Advice???

I know here in NY if you play one game at the varsity level it makes you ineligible to play down at any other level. This may have something to do with it.

Keep working at his game to get better in practice so the coach has a reason to play him on varsity. That's how the player responds. As a parent, you just go watch him play. That's how the parent responds. If the player's only a sophomore, not sure what the big deal is if he's on the team and starting on JV.

Thanks for the comments. I guess I really just need a little reality check! As a parent you just want your kids to accomplish all of their goals, and it is tough to sit by and see them go through these types of things. I suppose that we should really just be grateful that he is playing.

newbie, everything sounds good to me. The coach obviously likes your son's game and seems to have him in his plans. I agree that your son should just go out and play the way he has been to this point.

The "you don't need to come" comment is a little strange but maybe the coach was having bad day. My advice to your son is the same as I've given to my son: just do what you do. If it's good enough, people will notice.

newbie44 - welcome to the hsbbweb

I can only tell you how I/we approached things and my advice sometimes seems to go against the popular grain here. I never encouraged my son to speak with the coach. I always felt the most honest and direct form of communication was the lineup card.

When my son made the freshmen team at an enormous public high school here in Ohio, I was ecstatic. People came up to me and said "Aren't you upset they moved him to centerfield from his normal shortstop position?" I said, "Heck no, I am just thankful he is playing" as more than 100 kids tried out for the freshman team.

When he was a sophmore, he was the starting 3rd baseman on JV and I was happy about that. That JV team proably had over 40 qualified kids battling for playing time. At the end of that season, he was called up to varsity as a reward for doing well on JV. He did not get to play varsity as a sophmore, but we both were on cloud-9 with the promotion.

As a junior, he was one of only two individiuals to make varsity. All his other peers had to play an extra year on JV. He was the starting shortstop in the State Championship game that year and got to bat against Andrew Brackman and Eric Surkamp who were both high round draft choices. Ironically, he got to bat against both players in college as well.

As a senior, he was the only returning player on a state championship runnerup from the year before. He and all his teammates caught lightning in a jug and almost succeeded in winning a second state title. Almost every kid on that team except one, waited their whole lives for one shot at playing varsity baseball. As far as I am aware, not one of them ever approached the coach about their roles.

As a coach posted in another thread, he didn't mind if a kid approached him in the right way and at the approriate time. That may be the right approach here but a better approach imho is let his bat, his arm, his glove, his base running, and his attitude do all the talking for him.

newbie44,

The advice above is all good, but here's one other take on it:

If your son doesn't hear any more from the varsity coach about this in a few days, perhaps he should politely make sure he understood correctly what the coach wants him to do.

"Then a week or so ago he approached my son and told him that he would play one game a week with the JV and the rest of the week would play with varsity."

"Well the next week comes along when all this was going to start and my son goes in to get his varsity uniform from the coach and he just says that "you don't need to come". So my son, being 16 and a little timid, just says okay and goes back to JV practice."

I have observed from my two sons' high school days that sometimes, not wanting to "bug" a coach can lead to mis-communication. Your son might need to clarify with the coach whether "you don't need to come" meant that he should plan on JV only until the coach tells him otherwise, or whether it was for just that one practice.

I'm not recommending that your son ask "why" things changed - just "Coach, I want to make sure I understood correctly. Do you want me to go to JV practice only, or do you want me at varsity practice?".

I'm embarrassed to say this, but as a freshman my son missed a varsity playoff game that he was supposed to start, because he was waiting for a phone call over the weekend to tell him what day the rained-out game would be played, didn't want to "bug" the coach at home, and the coach thought he had already been called.

Julie

Sounds like a normal situation to me. It is the normal amount of mixed signals, miscommunication and coaching indecision associated with high school and maybe even college level baseball. Rest assured all is well. There is normally alot of movement, including false starts, between teams for a few underclass players, usually the better ones.

quote:

Sounds like a normal situation to me. It is the normal amount of mixed signals, miscommunication and coaching indecision associated with high school and maybe even college level baseball

You're right about miscommunication. it's not uncommon at the high school level.

Cleveland Dad,
So everything went as well as or better than anyone could possibly hope for and you didn't complain. I don't really get the point.

Are you trying to show that things are going really well for newbie's son also because he's on a similar track?

quote:

So everything went as well as or better than anyone could possibly hope for and you didn't complain. I don't really get the point.

There were several points actually. For starters, this young man or his Dad or both (reading between the lines on my part) seem disappointed he was not given a varsity uniform. I tried to show that (through our experience) there are kids out there who do not even make varsity until their junior or senior years. Thus, my "point" was there was nothing to be dis"appointed" about. Moreover, I have a hunch the coach will know how to contact this young man to let him know when he will be called up to varsity. Why does he need to try and ask the coach about this? Like I said, there are people who disagree with me on this point. If you feel that talking to the coach is a good thing then so be it. Sometimes, as MN-Mom pointed out in her example, it is a prudent thing to do to contact the coach. I don't think it is necessary in this case but since it is a free country, people can do as they please.

Deciding not to bring him up isn't an issue. The coach may have thought it through and changed his mind. As another poster noted there may be issues with playing both varsity and JV. I believe the coach should have given a brief explanation.

One way your son could clarify the situation is approach the coach and ask if he meant not needed for that day or for the near future. It's a way for the coach to explain his decision without looking like a kid calling him out. Otherwise it sounds like he's in a good position to be on varsity next year.

Sometimes going up to varsity as a sophmore can be a detriment. We had a kid who ended up starting on varsity as a young sophmore. He was overmatched by the pitching and has never regained his confidence. I believe the kid might have been a decent hitter as a senior if he had been given a sophmore season on JV. Interestingly, his dad was concerned about that happening, although I think he thought he was going to be a backup, and told me before that season that he would have rather had him stay on JV as a sophmore.

The problems are that you guys care about the HS baseball too much. Treat it as a regular class, treat the coach as a math teacher. You work hard in the class, do your home work at home, you will be fine on your graduation day, only a few will go to Standford, Harvard,etc, because they are really smart and talented guys. Most others will go on with their life in a decent college or feeding the working class pool.

Don't worry about playing time, you can be a very good player with or without playing HS ball, you only need the talent and hard work to get there. Forget the HS coaches, I don't give a D what they are doing, because most of them are not as good as you think.

quote:

Originally posted by fanofgame:
bbking,

first my son is in college. second isnt this the HSBBW, the original poster asked us something and we are responding. I could care less about HS baseball, BUT the parents who have kids in it at the time do care, they worry etc wetc, thats why this site was created.

title of thread: ADVICE

FOG: I give him very good ADVICE,

1.Don't worry about playing time, ......
2.Forget the HS coaches, ......

where's your ADVICE?

For the first 12 years of their lives, we tell our kids to be polite and respectful of adults and never talk back. Then all the sudden they're in situations at school or on the playing field and they don't know how to challenge the adult in charge, even if the situation calls for it. Then we, their parents, step in and we're called "helicopter parents."

Newbie, hope your son finds out what happened. Sometimes adults are just as loathe to give kids bad news as the kids are to hear it.

LHPMom

Once again thanks for all of the great input. Some of you have given me a lot to think about and I do feel like we can approach this properly. I guess the bottom line is that we as parents keep on encouraging our sons to go out there and give their best at all times. Beyond that it is out of our control and we have to trust that whatever happens does indeed happen for a reason. We are pleased that our son does start and play most if not all of the games on JV, but we were just a little confused about how things played out and we were not clear why. As parents we want to be able to give our kids answers, but sometimes that is just not possible. The reality I guess, is that we may never know why his coach changed his mind and that is something that we will have to get used to a handle. I suspect, based on some of these postings that this may not be the end of the ups and downs. Character will be built!!!!

quote:

I suspect, based on some of these postings that this may not be the end of the ups and downs.

I suspect that you're right!

Julie

Newbie44,
Your concerns generate some great discussion. I think involved parents (no matter what the level) want to know where their son stands ---- I know I did but at times it's difficult to understand. When my son was doing good I could kick back and admire the stats and cut out newspaper articles. I knew where he stood. When things weren't going as he and I thought they should --- He and I wanted to know why. If the situation doesn't make sense, I see no problem with your son asking the coach some well thought out questions. In other words don't make a big deal out of it.

Understand too there are things your son (and you) can and some you CANNOT control. No sense spend time and getting frustrated over things beyond your control. Focus on the things that you can control like work ethic, lessons, grades and attitude. They say "success is when opportunity meets preparation". Just be prepared for when that door opens!
Fungo

It is possible that there were issues going on at the varsity level where the coach thought the JV player might be needed for some reason.

Maybe a varsity player had injury issues, maybe he had a chemistry skills contest that conflicted with a game, a grade issue that resolved itself, or his momma wanted him to attend a family reunion.

The decision might have had nothing to do with the JV player.

quote:

Just be prepared for when that door opens!

If the coach was ready to move the JV player, the player should be ready to go, because there might be another opportunity in the future.

Here's my take, fwiw. Apparently the hs coach is a man of few words. In the mean time it sounds like the player is doing pretty well... he's played up some (fall and summer) and it sounds like he's real close to being a full level above his grade in baseball.

Remember folks, the summer coach has almost zero pressure on him and his 'program'. He is dealing with miniscule number of issues compared to the HS coach (yesterday I had one e-mail from the AD about one of my players suspension for getting an MIC and another from a very PO'd chemistry teacher)

That doesn't mean your boy shouldn't ask for some communication; I don't think he's out of line at all to say, "Hey coach, so what are you thinking for this week? Just JV or am I going to go JV slash Varsity?"

Then, here is my last bit of advice for the player: no matter if he is JV or V, show the coaches that you absolutely love being there; bring your best baseball and attitude to every practice.

good luck

Trojan-skipper - what is an MIC?

Minor in Consumption (of Alcohol)... at our school he is now 30 days no competition.
And he chose not to do the 'additional' tasks I had for him to do get back on team after 30 days so his gear is right here behind my desk as I type.

One footnote: I always give my famous 'say no to booze etc. the last practice before spring break... he got the MIC about 6 hours after practice was over.

Now, am I an influential figure in that young mans life or what!!!

quote:

Now, am I an influential figure in that young mans life or what!!!

Coach it's hard to overcome things when the kid is from an inflatable gene pool.

it would take a lot of chlorine if you get my drift

There's a lot of good advice here. Ultimately you have to decide what is best for your son.

My $.02 are to have your son talk to the coach. You can assist im with how to communicate to the coach, but don't do it for him