between a rock and a hard place

I think we need a wee bit more info.  What's the "c" team?  Middle School?  How many on each roster?

c team is freshmen-12 players I think-there were 40 guys for 3 teams

 

Sounds like the c team is actually a freshmen team. Many schools I know are st up like this. 

How many kids are in the program? Do they have enough kids to have cuts? Is the kid who has never played ball before a good athlete?

And which team is your son on?  Why would you not stick around and play?  Are you saying the players are all bad?  Do you feel like your son did not get put on the right team?

No the kid is not a good athlete.  My son is on c team. Not only my son but a couple of others also should have been jv. I suppose we only go by age-not talent

 

At the Freshman level, I would suggest everyone defaults to the "c" team.  Give them a year of seasoning.  As the season progresses, maybe changes are made for the "studs."

 

Since this is HS, I would sit back and relax.  Let your kid represent his HS.  I completely understand that it may be hard to watch the games, but work thru it. 

 

My kid's freshman basketball team is brutal.  Watching it makes your eyes bleed.  But the kids enjoy representing the school and being part of something.  They go out to dinner after games and hang out with each other.  The losses are quickly forgotten. 

 

If only 40 came out for three teams, that works out to about 13-14 for each team on average.  I guess they didn't really have to make "cuts".  Just had to decide who goes on what team. 

 

Until last year, our school system only had JV and Varsity and usually had 50-60 at tryouts.  Considering each team would only have about 15 or so on the final roster, at least 25-30 were going home by the end of tryouts.  They've since added a MS team so 8th graders can no longer tryout for JV - only the MS team.

 

Sit back and relax.  The coach may have felt your son (and others) may need a year of seasoning.  Maybe its his policy that all freshmen are on the "c" team.  Did any freshmen make the JV squad?

No freshmen on JV-no matter how talented-

I vote for suck it up and maintain a good attitude.

 

Your son can put up with anything for three months. 

 

He can still work on his skills. It's a great opportunity to work on grinding and leadership.

 

Summer travel ball will be here before you know it, and he'll be glad he played with his school buddies.

Thanks!!!!

 

Is your son a freshman?  

Are there any freshman that made varsity this year? 

It could be that the coach needed some skilled players on the c-team to help with pitching.  Also maybe your son will be brought up to JV or even Varsity as the season progresses. 

 

There are always things to be learned from any situation.  I found that I learned a lot my son's freshman year as well.  I had a very wise boss tell me once that he was watching how I performed in boring, mundane situations as much as on high pressure, intense projects.  I have repeated this advice to my kids many times.  

Yes, he is a freshman. No freshmen on Jv or V.. I just know how hard it is when he feels he doesn't have a chance to play up to his potential

Perfect opportunity for the boy to start growing into a man and figure it out on his own. Pat your son on the rear, give him encouragement, go to his games, and enjoy the next four years, regardless which team he plays on. It will go by in a flash 

 

My son played a full year on a Frosh team and had a great time, some kids were moved up ahead of him and he just cheered them on. The next year he started on V and did so for three years. If your son has the talent it will show eventually and the coaches will place him where he best fits. In the end it means little which team he is on, he will be playing HS baseball. 

just curious: do you believe the varsity coach cares about winning?

 

this isn't a snarky question. it's a serious one.

 

Have him play and tell him to make the most of it. Trust me my son's team has been quite terrible. He was on Varsity from freshman year and it was still terrible every year.  So terrible we had a bases clearing bunt.....more than once. Even so my son has managed to enjoy playing with his friends and playing for his school. It goes by fast, summer comes before you know it. Enjoy it.

I know the coach is about winning! I think his hands may be tied...

 

       
       
Not sure it is good that losses are taken so well these days.  Of course I don't want kids to beat themselves up over it but at my school I am afraid they have come to expect it and accept it.  Sometimes when you are with a group that is so bad and uncommitted I think it is best left behind.  Don't know if this describes the OP team or not.  If the kids are giving everything and are serious about the game stick with them if not get out.  My experience has been that bad players are seldom giving a full effort.  No need to be loyal to your classmates when they are not serious about the game that you love.

Godzilla:  If the Coach is serious about winning, and your kid made the team, WHY would you even consider pulling him off the team?  Unless you're saying you have the choice of going to another school and another team with better coaching, better facilities etc., do you really think NOT playing at all is better than "lowering" yourself to let your son play lowly Freshman ball?

 

I just don't get people some time!  Your son has proven exactly NOTHING at the high school level. Let him make the team, beat the heck out of the ball, play great "D" and maybe he'll move up.  But if he comes in with the perception of high school ball that you have, he will struggle every day with the gigantic chip he has on his shoulder.

 

The other thing is:  baseball, more than a lot of sports, allows you to play on a poor team, but still exert your excellence.  The team may not win a whole lot, and they may make a lot of errors.  But your son can still have a pitch by pitch battle with the Pitcher EVERY at bat, he can play great defense, he can pitch his A** off even if they're making errors behind him, and he can LEARN something about himself AND his teammates.  And maybe, just maybe, he can grow as a teammate, and he can make some of those players around him better. If he is so good that he should be on varsity and isn't, he should be able to assist some of the other Freshmen with their game.

 

jolietboy - so your answer to having teammates who are uncommitted is......quit?  Sorry, don't get that.  If it is about winning, then you STAY and do everything you can to make your teammates try harder.  If these are guys you might be playing with for 4 years, you want to do THAT!  I gues, or, just give it up and walk away for good. 

+1

this thread is crazy, 40ish kids for 3 teams, "my freshman son made the freshman team, should I pull him out?" what?

 

our school has 78 kids trying out for 36 spots...there are kids who play full travel schedules who get cut every year, they have 48 kids signed up up for 6 am lifting 3 days a week all winter long and only 36 spots available...

C Team? Sounds like HC wants to grab that cash for the program instead of making cuts and putting two solid teams in the stable.

Most parents cannot direct their kid to a public school of their choice and they go where they live per established boundaries. My 2017 son is proud to play for his, decidely mediocre, HS team. However, he has at times (mostly (jokingly) asked to live with my brother who is about 10 miles away and whose kids go to a very strong HS baseball program.

Also enjoy being on a team and being a good team mate.  Lessons are learned that way also.  

And if your son goes to college and is on a team with 35 kids vying for playing time he will appreciate the playing days of high school. 

I actually have a couple of thoughts on this, and some of these may not sit well with some...

 

-As the basketball coach at our HS says during this preseason parent meeting, "each kid has a place and is a major part of this team.  It doesn't really matter if they start or sit each kid is contributing in some way.  We are a school of almost 4,000 kids and only about 60 kids across all grades are able to play basketball here.  Just making the team is a great achievement" --Your school may have less kids and not cut kids but that fact that he is playing a HS sport is an achievement in itself.

 

-There is great pride in representing your school.  While its cool to say I play on this travel team or that travel team please don't underestimate the pride kids take in playing sports for their high schools.  

 

-There are great lessons to be learned from this situation.  In my mind, he went out for the team.  The team is set.  That means that you have already committed yourself to the team.  Therefore you do not leave the team until the season is over.  The team is counting on every member to be there for them.  There is also a lesson is adversity here as well.  If they are no good (and we don't know that yet) then your son will learn how to deal with a less then ideal situation.  All of these are life's lessons taught to us by sports.

 

-Finally, I have an issue with the my son is better then this team undertone.  While there are chances for individual glory baseball is still a team sport.  Imagine if your son ends up getting some college interest.  The college coach calls the HS baseball coach.  What is the coach going to tell him.  I remember that kid, he bailed on the team because we didn't put him on the varsity team his freshman year and he thought he was better then the freshman team so he left us.  

I agree.  Unfortunately, my kid's school suffers from low expectations.  The kids are good and reasonably talented.  But frankly, in many cases the coaching just sucks.  It is really bad at the lower levels.  It doesn't even give the kids a chance to compete.  As I have said before, you can't fool the kids and they figure it out pretty quick.  They have to cope somehow.   

 

There are 2 more besides my son who are good enough for JV. I guess my beef is just lumping everybody into age groups instead of talent. Why have tryouts?  We'll get thru this-after all "there's always next year" hopefully with a better school where students are more important than the almighty dollar.

Remember what Steve says:

 

Walk and play with confidence.

Have an attainable goal

Attack the inside part of the baseball

Help your team win

 

Tim's advice:

 

When it comes to your son:

Encourage 

Listen and give sound advice

 

When it comes to coaches:

Shut up and let your son become a man, it's his life not yours

 

At games:

Sit down and shut up 

Cheer everyone on the team

Don't be "one of those parents"

Enjoy every second as it goes by in a flash

 

 

Tim

godzilla - where is the almighty dollar thing coming from?  Are you at a public or private HS?  I'm trying to figure out where the school makes money off of baseball.  We are at a public school and I can tell you the fees for our program (we don't do fundraising) do not cover all the expenses.  We do have an active boosters club that helps to make up the difference but they don't give the program extra money to make it a profit center.  

40 players times "player package fees" =a lot of money-this is public school

 

Can I ask what the fees are?  We pay $120 a kid, but have to provide our own white uni pants and purchase a red helmet from the school.

Stay and try and enjoy it.  We do not have a freshman program due to budget cuts in the county.  22-24 on V, 22-24 on JV, lots of pitcher only kids who pitch during inter-squad, and we cut 15-20 kids.

fees are500

Here's a case in point to consider.  Four years ago, a Freshman was primarily a catcher on Freshman team.  Had a 2.0 pop time, strong arm.  Hardly ever played on the freshman team and was more talented that a lot on the team.  Sophomore year on JV - played some with maturity and even got to pitch a little.  Junior year on varsity  - Became a PO, even though he could pop a sub 2.  Pitched 4 no hitters, FB reached 90-92.  All district and more.  Committed to college on scholarship.  Senior year is this year.  Starting the rotation.  Stud.  He never got frustrated as a Freshman, even though he was highly shortchanged.

       
       
it's 2015 we have choices.  So many people look at choices as if one is good and the other is bad.  It is simply a choice.  A value judgement.  If you place that high a value on 'staying true to your school' who am I to say you are wrong?  If another person wants to opt out and play travel ball that is their v value judgement and also not wrong. For the record I am not sure yet what my son will do the only thing I can tell you is it will be his decision and I will respect it either way.  And I get what you are saying about still having your individual time to shine even on a bad team but also you have to keep in mind you will get less at bats over the.course I f a season and less games played due to early elimination in tournaments (if your state allows any) and of course at the end of the year.

       
       
I think the OP's point is made here by you.  Sounds like you have a school where kids are completely dedicated and serious about the game.  I am sure he would love to have his kid play THERE.

Godzilla,

My 2015 is graduating, will enjoy his last year as a high school baseball player. He has had three different coaches in the years that he's there. The school district gives a choice of open enrollment to go to any school in the district. My son's school is a high academic (7th in the nation), had to test in. The school shares all sports with another high school that is rated poor. My son knew going in that the baseball program was weak (to say the least) and I would have transferred him out if he wanted. He did not want to leave the high academic school to go to another school just for baseball. He played on JV Freshman year and then Varsity Soph/Jun/Senior. Team started out weak and is still very weak. He has been a starter the whole time, INF/RHP. He is considered a strong player and is being recruited by very high academic schools to play in college. He dealt with high school baseball because he loves baseball, as a stronger player he had the opportunity to be a leader. He always got the most from private instruction, club travel team during Fall/Summer. My sons team hasn't made playoffs in recent history. My son is OK with that. IMO going to State may be fun for a team but at the end of the day what does it mean? I'm originally from the East Coast and we had a saying, "that and a token will get you in the subway". What does your son want to do?

Reaching out to some of the college coaches, scouts, PG...  This thread brings up an interesting question in this modern baseball age.  Just how do the coaches at the collegiate level view kids who skip high school ball for travel ball?

Not to side track the discussion but I don't think the school is making a profit at $500 a player, unless they are funding the team in addition to the player fees.  Some HS coaches can chirp in but $20,000 for 3 teams is not a lot of money.  They have ump costs, field maint costs (gas, chalk, rakes, etc), bus costs, uni costs, equipment costs, etc.