@coach2709 posted:I don't blame the kid for finding a team to play for in the summer and the earlier the better but it cannot interfere with the HS season. That's not a power trip but about completing a commitment. But as I said in my very first post - if that AAU coach is pressuring you to play while you are still alive for HS playoffs then you chose the wrong team. That coach is wrong and HE is the one on a power trip. A good AAU / summer team coach will recognize that a kid is still committed to his HS team for the playoffs, wish them luck and tell them to come out when done - hopefully after a state championship.
If a college coach is upset that you won't be playing in this AAU tournament because you're still in HS playoffs then you don't want to play for this guy (let's be honest though it's probably impossible to find a college coach who would think this).
It's hard to talk about commitment when you commit to two different teams because there will be conflict at some point. The only way you can be on two teams is if there is understanding you won't start the second team until the first one is over. For me I only make the HS season mandatory because that is the only thing I can make mandatory per state rules. Everything else is voluntary. So I have a summer team for my players but I tell them if they want to go play travel or on another team then go ahead. I just tell them to make sure they are on a team where they will play a lot because if they are sitting on the bench they are wasting their time and not getting better. But it's their choice for who they play for in the summer.
@coach2709 perfect sense.
Here is an interesting spin on this dynamic.
A player that I knew only played 4 varsity games (junior year) during his HS Career, his parent was concerned that he would not be seen.
Issue: HS Coach was also the American Legion Coach. If you wanted to play varsity baseball then you must play Legion.
Player was already playing travel ball and the schedules have too many conflicts.
I said: don't worry you son is 6'1'' left hand bat with a very strong Arm and runs a 6.4 60 in his sleep.
He got a scholarship to Akron before it closed its doors (2015), went the JUCO route and finished at a D2 school in Florida.