For the record, freshman parenitis doesn't end in high school. My wife returned from visiting my son at his college and watching his fall world series. First day a freshman dad came up to her, introduced himself and immediately began a never ending data dump all about his kid.
When she came home I asked her about the trip. She said it was great but rolled her eyes and said,
"OMG freshman parents".
It works both ways. As a freshman my son played on the HS varsity team. My wife and I sat in the stands and just watched. Toward the very end of the season a few of the parents finally acknowledged that we even existed. They would walk past us and never even say hello.
The ironic thing was the only dad who even talked to me was the father of the best player on the team and now a starter at Long Beach State. When I see this parent now around town the first thing he asks is how my son is doing. And we as a family follow all of his games in college and summer ball.
Darn senior parents.
The ironic thing was the only dad who even talked to me was the father of the best player on the team and now a starter at Long Beach State. When I see this parent now around town the first thing he asks is how my son is doing. And we as a family follow all of his games in college and summer ball.
Darn senior parents.
WT-
Very true. We went through that too back then.
The funniest story from those days was my son played ss and was the closer as a freshman. Last regular season game of the season was actually day after graduation ceremony. Son comes in to close game and fly ball to senior RF who drops it. Next batter base hit to RF and senior RF picks up ball and literlly throws it to LF. Not within 40 feet of second base. Things settle down after that and on ride home and I mentioned the interesting play in RF to son and his response was, "Sully wasnt feeling too well." I asked if he was hung over and the response was "Sully wasnt feeling too well."
He was literally drunk playing the game. To the young mans credit he apologized to team and it ended his playing career for the playoffs but it does illustrate the different worlds that freshmen and seniors inhabit.
Very true. We went through that too back then.
The funniest story from those days was my son played ss and was the closer as a freshman. Last regular season game of the season was actually day after graduation ceremony. Son comes in to close game and fly ball to senior RF who drops it. Next batter base hit to RF and senior RF picks up ball and literlly throws it to LF. Not within 40 feet of second base. Things settle down after that and on ride home and I mentioned the interesting play in RF to son and his response was, "Sully wasnt feeling too well." I asked if he was hung over and the response was "Sully wasnt feeling too well."
He was literally drunk playing the game. To the young mans credit he apologized to team and it ended his playing career for the playoffs but it does illustrate the different worlds that freshmen and seniors inhabit.
quote:Toward the very end of the season a few of the parents finally acknowledged that we even existed. They would walk past us and never even say hello.
I'm not sure that this lack of friendliness has anything to do with senior versus freshman, at least I haven't found that to be the case in our area. However, it is a good reminder to those of us who are experienced varsity parents to extend a welcome to the new folks next spring.
I'd give those senior parents a break. They may have been watching ball games together for 8 or 10 years and be going through a very emotional time together as many of their sons play their last organized games.
WT- I'm guessing that the parent of the player that spoke to you might have been the only one confident in his son's abilities and harbouring no insecurity. There are certainly other explanations.
My son did not play Varsity untill sophomore year - and although one other sophomore was on varsity he was unable to play. MANY of the Junior and Senior player's parents were beyond cold to our family during that year. I have not had the opportunity to welcome the youngest players yet as there were no sophomores on the team last year - but I will go out of my way to welcome parents of sophomores and or freshmen that make this year's team. Even those funny freshmen parents
My son did not play Varsity untill sophomore year - and although one other sophomore was on varsity he was unable to play. MANY of the Junior and Senior player's parents were beyond cold to our family during that year. I have not had the opportunity to welcome the youngest players yet as there were no sophomores on the team last year - but I will go out of my way to welcome parents of sophomores and or freshmen that make this year's team. Even those funny freshmen parents
quote:Originally posted by Swampboy:
I'd give those senior parents a break. They may have been watching ball games together for 8 or 10 years and be going through a very emotional time together as many of their sons play their last organized games.
Agree, also there may have been a older player who lost his starting job to the newbie.
If we give the senior parents a break then let's give the freshman parents a break. It seems to me ALL parents need to do a better job.
At my son's last high school baseball game I told the parents I was moving in September when my son goes off to college. I had been around some of these parents since our kids were seven. Some since four in s0ccer. I coached their kids, I coached with the dads. Sometimes I coached against the dads. I said good-bye. I knew there was a good chance I would never see some of them again.quote:Originally posted by Swampboy:
I'd give those senior parents a break. They may have been watching ball games together for 8 or 10 years and be going through a very emotional time together as many of their sons play their last organized games.
I coached the parents of younger high school players on how to help their sons deal with the coach. The coach was a difficult personality who rarely explained what he was thinking. He freaked out and intimidated a lot of the younger players. I remembered when my son went from being applauded for being the first opening day starting soph in several years to being publicly humiliated by the coach. Fortunately my son was good enough to overcome what I (emotionally and stupidly) said about the coach. Sometimes parents need mentoring too.
Sometimes we all do.
quote:Originally posted by warningtrack:
If we give the senior parents a break then let's give the freshman parents a break. It seems to me ALL parents need to do a better job.
Amen to that!
Let's face it we all have at one time been one of "those" parents, let's not lay blame on one particular group. JMO.
My goodness, this thread got serious! I interpreted the OP to be observing that baseball parents tend to mellow as they move through the years, and that it is funny to look back on how many of us were in earlier years.
So maybe I interpreted it that way because I know that I have mellowed over the years. When I look back at how serious I was when my son was 12, I just cringe. And laugh. And when I see super-serious parents of young players, I kind of chuckle to myself. Not in a mean way, in a what-was-I-thinking, thank-goodness-I'm-not-like-that-anymore way.
So maybe I interpreted it that way because I know that I have mellowed over the years. When I look back at how serious I was when my son was 12, I just cringe. And laugh. And when I see super-serious parents of young players, I kind of chuckle to myself. Not in a mean way, in a what-was-I-thinking, thank-goodness-I'm-not-like-that-anymore way.
quote:Originally posted by warningtrack:
It works both ways. As a freshman my son played on the HS varsity team. My wife and I sat in the stands and just watched. Toward the very end of the season a few of the parents finally acknowledged that we even existed. They would walk past us and never even say hello.
The ironic thing was the only dad who even talked to me was the father of the best player on the team and now a starter at Long Beach State. When I see this parent now around town the first thing he asks is how my son is doing. And we as a family follow all of his games in college and summer ball.
Darn senior parents.
We had a totally different experience. The senior parents included us in everything, went out of their way to make us feel welcome and helped integrate us into the HS baseball experience. My better half has been an officer in the booster club for three years as a result of being included early.
I've followed the seniors that year into JC and D-1 colleges and continue to stay in touch. We stay in contact with several of those parents via email. They've showed up at HS games after their sons graduated to follow up on my son and his team mates. Simply put, they set the bar for behavior and I hope I can measure up to it after my son graduates.
Like any situation (LL, club, HS, college, etc) good people can make it fun.
Relative to igball's comments, there were a few times when son would come home from his freshman year and talk about how some of the seniors were "smoking funny things" and had "serious girlfriends" and I worried about his exposure to the fast lane so early in his life. He handled it well, saw for himself how the hardworkers progressed and how the party animals didn't and has thankfully made good choices.
We're the senior parents this year, so we'll try to do our best to be totally inclusive for everyone who wants to be included.
Same for us. Son was a starting pitcher as a freshman. I would say that the upperclass parents were very nice and inclusive with us. Players also took to son. I am very appreciative for the way we were treated that year. Maybe it's because he was a pitcher and didn't take anyone's position away. But as a pitcher, he got out there and did what he had to do and did well. I don't think any of the parents or kids thought they could have done better.
I know this, I was totally amped up that year. The level of competition was very high and I was nervous and probably over excited every time my son pitched. As the years have gone on, I have become much more relaxed at the games. They are still competitive and the environment is still much more exciting than JV or freshman ball, but I am MUCH more calm now. I look back and wonder about what those parents thought of my being that amped. Hopefully, I did a good job of keeping it to myself and not looking like a total idiot. No one ever said anything about it.
Things coming full circle now. I am a senior parent and will do what I can to be good to the underclass parents. However, I will be that freshman parent again next year. Hopefully, I have learned something from being a freshman parent last time around.
I know this, I was totally amped up that year. The level of competition was very high and I was nervous and probably over excited every time my son pitched. As the years have gone on, I have become much more relaxed at the games. They are still competitive and the environment is still much more exciting than JV or freshman ball, but I am MUCH more calm now. I look back and wonder about what those parents thought of my being that amped. Hopefully, I did a good job of keeping it to myself and not looking like a total idiot. No one ever said anything about it.
Things coming full circle now. I am a senior parent and will do what I can to be good to the underclass parents. However, I will be that freshman parent again next year. Hopefully, I have learned something from being a freshman parent last time around.
the interesting part for my family was the difference in the same parents. I have 3 sons, (a 2006, 2009 and 2014). 2009 was on varsity in sr yr. That same year. there were 3 soph (2011) that made varsity, 2 of which got significant time (and earned it over sr and jr's).
That year, we had a great group of parents that welcomed them. This group of sr's had played together for many years.
Fast forward to 2011, same families (along with 4 others)- Very angry and mocking of freshman and soph who "taken a seniors place". I learned from that first group of parents how to behave as a parent of an older HS player, and was frustrated by this group. Although, I was the parent of boys who where the older group,I had not had to deal with being the parent of the younger player (2006 never started V and 2009 didn't until SR year). My focus was on them as SR playing their last competive ball. My wife reminded me when I was ready to go off on them,(in the middle of one of the 2011 parents tirades), how WE had focused on our older sons last year of playing competitive ball and that these same parents were as well. I got the message! I have "hopefully" learned to be incredibly supporting of the parents and players no matter what age they are.
That year, we had a great group of parents that welcomed them. This group of sr's had played together for many years.
Fast forward to 2011, same families (along with 4 others)- Very angry and mocking of freshman and soph who "taken a seniors place". I learned from that first group of parents how to behave as a parent of an older HS player, and was frustrated by this group. Although, I was the parent of boys who where the older group,I had not had to deal with being the parent of the younger player (2006 never started V and 2009 didn't until SR year). My focus was on them as SR playing their last competive ball. My wife reminded me when I was ready to go off on them,(in the middle of one of the 2011 parents tirades), how WE had focused on our older sons last year of playing competitive ball and that these same parents were as well. I got the message! I have "hopefully" learned to be incredibly supporting of the parents and players no matter what age they are.
I found parents mellowed towards each other once the kids hit showcase ball. The parents knew all the kids were on the track. The only freaking out was the internal stress of what offers will come forth and in what form for their kid.quote:Originally posted by twotex:
My goodness, this thread got serious! I interpreted the OP to be observing that baseball parents tend to mellow as they move through the years, and that it is funny to look back on how many of us were in earlier years.
So maybe I interpreted it that way because I know that I have mellowed over the years. When I look back at how serious I was when my son was 12, I just cringe. And laugh. And when I see super-serious parents of young players, I kind of chuckle to myself. Not in a mean way, in a what-was-I-thinking, thank-goodness-I'm-not-like-that-anymore way.