How much training is too much training?

The day my middle son stopped asking me to have a catch I knew he was burned out, he had just turned 11. It is a game, you did the right thing for your boy. If you are not having fun at what you are doing, it is time to consider doing something else. My oldest and youngest sons dream of playing in the majors, like most of our sons probably do, my job is to keep the game fun, and work quietly behind the scene to give them the best chance at realizing that dream without sacrificing their education. We all walk the tight rope between guide and drive. We all I am sure have seen many talented players be driven off the baseball field by an enthusiastic but well meaning parent.

When the boy comes to you and says, 'my friends are playing with a tournament team and want me to play with them, can I?' you will see that taking a break from time to time is not so bad. My oldest did this at about the same age your son is now. The last team he pushed me to take him to tryouts for was the local HS off season team. The players were 1 to 2 years older than he is.

Dennis,
I see this is your first post so welcome to the HSBBW! Very good question but really no “pat” answer. Every boy is different but rest assured if your son was not enjoying the experience, then you did the right thing. Some times we adults try to apply our adult philosophies of hard work and dedication (you know, no pain, no gain) to our children’s games. While I think we should push and challenge our children we also need to be aware of what is too much for an 11 year old. In this day and age we are seeing younger and younger boys playing on select teams and spending most of their waking hours practicing and playing games. Do these young players really want this level of commitment? Maybe a few young players do, but mostly it is driven by over enthusiastic adults. As these boys get older, they will become more focused and dedicated to THEIR goals. For some it will be baseball, baseball and more baseball...and for other it will be....
Fungo

I always look at it this way. If your wrong what have you lost? A few games and a few practices. If your right what have you gained? Possibly saving your son from burn out and regret. I think that if you have any doubt you err on the side of caution and that is what you have done. Whats wrong with a little fishing or hunting or riding a four wheeler etc. Let him be a kid while he still can. When he comes up to you and says Dad I want to play or practice or hit etc then do it. I made the decision when my son was entering the 8th grade that it was time to play during the season and work out in the off season and always find the time to do other things. When young kids play so much that they loose that special feeling when they put on a uniform they need to take a break from games before its too late. I dont care how much they love it you can cram it down their throat to the point that its not special anymore. Im not suggesting that you have done that by any means. It sounds like to me you made a sound decision that will pay dividends in the future. Good luck

Thanks for your responses and reassurance that we made the right decision. It was a very difficult decision for us to make. I know the head coach means well. Our outdoor training is limited due to the harsh weather in the midwest during the spring. We competed on a national level and always fell just a little short to the teams that came out of warmer weather climates. Focusing on one sport 9-10 months out of the year with the overlap of basketball and football gave us no time to enjoy anything else. We love to camp, fish and hunt but haven't been able to do any of it over the last two years due to the extensive baseball commitment. All the burn out signs were there. When my son started to say "Dad, do we have to go to practice today?", I knew it was time to stop and re-evaluate our situation.

I agree you did the right thing. If all he does is baseball then what does he have to look forward to? My 12u loves to play baseball and I love to watch him, but last week I had just as much fun watching him in his school's dance contest (swing, foxtrot, jitterbug etc). He and I are both looking forward to baseball this year after a nice break from it.

Playing baseball or any other sport is supposed to be "fun" what has developed over the years is this practice in all sports to make it a 12 month deal. some high school coaches put pressure o their kids to do things year round. You have a good athlete and the football coach wants him lifting the basketball coach wants him playing in summer leagues and the baseball coach wants him playing in the fall and working out in an indoor facilty in the winter etc etc etc. I truly think kids need a break. I was glad that my players played football or basketball. I think they were fresh when the season came around. It was a change. Even during the season a day off here and there was good. I really think there comes a time to back off a little.

Dennis, I agree you made a wise decision. Unfortunately, I have seen both sides of this. I have seen kids injured and I have seen them grow tired of the game. But I have also seen them fall behind those who were able to persevere. I strongly believe in playing multiple sports through high school -- my two oldest sons played football.

But it is very difficult. Depending on the competition at the school involved, the level of talent it can take is immense. On the other hand, if the talent is there or if the school is one that simply needs player, it is great fun with memories for a lifetime. The other danger in selecting only one, is what if you pick the wrong one?

I have to agree with everyone here that you have to keep it fun.
There's a reason for the season(to borrow from holiday lingo).
A kid has to have something to look forward to. Preparation is like watching the presents pile up under the Christmas Tree. When the season begins it's time to unwrap that for which you have prepared.
Year round baseball at a young age in most cases will lead to burn out. Some kids see the benifits of year round preparation at a fairly young age and will respond favorably to continuous involvement. It's up to the parents to monitor the kid's interest and set the agenda for their participation.
Rollerman

From what I have seen in h.s. baseball athleticism is far more important than specific baseball skills.

I would suggest to do whatever helps round him out as an athlete. Missing a fall season at 11 y.o. means nothing.

We would have been open to an optional fall training program and would still be with the team had that been the case. It's a real shame in that they are one of the top teams in the country and my son loved the challenge of playing the best. We weighed our options and felt the price of ones childhood was not worth a national title. He's a gifted athlete and excells in football, basketball and baseball. I feel my job as a parent is to give him a well rounded exposure to all extra ciricular activities. I refuse to force feed any of them to him. He has a very competitive nature(school as well). I'm having a difficult time finding an appropriate fit in baseball for him. Rec ball is clearly out of the question and he doesn't want to play on a team that will have to play his former team. I'm concidering putting him in a pony div. league which should still offer him a challenge.

Dennis

My son has played on a number of teams and has actually enjoyed playing against former teammates. The team he just joined is a combination of players from three of his previous teams as well as some new kids.

My feeling is that playing with new players and for new coaches is good. He has been able to play with kids from all over our state and has learned new things from each coaching staff that he has played for. He has had different roles on each team as well and IMO has become a more rounded player because of it.

I think that you made the right decision giving him a break. I would encourage him to join a team that will play his old teammates. Trust me, opportunities to play with old teammates will present themselves again.

Keep us posted.

R.

KEY WORD---- F U N !!!!!

If that isnt there it is time for a break !!!!