Like so many discussions on this site, people tend to over simplify. If X then Y. I have seen as many if not more passionate athletes that don't realistically have much chance of playing in high school let alone beyond. It's as sad to me to see the anger in the parent of such a player as the disappointed parent whose player doesn't share thier passion. Motivation is / can be the byproduct of several elements. It would be interesting to be able to formulate a few of the predominant algorithms that lead to success using the following elements.
Size
Personality
Athleticism
Aptitude
Experiences (good and bad)
Opportunity
Familial support
Socioeconomics
Geography
Popularity/Looks
Character/Integrity/selflessness
And I am sure there are others. It's our job as parents to manage, equip, direct and guide our children to achieve the very best/most given all the elements they've been blessed with. How we motivate or develope motivation is the real question of this thread. I love the suggestion of building a love for the game.
I may be reading a meaning into the above post that wasn't intended at all, but I think there is a great point in the post which I don't think I'veseen discussed before. Not sure if I can put it into the right words that I'm thinking, but basically the idea is that there is a difference between being a baseball fan and being a baseball player. ClevelandDad had a great line in a post recently that went something like "I'd rather hear posters say what they really think rather than (parroting) what they think they're supposed to think." There's a lot of this effect on this board, IMO. So many posts are predicated with one version or another of "my son is different/better". One thing you hear a lot of is how a player is rabid about baseball... watching ball games incessantly since they were toddlers, hitting 100s of 1000s of balls off a tee in the garage, etc. Obviously strong players do work on their game a lot if they want to get better. And no doubt plenty of great HS players are also huge MLB fans, and most will tend to have some interest in the pro game just as a fan. But I have a hard time believing that it comes close to the 110% that are described on this board as 24/7 baseball junkies. Guys who are that into following pro baseball are generally more fan than player, I believe. And a kid hitting off the tee in the backyard may be accomplishing little to nothing depending on his level of understanding about hitting. It's sort of like the difference between playing "rock band" on the xbox or actually learning how to play the guitar... both can be fun but one requires a lot more skill, knowledge, and work to be effective towards performance. Meanwhile, there are a great many very high level players who aren't particularly rabid baseball fans at all. In other words, basically they would much rather play ball than watch it... and they may have a lot of other interests in totally different directions when not playing ball or doing baseball working outs. Playing the game at higher competitive levels requires a lot of dedication and there is increasing pressure as you progress. Because it requiires so much time and effort, a lot of guys who work extremely hard with an eye on the next level need to get away from the game when not working at it.
The flip side is that I see a lot of guys playing HS baseball and (what they and their families tell themselves is) "competitive club ball" who are clearly more fan than player. They are in a fantasy to varying degrees, playing the game with delusions of grandeur. I think this is fine really... in a sense they're just having fun playing baseball, which is great. If they're at a competitive HS, then they may not see the field much or even make the team but might contribute if at a smaller HS. Sometimes they are aware that the game is beyond them and that deep down they really aren't that interested in trying to catch up; sometimes they are kidding themselves that they really have it when they just don't. But often, I think, the biggest pretenders are the parents of this type player... this is what I felt like the tagged post was getting at. They see the genuine excitement that their son has for the game, which in this case is really a fan's enthusiasm, and since he also happens to be playing the game still... they put two and two together and become convinced that they have a serious prospect on their hands. Items listed in the tagged post like size, speed, athleticism, and necessary skill sets aren't even considered. Again, if the player is having a good time playing baseball then all good. The problem comes when reality starts to intrude on a fantasy experience. Players and especially parents can turn ugly. After all, they may have invested considerable time money into things along the way... disproportionate time and money. The parent may start to lash out at coaches and other parents. Another indicator can be that as the level of play rises, some players begin to go through a lot of "big league" style nagging injuries... things that sound vaguely impressive in the locker room that are designed maybe subconsciously to keep the dream alive... for the player and/or for mom or dad.
Again, I may be taking the tagged post above in a different direction than was intended. I guess my point is that there's a big difference between enjoying the game from the outside looking in... ie being a baseball fan... verses actually working at it in earnest from the inside out as a player. I think player and parent enthusiasm often comes more from the fan perspective than from the reality of what it takes to perform next level... and that's where a lot of heartache and angst begins. A LOT more of us "love the game" as fans than do as players.