HELP!!! Daddy ball the year before high school!!!

I'd be on the phone to all the select/travel coaches! Find him a competitive place to play where he can make a contribution & develop. What part of Georgia are you in? Maybe you have to drive a ways, but Daddy ball won't help him! Atlanta/Marietta has terrific programs...
See if he can "guest" on some higher caliber teams during tournaments.
Good luck!

Has your check cleared the bank yet?

I'm tagging along with the " find another team " advice.

Why am I not advising that you just pull up the ol' bootstraps and endure it?,... because while it is important to learn the fundamentals of the game,...I believe that we must not forget that baseball is supposed to be about having fun, especially at such a young age.

Stress, pressure, self doubt,..all time low at age 14? Nope,...not worth it IMHO.
God bless the good dad/coaches out there,..and big growls to the stinky ones.

" No parental drama allowed! "
I'd be glad to paint ya up a shirt with that slogan so you could wear at the next game! ha!
( I have my own collection I wear regularly! tee-hee )

Remember,..its about the kids. Their love of baseball,....life lessons, making friends, and growing up slowly,..not running in the fast lane. Youth is short lived and every day is precious.
Find a team that fits your style, goals, and values.

Chances are there will come a time later on down the road where the option to change teams wont be available. For now, its still in your hands and you control the outcome. Take that power and use it to make your son's baseball experience a great one.

A 14 years old boy playing ball. Should be one of the best times of his life!

Keep us posted and I sincerely hope things work out!!

As I have a senior ballplayer graduating this year, I've been doing lots of reflecting on our baseball experiences. One of those experiences was the 8th grade - pre-highschool team - I remember our team well!

Bottom line, so many of those kids on that 8th grade team are no longer playing baseball. Kids peak at different times and some kids never got any better than they were at 14. Some turned to drugs, some decided to concentrate on football, some had an attitude problem and didn't get along with the high school coach and quit, some moved away and others moved in!

If you cannot switch to another team this year, just relax and enjoy getting to know the other parents and hopefully your son will have fun socializing with the other ballplayers. It is so important to know all those parents and friends well with the high school years ahead! Your son will learn a lot from this experience and hopefully you can get on a different team next year.

Bottom line, the high school coach will make his own decisions on who will play for him and what position they will play - not the dads! The coach is definitely looking for the best athletes and he will not care that "Little Johnny hit the game winning run in the 13 year old tournament" but he will care what "Johnny" can do for him now!

If your son has to stay on this team or not, it is very important for him to keep throwing long toss, throwing bullpens, hitting in the batting cage, lifting weights, running, etc. to get in top shape for high school!

Don't worry too much about those dads - it all works out- I know it doesn't seem like it at the time but you will get through it! Good luck!

There is a great thread in the "Texas Forum" on "If I knew then what I know now what would I have done" - take a meander over there and see what those wise moms and dads are saying!

Let us know how it works out!

Enjoy these years - it does go by so fast!

Baseballmom03,

FIND ANOTHER TEAM... I am a mother who had to endure politics, daddy ball for years. I was in the same situation like you. As a mom and no daddy really around to "bond" with those daddy's my son struggled but never gave up. He is a senior and WILL be playing college ball. When I reflect back as to what I should of done instead of sulk and get ****ed, I would ensure your son goes to the high school summer camp this summer and do a little bonding with the head coach, get him in another league FAST, and give him lessons on his weaknesses to get him prepared for try-outs. Call the high school coach and get a hold of their booster club and GET INVOLVED.. PLAN WAY AHEAD before the end of the season to get him on a travel team that is competitive. They play favorites and be prepared they do in high school too. Daddy Ball continues with the coach's and daddy's throughout the high school years. Get a good assessment of your son's skills and ensure he works on them. NEVER let anyone tell you some bull-s__t excuses. Let the professionals tell you. Tell your son never to let anyone get him down, on or off the field, he needs to believe in himself because he is the one who will get him his dreams. Politics is a life lesson. Be confident for him. It was a hard road for us. But, we beat the odds without all the recognition, etc... Tell him to work very very hard on the field and never let up. NO one can take away his dream.... Always have your son deal with the coach, even if he doesn't want to. Rely on no one to get him where he wants to go. Stay online and educate yourself. It's a great way to learn things outside your back door. I always showed my son the post on here because I was just Mom.. Best of luck...

We moved the summer before high school which caused my son to go to a different high school though still in the same area. The incoming players played on the "JV" summer team along with the previous year's freshmen/JV and dads also coached it. My husband tried everything he could but those dads would not let my son even ON the team much less get to play. Another parent tried to tell them he'd be the #1 of the freshman team if not the JV but they would not have anything to do with him. He'd even go watch their games just to make sure they knew he wanted to be there. He's a good kid and we're not overbearing parents so there wasn't that baggage keeping them from letting him play. Well, he played with another team with players from other high schools and had a great summer and met alot of players he'd be playing against in the next 4 years. Fast forward to baseball season, after the first 3 freshman games, my son gets moved to Varsity, earns the #2 pitcher spot, and earns Newcomer of the Year for the district. I feel terrible for saying this but it was sweet revenge!! The "dads'" sons stayed on JV that year. This summer season won't decide what will happen once the true baseball season starts-his Coach will decide not the dads. If he stays have him give it his all, have fun with his new teammates,etc. If he goes to another team, just make sure it won't make him have the reputation of thinking he's too good to play with the other boys. Hope it all works out the way you want it!

Wow! You ladies are incredible. Thank you so much for replying. I was feeling really low about all this and to get such support and advice from all of you is wonderful...what a great community of women.

I had a long conversation with my husband and son last night and I think we're going to try a little of everything...

Here's the plan:

1. Play as a guest on a couple of teams that had offered him a spot at the beginning of the season whenever available. We are in the Atlanta/Marietta area so there is good baseball to be found.

2. Stay with this team and try to ingnore the daddy ball and make the best of what we have. Only because we do like the parents and players and don't want to hurt his reputation...also (with your perspective ) realize that this means nothing to the HS coaches.

3. Keep him developing his skills independently to get ready for high school tryouts.

I guess we can just consider it another new skill to develop for him to rise above it and recognize that these guys may be in it for the wrong reasons but he's responsible for his frame of mind and can find something to do each game to improve and have fun...also mom needs to be mature enough to not allow others to turn her into someone she doesn't want to be!!!Boy, this may be a character building summer for us both, huh??

I wandered over to the Texas Forum and checked out the recommended thread....good advice and of course I'm such a baby, some of it had me tearing up, too...

Thanks again..I'll let you all know if these good intentions work or if we just end up losing it

It's nice to know that others have been here too.
Living well is the best revenge!!

daddy ball players do not benefit from the coddling. It causes other kids to work harder, and they are the ones who benefit.

(it's hard to sit back and watch it happen though)

Baseballmom03

You've got a great plan outlined - you and your son will be just fine and will get through this rough spot in the road.

I hate all this character building stuff both kids and moms have to go through - actually - I think the moms have a harder time with it than the kids!

Good luck!

quote:

Originally posted by baseballmom03:
... Here's the plan:

1. Play as a guest on a couple of teams that had offered him a spot at the beginning of the season whenever available. We are in the Atlanta/Marietta area so there is good baseball to be found.

2. Stay with this team and try to ingnore the daddy ball and make the best of what we have. Only because we do like the parents and players and don't want to hurt his reputation...also (with your perspective ) realize that this means nothing to the HS coaches.

3. Keep him developing his skills independently to get ready for high school tryouts.

I guess we can just consider it another new skill to develop for him to rise above it and recognize that these guys may be in it for the wrong reasons but he's responsible for his frame of mind and can find something to do each game to improve and have fun...also mom needs to be mature enough to not allow others to turn her into someone she doesn't want to be!!!Boy, this may be a character building summer for us both, huh??...

baseballmom03 - I simply couldn't resist chiming in on this thread anymore - first welcome to the hsbbweb - and secondly that was one of the best posts I have read

Teaching kids to rise above things and not let others control how they perceive themselves or to control their self-esteem is perhaps one of the greatest things you can teach them.

Everyone deals with adversity. We cannot control the smallness, selfishness, and insecurity exhibited by others.

We can control how we react to things however and learning to not let others pettiness/shallowness affect one's well being will make him a success in whatever he chooses to do.

BTW - as others have said, Daddyball loses everytime in the long run. Sooner or later a player who has been coddled from competition will eventually be crushed by it. Your son will be well-equipped to compete on his own merits

Cleveland dad,..glad you stopped by,..you are always welcome here!
( Kinda nice to get a pleasant dad's opinion also, over here, once in a while ).

Hope you grabbed a muffin or piece of pie!!

baseballmom03,...sounds like a good plan indeed!!
You are definitely one smart cookie! I hope things work out!!!

( Man,...all these food references,..I must need breakfast! ha! )

shortstopmom - thanks for the kind welcome

I get nervous when I see my name stuck at the top of this forum for any length of time My name was up at the top all day yesterday and was getting very nervous indeed. Wouldn't want people getting the wrong impression of me

.....CD kinda thought ya might be feeling that way,....so came in charging fast from center field to offer you pie and muffins! tee-hee


So gals,...our end of the year HS baseball banquet is coming up. If you all have one at your school,..what is it like? Where do you hold it? Outside casual,..inside formal, or a mix in between?BBQ, potluck, catered??

Decoration ideas???
Senior souveniers?

Hey woops,..just realized I kinda hijacked this thread. Sorry!!
I will move the baseball banquet stuff to a new thread ( please disregard here ) and we can continue to stay on topic about " daddy baseball ".
My bad!!

( ha! I think I just saved ya CD from being at the top of the forum again! Perhaps one might score that as two RBI's for da shortstawpmomma!! ha!! )