I agree for the most part with TGUF, when my son was 7 and went to his first summer camp hosted by the local HS Coach (who is now at Argyle) he told me his ultimate goal was to make that team's Varsity squad when he got to HS, it wasn't to be a pro baseball player, it wasn't to play in college it was HS baseball. And even today as an 07 player the goal he shoots for the most is to be a starting/contributing member of the Varsity Squad.......
Each summer, from age 11 on, leading up to HS he played select baseball, and to him that was a seperate situation. Goal was still HS baseball and select ball in the summer was a way to seek out better competition, which in turn would challenge him as a player, to meet other ballplayers that were no longer chasing butterfly's in the outfield or playing silly games in the dugout he wanted to be around ballplayers not kids playing ball..... but keeping in mind that he was still setting his sites on that goal to of making that school's Varsity team when he got to HS.....
Now that he has attained the goal of making the Varsity squad he still values/respects and dedicates himself to that team from Sept-May but come summer it is about select baseball. Last summer was the exception when he played on the HS only team due to a request by our coach, because of last summer he values the select arena even more so..... the competition, the change of venue's, the coaching and the dedication that is displayed by not only the players but the parents......
As a parent I love the opportunity I get to spend the summer's with a new/diverse group of parents and players. My son and I both gain new friendships and experiences that we can't/don't get w/HS baseball. And the political issues that we have in the HS ranks just don't exsist w/select in the way they do in HS.
High School baseball is all about representing your school and that is tradition and a time honored passage. HS ball is about playing with "what you have" (that is unless your school is creative about getting players
) and seeing where you can take your team....Select ball is all about choices, you tryout and evaluate teams and decide what is a good fit and you have the option year in/year out to stay with this decision or move on.
Most of all I tell my son honor your committment for the season you are in, in otherwords I tell my son 3/4 of the year you are dedicated to the HS and that coach and then in the summer you are dedicated to your select team............learn to balance, learn to switch gears and give 100% to both.
Having different teams to choose from and different leagues only makes summer ball more interesting and competitive. With each new team/league/facility comes choices and comes variety and hopefully more avenues for players to get what "they need" to make the summer a better growing experience for them as a player and in the end that will not only benefit them as a player but it should in turn benefit their HS team.
Hence the name SELECT......players select where to play, Coaches Select who they want and Leagues Select who they want to compete with..............
And BTW: the 17 Marshal's went 2-2 this weekend they won yesterday afternoon against the team from NM.
in return and .... as I recall, several current DBATers have acknowledged having other hats in their closets (clown or vegas colors).
