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baseballcrazymom
58 Posts |
 Posted - 09/06/2013 : 12:32:29
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I won't say which HS or why I was there. All I can say is A FREAKING MEN!
"Open letter to the high school athlete ...
Unlike what many people seem to think, high school baseball isn't about advancing to the next level simply because you've put in your time. In this one sense travel ball has done you a disservice with it's logical, yearly progression from one level to the next ... while you've had to compete to earn your spot in the lineup, you haven't had to compete with older, and younger, kids to earn that spot. In high school you do. You can't count on a high school baseball career to progress from freshman ball, to JV ball as a sophomore, and then to varsity as a junior and senior. You don't get to keep playing simply because you are an upperclassman. You must compete to earn your spot in the lineup, and you must compete to keep your spot in the lineup.
As a result, you have two choices ... you can embrace competition, or you can fear competition. Fear, and the anger that results from it, is the path of the inferior athlete. Fear is the path of the pre-pubescent stud, the player who never had to work to get better than the kids surrounding him because he was always bigger and faster ... but everyone is getting bigger and faster now. Now he's faced, possibly for the first time, with the reality of someone competing for his job. Someone that understands that to improve takes dedication, it takes work. It takes work outside of the confines of the team "practice". He's faced with someone that is willing to work harder than him to earn that position. Someone that wants it more than he does. If he can't adapt, it's likely that his baseball career will end in high school. The game will pass him by.
Instead, the great athlete welcomes competition. You embrace competition. You know that competition is the path to improvement, that competition ultimately makes both players stronger ... and that stronger players make a stronger team. The great player doesn't fear competition but rather seeks out competition. You arrive at high school knowing that you have to work to improve. You look for the strongest players with the intention of earning their position through hard work, hustle and a sound mental attitude. You study them, you work hard to improve your skills, you do the little things. Coaches will notice and reward this attitude. And as you mature, you expect and embrace the same challenge from the younger players coming up from behind you. You welcome these players, going out of your way to help them adapt to their new team and to improve their game. They keep you sharp. They keep you focused. They keep you hungry to improve your own game. In turn, you become a leader.
This is the only way to make it to the next level. And the great player always wants to play at the next level ... and is willing to work to make it happen.
- anonymous" |
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PowerOfDixieland
16 Posts |
Posted - 09/06/2013 : 17:01:09
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| You've gotten my curiosity. What school? While many probably think that philosophy, few will live it. In our experience the older players humiliate and intimidate the younger players. We moved on. |
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agent21
97 Posts |
Posted - 09/06/2013 : 20:35:06
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| I second that Dixie. Open letter is pie in the sky -- have not encountered many (?if any?) coaches who have the guts to put the best team on the field. |
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bballman
1432 Posts |
Posted - 09/06/2013 : 22:03:29
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| I see it all the time. Has happened to my son on the playing up part and the sitting the bench part. Wait till you get to college ball. You don't have to mess up much to spend the rest of the season on the bench. And coaches don't care if you're a senior or a freshman. Produce, you will play. Don't produce, you won't. |
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BBall123
395 Posts |
Posted - 09/07/2013 : 07:53:26
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| Sounds great, but absolute hog wash. At least in our initial experience. Sounds like it was written by one of those travel ball hating coach's who wants to put the travel ball players and family's in their place. |
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PowerOfDixieland
16 Posts |
Posted - 09/07/2013 : 10:05:10
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quote:
Originally posted by bballman
Wait till you get to college ball. You don't have to mess up much to spend the rest of the season on the bench.
I did college ball, in the SEC. Walked on and spent two seasons as a bullpen catcher. Where I was, if you weren't getting (scholarship) money you weren't getting playing time. That would not reflect well on the talent evaluation of the program. Another argument for the junior college route. |
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bballman
1432 Posts |
Posted - 09/07/2013 : 17:36:24
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| I think scholarship guys will be in a position to lose play time. The walk on would be in a position to have to take that spot away. My son doesn't play in the SEC, but I saw scholarship players get sat on his team last year for guys that were playing better. I think when it comes down to it, the best players will play. These coaches jobs are on the line. Especially in college, but in HS as well. Lose too much by playing inferior players and they will be looking elsewhere for employment. |
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C. MORTON
1051 Posts |
Posted - 09/07/2013 : 17:48:36
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| Yea I think it's a little bit of hog wash also. In travel if you aren't doing well you get cut the next year. There have been plenty of kids who go to college because of where they played travel ball not high school!!!!! Only place you have to play to get to the next level is football. Just about everything else has travel ball!!!!! |
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tommynole99
48 Posts |
Posted - 09/08/2013 : 08:22:43
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I think the point the poster is trying to make is for those boys that were above average is size through say U12 most will now have to earn playing time, not sure I agree with the post as baseball players come in all sizes, but I do understand what he is saying. It's not that HS is better than travel as we all know that the best travel teams would beat most HS teams. He is merely saying that in HS like college like the MLB you will play by earning playing time not by being taller or stronger. |
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bballman
1432 Posts |
Posted - 09/08/2013 : 10:05:35
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I think the point of the article is that in travel ball you automatically move up each level (9u to 10u to 11u etc) and you have a spot everytime you move up. You are competing against kids the same age and there is always a spot for you somewhere. High school is the first time you don't automatically have a spot just because you are moving up to the next level (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior). As a freshman, for the first time, you will be competing against kids older than you. As a 14 year old freshman you will be competing against 15&16 year old sophomores, 16&17 year old juniors and 17&18 year old seniors. You're not guaranteed a spot just because you moved up a level. You will have to compete for a spot against older kids. He's saying that from this point on, it will be the case for the rest of your baseball life. It will be the same in college and the same in MLB. He's saying if, as a 14 or 15 year old, you want to compete against a 17 or 18 year old, you are going to have to work your butt off to do it. If you're a senior, you will have some freshmen and sophomores that are working their butts off to take your spot as well so you better work just as hard or harder or you'll lose your spot.
I don't think he's saying that HS is better than travel. I think he's pretty much saying that HS is the first time kids will be competing for a finite number of spots against kids from multiple age groups. And that if you want to win a spot, you are going to have to work hard, no matter what age group you fall into.
That's what I get from this letter. And I think it's a valid assessment. |
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Crush em
6 Posts |
Posted - 09/08/2013 : 11:56:11
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Many play because their dads give lots of money, or sell more fund raising paraphernalia. Or are head of the booster club, or is the coaches nephew etc.
High school sports is rampant with politics, its almost criminal when you think about a coach being able to lift up one kid ( For whatever reason ) and suppress another.
You take two players playing the same position, both equal in ability,work ethic etc. both the same grade. One has connections (Whatever they may be,"see above") the coach places him on Varsity, starting him over upper classmen etc. makes sure he gets press etc.
You take the other kid, equal in everyway baseball wise and put him on the JV so he does not interfere with the other. Therefore suppressing this kids opportunity's.
Which kid will have the best chance of going to the next level? To me this is criminal considering what the coach has attempted to deprive the second kid of.
Don't kid yourself, although the thoughts in this letter are commendable and as it should be. To many times it does not apply to high school sports. |
Edited by - Crush em on 09/08/2013 14:17:46 |
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baseballcrazymom
58 Posts |
Posted - 09/08/2013 : 12:05:25
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| I think it's also saying that just because you are a junior/senior that you will not auto start over a frosh/soph who is better than you so quit yer whinin'... |
Edited by - baseballcrazymom on 09/08/2013 14:18:03 |
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baseballcrazymom
58 Posts |
Posted - 09/08/2013 : 12:11:18
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quote:
Originally posted by PowerOfDixieland
You've gotten my curiosity. What school? While many probably think that philosophy, few will live it. In our experience the older players humiliate and intimidate the younger players. We moved on.
I'll bite. That's what older boys do!
Had a kid play "up" this summer. I say that lightly bc he's still a grade or two (9th) behind the others (10th and 11th), but by birthday shouldn't have been playing on our team. Why was he there? Because his PARENTS want him to make JV next year. For some, 9th just isn't good enough and I don't get that, but I digress. Yes, he got picked on. No, he wasn't the only one. However, he IS the only one who quit mid summer as a result. Coach told his parents (they quit, he didn't) that he's gonna have a hard time in HS if he can't take the heat.
That letter should have been addressed to parents as well as players. |
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baseballcrazymom
58 Posts |
Posted - 09/08/2013 : 12:12:48
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quote:
Originally posted by agent21
I second that Dixie. Open letter is pie in the sky -- have not encountered many (?if any?) coaches who have the guts to put the best team on the field.
I feel you on this one. However, knowing this program a little, I think this coach actually did. And knowing a couple programs close by, some changes were made that might dictate them ALSO putting the best team on the field going forward. |
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kkbfamily
5 Posts |
Posted - 09/08/2013 : 14:04:11
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What I took the writer to mean, is quit thinking of high school ball in terms of seniority and what has been "standard" - i.e. Varsity is for Juniors and Seniors, JV for weaker Juniors and Sophomores, and Freshman for 9th graders.
In other words, stop viewing the different teams as a 'standard progression' - or really, even any kind of 'progression' at all. In this vein, a player must quit thinking a spot on the 'next' team is his because it is expected or given. For example, a player shouldn't 'expect' to make Varsity because he was the starter on JV and there is no one ahead of him seniority-wise'.
Instead, a player must be the best among his peers - in the group he is eligible for - to get the starting spot or even on any position at all on the team. Don't make the mistake of thinking a younger player isn't a threat because you are older and bigger. It really doesn't matter if he is the same grade as you or one, two, three years younger... if he is better than you - or even equal to you but will be more beneficial for the team (in attitude, leadership, etc.) - you can lose the spot to him. In fact, it's not really even "your's" to lose yet.
That's the point I believe and if I am reading it right, I love Anonymous's post. Like others who replied, I have seen more instances of Coaches "supporting the progression" than against it. Also IMHO, I don't see that it's at all for / against travel ball... I think the author is just saying - don't "expect" your position/status on your travel team AND / OR your age to guarantee your spot in high school (or college, etc.)
My son is currently a rising Sophomore and has worked his way up to be among the best in his age / position in travel baseball. BUT - he did WORK for it (was completely "unknown" 2 years ago) and continues to have to work to keep his advantage / position. Right now, he's at the top. But what we have always told him is that you must not even be content with being "the best", you must strive to "...be better than the best you see..." because there is always the potential for there to be someone better "right now", out there just waiting for their chance...
I can only hope it was our Coach who wrote the post by "Anonymous" or that he would at least agree with it. I would love that to be the case and it does seem to be his mindset. A future in baseball will not be easy or safe - but if desired, filled with challenge to accompany the highs of success. Coaches like "Anonymous" will prepare my kid to win that battle.
I'll let you know if it was him when the High School season is underway... |
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billbclk
164 Posts |
Posted - 09/09/2013 : 11:25:15
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I know this school very well and while I agree with the letter it does not apply to this school or coach.
In general, players need to understand that they are also competing against a head coaches way of doing things and that working harder than your teammate does not automatically put you ahead of him.
Players can get caught up in a head coaches "projection" of what a particular player will do. The problem comes when the "projected" player does not produce and the head coach does not reverse his decision but stays with that player to the bitter head.
Some players will be shifted to positions relative to what the team needs over a period of time (which by the way is a very valid coaches move and a concept that most players and parents don't agree with). The problem comes when you see kids playing out of position and the head coach does not reverse his decision but stays with that player to the bitter head.
I could go on and on but I don't like reading long post and this one is too long also.
(My opinion) Most players don't fear competition whether play HS or Travel, what players and parents fear are competitions that can't be won |
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Crush em
6 Posts |
Posted - 09/09/2013 : 18:28:25
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quote:
Originally posted by billbclk
I know this school very well and while I agree with the letter it does not apply to this school or coach.
In general, players need to understand that they are also competing against a head coaches way of doing things and that working harder than your teammate does not automatically put you ahead of him.
Players can get caught up in a head coaches "projection" of what a particular player will do. The problem comes when the "projected" player does not produce and the head coach does not reverse his decision but stays with that player to the bitter head.
Some players will be shifted to positions relative to what the team needs over a period of time (which by the way is a very valid coaches move and a concept that most players and parents don't agree with). The problem comes when you see kids playing out of position and the head coach does not reverse his decision but stays with that player to the bitter head.
I could go on and on but I don't like reading long post and this one is too long also.
(My opinion) Most players don't fear competition whether play HS or Travel, what players and parents fear are competitions that can't be won
BINGO!! |
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sailor
18 Posts |
Posted - 10/09/2013 : 11:54:41
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| It sounds to me like he may be referring to "feeder" teams when he's talking about travel ball. These are the only teams I've observed where players just coast along year to year without having to compete for their spot, and the same Dad coaches doing the same. A high school coach would probably have more exposure to these feeder teams than any other travel teams. |
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billbclk
164 Posts |
Posted - 10/10/2013 : 16:42:41
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| In general HS coaches have very little interaction with travel teams and even less with "feeder" teams. The only time may be if the teams are using the HS field to play and/or practice and even that is not allowed in Gwinnett during the season. ... Well, they are not supposed to rent the field during the season. |
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Found on a HS baseball website
