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CaCO3Girl
1989 Posts |
 Posted - 12/02/2015 : 15:13:27
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There seems to be this concept in youth baseball that if my son doesn't do XXXX he will fall behind.
But what does that mean to you? I can't grasp the concept. My son has played from 6u-14u and I have heard this phrase several times...what I can't figure out is what is he in danger of falling behind in/of?
Anyone want to explain? |
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hshuler
1074 Posts |
Posted - 12/02/2015 : 16:10:42
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The biggest myth (in MY opinion) is regarding fall ball. Kids don't fall behind if they miss fall ball.
I've heard of organizations pressing kids to play in the fall or they won't make the top team. But of course...there's a fee for that. :-)
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BamaDad
188 Posts |
Posted - 12/02/2015 : 16:34:13
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quote:
Originally posted by CaCO3Girl
There seems to be this concept in youth baseball that if my son doesn't do XXXX he will fall behind.
But what does that mean to you? I can't grasp the concept. My son has played from 6u-14u and I have heard this phrase several times...what I can't figure out is what is he in danger of falling behind in/of?
Anyone want to explain?
When I have heard that statement made by a coach, it was in the following context: "There are only so many opportunities available to get to the highest levels(professional baseball and major D1 scholarships). If you aren't willing to put in the work and do XXXX, there are other kids who are doing those things and will pass you by. You always have to work with the thinking that someone somewhere is trying to outwork you." |
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turntwo
955 Posts |
Posted - 12/02/2015 : 18:24:44
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Technically, there is ALWAYS someone better out there... So your kid, mine, little Johnny... They are ALL behind someone. Falling behind could be behind someone (or group) or something (skills/abilities)... It could mean different things to different people. Some parents and/or kids want to be 'the best', or at/near 'the top' or want some athletic money for college... So, if trends start happening and more and more are doing something that helps raise their players, due to abilities and/or skills, then there's some potential for you to 'fall behind' a 'group' or your player's skill set doesn't develop as fast as others (or at all) who are helping raise their players levels...
Let's be honest, this is a travel ball forum... I'd venture to guess that most sought the avenue of travel ball to see their player grow more, develop more, by facing more competitive players than what rec ball offered, no--- but WHY? Was it to prepare them (potentially) for high school and maybe beyond? So why not stay in rec until high school? Why did you leave rec at 9, 10, 11? Sure to develop/grow more, but technically you could do that getting lessons.... So maybe you were once worried that if your son waited until later (or never did it) that he would be BEHIND his peers in his development/growth/abilities when it came to high school??? If you truly weren't worried about 'keeping up' with someone or something, then rec was really the place for you. Plenty of MLB'ers never played travel... But far too many are worried they are 'missing out' and thus little Johnny is going to 'fall behind' with his abilities or his peers...
Your choice for travel ball, more than likely answers your question about falling behind. |
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FiveToolEvals
31 Posts |
Posted - 12/02/2015 : 23:29:13
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Hi CaCO3Girl - I'm taking it that your son is in the 15 to 16 yr old range. From a scouting standpoint, I don't look at a young man's early travel ball history, nor do I track his rankings. What I do begin to track is the level of competition that he's faced leading up to his senior year of high school.
As 'turntwo' mentioned, lessons are a great way to supplement a young player's development (I am a strong supporter of lessons; they are a must - if they fit into your budget). When people mention falling behind, I believe that they are referring to a young man's peer group (from a Select Ball standpoint). I do like for the players that I draft to have some high caliber match-ups under their belt (it simply gives me more conviction when I analyze if they have ever been in high leverage situations vs high end competition).
With that being said, I don't penalize a young man if he hasn't played high level travel ball and is theoretically "behind" (see Lorenzo Cain - KC Royals and a host of other multi-sport athletes).
From an evaluator's perspective, our fear is that if the player hasn't faced high level competition (at the amateur level), then his transition into pro ball will be extremely difficult. Some players have never seen a pitch faster than 87 mph; some high school catchers have never caught a pitcher who throws harder than 85; then they walk onto the back fields in Florida and that young high school catcher has to catch a young Dominican lefty who throws 95, but has no clue where the ball is going.
There are so many showcases and elite events right now; we often say that a player was "on the summer circuit", or "he missed the summer circuit because of football." CaCO3Girl, there is truly a way to catch up - from a skills perspective. Lessons and extra work are an absolute must. As he (your son) approaches high school, you will want him to test the "elite" waters (camps, showcases, elite team tryouts, etc.). This will help you gauge his current abilities. The players who are fortunate enough to play high level travel ball and take lessons on a regular basis are indeed ahead of the player who isn't privy to those things. High leverage live-game reps are very hard to simulate in a controlled environment. Young players need countless hours of training, and they also need game action.
Don't worry - the great thing is that you can always play catch-up in our wonderful game. I hope that I haven't talked you into a coma.
Best of luck...
www.FiveToolEvals.com |
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BamaDad
188 Posts |
Posted - 12/03/2015 : 10:46:49
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quote:
Originally posted by FiveToolEvals
Hi CaCO3Girl - I'm taking it that your son is in the 15 to 16 yr old range. From a scouting standpoint, I don't look at a young man's early travel ball history, nor do I track his rankings. What I do begin to track is the level of competition that he's faced leading up to his senior year of high school.
As 'turntwo' mentioned, lessons are a great way to supplement a young player's development (I am a strong supporter of lessons; they are a must - if they fit into your budget). When people mention falling behind, I believe that they are referring to a young man's peer group (from a Select Ball standpoint). I do like for the players that I draft to have some high caliber match-ups under their belt (it simply gives me more conviction when I analyze if they have ever been in high leverage situations vs high end competition).
With that being said, I don't penalize a young man if he hasn't played high level travel ball and is theoretically "behind" (see Lorenzo Cain - KC Royals and a host of other multi-sport athletes).
From an evaluator's perspective, our fear is that if the player hasn't faced high level competition (at the amateur level), then his transition into pro ball will be extremely difficult. Some players have never seen a pitch faster than 87 mph; some high school catchers have never caught a pitcher who throws harder than 85; then they walk onto the back fields in Florida and that young high school catcher has to catch a young Dominican lefty who throws 95, but has no clue where the ball is going.
There are so many showcases and elite events right now; we often say that a player was "on the summer circuit", or "he missed the summer circuit because of football." CaCO3Girl, there is truly a way to catch up - from a skills perspective. Lessons and extra work are an absolute must. As he (your son) approaches high school, you will want him to test the "elite" waters (camps, showcases, elite team tryouts, etc.). This will help you gauge his current abilities. The players who are fortunate enough to play high level travel ball and take lessons on a regular basis are indeed ahead of the player who isn't privy to those things. High leverage live-game reps are very hard to simulate in a controlled environment. Young players need countless hours of training, and they also need game action.
Don't worry - the great thing is that you can always play catch-up in our wonderful game. I hope that I haven't talked you into a coma.
Best of luck...
www.FiveToolEvals.com
This is exactly what I was alluding to in my message above. However, you stated it so much more eloquently. Bottom line, that is the fear that I have heard coaches put into their players which in turn falls upon the parents as well. |
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CaCO3Girl
1989 Posts |
Posted - 12/03/2015 : 11:32:04
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turntwo: To answer your question of why did we choose travel ball. Several reasons, but the top 3 are:
1. The rec season wasn't long enough.
2. Luck of the draw when it came to the coach, did he know anything?
3. It gets tough to see your kid throw a perfect baseball right at the kid on 1B/2B/3B and that kid can't catch the ball so the runner is safe.
This forum is generally for 6u-14u kids and I'm sorry folks but NO ONE is behind from 6u-13u. I agree that in the 15u and up arena the level of competition the player has faced and will face matters, that is an excellent point by FiveTools. You can't show up for a college camp having never seen high level of play and expect to do well.
HOWEVER, if you think your 8u kid is behind unless he gets paid hitting lessons I think you are very much mistaken. Looking back, my son's stance, swing, his complete at bat has changed about 4 different times from 8u-14u. Most of the 7u All-star team isn't even playing baseball anymore.
How can a 6u-13u kid really be behind? Or is it the parents just trying to keep up with the Jones'es? |
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DecaturDad
619 Posts |
Posted - 12/03/2015 : 12:16:46
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| When my son was 12/13 he missed most of the fall seasons and did not participate in the winter conditioning. We kept being told he would be behind come spring. Well, he was spending that "off time" playing ice hockey. That included wind sprints on the ice multiple days a week, plus skating full speed in games. Come spring, he was in better shape then most of his team :-) |
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Renegade44
211 Posts |
Posted - 12/03/2015 : 16:00:54
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Caco
"...what I can't figure out is what is he in danger of falling behind in/of?
Anyone want to explain?"
Yes I can explain. You are in danger of falling behind the curve on fees paid to academies. |
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turntwo
955 Posts |
Posted - 12/03/2015 : 16:56:51
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quote:
Originally posted by CaCO3Girl
This forum is generally for 6u-14u kids and I'm sorry folks but NO ONE is behind from 6u-13u.
HOWEVER, if you think your 8u kid is behind unless he gets paid hitting lessons I think you are very much mistaken.
Wait... Which is it? NO ONE is behind? Or ... unless you get paid hitting lessons? Sorry, but if you don't think there are 'upper level', 'mid-tier', and 'lower level' players below 13U, then you haven't seen much travel ball (which I know isn't the case).... So a 12U Major team and a 12U AA team is exactly the same. No on is behind the other? An 11U AAA team is on the same level (since no one is behind) an 11U A team?
Are the differences between Major and AA solely the size of the players (which can't be improved/taught)? OR could it be due to the instruction (whether paid or provided by the coach), and the Major kids' learning higher level, more advanced skills and honing their abilities sooner and at a much faster pace?
So a 10U Major kid pitching 57 MPH isn't ahead of the 10AA kid dealing 43 MPH huh? Completely equal. No one behind the other. The same 10U AA kid can't hit (because he has never seen 57 MPH) that pitching, but a 10 Major kid can hit seeds off of 57 MPH (because he sees that speed week in and week out) but they are equal, huh? No one behind the other, in terms of their development-- or more 'polished'.... What about the 11U Major kids that's throwing Nolan Ryan-esque curve balls watching 11U A kids dive out of the box, only to hear: "Strike" from the ump... The A-level coach saying to his batter, "Hey, I don't know what to tell you, wear it I guess-- we've never seen that before"-- but they are all equal. No kid has progress quicker, than the other. None are behind the other(s), huh?
Paid instruction, lessons, or a d@mn good volunteer coach can raise the level of play for each kid, thus potentially giving some kids a 'leg up' on their peers, and/or pushing kids to elevate their game earlier than their peers.... Maybe it all 'levels off' on the 'big field', or high school? I'm sure... Especially in high school when 'major', 'AAA', 'AA', etc go by the way side, and the best of the best make the team... And little Johnny, while he is his travel team's stud 2B, finds himself cut from the h/s team because there were too many 'major-level' kids trying out for the team-- WHO maybe worried a little more about 'being behind' and better prepared himself along the years for h/s....
But then again, what the heck to I know... I have an 11 and 8 yr. old. (But I've seen 11, 12, 13, and even some 14U 'open' tourneys where AA teams play Major teams, and if you don't think kids are 'behind' others, well, then--- you haven't been paying attention). |
Edited by - turntwo on 12/03/2015 18:02:08 |
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CaCO3Girl
1989 Posts |
Posted - 12/04/2015 : 08:44:53
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Turntwo, you make some valid points and I do hear your passion, but I think you have a fundamental flaw in your reasoning. There is natural ability and their is trained ability. One you are born with and one you learn.
Do you understand that there are children out there who play soccer in the fall, basketball in the winter, and ONLY pick up a baseball between February-June and they can kick most of our kids butts? It's called natural athletic ability and those kids will ALWAYS be ahead of our kids, but that is how it is suppose to be.
Not everyone is destined for greatness. Not every kid can make it to the pro's. I don't care if a kid has 1000 lessons on how to field a ball, if he isn't born with the natural abilities of a shortstop you can't turn him into a great one, it just won't happen. So when I say there is no such thing as falling behind I mean that certain things can be learned and achieved if the player is willing to put in the blood sweat and tears required to achieve his goal, but some things can't.
Bottom line, I am of the opinion that parents have to deal with who their kid is and not try to turn him into who he isn't. If he hits like a AA kid then let him play AA, maybe AAA. As long as he is seeing significant playing time and enjoying himself you are doing your job as a parent. However, if you push your AA kid into 3 lessons a week for fielding/hitting/pitching because you want him to play Majors level then you aren't accepting who he is and are not doing your job as a parent.
Baseball is a marathon, not a sprint. Someday your child will no longer play baseball. You can either let him enjoy the GAME, or you can attempt to make him better than everyone else. I know we all want our kids to succeed but we also have to focus on them as a kid first and a ballplayer second. |
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bfriendly
376 Posts |
Posted - 12/06/2015 : 11:57:18
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quote:
Originally posted by CaCO3Girl
Turntwo, you make some valid points and I do hear your passion, but I think you have a fundamental flaw in your reasoning. There is natural ability and their is trained ability. One you are born with and one you learn.
Do you understand that there are children out there who play soccer in the fall, basketball in the winter, and ONLY pick up a baseball between February-June and they can kick most of our kids butts? It's called natural athletic ability and those kids will ALWAYS be ahead of our kids, but that is how it is suppose to be.
Not everyone is destined for greatness. Not every kid can make it to the pro's. I don't care if a kid has 1000 lessons on how to field a ball, if he isn't born with the natural abilities of a shortstop you can't turn him into a great one, it just won't happen. So when I say there is no such thing as falling behind I mean that certain things can be learned and achieved if the player is willing to put in the blood sweat and tears required to achieve his goal, but some things can't.
Bottom line, I am of the opinion that parents have to deal with who their kid is and not try to turn him into who he isn't. If he hits like a AA kid then let him play AA, maybe AAA. As long as he is seeing significant playing time and enjoying himself you are doing your job as a parent. However, if you push your AA kid into 3 lessons a week for fielding/hitting/pitching because you want him to play Majors level then you aren't accepting who he is and are not doing your job as a parent.
Baseball is a marathon, not a sprint. Someday your child will no longer play baseball. You can either let him enjoy the GAME, or you can attempt to make him better than everyone else. I know we all want our kids to succeed but we also have to focus on them as a kid first and a ballplayer second.
Lots of valid points here and I dont want it to get too hot, but B, while probably not intended, you are giving off a sense of Hopelessness to the ones who are not "born with it".
While it does raise a valid theory, being born with it is not the end all. Effort and attitude will determine success, in greater part than natural ability IMHO. The point you make is valid and proven. Stated softly by turntwo with examples I may add. You can see it by simply watching AA vs Major players in ANY age group.....any age group. Even within these level specific groups, you will clearly find what I would call standouts. I simply believe the standouts at their respective levels is determined by Effort and Attitude more than the natural.......how many times have you seen that Athlete that make so many errors in a game simply because his head is not in it? We shake our heads and cant figure it out, but it is there...... |
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bfriendly
376 Posts |
Posted - 12/06/2015 : 12:08:49
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BTW- I too wish I had started my kid when he was 5 or 6, but he was 7 and I felt like he was way behind.........that was my feeling of being behind.
He has since made very good strides and has become a really good player..........he is not the Natural born athlete, but works hard, has a great attitude and a real love for the game..........he is wanting to play Football next year too.........I am thinking he may end up doing that next fall(and baseball of course). I never got to as a kid and it would be very cool for him to be in that environment. |
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Be69chevy
18 Posts |
Posted - 12/06/2015 : 19:57:00
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Well my kid is behind alittle right now, he just finished his 1st season on football and made football allstar team, played football July 4th- thanksgiving weekend. So yeah he is "behind", "rusty" whatever but he hasn't done any baseball hardly since June....it's expected but he's 9 and had a blast playing football.
But 3/4 our travel baseball team played football so we are all behind right now but it's only Dec and the season doesn't start till March....
And in the town we live in the athletes with the natural talent primary play 2-3 sports, baseball, football, and basketball/wrestling.
So I am kinda fine being behind a little. |
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ABC_Baseball
90 Posts |
Posted - 12/07/2015 : 14:47:53
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From what I can tell, there is a difference between those that have some natural gifts (hand/eye coordination, quick hands, athleticism) versus those that don’t have those gifts. Of the players that have the gifts, your work ethic will help you to get ahead.
I always tell my 11u that you can’t get time back. I believe in being over prepared vs under prepared. If playing high school baseball is something you want to do, you better start putting in the effort now. This is where the extra stuff comes in. Not just simply playing on a travel team, but conditioning and strength training are things you need to incorporate now. In church on Sunday our pastor mentioned in his sermon that “you get what you prepare for.” I later turned to my son and made sure he was paying attention. You can spend 8 hours on Sunday watching cartoons/YouTube or playing video games, or you can take 40 minutes and go run your mile and a half, do your push-ups and your arm drills with the weighted ball.
Like some have said, there is always somebody that is ahead of you. There will always be kids that are bigger/stronger/faster. What you have to do is make sure you are the best you can be. So really (and I don’t mean to sound like a Survivor song from Rocky) the battle is against yourself. Are you disciplined enough to put in the time and effort to be the best you can possibly be? Are you the best version of yourself or did you fall off course? The sooner you start, the more prepared you will be when that day gets here.
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bballman
1432 Posts |
Posted - 12/07/2015 : 15:46:17
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Personally, I don't think anyone needs to be worried about "being behind" until it's time for tryouts for HS. And for that, as long as the player is getting decent coaching - doesn't even have to be great, just decent - however far "behind" he his can be made up for by playing against good competition the year before HS starts. The biggest thing we need to be concerned about with the younger kids is that they are having fun playing baseball. No matter how many lessons they have or how high of a level they are playing at, if they're not having fun, it's not really worth it.
Some players may have fun playing at the highest levels with a huge amount of pressure. Others may not be ready for that and would have more fun playing rec ball or AA or something along those lines. But if a kid is an athlete, if he plays against good competition on the 60-90 field prior to HS tryouts, he should be fine - regardless of what he does prior to that.
Don't worry about "falling behind" because your kid plays football in the fall or basketball in the winter. Make sure your player is having fun and is learning about the game at a level that is appropriate for him. There will be plenty of time to get ready for "the next level" once he gets into HS.
With all due respect to FiveToolEvals, very few kids will wind up being evaluated to play in the MLB. A small percentage will be evaluated to play in college at some level. And what he is talking about above is something that needs to be worried about WAY later than where most on this board currently are. I know recruiting is done earlier and earlier. However, recruiting is still mostly done between Jr. and Sr. year. CaCO3Girl talked about natural ability. Those are the guys that will be recruited extremely early. And there's not much anyone can do to get to THAT point without an extreme amount of natural ability. For the rest of our kids with some talent and a desire to get better, the recruiting will come later. The training is done to reach the maximum potential for each player, not necessarily to become the next Aroldis Chapman. You want to become the best player you can within your talent limits.
So, in my opinion, don't stress so much about "falling behind" in your pre-hs years. When you get to 8th grade, try to find a decent team that plays on the 60-90 field and get ready for HS tryouts. Work on having fun, learning the fundamentals and the rest will come. Don't ever forget to let the kids be kids. They are not little professional athletes. They are kids that like playing baseball. |
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NF1974
62 Posts |
Posted - 12/07/2015 : 16:06:25
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I read an interesting book a few years ago by Malcolm Gladwell called Outliers. He looked at a lot of different occupations, including some sports, to try and determine what variables went into making someone ultra successful. I am talking about Pro Sports, Bill Gates type successful. He mentioned the 10,000 rule which was how many hours of practice that it took someone, like a concert pianist, to reach the pinnacle of their profession. He also had a lot of ancedotal information about social and demographic factors that played a role in a persons success.
The gist of it, at least to me, was that it takes a lot of hard work, genetics, and what I would call serendipitous events to get a person to reach the highest levels of their endeavors.
As a parent of a former Travel ball kid, I recognized that my son possessed the genetic make-up but lacked the drive and serendipitous events to go much beyond where he is currently. |
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hshuler
1074 Posts |
Posted - 12/07/2015 : 17:12:18
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I have said a lot on this forum over the last few of years but most of my recent posts about players talk about 1) letting kids have fun & 2) letting them own the process.
As bballman said, if they aren't having fun, what's the point? Chances are that very few of our kids will play college, much less professional sports, so that should make us want to ensure our kids enjoy the time now while they can. If they are fortunate enough to make the high school team, it becomes more serious although it can still be fun...but no guarantees.
I have learned a lot from when I coached and the biggest lesson is that a game is NOT worth having my son hate me. I've had players tell me that they hate when one or both parents come to a game. Frankly, that's a shame! I've said it a million times, the game comes with enough pressure so we (adults) shouldn't be adding more.
Another lesson from when I coached is that many parents want their kid to be successful more than the kid wants to be successful. If the kid doesn't want to go to a lesson, it's NOT the end of the world. "C'mon Bud, you have to work hard if you want to keep up!" Here's a question, what if he just doesn't care about keeping up? What if he just wants to skip the lessons and go to the pool with some friends? Do you play mind games with him and make him feel guilty about missing pitching lesson? When my son told me that he was done with baseball a few years back my answer was simply "okay, but you're going to finish this season."
He could probably be a better football or baseball player right now if I insisted that he did some type of work on a daily basis. He would probably also hate my guts! Motivation and work ethic come from within so he has to take ownership of how good he wants to be. I am sure that some disagree but this is my personal belief. Honestly, contracts like the one that David Price signed only makes it worse as more and more kids are being treated like a 401K.
Lastly, there are great organizations and trainers out there and some not so great ones who are taking advantage of overzealous parents. We should really be properly vetting them before entrusting our kids to them. I am sorry but just because you played doesn't mean that you can teach.
Welp, that's my $0.02!
Over & out...
Shu
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Edited by - hshuler on 12/07/2015 21:23:04 |
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BamaDad
188 Posts |
Posted - 12/07/2015 : 18:10:42
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quote:
Originally posted by ABC_Baseball
From what I can tell, there is a difference between those that have some natural gifts (hand/eye coordination, quick hands, athleticism) versus those that don’t have those gifts. Of the players that have the gifts, your work ethic will help you to get ahead.
I always tell my 11u that you can’t get time back. I believe in being over prepared vs under prepared. If playing high school baseball is something you want to do, you better start putting in the effort now. This is where the extra stuff comes in. Not just simply playing on a travel team, but conditioning and strength training are things you need to incorporate now. In church on Sunday our pastor mentioned in his sermon that “you get what you prepare for.” I later turned to my son and made sure he was paying attention. You can spend 8 hours on Sunday watching cartoons/YouTube or playing video games, or you can take 40 minutes and go run your mile and a half, do your push-ups and your arm drills with the weighted ball.
Like some have said, there is always somebody that is ahead of you. There will always be kids that are bigger/stronger/faster. What you have to do is make sure you are the best you can be. So really (and I don’t mean to sound like a Survivor song from Rocky) the battle is against yourself. Are you disciplined enough to put in the time and effort to be the best you can possibly be? Are you the best version of yourself or did you fall off course? The sooner you start, the more prepared you will be when that day gets here.
^^^THIS^^^ I tell my son all the time that natural ability gives you a headstart. However, you need training to refine those skills. There are many kids with 'naturally' strong arms but poor mechanics who are placed on the mound. However, they are soon passed by kids who may not have as strong an arm but have been coached to have proper mechanics. You can coach height or speed, but you can coach technique and mechanics. Now, natural ability and personalized training is a winning combination. |
Edited by - BamaDad on 12/07/2015 21:23:04 |
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CaCO3Girl
1989 Posts |
Posted - 12/08/2015 : 08:20:09
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quote:
Originally posted by bfriendly
Lots of valid points here and I dont want it to get too hot, but B, while probably not intended, you are giving off a sense of Hopelessness to the ones who are not "born with it".
While it does raise a valid theory, being born with it is not the end all. Effort and attitude will determine success, in greater part than natural ability IMHO. The point you make is valid and proven. Stated softly by turntwo with examples I may add. You can see it by simply watching AA vs Major players in ANY age group.....any age group. Even within these level specific groups, you will clearly find what I would call standouts. I simply believe the standouts at their respective levels is determined by Effort and Attitude more than the natural.......how many times have you seen that Athlete that make so many errors in a game simply because his head is not in it? We shake our heads and cant figure it out, but it is there......
Our bodies and our brains will place limits on us, that is the nature of human beings. Some people will always be better than other people at certain things. Can you become better than the ability you were born with, absolutely, but you won't be able to exceed someone who was born with natural ability AND worked hard.
My point in saying all of that is to let the kids have fun and don't expect that with hard work, constant drills, and thousands of dollars in private lessons that you can turn him into a MLB player. You will NOT get their childhood back. I know that one day my son and I will think back on his baseball journey. We will remember how I drove to Cooperstown with my back out, rest stops were hilarious! We will recall how we always stopped for Dunkin Donuts before every tournament, and even when he was a teenager he got sprinkles on his donuts. We will talk about the cold, the rain, the heat, and me soaking him with water (which he hated) after every inning of catching in 90+ heat, but he knew it was coming and ran from me :- )
Will your discussions with your kid about their youth baseball be like that, where you can laugh and say oh man, do you remember when... or will you have regrets on what you could have done differently? Will you regret how you held baseball success as important, or more important than academic success? Will your son even want to talk about how you behaved at baseball, or will it be one other thing he will do differently when he has kids? Looking back, were you encouraging and supportive, or did you kill the love of the game for him by trying to turn him into something he just wasn't meant to be? |
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Crazyforbball
391 Posts |
Posted - 12/08/2015 : 10:38:44
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| Really well said bballman. It seems the kids that ultimately get to the "top" of the pack are those with a combination of true natural ability, hard work, going the extra mile but not killing themselves or the love of the game to do it too hard too early, not to mention having parents who lay off and let the kid take the lead. Even if a kid has a ton of natural talent if HE does not have a true love of the sport it's never going to happen, and parents need to let it go. At 15 he is going to say no. Then add a great attitude, coachability, and some solid instruction to make sure he uses proper mechanics and develops the right muscle memory. A coach who knows his stuff is a tremendous asset to the player. One of the best ways to stay "caught up" I think is to play other sports! Great strength training in football...what better way to work on speed and agility than to play basketball or soccer? But most importantly keep it fun! It still looks to me like every player in the MLB is having fun!! No one trudges on the field with their head hung, kicking the dirt. Fun is an often forgotten key element to success for an aspiring athlete. |
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Do you feel like your son will fall behind?
