quote:Originally posted by Fungo:quote:Only when our sons get older do we realize how little it matters what team he played on when he was 11.
Depends on what you're looking for. I basically disagree with that statement. In my opinion it is just as important at 11 as it is at 25. I think we get so caught up in seeking "the next level" that we forget the most important time in our son's baseball is TODAY --- no matter how old he is. I know yesterday's games are history and I'll be the first to admit the little dirty faced kid couldn't hit college pitching but I can tell you that my son's experiences when he was eleven was as rewarding to him and to the our family as his years of playing college and pro ball. The team(s) the teammates, and the experiences have to be as important for the 11 year old as they are at 20 years old so IMHO those teams are JUST as important.
Fungo
Fungo,
Late response but I have been away for a while, baseball of course.
I was not refering to the experiences of the kids when I said it didn't matter where they played at 11. I was refering to the level at which he plays not doesn't really matter. Your statement actually agrees with what I believe. It is more important for the kid to have fun and created pleasant memories at the younger ages. The more fun he has the more he wil want to play and the better he will get.
Searching year to year for a "top notch" travel team may have the opposite results.
My main point is that when a player tries out for a high level team at 14-17 the coaches aren't going to ask him where he played at 11. It is totally irrelevant.