Any single baseball moms?

Hi diamond4, I also am a single mom. I have an 06 LHP that I am going through the drill with. I moved him from PA to FL just for his baseball. He is a 2 sport athlete - wrestling and baseball. That doesn't do well here. He was 3rd in state for wrestling and has been showing well at showcases. I also pitch in the cages, but I gave up catching his pitching. Too many bruises. He has developed a relationship with some of his coaches here. They are his "role models" of sorts. His father is still alive and in PA but has been out of his life pretty much until recently. He is interested in getting some of his "money" if he goes "pro". (His older brother was a 5th round, RHP in '95, daddy was his agent) I have done everything I can to get positive models around him. He needs to see that everyone can't be trusted, but there are good ones out there. I also have a 5 y/o daughter that my son has taken on the "father" role with. Life does get interesting. Remarrying didn't do me any good at all. Kids have a way of stepping up and surprising you.
Is your son's school near home or is he moving away?
I have coached baseball teams, all star teams and coached my son at wrestling tournaments since he was 4 y/o. He is now 15.
It's a man's world but my son has proven to them that mom knows her stuff.
Hopefully our sons will develope alot more respect for females than those who have had both parents. Time will tell.

diamond4-

I'm a dad and I know that I shouldn't be here. Please excuse me.

You have done a great job in providing oportunities for growth and development to your son. I would go so far as to tell you that the approach that you have taken mirrors mine very closely.

My sister is a single mom and she has had the usual difficulties associated with single parenthood with no male role model. While I like to think that the role model that I provide my kids is indespensable, I know that they would do just fine if something were to happen to me. There lives would change but, they would be OK.

Keep doing what you are doing, learn about the game from others, by watching and, by asking questions. Discuss your ideas with, and make suggestions for improving his game for as long as he will listen. What you are doing may very well have a greater impact coming from mom rather than a dad because at about the age of 13 boys start to naturally separate from their dads and part of the separation process often manafests itself in the boy rejecting what his father tells him. This makes communication difficult at times. It's kind of a ****ed if you do, ****ed if you don't situation from dad's point of view. This leaves many (most) involved dads in the situation of either backing off and letting Jr. find (develope) his baseball opportunities and skills on his own or, getting into contests of will over the rith and wrong way to do things. Coaches have the knowlege to help your son improve but, they don't have the same level of interest as the parent. I try for for a balance and look to make the most of the opportunities presented to me when my son is in a more open minded mood. One strategy I use to get through to him is to get him together with a college aged player now and then to spend some time learning skills and practicing together. My son is all all ears and effort when I can make this happen.


My son is 14 and at this stage in his life. He has really conected with mom over the last yaer and looks to her for support. Krickey, if she knew anything about how to hit and field he would be far more open to the information coming from her than he is me. From my perspective, you are in a perfect situation to postively impact not only his game but his life as well. It sounds like this is just what you have accomplished. My hat's off to you.

Diamond:

There are a couple of single baseball moms on the board. My advice to you is keep doing what you do...love him, support him, stand behind him and kick his *** when he needs it. I think you have the right idea, hooking him up with older players he can look up to. I made sure my sons always had access to some really positive male role models and it really did make a difference in their development.

I'm a single mom, but our challenges have been different. I had custody of both kids after the divorce, but had to move out of state for personal reasons shortly afterward. My son, who was 11 at the time, didn't adapt well to being uprooted, but at least he still had baseball...at least until he suffered a fractured arm while pitching. The doctors weren't sure he would ever play again, which put him into an emotional tailspin. I finally had to make the agonizing decision to let him go back to live with his dad 1,700 miles away.

It was the right decision. My son rebounded both physically and emotionally, and with the help of his dad, he was soon on his way again to excelling at baseball.

Although I couldn't be a consistent part of his latter years in baseball, I am very grateful that his dad was there for him. My son would not be where he is now had he stayed with me out of state.

A year ago I moved within 900 miles of my son, and have had the incredible opportunity to see him play twice this past month...first in the state championships, and then in the Northwest All-Star game...plus I was there to see him graduate from high school!

So to all of you single moms and dads who are there, my hats are off to you! You've done well by our kids!!!

I am not a single mom, but somehow I fell in love with a guy who finds baseball about as exciting as watching paint dry, so I have been the baseball parent for my '06. I have to say that if you have raised a kid who ends up with a NLI to a DII, you have every reason to pat yourself on the back, because whatever you did, it was clearly the right thing. Good for you and good for your son, and keep us posted on his progress.

I too have always been the baseball parent in our house and I have loved every minute of it. I really don't feel like my son has felt deprived or anything else. I'm sort of in the same boat as beepers40 although mine does go to some games but can't throw etc with my son due to health issues. He's not interested enough to travel and attend 4-5 games every weekend.
My son and I have shared so many experiences together due to his baseball. I was the team mom, booster club pres etc, the one to help him pick out equipment,the one to help him research colleges and visit campuses and even if I can't pitch to him or long toss, we still have some of our best conversations when we are playing catch in the yard (he does say I throw like a girl though, oh well!)
Moms can be just as instrumental as Dads and sons can develop into strong, decent young men with or without a baseball "Dad". Being a baseball "parent" is the most important thing.
Have fun and enjoy! I can't wait until the next stage starts this fall and college ball begins!!!

diamond4 - I'm the baseball parent at my house, too. Dad is only rarely in the picture and stepdad is supportive, but has only recently become interested in baseball . Best part for me was when my son was in LL and they were looking for volunteers to help. There were 'Mom' duties and 'Dad' duties. Since I was traveling a lot at the time, I asked if there was a Dad job that I could possibly handle without screwing it up (LOL). As fates would have it, I was given the job of running the pitching machine during weekend batting practice. I was the envy of every Dad on the team -- it was great!

Diamond4---I too am a single baseball mom. My son is a centerfielder and signed with a D11 school, will start this fall. I don't know that I can give you any pointers, but can very much identify with you. I've had those "bruises" too. I feel that I have done my best, I've been a baseball mom since he was 5. I've pitched to him, ran after fly balls you name it... enjoyed every minute though.
From his first t-ball season, some of the fathers said to me that I should keep him on the baseball field, he had talent and he could run. I've done all that I can do to encourage him, support him but I do feel that he's missing something. But as he matures I think that he realizes the things that I have done. I think that missing a father figure in your life is sometime a "mental" thing, although I think he has looked at his HS school coach for alot of "role-modeling".
Congrats on his opportunity at next level, if I can be further help let me know. Just hang in there, that's what I'm doing...

You single Moms rock...

You too, mrmom

Thank you for all the wonderful comments. Actually, reading some of them made me a little teary. I suppose that I am like a lot of parents of "just graduated high school" players, wondering whether what you did was enough. I was surprised that no one said that he has to have a dad to guide and deal with the other men in order to really make it in baseball.

I do know that some men do not think that women really know anything about baseball, and that we should stick to being the team mom, etc., but I can tell you that I have received many respectful comments from mem who see me at the cages throwing batting practice to my son.

Good to see that there are other single baseball moms around, as there are not any more in my area- at least not at the higher levels (AAU, high school, etc.) Again, thanks.