No regrets. Many mistakes were made but it helped shaped both me and the kid. Lots of fun memories to balance out the crazy drama. A lot of great kids ended their career between small field and HS, sadly I had not experienced the marginal small field player that became a late bloomer big field stud. I was debating whether to donate or sell the baseball gear but the greedy knucklehead had already done that and will sell off the last bit of training gear before he leaves for the summer.
We had lots of good times on the small fields, both travel and rec. My only regret was as a LL manager, not spreading the opportunities around more, and not giving one kid in particular the starting pitching assignment he wanted so badly. (though he got his chances eventually) But I really wanted the 'ships, and so did most of the guys I was up against. It took me a few years to realize that my priorities were off.
@JCG posted:We had lots of good times on the small fields, both travel and rec. My only regret was as a LL manager, not spreading the opportunities around more, and not giving one kid in particular the starting pitching assignment he wanted so badly. (though he got his chances eventually) But I really wanted the 'ships, and so did most of the guys I was up against. It took me a few years to realize that my priorities were off.
Man, trying to manage that pitching rotation was tough. I had 3 "aces" and 2 other kids who were almost just as good. It was also a very competitive league. We already had the number 1 seed locked up so I rolled a kid out there who I was honestly concerned for his safety. He threw a few hand grenades and actually pitched a scoreless inning. I couldn't believe how much it meant to him. Then, after the game some dude comes up to me I hadn't met during the season. Turns out the kids dad was down from Michigan and this was the first time he'd seen him play. The guy was in tears telling me how much it meant to them.
The reality is that almost everything that happens on the baseball field before you get to 60/90 doesn’t mean anything. It’s not regulation baseball. It can be a lot of fun to see your kid succeed at that age but it’s not always a good predictor of what’s to come.
@adbono posted:The reality is that almost everything that happens on the baseball field before you get to 60/90 doesn’t mean anything. It’s not regulation baseball. It can be a lot of fun to see your kid succeed at that age but it’s not always a good predictor of what’s to come.
Most of the kids who excel on the 60/90 excelled on the 46/60 and 50/70. But the reverse is not true.
My son’s LL all star team went to states twice. Both teams finished in the same place. When he was eleven the team was loaded with future college baseball players. When he was twelve only four kids played high school ball (three college. Two future college players were on both teams.
When he was twelve the team was loaded with future high school all conference players in other sports. Some played at the college level in their sport.
What these kids did on the LL all star field (and the 50/70 travel field) was out run and out muscle the small field. When they moved to the big field they lacked the solid baseball fundamentals to continue to play in high school. 250 pop fly homers became routine outs on the 60/90.
14 kids (other than my son) who were a "stud" in our area on the small field that played with my son on LL all-stars or the league "A" travel team.
Six were done with baseball by choice or by force (not good enough for 60/90) by the time they got to High School. That leaves eight.
One made JV in HS but never made varsity. That leaves seven.
Five of the seven made it to HS Varsity by their Junior or Senior year but were just bench players on the roster and almost never played. That leaves two.
One was a varsity starter as a senior and is now in college. When he was 9u, people called him "one of the best 9 year old baseball players you can ever see." (Ignoring that he was the oldest kid on the field because he was an early May birthday.) He's supposedly playing club baseball in college this year.
The other is a 2022 who is not committed yet. He's pitched on varsity. Probably a long shot to get a college offer.
My son would be the 15th in his group. He's the only one committed.
Our local LL did not really participate in AS due to having several LLs in a very small geographic area... NYC for you. Of those kids who probably would have made it, 2 are going to D3 and one D1 for baseball or possibly pro.
From my son's 12u all-star team:
The best player is now struggling to start as a sophomore on JV - kid is tiny and hasn't grown, he was dynamic on the little field though
Five are varsity starters - I'd say all of these kids will likely play in college and a couple will play D1
Four are JV and will not play much on varsity
The rest are no longer playing baseball
Where I am from Lacrosse is the major spring sport. Kids played both Lacrosse and Baseball until about 12 years old so through little league. The top players though from my son's little league all-star seasons (11 and 12-year-old) are almost all playing a sport in college. The top 3 players on my son's 12u team; 2 D3 pitchers and 1 D1 pitcher. Only one of the three were dominant pitchers at the time but all were dominant hitters. In his 11u season, there are a few more D3 and D1 baseball commits (one of these likely round 1 or round 2 MLB draft pick next June), 2 D3 football commits, and quite a few D1 lax commits. My town is a bit insane about athletics though.
Youngest son never played rec ball past 6U pitching machine ball. Started kid pitch travel at 6U (yes part of that group). The first travel team had 9 of 11 started varsity as a freshman with 8 playing college in some sport and 1 being drafted right out of HS. He changed teams at 9U to another local team and that group has 7 playing college with 2 being P5 and 3 others D1 the same kid as on other team drafted out of HS. 11 of the 12 started varsity as freshmen. Ranked in top 10 nationally every year they were together until 14 with all the kids except 2 being from 30 minutes of each other in NE Tennessee.
Middle son's local travel team had all 11 start varsity as freshman or sophomores. 7 played college with 2 drafted. 1 pitching in MLB and 1 pitching in AAA. Ranked in top 10 for 4 years with everyone being from 15 minutes of each other in NE Tennessee.
I would disagree to some extent that what happens before big field is irrelevant. If you start playing travel young enough on a high level team you learn mechanics and build a resume. You also are not overwhelmed when you hit the big field because you have seen the high caliber pitching/hitting. You will not be scared of anyone you face because you have seen it. I look at most of these kids and they were in the recruiting process as incoming freshmen in high school.
RJM is so right, my son excelled on the smaller fields and struggled at 60/90 primarily due to being smaller and not as strong as a late bloomer. That combined with his lack of focus practicing hitting as he lost his IF spot (due to lack of hitting) combined for our talk about him not playing the game for me....and do what he wants to do and enjoy it. If you don't want to work at it to be better and enjoy the game, then move to another sport. He stuck it out and the rest is history as he is a pitcher and rarely hits...lol.