Ol my

[RCITYHOO 110]

How bout them GREEN WAVES!!!!

[Hacker 82]

They're green and they wave?

 

Context might help next time.

[GMan 3,569]

They beat Graham 14-3...but then again, who hasn't beaten Graham by at least 11 runs over the past several weeks...

[Deleted Account 5,203]

They beat Graham 14-3...but then again, who hasn't beaten Graham by at least 11 runs over the past several weeks...

 

God bless them, but 10 runs in the 7th inning is an embarrassment. That's a game you have a chance to win, and should win, especially against a fellow cellar-dweller. Losing it isn't horrible, but a complete no-show in the final frame is. That's a matter of pride.

 

7-in-a-row and 10-of-11. Hopefully Graham can shake it off and do well against Bland tomorrow and in the MED Tournament next week.

Edited May 10, 2012 by UVAObserver

[GMan 3,569]

I hate to say it but with only 10 players and 7 ugly losses in a row...this team has cashed in its chips for the season...they are playing for the end of school...

[player99 10]

Heard they lost to Bland 9-4 today.

[frito gonzales 103]

9 errors against Bland. Really disappointed in how this team crumbled.

[Deleted Account 5,203]

Heard they lost to Bland 9-4 today.

 

There aren't really words...

Bland is legitimately Bottom 5 in the state of VA in terms of baseball programs...

[GMan 3,569]

There aren't really words...

Bland is legitimately Bottom 5 in the state of VA in terms of baseball programs...

 

Make that Bottom 6...

[frito gonzales 103]

There are some other reasons for Grahams baseball woes IMO, but I'd better keep those off the message board. It's amazing how a team can start out playing really good baseball and then go to being one of the worst teams in VA. But, to be positive they did win 4...that's more than they have won in a long time.

[GMan 3,569]

There are some other reasons for Grahams baseball woes IMO, but I'd better keep those off the message board. It's amazing how a team can start out playing really good baseball and then go to being one of the worst teams in VA. But, to be positive they did win 4...that's more than they have won in a long time.

 

Kids lose focus on a lot of things in May with the nice weather, girls wearing short-shorts, prom, graduation, summer vacation, etc....

 

I was on a couple of teams back in the day like that...some of the guys would have rather been anywhere else but the baseball field on a beautiful spring afternoon...and I'm not just talking players, either...

[fieldgeneral 10]

A lack of a good little league and middle school program doesn't help things. At that level, kids should be ready to play, not just doing it for the heck of it to have something to do. Don't bag on the kids and coaching, they do what they can with what they have. Sure they could field better and produce more runs. Most schools have a decent Middle School program that works with the HS in order to prep them for JV / Varsity. Even Bland and Narrows have one.

 

Hats off to the coach for trying to turn around a dead program. They've had more success this year than in recent ones.

 

 

If you need to complain, be part of the solution. Inquire about a MS program, go be a part of the Little League. Ask the coach how he would like things done to develope those younger players. With a minor league team in town, I would think it could be easy to plant that seed of love for the game at an early age, you just have to keep it.

[Deleted Account 5,203]

A lack of a good little league and middle school program doesn't help things. At that level, kids should be ready to play, not just doing it for the heck of it to have something to do. Don't bag on the kids and coaching, they do what they can with what they have. Sure they could field better and produce more runs. Most schools have a decent Middle School program that works with the HS in order to prep them for JV / Varsity. Even Bland and Narrows have one.

 

Hats off to the coach for trying to turn around a dead program. They've had more success this year than in recent ones.

 

 

If you need to complain, be part of the solution. Inquire about a MS program, go be a part of the Little League. Ask the coach how he would like things done to develope those younger players. With a minor league team in town, I would think it could be easy to plant that seed of love for the game at an early age, you just have to keep it.

 

Wow, what a shock, General coming in to drive-by post a week after the topic was started.

Never thought I'd see the day...

 

Bluefield's had a historically good Little League program. Often competitive with the better Little Leagues in SWVA, and has even made the state tournament a couple of times. The breakdown comes in 7th and 8th grades, where there's never really been a good system in place in Bluefield for transitioning from Little League to JV/Varsity. THAT is where the biggest strides would be made in changing the culture.

 

Considering I wasn't in the area until January, there wasn't a whole heaping lot I could do had I decided to become active.

Plus, Graham's biggest area of need, pitching help, is by no means my cup of tea...

Edited May 16, 2012 by UVAObserver

[RCITYHOO 110]

Schools in the NRV or should say towns since some or most are not school backed, have started middle school teams. We had our first team in Radford this year and had a really good turn out. Hope it continues because like said before 7th and 8th graders had nothing so i feel sure this would help any program.

[fieldgeneral 10]

Wow, what a shock, General coming in to drive-by post a week after the topic was started.

Never thought I'd see the day...

 

Bluefield's had a historically good Little League program. Often competitive with the better Little Leagues in SWVA, and has even made the state tournament a couple of times. The breakdown comes in 7th and 8th grades, where there's never really been a good system in place in Bluefield for transitioning from Little League to JV/Varsity. THAT is where the biggest strides would be made in changing the culture.

 

Considering I wasn't in the area until January, there wasn't a whole heaping lot I could do had I decided to become active.

Plus, Graham's biggest area of need, pitching help, is by no means my cup of tea...

 

LOL, I could care less if it's a shock to you or not. :) I don't visit daily , weekly, or sometimes monthly. I used to, just a lot of wasted time with most on here. Fun to read on occasion, but doubt that I waste much time here unlike some who seem to live here. Regardless of your view , the little league program doesn't feed much into the MS where there is no program. I feel the lack of a MS program is one of their main problems. Whether you are here or not, complain to someone who can make things happen. Coming on here and crying and critiquing the job a kid does or the coaches is a bit much at times. Just saying they have an easy fix in a MS program and getting kids more involved with baseball. I say get kids playing all sports not pushing them to one only. It's hard to be competitive when some of your school's better athletes are only doing one sport, but some people prefer that.

[hokie07 11]

LOL, I could care less if it's a shock to you or not. :) I don't visit daily , weekly, or sometimes monthly. I used to, just a lot of wasted time with most on here. Fun to read on occasion, but doubt that I waste much time here unlike some who seem to live here. Regardless of your view , the little league program doesn't feed much into the MS where there is no program. I feel the lack of a MS program is one of their main problems. Whether you are here or not, complain to someone who can make things happen. Coming on here and crying and critiquing the job a kid does or the coaches is a bit much at times. Just saying they have an easy fix in a MS program and getting kids more involved with baseball. I say get kids playing all sports not pushing them to one only. It's hard to be competitive when some of your school's better athletes are only doing one sport, but some people prefer that.

 

A middle school program isn't going to miraculously turn a high school program around.

 

If a lot of these kids and coaches cared then they would do anything in their power to create their own alternatives to beat the lack of middle school baseball league. Graham Middle beating Narrows Middle isn't going to churn out professional baseball players. Travel teams and AAU tournaments around the country throughout the spring/summer/early fall is where the difference will be made. Those tournaments provide much better exposure and competition in one weekend than an entire SWVA middle school league ever would. Kids playing AAU and travel ball are the ones who will be skilled, disciplined, and dedicated enough to bring success to their high school teams. There is a reason that the Strong kids from Richlands and the Wasilaski kid from Tazewell are playing Division I baseball and I guarantee you it isn't because they had a middle school program to play in.

 

High school coaches in the area need to realize this and push for AAU leagues because that is something that will actually pay dividends when these kids get to high school. Sitting back and accepting losing because these kids don't have any baseball upbringing is a waste of time too. If they really cared and wanted to make a difference then they would try their hardest to pioneer a movement from the bottom and build from there.

[frito gonzales 103]

I honestly don't think there is enough kids interested enough in baseball to play AAU or travel ball in the Blfd, VA area. Sure there are some, but not enough to field a team. I coached a juniors LL team a few years ago and only had 8 players show up for most games. Graham needs to find some big time donors to help put money into the program by fixing up the field. It's scary as hell to take ground balls on that infield. They need a decent batting cage or two and just a lot of other things that most of the good programs have. I know this isn't a miracle cure, but it would go a long way in generating interest from kids and they may would want to come out for baseball. Coach Dixon is working with the LL already to get kids taught better fundamentals before they reach GHS. A middle school team would be a good thing. Hopefully then the 7th graders could get more playing time since their isn't a place for them to play, and the 8th graders wouldn't be forced to play JV if they aren't ready. It's gonna be a long slow process for GHS to get to a competitive level in baseball, but Dixon is working hard. He needs to find 2-3 assistants who know the game and can teach it to come out and help him.

[GMan 3,569]

It's scary as hell to take ground balls on that infield.

 

You should have played on it after it was first built. :eek: I still have baseball thread imprints on my chest from taking too many bad hops. We spent an hour before each practice just digging up/picking up rocks in the infield. It is 1000x better know than it was back in the early/mid-80s...

[frito gonzales 103]

I don't know G-Man...the dirt part isn't as rocky, but the grass on the infield is freakin horrible. You can never count on a true hop on that field. Maybe one day they will have enough money to put some real sod down and brickdust.

[frito gonzales 103]

Just want to say congrats to Gray Baker for 1st team MED as a pitcher, & to Brad Yost for 2nd team outfield, & Seth Gearhart for 2nd team utility.

[fieldgeneral 10]

A middle school program isn't going to miraculously turn a high school program around.

 

If a lot of these kids and coaches cared then they would do anything in their power to create their own alternatives to beat the lack of middle school baseball league. Graham Middle beating Narrows Middle isn't going to churn out professional baseball players. Travel teams and AAU tournaments around the country throughout the spring/summer/early fall is where the difference will be made. Those tournaments provide much better exposure and competition in one weekend than an entire SWVA middle school league ever would. Kids playing AAU and travel ball are the ones who will be skilled, disciplined, and dedicated enough to bring success to their high school teams. There is a reason that the Strong kids from Richlands and the Wasilaski kid from Tazewell are playing Division I baseball and I guarantee you it isn't because they had a middle school program to play in.

 

High school coaches in the area need to realize this and push for AAU leagues because that is something that will actually pay dividends when these kids get to high school. Sitting back and accepting losing because these kids don't have any baseball upbringing is a waste of time too. If they really cared and wanted to make a difference then they would try their hardest to pioneer a movement from the bottom and build from there.

 

I agree, but is there enough interested from the area? I agree partially with you and completely with Frito. All the things you mention is important and true, but without the middle school program, you lose kids in that transition from little league to high school. You would think with the local minor league team, that it would be easier to keep the interest level up with the sport. I've drove by the field on Saturdays and seen what I guess is the coach working on the field. This was an often occasion.

 

It takes more than the coach busting his hump and doing his best to teach them. You hit the nail on the head with those types of kids. Bluefield , Va lacks kids with that type of interest level in baseball. To me, I think MS would help. Some areas, some sports rule and others are something to do in the mean time.

[Deleted Account 5,203]

A middle school program isn't going to miraculously turn a high school program around.

 

If a lot of these kids and coaches cared then they would do anything in their power to create their own alternatives to beat the lack of middle school baseball league. Graham Middle beating Narrows Middle isn't going to churn out professional baseball players. Travel teams and AAU tournaments around the country throughout the spring/summer/early fall is where the difference will be made. Those tournaments provide much better exposure and competition in one weekend than an entire SWVA middle school league ever would. Kids playing AAU and travel ball are the ones who will be skilled, disciplined, and dedicated enough to bring success to their high school teams. There is a reason that the Strong kids from Richlands and the Wasilaski kid from Tazewell are playing Division I baseball and I guarantee you it isn't because they had a middle school program to play in.

 

High school coaches in the area need to realize this and push for AAU leagues because that is something that will actually pay dividends when these kids get to high school. Sitting back and accepting losing because these kids don't have any baseball upbringing is a waste of time too. If they really cared and wanted to make a difference then they would try their hardest to pioneer a movement from the bottom and build from there.

 

Very good point on travel teams, and your last sentence sums it up.

[hokie07 11]

I agree, but is there enough interested from the area? I agree partially with you and completely with Frito. All the things you mention is important and true, but without the middle school program, you lose kids in that transition from little league to high school. You would think with the local minor league team, that it would be easier to keep the interest level up with the sport. I've drove by the field on Saturdays and seen what I guess is the coach working on the field. This was an often occasion.

 

It takes more than the coach busting his hump and doing his best to teach them. You hit the nail on the head with those types of kids. Bluefield , Va lacks kids with that type of interest level in baseball. To me, I think MS would help. Some areas, some sports rule and others are something to do in the mean time.

 

The interest level is something you'll never know unless you try it.

 

Graham, for example, might not have enough kids to field a "Graham G-Men" travel team, but I doubt any school in the area would be able to field a complete team. It could be a local team represented by a few local schools that might field 15-20 kids (Graham, Bluefield, Princeton, Pike View, Bland, Tazewell, etc.). If Graham, again for example, had 5-6 kids at the very least playing on that team and developing their skills at a younger age it would create a strong nucleus of talent on the team and might possibly drive the other kids to work harder if they want to see the field.

 

Middle school baseball may or may not help. I just don't see it as beneficial as travel and AAU ball. If you're going to start a grassroots movement, I believe it should be worthwhile. I just don't know how much these kids would get out of a middle school program, especially when you have lots of "coaches" who are in the school system and simply sign their names to "coach" a team just to earn a paycheck. AAU/travel ball would likely attain a coach who wants to invest his time into making a group of kids better at sports, not making money.

[fieldgeneral 10]

The interest level is something you'll never know unless you try it.

 

Graham, for example, might not have enough kids to field a "Graham G-Men" travel team, but I doubt any school in the area would be able to field a complete team. It could be a local team represented by a few local schools that might field 15-20 kids (Graham, Bluefield, Princeton, Pike View, Bland, Tazewell, etc.). If Graham, again for example, had 5-6 kids at the very least playing on that team and developing their skills at a younger age it would create a strong nucleus of talent on the team and might possibly drive the other kids to work harder if they want to see the field.

 

Middle school baseball may or may not help. I just don't see it as beneficial as travel and AAU ball. If you're going to start a grassroots movement, I believe it should be worthwhile. I just don't know how much these kids would get out of a middle school program, especially when you have lots of "coaches" who are in the school system and simply sign their names to "coach" a team just to earn a paycheck. AAU/travel ball would likely attain a coach who wants to invest his time into making a group of kids better at sports, not making money.

 

I see it daily in other areas. kids are playing all sports and still doing travel / aau teams too. I see them on middle school teams and on the weekend playing on aau / travel / little league style teams. I agree what you say can and will work , if the interest is there, but having that link between little league to high school is missing there.

 

If you take some of the middle school football / basketball programs away from some places , it would negatively impact some schools.

 

I just think that a lot of kids are "concentrating" on one sport. In many cases in this area, you can't afford your best athletes just playing one or the other.