Different strokes for different folks

This will start the multi sport debate...

I'm all for doing whatever you want, 1 sport or 10, have at it. Good luck to him.

2019Lefty21,

Based on what you've shared, I think it is fantastic you are letting him choose his direction.  Parenting is not easy.  We have to give them a nudge every now and then.  You've given your son the freedom to choose, and I can only assume he has earned that freedom.  Good for him.  This is part of growing up and I think you'll find many of today's ball players focusing on what they like or what they are good at or possibly both.  My kids made similar decisions along the way, but they also had the opportunity to try different things and sports to find what they like most.

PS...Young men grow up, and they have to start somewhere.  Your reference to "little league mentality" is referring to an organization (or similar recreational baseball organization) where many of the young ball players start playing baseball in the US.  These kids get to play with their classmates and friends......nothing wrong with that....this is just one step in how the wheat is separated from the chaff in the baseball world.  Some continue to play baseball and other sports at a young age and others don't.  It is the natural progression of life.   We get your point, but I probably would have selected different words than "little league mentality" because it may come across as insulting to some.   JMO.

Sorry if little league mentality was a poor choice of words. I am relatively new to this board, and trust me in more than one thread I have seen discussion where that has seemed appropriate to me. This is the hsbaseball web.com isn't it?

I think there's  a lot more to Fenway's post than his gentle suggestion re: terminology.

Best of luck to your son.   Most (but certainly not all) kids eventually reach a point where they want to, and probably should, concentrate on one sport.  Fifteen is certainly a reasonable age to do that.  

I can assure you, Fenway meant no disrespect with his comment about your use of the phrase "little league mentality."    I don't particularly like the term either, but I make no assumptions about people who do use it.  At least not the first time.  ;-)  Over time you will find that Fenway probably does not have an offensive bone in his body, and is an extremely valuable resource to parents whose kids are going through this process.  

My only became "baseball only" this year. He originally wasn't going to play basketball because it always ends with him starting the baseball season banged up with sore knees and ankles. He was talked into playing anyway and was having a pretty good season (10 pts and 11 rebounds a game), but quit because his knees were killing him, mainly due to sprints in conditioning. His choice. He had felt trapped into playing a sport he didn't really even enjoy. Being 6' 4" at a small school will do that.

I'm sorry, didn't mean to appear to down on Fenway at all...just poor choice of words on my part

Let's not get too PC here.  I think everyone knows what "little league mentality" means.  And I see it as more of a generic term than one specifically assigned to Little League (note the caps for the organization).  Many people say they played little league, when, in fact it was something else.  At least in my generation...

Anyway, I think "little league mentality" is akin to Little League as saying "kleenex" is to tissue paper.  No need to get bent out of shape about it.  Not that anyone has...

bballman posted:

Anyway, I think "little league mentality" is akin to Little League as saying "kleenex" is to tissue paper.  No need to get bent out of shape about it.  Not that anyone has...

Or, as all those oddballs in the midwest refer to Coke as pop 

Nuke83 posted:

bballman posted:

Anyway, I think "little league mentality" is akin to Little League as saying "kleenex" is to tissue paper.  No need to get bent out of shape about it.  Not that anyone has...

Or, as all those oddballs in the midwest refer to Coke as pop 

Is he having fun? One of the reasons pros retire is "It stopped being fun. It started feeling like all work." When players move up the ladder more hard work is required. But the game should never stop being fun. My son returned from two major injuries to play his senior year of high school . I asked him how he felt. He said it was more fun than pain.

Re: LL mentality

it exists. From the time I started coaching 7/8 machine pitch I tried to teach parents how to be sports parents. If more coaches used this there would be less LL mentality. And less LL mentality in high school.

i once pulled a LL parent aside and stuck a finger in his face. I told him don't ever, EVER again say out loud at the park your kid is better than this kid and that kid. In fact, you're doing your kid a disservice by even mentioning it to him.

I've heard dads and kids in Burger King after practices and games running down teammates and deciding who's better than whom. My son knew. When he compared players I stopped him. He was only allowed to discuss with me what his teammates were capable of doing.

Again I realize next year I get to graduate!  The big time!  High school baseball, where only millions and millions have gone before.  Then I can look down my nose at those overzealous youth parents!

i guess I'll just go back to the shadows and stick to reading other people's posts....at least until I realize how my words will be dissected and all my hidden meanings come oozing out

It's not a matter of looking down because your kid advanced. There's a behavior some exhibit that's insufferable. And I can guarantee you it doesn't end in high high school. There's a lot of jealousy and innuendo when the players come from multiple youth leagues. Then there's the "he thinks his kid's (fumes) don't stink. He played travel. He was too good to play with our kids."

2019Lefty21 posted:

i guess I'll just go back to the shadows and stick to reading other people's posts....at least until I realize how my words will be dissected and all my hidden meanings come oozing out

Don't be afraid to be an equal opportunity offender. Just don't purposely direct it at any one person. Sometimes learning involves stupid questions. Without stupid questions you will get stupid results.

2020dad posted:

Again I realize next year I get to graduate!  The big time!  High school baseball, where only millions and millions have gone before.  Then I can look down my nose at those overzealous youth parents!

The above comment from you is more than likely why you feel that way.

Someone comes here and posts a really nice post, only to be taken in another direction... something that you do often.

2019Lefty21 posted:

i guess I'll just go back to the shadows and stick to reading other people's posts....at least until I realize how my words will be dissected and all my hidden meanings come oozing out

Dont feel that way, you explained yourself and your comment was not meant to offend.

I understand, what you are trying to say, when HS rolls around its time for parents to grow up too!

Nothing wrong with  playing one sport, son played baseball only in HS.

BTW, it is in HS that many players do drop out, and a lot has to do with burn out.

On a lighter note I do get to take a weekend off from preparing tax returns this weekend and get to go watch Coastal Carolina play Ohio State Saturday and maybe Duke on Sunday!