An autistic high school pitcher?

Strike123:
Since you asked:
He is an above average pitcher in his youth league. Since he's only in 7th grade it's hard to tell how he would project but I would project him to be good enough to make our high school team when his time comes.
As a hitter he swings at almost everything and makes solid contact usually... he does struggle if he gets pitches above the strike zone because he is a sucker and can't lay off.
He is a good fielding pitcher. I have no more fear when he is playing than when my older son is playing shortstop on his college team. He is not a very good infielder... he shys away on bouncing balls, but is an average outfielder.
Our biggest challenges in his younger ages was not what he could accomplish (like a hit or striking out a batter) but his self control. He has really improved this in the past 12 months. He used to throw his bat or hat if upset.Most of these kids mature pretty slowly... (plus his Dad was sort of a "poor sport" himself )...
Sometimes you'd swear he has no clue what is going on but a couple of days later he'll do exactly what you said so he is very hard to predict. (that's a little info on my guy.... of course every kid is different...) have a good nite everyone ....

quote:

If you were the coach (some of you probably are) of a modified, junior varsity, or varsity baseball team, would you be comfortable having a high functioning autistic pitcher on your team?

Without hesitation, & lots of education, most definately yes!!

Making dreams happen,......it's a beautiful thing!!

trojan-skipper:

Thanks for sharing. Your son sounds pretty good to me; an aggressive hitter and an above average pitcher. He obviously has a lot of self-confidence. Not being able to lay off the high ones is a weakness of a lot of hitters his age. As for throwing bats and hats, it's not uncommon to see any typical player do this, though it tends to tick-off umpires and coaches alike. It can also be quite embarrasing for parents. I know, because my own son, who is a typical 16-year-old kid, has done this several times in the past. Just this past year, in fact, he became so angry when he was called out trying to steel third, that he threw his helmet, cursed the umpire, and was promptly ejected and suspended. His absence during that game and the following game was costly; his team lost both games to teams they would have surely beaten with his help. This blemish on their win/loss record kept them from having the best record and a buy in the play-offs. My son realizes the costs of his actions to his team, and I know he feels bad about it. I never had to say a word. He's not lost his temper since. I do believe he's finally learned his lesson--the hard way.

But back to your son. It's not hard for me to understand that he would shy away from bouncing balls. Let's face it, the fields our kids play on are quite often not very well groomed--you never really know what the ball's going to do. I suppose it's only natural to have a healthy fear of being struck in the face with a bad bounce. Over-all, though, I'm sure you must be very proud of your son. I won't pretend to understand the hardships that parents go through in raising a child that's different, but I suspect that it has been very difficult for you at times. I hope that seeing your HFA son enjoy success in things he's good at continues to be a source of joy for you.

Thanks again for taking time to reply, and congratulations on having a son playing ball in college--quite an accomplishment!

quote:

Originally posted by Bee>:

if you are a youth coach, what are your credientials .. your conflicting descriptions range him from a 13 yr old rookie, to one of the best players in a rec league

Credentials? I've mostly served as an assistant coach--spent one year managing a rec league team. As for the conflict in description, I apologize for any misunderstanding. By "13 yr old rookie", I simply meant that it was his first year in Babe Ruth. He's probably been playing since he was 5 years old with the local boys and girls league (a coach pitch league). I've watched him play, as I've watched lots of other kids play, both with and against my son over the course of their youth league careers--boy's and girl's, pony league, little league, and now Babe Ruth. Any observations or opinions regarding his behavior,personality, or playing characteristics are based on what I've noticed over several years. I obviously couldn't have known as much as I know simply by walking the dog by the field where he practices sometimes on his own. Personally, I think he should make the team--he's a great player. Unfortunately, it's not my decision to make--I wish it were. The head coach for the 7th and 8th grade modified team will be the one who decides this. I just hope that he feels as positively and strongly about having him on the team as all of you have so far. I hope I will be successful in pursuading him in favor of this boy.

PAINGUY:
QUOTE: "but his cognition is well below average. He's probably just as intelligent as anyone, but a little behind due to poor language comprehension. Our school doesn't have a good special education program and he hasn't received any language/social skills therapy since elementary school. It may take him a long time to learn new concepts, as he may not understand verbal instruction as well as typical kids. He is more of a visual learner"

I wasn't assuming anything but what was stated, and that implied the possibility of a learning disability. I have a kid who is far above average in intellegence and has documented learning disabilities. You say you have been working with autistic kids for 35 years. You ought to know that poor cognitive functioning, an inability to understand verbal instructions, etc. are typical in the learning disabled (take your pick - dyslexia, dysgraphia, etc. etc. This guy apparently had some involvement with the special ed system early on. I am suggesting parents look into this as he may benefit from the ARD / IEP process. That doesn't mean he can't remain mainstream or that he is retarded or anything else.

quote:

by S123: Personally, I think he should make the team--he's a great player. Unfortunately, it's not my decision to make--I wish it were.

we all want kids to do well, and in reality many WILL DO WELL, but in things other than baseball
since you have a 16 yr old you'll soon see the baseball pyramid gets "REALLY POINTY" come HS - - many great youth players drop because of the simple influences of a girl, a car, or a job ... others find they are just over their head or it's too much work to enjoy ... the situation you describe adds other complexities to the normal ones. becuase "you want something to be so" is admirable but unrealistic

I'd concentrate my efforts on my own 16 yr old, as his pyramid is getting "REALLY POINTY" too - -

but ... if this guy IS good as you say ...
and ya really want to help him ... get him out of your local rec ball and start him traveling (and/or chip in for a showcase or camp) -
then see how he does in an E Cobb tourny, an AABC or CABA world series - that's a fair indicator, not rec ball at an unknown level on Lake Ontario

hope that helps

quote:

but ... if this guy IS good as you say ...
and ya really want to help him ... get him out of your local rec ball and start him traveling (and/or chip in for a showcase or camp) -
then see how he does in an E Cobb tourny, an AABC or CABA world series - that's a fair indicator, not rec ball at an unknown level on Lake Ontario

Bee-
Remember the thread. This is about a kid trying to make his HS team, and we're not even talking varsity. That's all. Why even suggest taking this kid to showcases for college bound players? Sorry, just seems like a huge leap to me.

quote:

by sizzle: This is about a kid trying to make his HS team

are you suggesting that a player who is doing well competing against his neighbors should NOT strive to test his skills in a bigger more competitive venue

quote:

by sizzle: why even suggest taking this kid to showcases for college bound players? Sorry, just seems like a huge leap to me.

not a huge leap at all - recently received a flyer for a local DI camp inviting players age 7 thru HS ..
local showcases and camps are valuable for a comparative elvaluation of skill levels and could give the player and parent a "real" frame of reference to a young player's skills

example - top players in one of our local 16U leagues would stand out vs 18U players attending a Kent State camp - -
top players from another local league might not even make a roster in the first league mentioned -
yet they are tops in their own league and have high & unrealistic hopes because of that stature in their league

it's just common sense with a bit of reality thrown in

A good portion of the kids I meet have no real aspiration to play beyond HS. They plan to have a great 4 year run, then wave good-bye. If a kid doesn't plan to play beyond HS, then I don't see the point of spending the money on showcases and tournaments, or highly competitive travel teams. I guess you could, just for the heck of it.

If my son didn't care about playing after HS, I would pull back and pad my bank account. His competitive level as compared to others in the country wouldn't matter so much because he wouldn't be competing against them for a college roster spot later.

quote:

by Quillgirl: A good portion of the kids I meet have no real aspiration to play beyond HS. They plan to have a great 4 year run, then wave good-bye. If a kid doesn't plan to play beyond HS, then I don't see the point of spending the money on showcases and tournaments, or highly competitive travel teams. I guess you could, just for the heck of it.

very good point & I DO agree with that thought, but still offer an exception ...
a middle school player hoping to play hs ball needs some venue to compare himself to other good players outside of his "rec league".

I've seen some players & parents postpone that experience until hs tryouts when they were totally caught off guard & frustrated by the "catch up gap" they faced