Mom of a 16yo RHP. My son didn’t start playing until he was 10 (due to me being divorced and custody/visitation) long story short, many parents told me and kids told him that he would never be good because he didn’t start playing at 5... he practices everyday and has greatly improved. He is a starter pitcher for his summer travel team and one of 5 starters on his HS team. He works hard and is self motivated and I just sit back and watch and cheer (quietly). I hit him ball and fetch his hits. I can’t catch his pitches anymore (they are too fast). He wants to play in college and we have started the college search.
the main things I have learned is that coaches from colleges are now attending so I have to be the parent that cheers more quietly. I nudge him gently- but he has to be self driven if he wants this life in the MLB someday. Does he have what it takes to go pro? Maybe. Maybe not. He knows his weaknesses and what what he needs to work on- if I tell him we argue, so I video EVERYTHING and he reviews then he can see for himself what is good/bad. Then I do the editing to help with his recruiting videos.
