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Reply to "New at this and kinda freaking out"

Welcome to the site.  You are going to get valuable suggestions here from many experienced contributors.  You mentioned this:  I was drawn here because I have 2 14 year olds who as I'm told "will go far". 

I started hearing this about my son when he was 11 or 12 yrs old.  It was extremely difficult for me to refrain from believing, acting, and decision making year after year based on what others tell me.  For me the reason was pretty simple, baseball is a game that son can enjoy participating in, prevent him hopefully from "getting into trouble", and gave us the opportunity to be together as a family during trips.  We didn't put pressure on him to excel and if the time came where he got tired of baseball then we would hang up the cleats.  Several travel teams wanted him but he stayed with his better than average travel team because those were his friends and teammates since 9 years old. 

High school came around and I was anxious about him making the team, being able to get in a few games, becoming a semi regular, starting 9, excelling, etc.  Point is I took it one step at a time, never expecting the next step to come (but gladly accepting it), and little pressure on son (I hope) to play, learn the game, and have fun being a kid.  

Playing in college didn't enter my mind until half way through Jr. year in HS, you go to college to get an education and if lucky enough to have the expense reduced a little by baseball then great (IMO).  Son had a tremendous college career playing baseball and my thoughts were still the same, get drafted anywhere of the 1000 slots just to say he was the first person in our family history to be a pro for at least 1 day.  As it got closer to draft day my thoughts changed to be in top 500, then top 10 rounds, then top 5 rounds.

My apologies this is so long winded.  Take home message is this.  Do whatever you can to give them the opportunities to succeed and fail on their own.  Take what other say/expect as interesting comments but try not to shape your boys into becoming something that may not be in their cards.  I would guess with twins the competition among themselves is more intense than I had with my brothers.  Let them and your family enjoy these times together in high school since it will be over faster than you can imagine.  If they are truly good enough to advance to the next level they will without the issue being forced.  Above all, sit back, enjoy the game and ride, and trust in the process, trust in him.

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