2022 at 08:13 AM.