How important are Academy teams as a HS Freshman?

The time for college showcase exposure is after junior year of high school. For some players who are good enough it begins after soph year. Until then the best place to be is where a player can get the best coaching and instruction. It doesn't have to be an academy team.

Some people will lead you to believe if an academy has a top showcase team you need to get your foot in the door early. It's not true. The showcase team will take the best players for the 17U team regardless of who played for, or didn't play for the 15U or 16U team in previous seasons.

I do not agree wholeheartedly with the comment above. Beginning now, it is important to play against the best competition you can find.

You get better by playing against the best. Academy team? I would be wary of that because they are too often set up to support the academy. But I would begin to look for a good, even elite, travel team for summer ball in your area...that is also affordable.

I'd never recommend breaking the family bank. But I would find the best competition you can, within your budget, beginning...now.

IMO, it really depends on your son. What does he need to do between now and tryout time to get better? Does the academy team offer that? Will the academy team allow him to use their facilities independently without the team? Do they have coaches who can really help your son get better?

As for the summer season, my guess is all the teams in your area at that age level play in basically the same tournaments so (providing that is true) the level of competition would be less of a concern. Good luck.

I think a player should play with the highest level his talent allows him to play. Regardless of age (13u and up), but dependent on what the family can afford.

Just make sure the team, whether acadaemy or not, is legit and offers high level coaching.

quote:

I can't get over how expensive this is though.

If you pay it they will take it.

You only need to hone your skills against the best competition available if you wish to play beyond High School.

It was our experience that at least in Ca, you can find a wide range of programs from very expensive to very reasonable that are all going to the same events.

quote:

Originally posted by Golfman25:
As for the summer season, my guess is all the teams in your area at that age level play in basically the same tournaments so (providing that is true) the level of competition would be less of a concern. Good luck.

This is why I made the point about the best coaching and instruction. It should be all the same competition regardless of team until 17U and traveling more.

I appreciate all the comments and would welcome more. With ono doubt my son is not anywhere close to be the best in the area but he does have talent and he works daily all year round to develop that talent. Yes he has high asperations but I would assume most kids still playing at this age do.

I have been his coach since t-ball and do believe that he needs to get out from under my wing and experience other coaches. He does have one coach that he works with on occasion that is a former Detroit Tiger and former coach in the Cubs organization. I would trust this is just as good instruction as he would find at any of the academies.

We do have another team that is not an academy team tht he can play on next summer as an option. I just wonder really how much more can his development advance beyond these things through an academy. He literally trains 10 months out of the year and has done this for the last three seasons. Doesn't play any other sports. It's baseball, baseball, and more baseball.

I'm just trying to find justification to spend that kind of money given the circumstances listed above.

Perhaps that coach that he has worked with might be able to recommend a team or at least have some input on available options...