Freshman Future Is Now

I don't recall ever having a conversation about baseball with my son that started out with "Now that you are in HS....." 

The expectations haven't changed since he decided that he wanted to play baseball competitively.  Work to get better, stay humble and don't forget to have some fun.  If he didn't know how to respect authority, how to practice, be a good teammate....etc, it was going to be a little late to drop that on him just because he was entering HS.  Baseball is hard enough on its own merits, why give them something else to worry about as a freshman? It won't change ability.   

Catch1721 posted:

I don't recall ever having a conversation about baseball with my son that started out with "Now that you are in HS....." 

The expectations haven't changed since he decided that he wanted to play baseball competitively.  Work to get better, stay humble and don't forget to have some fun.  If he didn't know how to respect authority, how to practice, be a good teammate....etc, it was going to be a little late to drop that on him just because he was entering HS.  Baseball is hard enough on its own merits, why give them something else to worry about as a freshman? It won't change ability.   

 

 

I agree.

Do you ever remember hearing that if you're going to really learn a language, you have to start as a child? If you're really serious about dance, you start when you're 3? Baseball, it seems to me, along with most character traits, are the same. High school is too late to start acquiring character or baseball skills.

Catch and IowaMom you make a good point, but it's not quite the same, especially for varsity players. For most players HS ball is the final level of competition, the level they have been prepping for all these years. And unlike rec ball or even travel ball, if they get cut, or they don't earn any playing time, that's it. Without taking extraordinary measures like transferring, they can't just find another team to try out for. This is for keeps.  Plus now you're playing for your school, and you're playing for a pennant that could fly for decades in your alma mater's gym, not some trinket signifying a weekend tournament.

The baseball played in certain high schools is VERY SERIOUS!  In other schools not so much.  

And both myself and the coach have had talks with my son about baseball and now that you are in high school you have to stop being such a goofball.  The coach wants players who are serious about baseball, not kids that are in ISS for being goofy.  If you have a school with over 2000 kids I'm betting most sports are serious.

Truman posted:

JCG posted:

 

Also for parents, stay the heck away from practice. Literally nobody wants you there.

Agree.

Except, one can't stay completely away when one needs to drop off or pick up the player from practice. 

Son's JV/Varsity practice started shortly after school let out for the day.  I knew when practice was scheduled to end.  If I did arrive early or practice was extended I would simply watch from the parking lot though I couldn't see much since the field was 200-300 yards away.  Often I would be conversing with other parents who were also waiting. 

Once he got his license there was no need to get him.  Only time we would be at the field was game day.

Son's high school gets out at 2:30 so football and baseball players are usually on the field at 2:45.  Practice is usually over by the time I get off so I couldn't watch practice even if I wanted to. I honestly have no desire to anyway. 

Lastly, our high school football practices are closed so the coach doesn't have to deal with parents. They don't even communicate with parents unless there is a serious issue. All communication is done through the player.  

For football sometimes I get there early to watch the end of practice. But usually more to BS with a couple dad friends. We have a 40 year veteran coach with a track record of success so he is not as insecure as some. Don't know what I will do when baseball comes. Depends on the dads!  It's my only form of social life!  Basketball doesn't lend itself to that so of course it's just drop off and wait in the warm car at pick up time. 

But when I coached I always invited parents to practice - even for basketball. Invites them to sit by the dugout or bench if they like and listen in and routinely invites parents to post game talks. I just think sometimes coaches have to get over themselves a little. What you do shouldn't have to be too secret - and if it is as a parent I would really have to ask why. Long before I had kids I always told the parents "I shouldn't be saying anything to your kids I wouldn't want you to hear". As a parent now I feel even more strongly about that. Coaches would be well served to be a little more humble. This idea that they know it all and parents are idiots - and believe me I have known a lot of coaches like that - is just wrong.  Sorry just a pet peeve of mine. Anybody who wants to watch their kid practice there's nothing wrong with that - however we have to live in the real world and since there is a stigma out there about it you may want to think twice.