I'm sorry guys but you just don't get it. High school ball should be about being stuck with what you got because that can be one of the best things to happen to a player by being put in a bad situation that they have very little control over. Travel ball should be free agency because it's important for a player to be on a team where they have more control. To develop a complete player you NEED both of these because if it's always easy then what are they going to do when they FINALLY have to compete at the college or minor league level if they get there?
Golfman you pose a great question in should the HS program be about developing itself versus the development of the individual. I really am glad you asked this because it's a great question and ties into what I put above. A high school program has two things going against it that everyone on here always brings up rightfully so. 1. A HS season is so short statistically that it renders any numbers you put up meaningless because of shortage of opportunities. 2. It's virtually impossible to get seen by college and pro scouts due to the time of the season. So based on those two things what's wrong with having the HS team use players in order for the program to develop? The reason why this is good is because the player SHOULD have the summer and fall to develop as an individual. They are going to be able to spend 70% more time developing as an individual than being part of the team as a piece.
Baseball (and real life) is pretty cut throat as is but at some point you need to learn to be part of a team and face / overcome adversity. The HS season can be that component of developing a complete player. Is it frustrating to be part of a bad program with a coach who doesn't know what's going on? You dang skippy it is and when I see teams at the HS level I coach against my heart goes out to their players but in terms of progressing and developing they still have opportunities if they take them.
Yes there are HS coaches who run summer teams that demand they play for them. So why not go against them in the summer / fall and play for whoever you want that is going to help you the most? They don't own you and if they punish you by benching you then what's the big deal? The HS season won't hurt you because the stats are meaningless and very few scouts will come watch. Plus scouts aren't dumb - they make their living knowing baseball. They will know and understand if your son plays for a terrible HS coach. If they have tools and are seen in the summer / fall they will be fine but the things they can learn from overcoming the adversity faced in a HS season will make them stand out more for going onto the next level.
Someone said there's only so many times you can say "keep up the good work" and things like that before it loses it's meaning. Well you're right so you now focus on doing the things that help you become a good a more complete player. Use the time to help younger players grow and develop so you can learn some leadership skills. Use the time to do something productive no matter what it is to help you grow and develop. The worst thing you can do is gripe and complain or foster that mentality in your son. If it seems the son is getting tired of hearing that then tell him to suck it up and work through it because what is the alternative? Give in and bash? That will never be productive.
If you take the right mentality then you can accept the HS season and summer / fall seasons for what they are in the development of a player. A HS team is there to help players develop as individuals but the main reason is to teach them how to overcome adversity. A travel team is there to help develop a player individually and promote them. But if you take this mentality and focus on the positives you will be amazed how much those two will start crossing over in how they will help in development.