We males often fail to realize that

One of my best friends is a fellow grad from the class of 1967 and has three sons (two ND grads BTW). He was an assistant coach of hsi parish's grade school girls' volleyball team. He commented to me that when they had choose-up games that the captains would pick their friends first, even if they were poor players.

When men have choose-up games the best player wants first pick and tries to have the other captain be a bad player. You're trying to win by manipulating the system. You hear all sorts of stories (see Yankees during Reggie Jackson years) when players on the same team hate the guts of other players and jsut deal with it.

When you watch a girls' softball game, at times the game seems to take second place to the dance move and the all-important "do we wear ribbons or not". The comradery seems a much bigger aspect of women's sports (it seems to me). So all this player A and player B are good friends seems a big deal.

My daughter's high school had two future softball All American players a year apart. Sometimes you think that getting the older girl gives a college team a leg up with the second girl. The younger girl (who seemed to me to be very low key and not a prima donna) told recruiters she wasn't going to the same school as the older. (My guess: either parents of older girl were a pain or older girl wanted to pitch and younger girl was much better (pitched team to a Natty)