KTCOTB posted:As my son enters his sophomore year, we are filled with uncertainty about the upcoming year. He I suppose is one of those marginal players- inconsistent, and very unsure of himself. Lots of parents and coaches have told him and us how much potential he has to be a great player, but his low self confidence and reluctance to practice daily is holding him back. He sat most of his freshman year after being told that he made the team but wouldn’t see the field much. I fear that this season will be the same as last. On top of riding the bench, he actually gained weight and went into summer ball out of shape and had lost his swing. His strengths have always been hitting and pitching. I really believe that being on the JV team his freshman year was more of a detriment to his development as a player. The school usually finishes slightly above .500 in the weakest conference, with obvious attention and playing time given to the players deemed better. Politics aside, my son has been lumped in with the sub par players. So, my question is: is it better to quit school ball, continue with lessons and training for summer ball, or endure another season with the school team that results in the whole spring being lost, and no improvement to his game because he is not an “important” player.
please be kind. I know that my kid most likely will not play college or MLB, but he is good enough to hang with these kids if he was only given a chance.
I appreciate the advice in advance.
Welcome back, KTCOTB. I still think you have been looking at this wrong. You have been consistent with the message that he just needs to be given a chance. He made JV last year and played summer ball this year. He didn't play in many games with JV last year but practiced with the team daily. You have provided him with the opportunity to take lessons and play summer ball. He IS getting HUNDREDS of chances. At some point, he needs to decide that he is going to be the hunter, not the victim. He needs to decide he wants to work harder than those ahead of him to earn that PT. The funnel only narrows further going forward. As he works his way (should he decide) toward varsity ball, he will only encounter more kids who do work hard every day. They have the passion and drive to do it. If he really commits, before long, he will be more confident. But commit and work come first. Not the other way around (at least for most). And, BTW, this includes conditioning.
As a former HS coach, we could usually see whether a kid had that drive or not when they first came into the program. That said, I have seen a few find their "lightbulb" moment a year or two later, so it is not totally out of the question. But the clock is ticking. You two should probably sit down and have a real heart-to-heart. If he doesn't want to commit to stepping up the efforts and taking control of his baseball destiny, maybe he is better off finding something else that he might have more passion for. Or he can just enjoy going out to the field with the boys every day for as long as that lasts.