A Parental Questionnaire:

I'll start...

1: From the moment he could pick up an object and throw it, he was far better at it than his brother. At t-ball there was a significant difference in velocity and accuracy, and we thought maybe this is his game?

2: I helped coach 9U, on a dad coached select travel team (I had a team dad role).

3: Juco was the most enjoyable for me, because I had no expectations, no HS drama and all the ballplayers were grinders. Bonus answer: Least enjoyable were the minors, it’s just about individual advancement.

4: Yes, enough said (literally and figuratively)

5: Not really, I gave my son some bad advice, but he didn’t listen and made the right choices for him. We had a lot of fun doing things outside baseball, I think we were balanced. It’s easy to be all in on something your kid excels at…

1. Age 9.  Son asked to try out for a travel team (COMPLETELY his idea and almost seemed out of the blue), I let him, he actually had a great tryout, made the top local team (and has every year since then), and has been hooked on baseball ever since.

2. Never.

3. So far, 14U travel.  They were on the big fields and won an area championship.  Finally seeing son's hard work really paying off and it was so much fun to see how much all of the boys on the team had grown.

4. Probably yes. 

5. Not yet.  We've really followed his lead and I'm impressed by his passion and work ethic.

1. t-ball. He was the short stop. But he knew how to cover for every position. Learned that watching the only team that we could watch on TV, Atlanta. Husband took him to spring training games, as a toddler,  along with his blanket and pacifier!

2. In middle school.

3. Favorite level was college baseball.

4. Always!

5. No, I think decisions that we made were good ones, and he did not play year round baseball.

1. Probably when he was 9. Was asked to guest play on a ranked USSSA 9u team.
2. 12u LL all stars

3. Definitely HS. He was a late bloomer and really began to dominate his junior and senior years

4. I never thought about this, but definitely. Most of our close friends are through baseball.
5. I enjoyed coaching him but I definitely was too hard on him. I wish I enjoyed it more in the moment. I also would have pushed him to pitch more earlier (he was a catcher that occasionally pitched up until senior year. Focused mainly on pitching this past year.

1.  Has loved baseball ever since he first saw it on t.v. at age 3, he would hit wiffle balls imitating MLB players.  It sounds dumb, but in t-ball, he wanted to be good, so he worked at it.  Did also have an older brother who made himself good at baseball so that his little brother couldn't beat him.

2.  Never.

3.  I have enjoyed most of it.  Our 9-10 rec-league was really fun - great teams and coaches (kids hadn't left for travel yet), terrific community atmosphere at the park.  I liked high school, because schools just had whatever players they had, some good, some bad, coaches had to make do.  One or two future-D1 players couldn't necessarily win a game.  Our HS coach developed the team to win my son's senior year, it was pretty great when it all came together.  I liked the travel of travel ball, and I like watching summer collegiate ball now.  I like watching college ball too!

4.  Never really talked baseball until I found this site, except to my son.

5.  Not really.  Maybe pitching lessons in 10th grade.  But then maybe he would have blown out his arm.

1. We had an idea by the time he was 2 - he was hitting pitched whiffle balls well. He was very upset at 5 when he had to hit off the tee for t-ball because he could hit a pitched ball much farther.
2. 12U – Cooperstown quarter-finals.
3. College. There are 3 or 4 specific plays that are particular favorite memories. When our son was in town over the summer we all spent an hour around the table talking about some of those games and the relationships we made along the way (us with other parents / son and his teammates).
4. No comment... Around family and closest friends, college and pro sports are pretty much the only thing we talk about.
5. No regrets. The moment I walked off the field at Cooperstown, I never coached him again. Not even an occasional tip or suggestion. He’s far better than I ever was, which is why we went to professional coaching after 12U. We hope he is having as much fun playing as we have watching him play.

The baseball journey has been a blessing to our family. We loved every moment of it (other than the few heartbreaking post-season losses in high school and college).

At what age did you have an inkling your kid might have a knack for baseball?

SON 1 - 6 Years..........got asked to play on travel team 100 miles away.

SON  2 - 3 Years.........he played 5/6 coach pitch

How old was your son that last time you or your spouse coached them on the field?

18 - I coached fall ball for their high school all 4 years for each

As a parent, what has been your favorite level to watch your son play?

#1 - High School.  He was a all-state pitcher in 5A in Texas for 2 of his 3 varsity years.  37-3 record......although watching him play Little League All-Stars for 3 years was exciting trying to get to Williamsport.

#2 - Right now in JUCO.  Lost most of HS due to Covid and injury.

Do you / did you talk too much baseball to friends and family?

YES, but they/we are baseball family, so no one really minds.

Do you have any major regrets, knowing what you know today, would you do anything major differently?

No, it's been a great journey.  It's made them and me who we are.  3 more years for #2.

1. Age you had an inkling he might have a knack for baseball?: 7 when he tried out for over 4 hours straight in the freezing cold for the local travel team (first for his age group and then the group older than him that he played with for almost 7 years). He asked the commissioner if he could try out for the second team. As shy as he is, that said something. We are from the Mid Atlantic though and so the rest of the baseball world didn't see what we saw until his Jr. Year in HS.
2. Last time you or your spouse coached them on the field? We never coached him on the diamond. Husband was his basketball until HS. Kid has always loved BP with Dad though. Preferably on an open field but we go through too many balls that way. 🤭
3. As a parent, what has been your favorite level to watch your son play? I've loved all of them. Up until Jr. Year in HS, during the summer, I was baseball Mom because my husband was with the girls on their basketball journey (younger daughter played up with her older sister until her junior year when she switched to a national AAU team). As much as I loved the Cooperstown years, I have such wonderful memories of the drives all over kingdom come in middle school and early HS. I also love now.
4. Do you / did you talk too much baseball to friends and family? Probably. 😂 but honestly with my immediate family and non-baseball friend we are pretty chill about it and don't talk about it all the time. We all (including the girls) have our own lives. HSBBW is a great place to go when I need to talk about it.
5. Regrets? We went through some serious issues at his first HS but I firmly believe that everything that happened has made him who he is so we can't regret it even though we still can't quite believe what happened.
   
   

Great, thought-provoking topic. Thank you!

@JucoDad posted:

It’s the slow part of the HS and collage baseball landscape, although Fall is just about to kick in... I thought out of curiosity I’d create a parental questionnaire – feel free to add questions…  

1. At what age did you have an inkling your kid might have a knack for baseball?
2. How old was your son that last time you or your spouse coached them on the field?
3. As a parent, what has been your favorite level to watch your son play?
4. Do you / did you talk too much baseball to friends and family?
5. Do you have any major regrets, knowing what you know today, would you do anything major different?

I have a daughter so I hope you don't mind if I play.

1. At what age did you have an inkling your kid might have a knack for softball?  Two things stand out.  First, when she was 7, she caught a ball and threw it to 1st base for a double play.  The boy playing 1st was not ready and got drilled.  I am sure that she was the only one on the field who knew what a double play was.  Secondly, when she was 9, the rec league coaches took a vote on her playing in the league.  She was not allowed to windup when she pitched and she had to hit at the bottom of the lineup.  Her coach took the entire team out of the rec league and thus began her TB career.
2. How old was your daughter the last time you or your spouse coached them on the field?  She was 16 and a college coach who was recruiting her pretty hard mentioned that it would be a good thing if she played for a team that I was not the coach on.  I agreed.
3. As a parent, what has been your favorite level to watch your daughter play?  All of them.  Each level of play was so much fun.  The games, teammates, and parents were all the best.  To be honest, with the exception of my daughter's freshman year in college, she was so blessed to play on the teams she played on.
4. Do you / did you talk too much softball to friends and family?  Like most parents, I skirted the line many times.  Still, I would hope that I showed some restraint.  We tried to tell my daughter that softball was what she played and not who she was.  In doing that, we tried to make other areas of her life like academics as important as softball.
5. Do you have any major regrets, knowing what you know today, would you do anything major differently?  No, unlike so many others, my daughter's journey was with the best people around.  She got married last year.  Her maids of honor (Yes plural.) and all of the bridesmaids were softball teammates.  Her coaches were the type of people that you wanted your daughter to play for.  The parents were the best.  I'll finish by saying that starting at 12u, she started playing tournaments in approximately 7 states each year.  Those times in the car were priceless.  At an early age, she read Nancy Drew books as we traveled.  Later, she and I would sing all of those 70s rock songs.  My wife wasn't able to travel as much but she also bought into all of this and loved every minute of it.  We remain good friends with all of those parents and coaches.

At what age did you have an inkling your kid might have a knack for baseball? 

In T-Ball you could tell he was better than most kids and threw the ball harder than all of them.  I thought he might play in HS someday. 

How old was your son that last time you or your spouse coached them on the field?

He was 13.  I coached him from T-ball through 13u.

As a parent, what has been your favorite level to watch your son play?

JUCO and it isn't even close.  I'd do just about anything to watch that group play another game.  The postseason run with a roster full of guys who were 100% bought in was a joy to watch. 

Do you / did you talk too much baseball to friends and family?

Definitely.  Most of my good friends I met through baseball or other sports.  I coached their kid and we became lifelong friends.  We still talk sports daily. 

Do you have any major regrets, knowing what you know today, would you do anything major differently? 

I would have had him in the gym more at a younger age and would have emphasized it more overall. 

1. At what age did you have an inkling your kid might have a knack for baseball?
2. How old was your son that last time you or your spouse coached them on the field?
3. As a parent, what has been your favorite level to watch your son play?
4. Do you / did you talk too much baseball to friends and family?
5. Do you have any major regrets, knowing what you know today, would you do anything major differently?

I have a daughter and a son who played. They were uniquely different. But being five years older my daughter had impact on my son.

1. She showed no interest in team sports until her friends started signing up at age seven. It was obvious at age ten my daughter was too good for rec ball. Another dad and I stated a 12u travel team when the girls were eleven. At thirteen she joined a prominent travel program. From 8th grade to freshman year she went from high school prospect to D1 prospect. She grew from 5’2” to 5’10”. It changed her demeanor to intense. She had the skills. Now she had the strength.

1. I placed my son next to a Lil Tikes tee and a cart of whiffle ball at eighteen months. It all came naturally. He went yard a lot. Fortunately the neighbors in the next yard didn’t mind. He preferred to practice with his sister’s 12u travel softball team than play tee ball. His high school coach had taught at his elementary school. His coach noticed he was the best athlete on the playground from day one.

2. I played college ball. I coached every non school team my daughter played on through 18u Gold.

2. I coached every non school team through 16u. I put together a 13u travel team with what I felt were elite players. I had three assistants who also played college ball. When he was sixteen it was time for serious recruiting on a 17u team.

There was some real scrambling when there was overlap in the summer.

3. Every level was fun. Enjoy the journey.

4. The family (uncles, aunts, cousins) is mostly a bunch of non athletes. They always wanted to know everything the few times a year when we got together or on the phone. When my son graduated from college he commented he’s now as boring as the rest of us. A friend who played college ball and only has girls still wants to hear about the baseball.

5. My kids had awesome softball and baseball journey through college ball. At 35 and 30 they’re successful professionals and happily married (as if son’s wedding next weekend). No regrets.

Note: My daughter verballed when she was fifteen. Girls physically mature earlier than boys and get recruited sooner. My son was ten at the time. He verbally committed to Louisville at age ten. He had sat with two Louisville pitchers charting and gunning at a Villanova game. Louisville never knew he committed. But he played against them twice a year in college ball.

• At what age did you have an inkling your kid might have a knack for baseball: 5, 5, 4
• How old was your son that last time you  coached them on the field? 16
• As a parent, what has been your favorite level to watch your son? Mustang (9-10)
• Do you / did you talk too much baseball to friends and family? Only with my brothers and parents because all my brothers played, and all our boys played.
• Do you have any major regrets, knowing what you know today, would you do anything major differently? I would have them learn to hit left-handed.

1. At what age did you have an inkling your kid might have a knack for baseball? — when he was around 2 a friend who was an education professor asked him to come to her class to demonstrate stages of development for preschoolers. She was wearing heels and a suit, knelt down and told him to throw her the ball, explaining to the class that at his age he would probably throw the ball into the ground and it might not get to her. We tried to warn her, but his throw knocked her on her fanny.
2. How old was your son that last time you or your spouse coached them on the field? — never did, although my husband still has conversations about it.
3. As a parent, what has been your favorite level to watch your son play? — I've loved all of them, but probably the year he was 10 was one of the best. He played little league all stars that got to the state tournament, his travel team started that year and moved up to AAA. We made new friends on the bleachers as we got to know the parents, he started playing with guys who are still some of his best friends. It was a magical summer.
4. Do you / did you talk too much baseball to friends and family? More than some would like, less than others. We have one set of parents who we are very close to. Their son is playing indie ball and they said one night that we have to get togehter to talk about our boys because other parents think we are crazy. They're right.
5. Do you have any major regrets, knowing what you know today, would you do anything major differently? I think everything worked out right for him, but if I had it to do over, we might have invested more in having him "seen." He played at a P5 in college that was just down the road, but I wonder if we had pushed harder he might have had more opportunities, but it's hard to imagine them working out any better than where he ended up.

1. At what age did you have an inkling your kid might have a knack for baseball? 8U, he was asked to join a dad coach travel team. I refused and was personally appalled that a kid should play travel at that age...shame on me for my naivety. I was pressured to join and help coach on another 9-11U dad coach travel team. I knew it was a train wreck in the making and it had all the drama and cliché one could expect would happen with a bad dad coached travel team....ah I digress
2. How old was your son that last time you or your spouse coached them on the field? 11U. I did get snookered to do the score book until 13U, that is because I had a iScore license. I was and am still anti-Game Changer.
3. As a parent, what has been your favorite level to watch your son play? College
4. Do you / did you talk too much baseball to friends and family? Only to spouse, she absolutely could not stand my over critical analysis of my kid's performance. With BB Dads, not enough as I was usually the listener. 
5. Do you have any major regrets, knowing what you know today, would you do anything major differently? I was the mean unfair dad coach. I definitely would have bought a loss training stuff and upgraded on some hotels during the travel days as some were frighteningly awful, dangerous and unhealthy 

OK, so this is a memory test... You're asking about some stuff that happened 20+ years ago!!

1. At what age did you have an inkling your kid might have a knack for baseball?
   • If you mean play beyond U12 - then of the 3 only the youngest showed early on, but then again he'd been watching his brothers play quite a bit...
2. How old was your son that last time you or your spouse coached them on the field?
   • Beyond sitting on the bench as "the responsible adult" for 1 Fall Ball season for my middle son - U12 was it. I figure beyond that, let the experts handle it.
3. As a parent, what has been your favorite level to watch your son play?
   • When I was in the throes of it - whatever level they were playing.  In the long run, I guess it's any level that I wasn't coaching.  It's like being an umpire, the best thing about not coaching is not dealing with the parents and not having to rethink whether I should have sent that runner from 3rd.
4. Do you / did you talk too much baseball to friends and family?
   • Ha ha ha - depends on who you ask!!  Of course, but once our oldest starting playing HS football that changed a bit. If all you do in your spare time is sports, then I think naturally that's what you're going to talk about with "everyone" who will (ahem, politely) listen (baseball, basketball, football, lacrosse)
5. Do you have any major regrets, knowing what you know today, would you do anything major differently?
   • Enjoy it more. Look you have only "so long" to enjoy it, so don't get so wrapped up that you miss the point. I do wish we actually took time for "real" family vacations that didn't involve some field / court, but that's not "major" just more important than I placed on it back then.

@JucoDad posted:

It’s the slow part of the HS and collage baseball landscape, although Fall is just about to kick in... I thought out of curiosity I’d create a parental questionnaire – feel free to add questions…  

1. At what age did you have an inkling your kid might have a knack for baseball?

             His first team was as a three year old (YMCA). He hit the ball further, wore batting gloves and was more focused than many of the other players.

1. How old was your son that last time you or your spouse coached them on the field?

              Looking back, I think I may have only coached him one year (assistant coach his freshman year of high school).

1. As a parent, what has been your favorite level to watch your son play?

              Though I  enjoyed seeing him play against future major leaguers in AA, I probably would say college-- enjoying the conference rivalries and hanging out/tailgating with the parents of his teammates.

1. Do you / did you talk too much baseball to friends and family?

Sometimes too much..even today with filling out the daily "The Immaculate Grid" . Some enjoy it more than others.

1. Do you have any major regrets, knowing what you know today, would you do anything major differently?

Absolutely. I would have him hitting left handed, even though he is "right dominant" acrossed the board. That would have greatly reduced the infield hits lost throughout his career. RipkenFan Son tells me when he has kids they will switch hit from the start.

This thread is proof that we all love getting the opportunity to talk about our kids. The question regarding regrets is my favorite. 2 of my sons are baseball players.

Oldest son played 2 years juco and we have a ton of regrets. Natural athlete but not coachable. We harped on everything from t-ball through hs, lectured on the way home. Complained about coaching. Sabotaged it for him.  Completely stressed him out. For the record, we thought we weren't over-the-top at the time and actually thought we were doing pretty good at this baseball parent stuff. I mean, I had a blingy baseball mom tank with matching hat. Meanwhile little brother grew up in the dugout-

Youngest son, senior now, was raised differently. He'd grown up in the dugout making jokes with his brother's older teammates, playing catch with them. Conning them out of sunflower seeds. Developing a love for the sport. For practice, not just games. For the gym. We learned from our mistakes with oldest. Let youngest be coached by the coaches. Learned how to stay quiet unless saying "great job" and only disciplined him about attitude/character issues. He had a blast at AC. Looks like he'll play D1 but we'll see. He still loves the game so we hope he has the opportunity to continue.

@JucoDad posted:

1. At what age did you have an inkling your kid might have a knack for baseball? 10 years old. He had played since he was 9 but could not hit or catch at all. But some kind of switch went off he started practicing every day and next spring he made all stars out of 90 kids and completely abandoned his other sport.
2. How old was your son that last time you or your spouse coached them on the field? 13 yo in intermediate little league.
3. As a parent, what has been your favorite level to watch your son play? I have really enjoyed most of it so far. This summer at 14U travel his hitting is really taking off and he's starting to hit for more power. It's exciting to watch
4. Do you / did you talk too much baseball to friends and family? Yes definitely.
5. Do you have any major regrets, knowing what you know today, would you do anything major differently? Still in the thick of it but maybe I would have learned a little bit more about the game earlier so I knew the difference between a good and bad instructor before wasting money and time on them

This thread is proof that we all love getting the opportunity to talk about our kids.

Advice for those who haven’t gone through the recruiting process …

Go to games of programs of interest. Ask two questions, shut up and listen. The parents who talk will go on and on.

Question 1: How did your son end up here?

Question 2A: What other schools were interested. 2B: Why this school over those?

At what age did you have an inkling your kid might have a knack for baseball?

Two time periods: His first times on the mound (8), seeing how intense he got. Pandemic, seeing him find ways to keep developing when HS season was canceled.

How old was your son that last time you or your spouse coached them on the field?

Never did it. Never coached from the stands either — at 7 he told me he didn’t want to hear my voice when he was playing. At 13 he realized that’s why I wasn’t cheering and rescinded the edict.

As a parent, what has been your favorite level to watch your son play?

His high school senior season. Magic on many levels and we appreciated every bit of it after Covid cancellation the year before.

Do you / did you talk too much baseball to friends and family?

We’ve been huge fans of baseball especially MLB; Others would see us as obsessed but it hasn’t overshadowed our relationship or whatever.

Do you have any major regrets, knowing what you know today, would you do anything major differently?

I have no regrets! Covid was crap but not in our control, and he’s grown through what he’s gone through.

At what age did you have an inkling your kid might have a knack for baseball? -- For my oldest it was 3 or 4 years old.  He would sit and watch a game with me, and ask me about the numbers flashing on the TV screen.  For some reason he was fixated on those numbers.  Looking back, it makes sense now as he is an engineer and speaks numbers.  My two younger sons it was probably 5-6 years old

How old was your son that last time you or your spouse coached them on the field? - My oldest son was probably 10 years old.  I coached my middle son in American Legion so he was 17.  I coached my youngest son for High School JV Fall baseball at the request of his Varsity coach.  He was 15 years old.

As a parent, what has been your favorite level to watch your son play? - Probably 12U for all three of my sons.  They're still kids (mostly) and it is all about fun and their friends.  Cooperstown Dreams Park and a couple other tournaments made it fun for everyone.

Do you / did you talk too much baseball to friends and family? - Probably did years ago when they were playing and younger.  Not so much now.  When my sons are visiting, they are usually the ones bringing up baseball where in the past I was probably the one bringing up baseball.  In fact, I played golf with my youngest son and he was telling me about a former high school teammate who got promoted to AAA.  My middle son texted me the other night as one of the kids from our area (he played against and we know their family) was catching for St Louis on Sunday night baseball.  He went 2 for 4

Do you have any major regrets, knowing what you know today, would you do anything major differently? - Major regrets, not really.  Could I have done a few things differently -- sure but it wouldn't have matter in the long run.   My wife and I did a decent job of listening to what they wanted to do, and then helping them get started in life.  Baseball is a great life lesson that you have to be continually learning and competing.  They are doing the rest, and all my sons are married to great people.   This leaves time for my wife and I to travel, and I'm still learning how to play golf!

1. In retrospect it may have been day 1 of rec ball when he was 7 or 8 years old. Coach said he had quite an arm and should pitch.

2. Never been a team coach. I'm more of a training assistant in the home bullpen.

3. The current level. Still pretty young here, about to embark on the big field for the first time.

4. I try not to!

5. Nothing yet. It's been very helpful to hear other folks advice and stories. I think so far we've done what's best for us.

1. T-ball. Son was significantly better than his teammates and we felt his attributes best fit with baseball.

2. Only kept a book when asked, but hands off over here.

3. HS age ball. Younger is a bit too sloppy to really enjoy. It's a thing of beauty to see the ball hit 380'+.

4. Nope, not unless asked. I opt to stay away from other parents because there's too much drama.

5. I should of transferred my son to another HS. Thought the coach would treat players equitably, but it didn't happen.

At what age did you have an inkling your kid might have a knack for baseball.
For me, probably when he was 13 and a high school coach "recruited" him to his private high school for the baseball team.  My husband knew before but he's the one who knows baseball - I'm just the driver (before my kid learned he drive), cook, schedule keeper and cheerleader in the stand.

How old was your son that last time you or your spouse coached them on the field?
The last time my husband coached him was in Little League when he was 11 or 12.

As a parent, what has been your favorite level to watch your son play?
I have three boys, and all three of them played Little League.  Our league is one complex and on Saturdays, we "lived" at the complex.  I worked in the concession stand, husband was coaching one of them and the three guys were playing ball, goofing off with their friends when they weren't playing or trying to get me to buy them candy at the concession stand.  It wasn't the best baseball but the memories of being together as a family are priceless. 
I loved when he was 15 and 16 during the summer season - I was the one who usually went to tournaments and showcase events and we spent countless weekends together: hotel rooms, long drives, (a couple of flights) dinners out.  The baseball was stressful, but the one on one time together was wonderful.
My favorite time actually watching him play was probably 13U -14U.  It was good baseball; if there was any drama going on, I was clueless about it; I enjoyed watching him play and wasn't a ball of nerves - baseball has been a real roller coaster since he was about 14U - son is starting his junior year in college now at a D3.

Do you / did you talk too much baseball to friends and family?
I probably did a few years ago.  The only time I talk baseball any more is when someone asks.

Do you have any major regrets, knowing what you know today, would you do anything major differently?
No real major regrets but there were a couple of camps/showcases we went to which were a waste of time/money.

It was the year 1979, my son was 10 years old and the SF Giants suggested that I pitch BP at Candlestick Park. The GM was a former teammate from our Canada baseball days. My son was accepted into the dugout and the Giants coaches mentioned he could play CF during BP until 11 am.

The speed of the ML players was definite and lessons learned. Next year he jumped to the "big" field and did not play Little League.

Played at U of Hawaii and graduated. Now Promotions Director for SSK and  enters the stadiums to meet the players and Managers.

Bob

Age: both of my boys that were ballplayers showed an aptitude early. They were the best players on their t-ball and LL teams. My youngest son was different though. He was the best player on every team (in every sport) that he played on in youth sports. I was surprised when he chose to focus on baseball.
Coaching: I coached both my sons on the field when they were 18/19 playing in a Collegiate Summer League.
Favorite Level to watch : College, without a doubt. Although my middle son’s college career was pretty brief. My youngest son got to live thru a magical season in 2019 when, as a freshman, he hit a team (and personal) best .381 and his team won a JuCo National Championship. It may have been the most fun year of my life and I wish that every father & son could have the experience that we did during that season.
Talking baseball: I do it almost all day every day.
Regrets: I have a few. Most notably with my middle son. We did not do enough homework regarding his options. He ended up at a HA D3 that didn’t suit him well. The academics were too tough for him and the culture was too liberal. It was a bad fit. JuCo would have been a better option for him.