What kind of specialized teams did your kid play on?

I think I understand what 2017LHP is talking about Doc....I've seen it here on my sons teams since he was 6.  The "training" here is a bit rampant, and just a money waster and a keeping up with Jones'es scenario.  If a parent wants to take a kid out with a bucket of balls that is one thing, but spending hundreds of dollars a month on private lessons for kids to "compete" with other 12 year olds...I don't get it.

 

We did finally put our son in pitching lessons this year, but that was because he was throwing really hard and his elbow started to hurt.  Instructor figured out why in about 2 minutes, and I take him twice a month to brush up on how not to hurt himself.  I don't care if he is throwing 40mph or 80mph (and STILL have not radared him), that's not why I take him, I take him because he is at a point now where he could actually hurt himself.

 

Many of these parents take their prepubescent kids because they think they HAVE TO in order for him to stay competitive with all the other kids that are taking lessons.  Just my opinion, but if the kid is struggling so much to keep up he is probably on the wrong team.

9 year old kid loves baseball.  Approaches parents and says he wants to play "travel ball' so he can "play against the best".  So you go find "the best team on which he can get playing time" (hear this advice regularly on this board).  Problem is parents are not indpendently wealthy and the "best team" is actually an organization down the road that for $500/mo will provide unlimited cage time, individual instruction , fancy pants and tournament fees.  Mom and dad huddle - do we stop funding the college savings plan and redirect the money into the "college baseball/maybe go pro one day" plan?  Oh yea, the 7 year old is watching to see how this unfolds.

 

I suspect this is more often the case than folks have unlimited funds.  It also places an enormous focus on a single activity at a very early age.  Lets say the kids does well and plays for 3 years (probably dropped $25k for program fees, travel and of course the newest bats).  Not a whole lot a family vacations (except vacationing at the ballpark).  Something bad happens (maybe his vision gets messed up - won't ever be able to hit the fastball).  Some folks will say the kid was chasing his dream between the ages of 9 and 12.  Others will have a different take.  Sorry for the sarcasm, but just trying to get the discussion to involve the average kid who happens to be pretty good at 9 whose parent either cannot afford this route or simply have other priorities.  I say keep him in park ball, make friends with the best coach at his age (get him on that team) and maybe pring for the occassional package of lessons.

Agree, parents should always stay with what their budget allows. There is always someone that can spend more and that's just life. But I have seen parents navigate their way through and do a good job of getting some affordable lessons and then go home and work hard and benefit from it. Right now I know a family that is spending so much money sending their boy's all over the country for this and for that and special training and private baseball school that if I guessed it the amount it would be near six figures a year. The family can afford it no problem, but the best part is that they can't even make the top travel teams in this area.

       
       
I know it comes down to how we define 'best if the best'.  I guess when I hear that my bar is set pretty high.  I am thinking teams far better than my son's.   Regional type teams that don't even live near each other or practice together other than inbetween tournament games.  I find it hard pressed to believe many of these kids are relegated to lacrosse or glee club.  But if you are talking good (not otherworldly great) travel teams all of them have a few kids at the bottom of their line up who are not necessarily great players.  Never were and probably never will be.  When a travel team tells player A he is now a left fielder and hitting 8th he leaves for a slightly lesser team where he can play 2nd base and hit in the 2 hole.  So you are always left with a few 'hangers on' who to their credit accept their role.  My son is in that position on his AAU team.  On a hugely successful team but at the bottom of the roster.  Never will he be a D1 basketball player.  NEVER!  And yes I know that even though he is only in 7th grade and he is on a top team.  Its a matter of being realistic and not just going by the jersey they where.  Everybody wants to talk about the kids who fizzle out.  I am not sure there really are many of those.  In fact I am pretty sure there aren't!   If some kid at 12 is hitting 20 home runs that are all fly balls averaging about 208ft, then he is not a super star at 16 is this somehow a surprise?  If you have any baseball iQ couldn't you figure out at 12 he wasn't really that good?  When was the last time you saw an 8th grader throwing 78 or 80 who threw 82 as a senior in high school (barring injury)?  And by the way I just gunned a couple NAIA guys in the high 70's recently.  So there really is a place for just about anybody who wants to play in college.  Some D3's are just begging for kids to fill out a roster and give them tuition dollars.  D1 is a major accomplishment.  High D2 also pretty good.  Below that it is hit.or miss.  So no I don't believe there are ANY good players in high school who can't play college.   Talent will remain to be talent.  Those who 'fizzle out' upon closer examination were never really any good in the first place.

Yeah Joliet, the BEST teams/players have a lesser drop out rate. Lots of teams at academies are billed to be the top or premier...at the ages i listed and for most of those kids, it just doesnt matter. Can it add to their make-up as a player to never quit, excel in pressure situations, deal with adversity better....not sure, i think that is on the kid and his desire to be better. At the end of the day, all i was trying to communicate was 9 times out of 10, its the parents who have to have their kid wear "that" jersey or play for "that" academy. Things will come out in the wash and the talented ones will be there, the others will have lots of little trophies and medals and be in a fraternity.