We are going through this right now. My son is not natural athletic. Has had to work to get better. He has never been the kid to be better than everyone else not super competitive. Something clicked with pitching early on. He could always focus on that tsk of baseball well. Although he always struggled at plate and having that natural hunger in games.
He always puts in extra work but never his idea. he just always knew this is what was needed to compete. He did very well especially with pitching always right in that edge of moving to next level. Always one of the better players, all star, etc.
he had goal to make Highschool team. He made the top level freshman team. We really thought he had turned a corner. Realized his ability and would become more confident. It was short lived , he was doing great at the upper level and then bam. He completely changed everything he was ever taught.
now he is looking worse then level lower then him. Kids he outplayed for years look like super stars next to him. Practice , in the cage right before a game everything is fine. Get into a game it’s like he doesn’t want to be there. It’s all mental. He feels he puts in tons of work more than his teammates to get better. In a game though he is not getting results.
baseball teaches life’s lessons. We worry if can’t overcome the the mental aspect here gonna be other places in life.
but how do you know when they like the idea of playing baseball more than really wanting it even when you don’t get result of hard work how do you overcome that fear. It’s hard as parent because he has the ability and he has shown it. Hate to see end when it doesn’t have to.