I don't have anything new to add here, but I continue to find it interesting that the anxiety of the parents (for 99% of ball players) often continues off and on for years throughout his/her ENTIRE career: making the 9u all-star team, fighting through an injury, making the competitive travel team, making the HS JV or varsity team as a freshman, making the HS varsity team, cracking the starting lineup, performing well, navigating college recruitment, surviving the first Fall of college ball cuts, making the college starting lineup, performing well, finding a good Summer ball home, performing well, etc., etc. Again, I remember being bummed for my son and admittedly myself when he was pitching and essentially lost the 9u/10u league championship game. Looking back, its silly/completely embarrassing.
We are not idiots. (I hope.) Intellectually, as parents we know that (i) it's just a game, (ii) our kids are more than ball players, and (iii) we should just enjoy the ride versus stressing over the dips in the roller-coaster ride. Absolutely.
But, this thread suggests that I am far from alone when I say that I still haven't figured out how not to get too twisted by the lows of baseball (even though by all accounts my son is currently doing great).. . . [as always, knocking on wood] As others have mentioned, a big part of the challenge is that our parental anxiety is tied to our player's mood/mental struggles. (But, that is probably not 100% of it. As baseball parents, regrettably we have some of our own ego skin in the game.)
This thread feels like baseball parent anxiety therapy. Love it.