RoadRunner posted:DesertDuck posted:If the kid is truly enjoying it all, more power to him. At least he is working hard to realize his dreams and goals, competing in a sport he seems to love and likely isn't spending all hours of the day with a cell phone or game controller in his hands.... A lot to be said for a dedicated, driven 11 yr. old.
I agree. One caveat though. Hopefully his parents are managing the finances appropriately in case baseball doesn’t work out for him. I would hate to see them unable to provide a decent education because they spent it all on training and baseball.
The dad makes six figures. So there is money. But the amount they spend per year on baseball is steep especially for the kid’s age. Who knows if he’s saving for college.
Fifteen years ago there was an SI cover story on the 10yo athlete. The story wasn’t much different. By high school the kid’s arm was toast. The kid played LF in high school and the story ended. At ten he was traveling the country playing as a visiting player with top travel teams.
The problem is when kids are this obsessed at a young age and it doesn’t end well they make psychologists a lot of money. Dr. Joel Fish in Philadelphia is one of the top sports psychologists. His top end clients are pro and Team USA athletes. At the other end are a lot of travel athletes who want to quit, or at the least tamp it down. But they are afraid their parents will be disappointed in them after all the money that’s been spent. They also lose their personal identity and self worth when they aren’t “that kid” anymore.,