Freshman only made the freshman team

Talk about being school- and situational-dependent! Every single player on my son's former 15u (he's 14) travel team made their HS JV or varsity team, and all of those schools in No. Virginia are very solid teams from traditionally strong programs. One freshman made varsity, which is extremely rare for that (enormous) school and a hell of an achievement.

 

OTOH, at my son's school, where he will be in 9th grade next year, while a freshman making varsity is still rare, it would be a big deal, not a huge deal. At a few other highschools near us, the baseball programs are very (historically) weak so making varsity as a freshman would be pretty common. That's just in our county, which only has JV and varsity baseball (most freshmen sports got axed 2-3 years ago due to budget cuts).

I wouldn't worry about it.  My son's school has 2200 students and fields a full compliment of 9A, 9B, Soph, JV, and Varsity baseball. Over 100 kids tried out for the 75 spots on the 5 teams.  The 9A and 9B teams are made up of the AAA and AA kids from the summer program.  The HC considers JV, Soph, 9A and 9B teams as a development program and kids will and do move up and down depending on what they need for development.  Now if we can get rid of the snow and start playing games (first 3 weeks of the season have been cancelled).

Everyday Dad,

 

Well, I don't know...I would have to say that my 2015 was a varsity starter as a freshman last year (the only varsity freshman) because he has talent, ambition, and baseball sense, not because our school "screams lack of talent."  This year he is a varsity starter as a sophomore. 

 

Nice also how you word a run-ruled game as a "mercy slaughter."

 

The situational part is exactly right. A school in my area is loaded with players who are going to play in college. Just making the varsity as a sophomore is a huge deal at this school.

Sorry for the bad choice of words MOMOM.

I should add my son is on a elite 15u summer team playing 7 college tournaments, some 16u throughout the midwest. Also one of the top players in the county. Or at least I thought, until he only made the freshman team.

I think I am realistic about his talent

Just asking is this the norm? Should I be concerned?   

I think, as some of the others replied, it depends on the amount of kids and the coaches opinion on how those kids move through their system.  I happen to know that in my son's case (approx 1,500 students) the 2016 class is not as solid.  Coupled with the work that he's put in, I "believe" that his continued work will earn him an opportunity at JV.

 

But again, it will be the coaches decision based on their numbers and other factors.  The previous years record, not very good this year for freshman and JV, will probably also play into that.  

I would say in our area 90% of freshman are on fresh or frosh teams and the majority of the other 10% are JV.  There are just a lot of really good players.  Mine happened to start on a 19U summer team as a 15 year old and got the attention of his coaches.  He is the kid that will play every position, without complaint, and play it very well. He's also our #2 pitcher, and is catching this year, too.  He's a straight-A student, so the coaches don't have to worry that he might not be available because of grades.

 

Sounds like you're also in an area with a lot of really good players.  It sounds like you have a talented player.  I wouldn't be concerned at all.  And just because he's on the freshman team at the moment, doesn't mean he can't be pulled up if needed.  And...thank goodness it doesn't come in to play at our school, but there may be some politics or unwritten rules about freshmen that your coaches are subjected to.

Too many variables to really know or care for that matter. Enjoy whatever level he is at, you are worrying about something you have no control over - it is not worth it.

 

FYI my son played on the Freshmen team, while some other kids were moved up. He played every game in multiple positions developed as a result of it. The following year he was a starter on the Varsity team and by the end of the season he was the number 2 pitcher, and was hitting in the 4 hole as a Soph. I was just happy to go watch him play and have fun as a contributor. 

 

Jump to conclusions much?

 

FYI: My Freshman kid made Varsity, is a starter (2nd one in 20-years), has batted 85% of the time in the 2-hole... He's at an 8A school NE of Orlando (2,639 enrollment)... Our District was voted toughest district in Central Florida by the Orlando Sentinel...

 

Should you be concerned your 2016 only made the freshman A team?
Not neccesarily...

Everyday ... I wish my son and his team were as awesome as your son and his team. My son played for one of those terrible programs where he started on JV as a freshman in a large classification school. They won their conference twice and came in second. Now he plays college ball.

 

Sarcasm aside, you shouldn't view the world only through your own personal experience. It comes off as ignorance. It's also insulting to the players of posters where you think the programs stink. And you demeaned their accomplishment and abilities. 

 

How about your wunderkind makes varsity or plays college ball before your start judging kids you've never seen play?

Should I be concerned my 2016 only made the freshman A team?

Absolutely not!

 

Two sons who play or played in the Pac12.  Older one went to a weak HS program...was not on varsity as a freshman.  Younger one went to a power HS program...was not on varsity or JV as a freshman.

 

Older one played 4-years at Stanford,  now in Triple-A, knocking on the MLB door.  Younger one pitching in the Pac12.

 

Enjoy it, have fun and continue to help your son get better each year. 

I wouldn't worry about it at all.  My son is a 2015 LHP & RH Power Hitting First Baseman.  He did not make JV or Varsity his Freshman Year.  We were both disappointed, but he went to work and made the best of it.  His High School has 2,300 Kids, and they won the District Title in Freshman, JV, & Varsity.  The Varsity won the State Title, and the overall record of the program was 78 & 4.  My son did approach the coach, and he said he would have moved him up, but he didn't think he would pitch much for the team.  He left him down, so he could hit in the middle of the line-up and pitch a lot.  We only had one freshman moved up, because he's good, and they needed catchers.  Sometimes getting moved up is because you play the right position.  My son's Freshman Team won 25 games and lost 2, and he had a wonderful time.  Several of the boys from that team had been his teammates in travel ball, and it was great that they got to stay together.  This year is a different story.  Those boys are now Sophomores, and 5 of them start on Varsity.   They are #1 in the league with a 16 & 2 Record.  Son doesn't get to pitch much, but he is the starting 1st baseman, and bats 5th in the line-up.  He could be unhappy that he doesn't get to pitch much, but the majority of the innings go to the seniors.  He has made the most of it by doing what he is asked and having a good attitude.  He has made 3 appearances with one start, and he's pitched 7 innings with 12 K's, 3 hits allowed, 3 walks, 2 runs allowed, of which 0 are earned.  The point I am trying to make, is make the most of the situation.  Enjoy the opportunity by becoming a better leader, and remember it doesn't matter one bit.  Just develop and get better.

 

Is Everyday Son concerned about it? I doubt it.

 

He might be "good enough" to play up but will he see as much playing time? Just let it happen and let him enjoy his high school years. It goes by fast!!!

I appreciate the responses. Bad choice of words in the post I guess RJM. I only see what our area and county is producing, and wanted to understand and be realistic about his talent. 

My guess is most really good kids MAKE the JV and up. Maybe my kid is not that good. Sorry for asking, although I thought this is where you ask it. 

I absolutely didn't mean to belittle any programs.

We're all proud of our kids and as by some of the posts above, like to talk about them as well. They should.

 

btw - I posted a week or so back about my other son stepping in the bucket. I mentioned how all I want him to do is have a good year this year as a 13u and then as a 14u. My thought was and still is he wouldn't make the high school team. With some suggestions by responders, I worked with him and he has started to hit.

 

But it doesn't matter, because my heart is filled with joy when their happy and breaks, when their sad. Whether it be playing baseball or not.

 

 

Don't be too hard on yourself.  Probably all of us have looked through the rose colored glasses at one point another.

Just be glad he's on a team.  If he's good enough and hustles, he'll move up in due time.  Just hang on - the HS years fly by fast.

 

It seems like yesterday my son was an 8th grader making the JV team (no frosh or MS team at the time) and now he's finishing his first year (6 games left to play) at a DII JUCO.

Is your son concerned? Keep in mind 15 or so other kids "only" made freshman, some got cut too right? I know what you mean though, reading this forum you think everyone else's kid out performs. Just about all my sons teammates from travel made JV and at least one Varsity (all at other schools) I shake my head wondering what the coaches saw in them. My son is happy where he is, made a bunch of new friends and enjoys being one of the better Fr kids. There's 3 more years to go, hard work will make good things happen.

Same here, big kid and a catcher up to V, Small kid, good catcher made JV

I think you are guessing wrong.  Millions of variables.  Some kids mature early and that gives them an advantage.  Sometimes the most talented kid is the skinny kid whose talent won't overtake until the 11th or 12th grade.  Only looking at it from your perspective is a mistake as well.  If there are a bunch of high-school all-americans on varsity playing your son's position(s), then it has nothing to do about your son or his talent. 

 

Everything is relative as well.  I've seen some fairly big high school's posted in this thread.  My son's graduating class was 1100 and his high school from grades 9-11 was well over 4,000.  It was a big deal to make the freshmen team.  It was an even bigger deal to get on the field and play.  When you get to college, it is a national competition.  Whether you played as a freshmen is irrelevant.  Every kid in college was a high school all-star.  Many of them all-staters.  Many of them 3 years older and 3 years stronger and 3 years smarter. 

The focus for your son should not be what level he is playing at for that surely is out of his control.  His focus should be solely on his attitude and effort.  The best advice I could give to him is to tell him to try harder than the other kids at every level he competes.  Out-compete them and he will be noticed - eventually.

Everyday Dad: Your post reminded me of something that happened to my son, another 2016, prior to HS baseball season this past winter. We were having lunch with an 8-year MLB player, truly legit baseball guy ... about son joining his VERY well-regarded summer team. I mentioned that I hope my son makes varsity as a freshman ... and he swatted it away like a nasty fly and kinda rolled his eyes.

 

"Doesn't matter," he said. I believed him then, and still do.

 

And it doesn't matter for your son either

Its not a bad thing for freshmen to play with freshmen or JV first year,  you are talking about a 14-15 year old playing against 18 or 19 year olds.  Big difference in everything including the off field stuff, (locker room, dugout).  to consider.

Making the freshman team as a freshman is pretty typical for most ballplayers. My son went to a large classification school (about 3,000 grades 9-12 or 2,200 grades 10-12) and he played freshman ball, sophomore JV and made varsity during his junior year.

 

Now had he played at a small school, he would've made varsity as a freshman. But so what. He went to one of the top public schools in the state and got s top notched education. In the end, it all means squat.

 

At the end of the day, does it really matter?. I remember not that long ago, just making the team was a big deal. Not any more. Now its parents demand their kid play varsity as a frosh or why does the frosh only pitch when he makes varsity.

 

Today's parents are spoiled and really have no clue on hoew HS baseball is supposed to be the kid's experience and issues regarding on-field stuff is between the player and the coach. Today's parents don't think kids should earn their spot, pay their dues and develop at the sub-varsity levels but rather it should be handed to them just because they played on an expensive travel team and spent tens of thousands to try and buy ability therfore thinking it's a god-given right their frosh should be on varsity.

 

There's nothing wrong with making the freshman team. It means you made it, youre in the system and you're on the coaches radar and will be evaluated as they go thru the system to see if they make the improvements each season to eventually become a varsity player. I  think this mentality is long gone.

 

There's nothing wrong making the freshman team. My son was on the freshman team as a platoon player and became a varsity starter hitting in the heart of the batting order.

 

If you're one of those players that are that good to make varsity right wawy, then good for them. Not every kid can make that jump. There were many players from large schools in our conference who didn't even make varsity until their senior year but went on to play college ball because they were good plsyers but were in schools who had a deep talent pool and they had to keep grinding until they got their shot.

 

My son was one of those grinders who never had an issue where he played. He just wanted to play. I guess todays kids and parents are just different.

I tried to find a list of MLB players who either played freshman ball as freshmen, or didn't play HS baseball at all. I KNOW there are quite a few! Got busy and could';t find anything, but perhaps someone else knows.

Gerrit Cole, one of the top, if not the top MiLB pitching prospects, who was a 1st round pick out of HS, didn't sign, attended UCLA, then was drafted 1/1 with an $8M signing bonus did not play Varsity his Freshman year, and saw very limited Varsity action as a Soph.

Don't worry a bit. It does not much matter what a kid does as a high school freshman (or sophomore). I know a hero from last year's College World Series who did not get an inning on the varsity until he was a junior in high school -- and he was not an exception among a lot of guys at the same school who have gone on to BCS-level D1 baseball and professional baseball. Some of these guys will be Major Leaguers. There are lots of schools just like it. Don't compare with other programs and don't sweat it. Just work to get better every day.

Pat yourself on the back much? Save some of those pats for your son's back huh?

 Jason Bay, Adam Loewen, Erik Bedard, Darryl Hamilton.

 

Bryce Harper got his GED his Soph year. I'm sure there are quite a few who did/do play minor leagues who never played HS.

 

All this said, I'm sure they were on great select/travel clubs.

More changes between ages 13 and 16 with baseball players than you can imagine. The best player, by far, on my son's 13u team barely made the team at 16. He started varsity as a freshman at a large school, had many large colleges following him as a soph. By the time he graduated high school he had no offers, went to a juco (same one as my son) where he didn't get on the field and quit after freshman year.

My point? It doesn't matter one bit where a kid plays as a freshman. All that matters is that the player works on his game and gets better every year.

There are many reasons kids don't make the team they want to make. Lack of talent, depth of the system, mistake by the coach are a few.You can't control those things but you can control trying to get better. That's all a player can do. Making excuses and blaming others will only affect things in a negative way.

No, I don't pat myself at all...

 

They're just facts, Coach Mills...

 

FYI, He gets plenty of pats...

Maybe some feel/are that way, not all...

 

There has never been a sense of entitlement, we understand the process...

 

We were very humbled and honored when we got the news that he made varsity as a rare freshman, position-starter, because he earned it through his on the field play in the fall, on his own meritt...

 

"Hi Coach." and "Thank you, Coach." is the deepest interaction I've ever gotten into with the staff...

So this comment reminds me of a conversation one of my friends had with another mom from another school about my friend's son starting all year on varsity as a freshman.

 

"How is he doing?  Oh he is on varsity as a freshman.  Well the competition over there isn't as good as at my son's school"

 

I swear right to her face.  Can't make this stuff up. 

 

I agree that being on varsity as a freshman is no predictor of future results, but one certainly should not diminish anothers' accomplishments.  You questioning the success of another player does not make your son better just the same as a parent hoping another teammate to fail as if this somehow makes their son look better. 

 

I noticed later in the thread the OP stated "Also one of the top players in the country".  Really???  Based on what.  I spent my entire life in the midwest until recently.  Lots of good players there, but if you have not played in a WWBA, Connie Mack, etc. you have no basis for this opinion.  You have not seen the "top players in the country".  What are the "top players" in the country at an age when it all changes so much as kids mature.

 

My son's 15U summer team is considered by PG to be one of the top teams in the country based on their rankings.  One of his teammates is a 6'5 kid who hit 90 on the gun this spring in a Varsity game.  He is "one of the top players in the country" and I have no doubt PG rankings will reflect that when the 2016 rankings come out. His dad never makes a statement like that.  He would be mildly irritated I referred to him as such here. 

 

Every kid on that team is playing either JV or Varsity with the exception of about 2 of them.  Some on top programs and some not, but regardless they are all fairly talented and most work their tails off.  They are all one of the top players at their particular school.  That is all that really matters right.

 

So really it comes down to this.  You live in the Midwest.  Your kid is only on the freshman team.  I can only deduce he certainly is not one of the "top players" in the country because baseball in the Midwest is so bad compared to the South that he can't be any good.  So yes you should be worried. 

 

In that context I think you and others can see how ridiculous comments like the one you started the thread off with are.

 

Sorry this is all going to come off as harsh but you struck a nerve.

 

 

County not country!

 

People need to relax.

 

I started this post because parents are always said to have rose colored glasses on. I wanted input to understand what is realistic about my son's talent and nothing else. Bad choice of words at the get go, and interpreted as a knock on other programs and kids. My bad.

I'll end with this. I have no doubt my kid is good. How good we will see. He loves playing on this team. No worries!

Backstopdad:

 

His comment was not so ridiculous. You just added a letter to county and came up with country and then responded to something the original poster did not write.

 

Congratulations to your son and the other players, but I will say it again: what nearly any kid does as a freshman has very little to do with what will come later,although no doubt it is great fun and should not be discounted by anyone.

I agree and I apologize to Everyday Dad for misreading his one comment and going on the subsequent rant.  My bad there.

 

However,I still stand by my comments regarding making comments about other's accomplishments. 

 

 

Everyday Dad ... As the advertising disclaimer says "results may vary." Some schools are successful and only a JV team deep in prospects. Some schools are a JV team and a freshman team deep in prospects. But it only takes about twelve players at the varsity level to be a successful program. Stud travel players at small high schools are more likely to make varsity as a freshman. 

 

What matters is a kid have a positive high school baseball experience regardless off the level and play on a summer team where he can get exposure for college ball. There was a high school in the LA area that was so deep in talent a few years back two JV pitchers received D1 offers through their summer teams.

As the dad of a freshman on varsity, I gotta say, Bolts, you embarass me.

 

 

       
       
pretty harsh words... do you know me? What 'embarrassed' you?

I know they're harsh. I was pissed. Of course I don't know you, or care to, but this is why:

 

Jump to conclusions much?

 

FYI: My Freshman kid made Varsity, is a starter (2nd one in 20-years), has batted 85% of the time in the 2-hole... He's at an 8A school NE of Orlando (2,639 enrollment)... Our District was voted toughest district in Central Florida by the Orlando Sentinel...

 

Followed by "he gets plenty of pats."

 

I'm embarassed that a dad who's son, like mine, is on a very good varsity squad, puts it out there like this. I expect next to see his OBP, avg. and number of homers. I prefer the "If your work speaks for itself, don't interrupt" approach.

 

Maybe it's just me (and my son).

 

 

First off:

 

My original FACTUAL post was in response to the Original Poster's comment that, honestly, berated any freshman who made Varsity by saying that if a freshman made it, it "says something screams lack of talent at those schools"... I was OFFENDED by that statement, as should anyone else...

 

Here's what I said, in response:

 

1) My Freshman kid made Varsity - FACT

2) He's a starter (2nd one in 20-years) - FACT

3) He has batted 85% of the time in the 2-hole - FACT...

4) He's at an 8A school NE of Orlando (2,639 enrollment) - FACT...

5) Our District was voted toughest district in Central Florida by the Orlando Sentinel - FACT 
http://eedition.orlandosentinel.com/Olive/ODE/OrlandoSentinel/LandingPage/LandingPage.aspx?href=T1NOLzIwMTMvMDMvMjc.&pageno=Mjg.&entity=QXIwMjgwMQ..&view=ZW50aXR5 

I purposely DID NOT post any statistics because that would be, in my opinion, chest pumping - which I do not do.

That second interaction was between Coach Mills and myself... Although you're free to interject, please understand the dialogue that HE wrote to me... He accused me of bragging, when all I wrote was FACTS...  

And, I do pat my son on the back ALL the time, if that's a problem for you, so be it...

Good luck with your son.

Bolts, you have a PM