How to handle disappointment?

Welcome,

My son did not get selected in the Area Code games and he was also very disappointed. He used it to motivate himself. He ended up being selected in the 8th round of the draft and is now playing in the Pirates organization. He worked very hard after the tryouts because he wanted to prove them wrong.

Bbscout posts here and you may want to send him a personal message and ask about talking to the scout.

My personal opinion is that you just cannot put that much stock in what did not happen. It was not personal and the scout probably already had his mind pretty well made up before your son got there. The different scouts that had input all had the guys they wanted to see on their minds as well.

Many players make it that do not get drafted and vice versa. Try to get on a good fall showcase team and do a couple of real good Perfect Game events.

Good Luck!

P.S. it has been my experience that scouts are not in the business of saying negative things to parents and do not want to critique players. jmo

Catcher Mom,

I sent you a private message.
catchersdad

Catcher Mom- I think you will find that even though this is the ladies forum, the men who drop in here are the best bunch of guys!

Your son is young and will have many opportunities to improve and make it the next time! I would acknowledge the dissapointment, and encourage him to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

A few lessons can often tweak a performance enough to make a big difference. Good luck.

Catchermom,
Welcome to what might be the greatest site you'll ever find!

Like Amom said, sometimes a setback can inspire a player to work even harder.

There are lots of opportunity for evaluation at various showcases. My son's highschool coach was also very good at giving his players (those that wanted to listen) information on their strengths and weaknesses. Also, there are facilities/instructors which can provide good information if you choose to do that. There's a lot of opportunity out there that he can learn from. I think the key thing is finding a coach, scout, or instructor that you trust and then putting his suggestions/evaluations into play.

Good luck to your son - those last two years of highschool will go by more quickly than you can imagine, so I hope you both enjoy the experience.

Thanks for the information. I have been told that we should be starting to contact the recruiting coaches for the coaches by the end of August. Do you think that is a good idea? If so, then how should we be contacting them and with what information? Short note, long note, resume? I haven't a clue where to start. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Have a wonderful day!!!

Catcher Mom,
Welcome. If you would spend a few hours researching the main website you will find all kinds of helpful information about recruiting. Sample letters and such. He is a link that might get you started. We're all here to help.
Fungoette.
Sample letters

Catcher mom.
Welcome. first of all I hope that you answer Catcherdad, he will give you great advice and be very helpful living close by to you.
Things must be changing, area code games to us were considered more of a scouting event than a recruiting event.
I remember when my son tried out for USA youth team going into his sophomore year. He was very young and had to compete with the 03's, and was disappointed. However, the following summer he joined a team and traveled all over the country playing against great teams (Bighit's son was on the Dallas Mustangs at the time) and did well. Between PG events, the Jupiter wood bat and competitive summer and fall ball the following summer (senior) he received three team invitations to attend the area code without even trying out. By this time, he felt he didn't need to go.
Your son is young. He will have plenty of time to get ready.
All the dads here have given you great advice, are sensitive to your questions including dad/mom FUNGOETTE.

Hi Catchermom!

From the mom of one catcher to another....I think my son has probably learned the MOST from his disappointments and setbacks, more so than his successes! I am pretty confident when I say that 99.9% of our sons have had disappointments when it comes to their baseball careers.....but the most important thing is what you learn from those disappointments and how you grow from them! Hopefully your son can use this setback as motivation. Good luck...and keep us posted!

Catchermom -

My son (04) did not make the Area Code team either, but was still recruited by schools he wanted to attend (from both a baseball and an academic perspective). Believe me, the scouts that were at the tryouts were watching everyone that tried out - whether or not they made the team. If your son looked like he had a lot of potential, and particularly if he conducted himself as a good team-mate, he will have been noticed! I agree that it is a real achievement to be asked to participate as a 16 year old - that fact will not be missed either!

Good luck and keep us posted please!

Check for another pm

catcher mom...

Another PM for you.

Hello DB2BMom: I can't seem to access PM. Help! Can you send it again

Thanks Catcher Mom

Cather Mom...

I replied to your PM.

The game of baseball, if nothing else, will teach your son to get back up after he gets knocked down. You fail more than you succeed in baseball. It's the ones that learn how to handle disappointment that move on to higher levels in the game and in life.

Hi Ladies,
Haven't visited or posted in a while. I saw the title of this thread and thought maybe I could offer something. Our local newspaper is doing a series on dissapointments in sports. It is covering many different sports and has been very interesting to read.

My son was interviewed for the piece entitled "Defeat after Bitter Defeat" It doesn't exactly fit in the same catagory as this thread but I wanted to share his thoughts as reported. His college career is over, but it seems the great game of baseball has taught him good lessons. (I hope his dad and I get some credit I'm very proud of him. He was asked to be an assistant coach for the upcoming year. I especially liked his coaches comment about making sure they didn't disrespect the game. Adam's quotes are paragraphs 5,6,13,14,15.

defeat after bitter defeat

I understand what it feels like not to make a team that you really wanted to get on. I play softball and I wasn't picked for a tournament team, but my sister was. You should use the oppertunity to have him work harder at practice, doing more drills, running, hitting, throwing, fielding.. but focus on the biggest problem first. If he's a great hitter, have him take more fielding practice to hike up motivation to make it next year.

Good luck.

Catcher Mom:

Another "welcome" offered here from a card-carrying member of the "other" gender on this board. Your good question and some of the responses prompt the following thoughts (in no particular order):

(1) Your son's baseball experience will be filled with many opportunities to be seen; and, you shouldn't be overly concerned at about his not being able to take part in any one event, regardless of how well it's regarded.

(2) As your son draws closer to the summer before his senior year in high school, he should take an increasingly direct and active role in his recruitment. In my son's case, I went out and bought him some personalized cards (very simple with his name printed on the top, bordered in his high school's principal color). Once he had them, he'd routinely dash off a short note on one of them when he returned a recruiting questionnaire that was of particular interest to him, received a letter from a favored recruiter, etc. You'd be surprised at how many recruiters commented favorably on the practice.

(3) As your son progresses, the disappointment will come not only because he's been excluded from some event; but, also, because he's competing against better and better competitors...so much so that he experiences failure with much greater regularity than he might now. As this has happened in our son's case, I often remind myself that, regardless of how well (or poorly) that day's game might be going, he's in the one place on Earth he most wants to be. I take great comfort in that, and I hope you will, too.

All the very best to you and your son!