How would you develop a player in 2024?

I'm in the same boat. I think one thing I've learned is that a lot of the expensive stuff really isn't necessary. Especially before high school. The gadgets, the camps, and the teams to some degree. You can go a long way with a tee and 7x7 net. We found a cheap batting cage, have a decent basement set up for working out, and get occasional lessons. That has worked out well so far. Mind at this point my kid's biggest goal is making varsity.

There are people who are going through it now who can offer better advice. Mine was hs '19, so pre-pandemic, and pre all the social media craziness. However, even back then we went through the whole travel ball dilemma, etc. I can suggest some general things.

First and most important, let your son drive this. He has to want to do whatever it is, and he has to have fun doing it. Don't pay for anything he doesn't want to do. Let it come from him. He will be talking to his baseball friends. If he wants to be a good player, hopefully he will want to be friends with other good players. Talk to their parents.

At 13, the goal should be to make the high school team. Try to figure out what that will require. It will be different in a smaller town than in a big city. Does the high school run a summer camp for middle-schoolers? (ours does). Do that, try to talk to other parents if you don't already know them. It was pretty much assumed that the future HS players were playing on travel teams against higher opposition than would be found in our local rec league, but there was a whole range of those travel teams, the big-time organizations were not necessary to play high school baseball.

Find people who genuinely want to help your son be the best baseball player he can be - instructors, travel coaches, whatever. My son wanted to learn and be challenged, so we let him do lessons, and to play on a travel team that was not coached by dads with no baseball experience (the local option).  He was going to PG tournaments by age 13. Money was spent. Was it "necessary" at age 13?  Absolutely not.  However, he enjoyed playing with other kids who were as into it as he was, I think that was important.

Two other lessons learned:
- don't showcase until you have something to show! Just resist. It's a huge waste of time and money. Certainly don't do it before high school, and probably not even then.
- the phrase "he could be a mid-major D1 player" is a bid for your money.

@theleica posted:

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How would you navigate the complexities of baseball in 2024? How would you develop a young player, particularly with limited resources? What investments would you prioritize to ensure the best possible development for your child?

I'm eager to hear your thoughts and insights.

Great question.   I was thinking about this exact question yesterday when I was having a private email conversation with one of our long time posters.   Things are different today than when my son(s) went through it, but I still think a simple approach is the best approach.  I think these guiding principles still apply:

1) Have your son evaluated by a third party that doesn't have a vested interest in him.  This can set a skills baseline for where he is, and what he needs to do at 13 and beyond.

2) Set a hard budget and stick to it.  Figure out what is absolutely necessary for his development.  In my oldest son's case, he had a professional pitcher that he worked with every so often when he was in high school.  That was the only necessary expense he had outside of his national travel baseball team.    He had a part time job, and that money went toward the pitching instructor, and we supplemented it.  My son had skin in the game.  Mommy and Daddy were not an ATM.

3) Is your son passionate about baseball?  Really passionate.   Does he play because his friends play or does he play because he primarily loves the game.  This becomes really important as your son matures and take on new interests....will he always come back to baseball?

4) Define his goals.  High school baseball?  College baseball?   Of course he is going to tell you he wants to play in college at 13.  Most kids do.   Your job is to help him understand exactly what that means and the sacrifices he is going to have to make to get to those goals.  For example, college coaches like kids that demonstrate maturity with academics.   Show him what that means and why it is important.   

You listed a lot of off the field activities in your post.   As a point of comparison, all 3 of my kids weren't working out in gyms at 13.  It wasn't until they reached high school.  Sure, they did running, pushups, situps and some light band work, but they weren't lifting weights.  My wife and I had them take a semi-private pitching class in the winter prior to high school tryouts.  They played in the spring, summer and some fall before we shut it down. 

As they got older and were demonstrating a willingness to put in the hard work we offered additional opportunities.  My wife and I had a fairly good idea what each son wanted to do with baseball by their junior year in high school.   But, it all started with the 4 points above that specific to each kid.   My oldest had the skills and passion to play into college, and he took advantage of that.  My two youngest sons had no desire to play in college, so they hung up their cleats at the end of the American Legion season their senior year in high school.

Good luck, and JMO.

A couple of excellent posts by @anotherparent & @fenwaysouth.

I would add some other points :

Practice more than you play games. One thing that is stunting the development of young players is the lack of practice time. Find a travel ball team that teaches the game in team practices. Gains are made in practice (and in bullpen sessions). Not in an endless stream of games. Finding a travel org that does this won’t be easy. Start asking around.

Continue to play other sports as long as it’s practical and possible. The cross training will make your son a better baseball player. And it also provides a mental break. Both things are good in the long run. Depending on the size of your HS, and the attitude of the head baseball coach, this may or may not be realistic.

Resist the temptation to regularly compare your son’s progress (or lack thereof) to how his peers are doing. All kids develop at their own pace. Some get there sooner than others and it’s usually their DNA that is the determining factor. Every coach has a story about a kid that stuck with it and surprisingly turned into a good player. There are just as many stories about kids that matured early, had success, and got passed up by classmates along the way.

Enjoy what is happening today without being obsessed about the future. Do a lot of research and develop a good plan. But remember to smell the roses along the way. The most important thing is your relationship with your son. Celebrate the victories appropriately and help him learn from the losses. But enjoy the ride. You never know when it will be over.

Find him the best coach you can. Not the flashiest, not the most expensive (or the cheapest). Someone with a good solid baseball knowledge who will teach your son to love the game and to play it to the best of his ability. hopefully that person also is a good person who will be a mentor to your son throughout his life and career, however long it lasts. Agree on the other tips from  @anotherparent & @fenwaysouth.

@adbono posted:

Resist the temptation to regularly compare your son’s progress (or lack thereof) to how his peers are doing. All kids develop at their own pace. Some get there sooner than others and it’s usually their DNA that is the determining factor. Every coach has a story about a kid that stuck with it and surprisingly turned into a good player. There are just as many stories about kids that matured early, had success, and got passed up by classmates along the way.

This is so, so important.  Comparison is the thief of joy, but every kid does it.  Its funny to look at kids who were considered the "best" as 14 years olds and see where they are today.  Everyone has a different path.

Both kids are past the journey. They’re 36 and 31 this year. It seems like yesterday they became teenagers. My daughter played softball and other sports. My son played baseball and other sports. They had two very different approaches.

My daughter saw softball and other sports as recreation until freshman year of high school she blossomed as a player. She was told she had D1 potential. Until then she never had any desire to practice away from teams. In high school she became obsessed with getting to college ball.

My son was the “it” kid in every sport he played from the day he walked on to a field/court. We practiced away from the team multiple times per week. At eleven he said he wanted to field grounders until he knew every bounce on the field.

Two different personalities can get to the same result. As a parent I never looked past what was needed this year and next year to succeed. This perspective never changed until the high school softball coach said my daughter needed to be moved up to an 18u Gold prospect team when she was a high school freshman. For my son it was when he was approached by multiple 17u programs when he was playing 16u as a late spring, 14u eligible. My point is college ball wasn’t a conversation until someone else with a reputation in the sport stated they were next level potential. I had played college ball. I knew my kids had the potential. But they had to be the ones that wanted it.

Girls mature sooner. My daughter started playing ASA level softball in 12u at age eleven. I put together the team with a dad who really knew the game, had a daughter in my daughter’s grade and had two girls already playing college softball. At thirteen we folded the team as the girls were recruited into top orvanizarions with teams from 14u to 18u.

I put together a 13u USSSA team for my son (five years younger). I found three other talented kids whose fathers played college ball to help coach. The goal was to prepare the players for high school ball. At fifteen the team played 16u. Five kids, including my son left the team after 16u to join 17u programs with connections to college ball. A newer academy took all the rest of the players for another year of 16u and 17u. All but one of our 16u team played college baseball. The one chose college basketball. We only had three kids turnover from 13u. I didn’t invite them back for disciplinary/rule breaking reasons.

My daughter’s softball teams from 14u (started when she was 13) through 18u were heavily subsidized by a very wealthy lady’s foundation who believed sports were good for girls.

When the dads and I put together the 13u to 16u travel baseball team we weren’t looking to make money. The formula was what is the cost divided by the number of players. After 16u at age fifteen my son was recruited by 17u programs. The one he chose (I provided no input) turned out to be heavily subsidized. We never knew who. We believed it had something to do with the MLB franchise.

Being a former player I did all the instruction for my kids until they hit the age where my son tuned me out at fifteen. My daughter’s high school coach was also the travel organization’s roaming hitting instructor. I told my daughter not to assume I had all the answers.

Here’s the total list of private instruction for my kids …

Speed camp for daughter at fourteen. She had just grown eight inches in a year. She was running awkwardly.

One season of hitting and pitching lessons for my son at fifteen. I paid to have him taught what he had tuned out from me.

Training in running the sixty for my son. It took him from 6.7 to 6.5.

My son didn’t score as well as I believed he could on the SATs the first time. I paid for a tutor to help get him a very high score.

We spent a lot of time on fields doing individual practice.

Despite playing other sports in high school my kids lived and breathed softball/baseball during those years. They were always doing something strength or skills related. Between the sport in season, softball/baseball training and homework they didn’t have a lot of free time. They made some social sacrifices. It was their decision.

A few years ago I commented to my kids I often felt owned in high school and college with the time commitment of sports and academics. My kids agreed. And we all said given the choice we would do it all over again.

Good luck!

Add: Not looking too far ahead … My daughter verballed to a D1 softball program when she was fifteen. Being gung ho my 10yo son announced he was committing to Louisville. A couple of pitchers let him sit with them when they were charting and gunning pitches. I responded, “It’s great to have goals. But, how about making the middle school team first?”

Lots of great advice here.  I'll add one bit:

A hitter can get away with a flawed swing/approach until they face premium pitching...and it can be rare to face premium pitching as you move through travel and HS.  So I'd emphasize cage work against challenging velo.  If you can't adjust the machine move the plate up to make the speed faster.

My original post stems from all the noise out there and from often not knowing what direction to turn, so it’s helpful and reassuring to hear from those who have been through it.

I believe my son is in an ideal situation for his current stage of development. He's part of a travel club that prioritizes development. His weekly team schedule includes an indoor hitting and bullpen practice, two outdoor fielding practices, and two days of doubleheaders. Fielding has been his weaker area, hence the coach’s emphasis on having him attend an extra outdoor practice. Outside of the team schedule, he works on his own hitting, etc.

Physically, he's always been on the larger side, not entirely understanding how to use his body yet. He's had to put in significant effort to progress, not fitting the mold of a natural athlete. He's a bit clunky sometimes, especially with routine tasks, but he shows promise in more complex aspects of the game. He's demonstrated prowess in pitching and hitting.

During the fall, I stepped back and encouraged him to take ownership of his development. While I support him in every way, he understands that he must drive his progress. He's taken this responsibility seriously, incorporating independent running sessions and attending a weekly workout class, focusing on an introduction to weights and speed/agility.

Although he was initially on the A team in the fall, he was moved down to the B team to gain more playing time and experience in various positions, a decision made by the coach to better prepare him for high school-level play. He recently turned 13 and is in 7th grade. While this shift initially stung his ego, he's come to accept it, recognizing the value of the increased opportunities for development and the focus on individual improvement over playing in tournaments every weekend.

@K9 posted:

Lots of great advice here.  I'll add one bit:

A hitter can get away with a flawed swing/approach until they face premium pitching...and it can be rare to face premium pitching as you move through travel and HS.  So I'd emphasize cage work against challenging velo.  If you can't adjust the machine move the plate up to make the speed faster.

My son faced a lot of premiere pitching in a 17u scout league and in PG and other tournaments. A high school teammate’s father owned a baseball facility. They would crank Pro Batter up to 100 mph. Then they would program in twenty pitches of various velocity and break and select “random.” They wouldn’t know what was coming.

https://probatter.com/

So parent of 15U JV player here playing 15U/16U majors travel. We used to spend a ton on lessons and clinics when he was younger and I think it helped alot. However it got expensive so we cut back.

At 13U he joined a travel tournament team for the first time that played in PG events and regional tournaments. Four being out of state.( before that he did competitive league play and local tournaments).

In retrospect it was a waste of money. We didn't do well and we could have spent the money on training instead. I would have chosen an organization that focused on having multiple practices per week and did a mixture of competitive league play and regional tournaments. (My son is not a D1 prospect so if he plays in college it would likely be local D3 so there is no need to participate in national tournaments etc.

It's what we are doing now and my son had grown so much as a player. The culture is important too he is surrounded by kids that are just as serious and hard working as he is and a quite few are better then him. So it's forced him to dig deep to see what's he made of.

In the past we always tried to put our son on a team where he was in the middle skillset wise and then he would guest play on a lower level team for extra reps. He's always aimed high and  gotten closer to his goals so far than I expected. (He was one of the last cuts for varsity as a freshman this year)

My son is mostly a catcher so we did invest in some camps, workshop and lessons so he could learn the position and hone his skills. He also catches bull pens for older kids and hard throwing pitchers.

The one thing I think that is important is having a good hitting coach who can mentor your son a bit as well. I find they can be like therapists. My son really needs a seasoned perspective. He tunes me out alot at this point and tends to be very hard on himself.

It also seems as my son gotten older and is facing faster and more off speed pitching its good to have someone to work on this specifically.

A net, bounce back, tee or a cage (if you can afford it) are great.

As he enters hs he can start to use the weight room for free but maybe invest in a baseball specific trainer periodically so he learns correct form and the most beneficial exercises for him. Or perhaps a gym membership for you both would work. I love going to the gym with my son.

Good luck.

@theleica posted:

My original post stems from all the noise out there and from often not knowing what direction to turn, so it’s helpful and reassuring to hear from those who have been through it.

I believe my son is in an ideal situation for his current stage of development. He's part of a travel club that prioritizes development. His weekly team schedule includes an indoor hitting and bullpen practice, two outdoor fielding practices, and two days of doubleheaders. Fielding has been his weaker area, hence the coach’s emphasis on having him attend an extra outdoor practice. Outside of the team schedule, he works on his own hitting, etc.

Physically, he's always been on the larger side, not entirely understanding how to use his body yet. He's had to put in significant effort to progress, not fitting the mold of a natural athlete. He's a bit clunky sometimes, especially with routine tasks, but he shows promise in more complex aspects of the game. He's demonstrated prowess in pitching and hitting.

During the fall, I stepped back and encouraged him to take ownership of his development. While I support him in every way, he understands that he must drive his progress. He's taken this responsibility seriously, incorporating independent running sessions and attending a weekly workout class, focusing on an introduction to weights and speed/agility.

Although he was initially on the A team in the fall, he was moved down to the B team to gain more playing time and experience in various positions, a decision made by the coach to better prepare him for high school-level play. He recently turned 13 and is in 7th grade. While this shift initially stung his ego, he's come to accept it, recognizing the value of the increased opportunities for development and the focus on individual improvement over playing in tournaments every weekend.

I had the chance to speak with a prominent MLB pitcher this winter...both he and his brother were on the B team of their national travel org all through high school. Neither was ever asked to move up.

FYI

@Iowamom23 posted:

Find him the best coach you can. Not the flashiest, not the most expensive (or the cheapest). Someone with a good solid baseball knowledge who will teach your son to love the game and to play it to the best of his ability. hopefully that person also is a good person who will be a mentor to your son throughout his life and career, however long it lasts. Agree on the other tips from  @anotherparent & @fenwaysouth.

This....Plus it may not be one coach/person, but have a core group of people your son, and you can rely on. This doesn't end if/when your son commits, gets on campus. Having a small group you can rely is key.

@nycdad posted:

This....Plus it may not be one coach/person, but have a core group of people your son, and you can rely on. This doesn't end if/when your son commits, gets on campus. Having a small group you can rely is key.

Agree. My son was frustrated a month or so ago and we sent video to the pitching coach he had in hs. He identified the issue within 2-3 minutes and called him with some drills. He said it was an easy fix and he couldn’t believe no one saw it. He then showed up at the next game and met with him after to develop a plan. In other words, he cares. The coaches making the huge salaries hadn’t  told him anything. Having someone you trust and who knows you and your mechanics is huge.

@theleica posted:

How would you navigate the complexities of baseball in 2024? How would you develop a young player, particularly with limited resources? What investments would you prioritize to ensure the best possible development for your child?

@theleica posted:

Although he was initially on the A team in the fall, he was moved down to the B team to gain more playing time and experience in various positions, a decision made by the coach to better prepare him for high school-level play. He recently turned 13 and is in 7th grade. While this shift initially stung his ego, he's come to accept it, recognizing the value of the increased opportunities for development and the focus on individual improvement over playing in tournaments every weekend.

All this is just conjurer until he goes through puberty. Don't let anyone here fool you with tales of their kid. If you son doesn't display speed and agility on defense and the bases his path is pitching, unless he's extraordinary at the plate.

Of course this is all going beyond HS.

All of the above. I'd also add be "versatile." Our son is a HS senior, and there a couple of fine players on the team who have limited skills outside of their primary positions -- and they are not at the top of the depth chart at those positions, thus, limited opportunities.

Well before 13u, son and his teammates practiced and played various positions, and it helped them immensely when it came to high school tryouts. There are nine starting positions...and three are in the outfield...

Everyone learned and played outfield. Everyone. Of course, some were clearly better at the position than others, but they were all competent and knew the cutoff schemes.  Same went for the infield -- any of them could be inserted in any position and be expected to make the routine plays. This versatility helped each of them make their respective HS teams. Coaches are building a team and looking to fill positions -- those who can truly play more than one position are valuable. Some of our son's teammates played their secondary positions as starters.

I think a kid should learn solid fundamentals and develop athleticism by doing a variety of sports as a young kid.

I don't think a kid needs to do "high performance training" before they are like 13 or 14.

I'm not against "velocity training" (batspeed or throwing) but I think there is a time for it, I see some accounts posting terrible swings (like massive bat drag and so on) of 12 year Olds with "exit velo gains" because they where pushed at a young age. I believe in teaching solid movement quality first.

theleica:

Develop in 2024 same as in 1934.

Play the game "work up", one taped wood bat, 15 players [any age] players choose sides. no umpires, players [future lawyers] debate "safe or out". Improves the baseball learning skills.  NO PRESSURE!  Fun.

No cost for the franchise.

Bob

I would say every journey is different, but the primary goal is to have fun with no regrets.

My thoughts are from the HS class of ’14 and most are reiterations of what’s already been posted on this thread:

I’d say the goal for a 7^th grader should be making the HS squad and then working on being a starter. Although I’m not a big fan of looking beyond the current level. I think if parent and athlete focus on being their best possible versions at the current level, the rest takes care of itself. If your son has standout abilities (gifts) then opportunities will find him. If he ends up in the middle of the better players in HS, there’s some work to do his final two years if he’s looking to continue playing. So, stay in the moment and enjoy all of it you can, because it all goes by so fast…

Be objective, look at your own kid with the same critical perspective reserved for his competition. Ask for honest feedback from people that know the game and are not monetarily involved.  

Showcase only if there are attributes that differentiate him from the pack.

Have fun, because the sweet spot for us parents is when we’re still involved in the day to day – especially when they’re enjoying the journey and having success.

What JucoDad said.

Live in the moment.  Tomorrow is not promised to any of us.  Everyday is a blessing.  Don't ruin the blessing of today by worrying about tomorrow.  Trust what you see.  Encourage.  It matters little if the whole town is not talking about your kid when you know in your heart there is something special that no one else sees.  Stats mean little.  Loving to compete is a good thing.  Dirty uniforms are a good thing.  Notice the kids who play with dirty uniforms - they may not be considered the best players today, but their heart and determination may lead them to become the best tomorrow.  Heart and determination can be observed by dirt on the uniform.  It is an outward sign of passion and desire that is hidden from the world on the inside.   

The #1 thing you can do, especially with limited resources, is emphasize good grades!!!  Good grades and ACT scores can open doors

My son has a 66% academic scholarship at a D3

Looking back at 7th Grade.  Most of those kids that stood out back then were good athletes who were good at Baseball, but didn’t necessarily love the game.  A lot of those kids self selected out as high school went on.  

Foster a love of the game.  Make it about fun.  Put him in positions to have some success.  If he really loves the game, and you have limited resources, try to get him to play up when possible to play against older kids

The type of kid who is destined for success in college Baseball is the kid whose idea of fun is going out to field 100 ground balls.  If that’s your son, emphasize good grades.  If that’s NOT your son, then really emphasize good grades!

Lots of fantastic advice here. I cannot emphasize enough the kid must be the driver and his obsession with improving will determine his career path. The wonderful thing of having this obsession, you can leverage it for other important things i.e., good grades and behavior, developing time management so the kid can still have a bit of a life and learn to be independent (study, cook, clean, wash etc.). I may be a little sick in head but I absolutely loved getting the 2 minute calls from the kid while walking to the library and hearing how the difficulties managing his time for practice, homework, studying, crap food in the cafeteria etc. The complaints tell me he is managing.  The missus more than I listen carefully to make sure he is in a good mental state. For me all the hard work he put in and the environment we fostered during his middle school/HS prepared him for this.

Re: Walking to the library

My son called me one night while walking to the library. I was pleased he maintained his study habits away from home on his own. I asked him if he went to the library often. He responded, “Definitely! It’s where I can meet girls from all over the campus.”

The irony is he went 600 miles from home to end up with a girlfriend from the next county.

I forgot to mention this related to my above comments.  My wife bullied me for weeks to watch a recent baseball movie named "The Hill."  I got dragged kicking and screaming and finally watched it with her.  A tissue box later... It was one of the greatest movies and certainly baseball movie I have ever seen.  I've researched the movie, and unlike most Hollywood movies, it is very close to reality.  Unbelievable circumstances led a crippled child (with a huge heart) to the cusp of the highest levels of baseball.  My favorite baseball movie has always been the Natural but this one is equal if not better than that.   

#1.  find him a good strength and conditioning coach who will a) teach him proper technique and b) enjoyment and encouragement to make the gym something he enjoys.   You can probably find a good place that he can go to once a week to learn and then workout at home the rest of the time (3 days a week), body weight, some bands and a few dumbbells are basically all he'll need.  Remember at this point (13yo) building an enjoyment of the gym and doing the exercises correctly are the most important as he's not going to show size till after puberty.  But he can gain strength and control over his body.  somewhere that understands sports specific training is best.

Always amazed at how much a kid is looked at differently by coaches if he can move well because of strength (which leads to coordination) vs whether or not he can actually make the play.  He can suck but if he looks good doing it, my god what a talent.  So help your kid look and move athleticly to go along with his skill.

#2 Stay away from the internet for hitting - even with some good coaches it is really hard to follow them as not every swing type or techniques works for every pitch/location etc.  and they all seem to teach it as if it's the end all for everything.  Find a good hitting coach that grasp that #1 you learn to hit consistently before you try to mash the ball all over the place with exit velocity - the kids 13.  If the coach can't talk to you about 1. what having a plan is when you go to the plate, 2. the difference is between hitting the inside, outside and down the middle pitch.... run away.   You can save money by only seeing this guy every 2 to 3 weeks and work on what he teaches at home off a tee and go to batting cages, etc.

#3  Make it fun and don't stress out if he is not doing everything 100% accurately,  the best coach will always be himself and let him figure it out with MINIMAL guidance.  The reason for that is if he can correct himself, he will always be able to make adjustments,  if he just does what he's told and copies it by wrote, he'll be at a loss when he struggles.

#4  Buy books on defense from top pro/college coaches and introduce them to real local pro's who like to talk to kids about baseball, developing the 6th skill (Baseball IQ) can happen anytime.  One of those books can certainly be MLB rules.  Hey and if he gets better at reading it will only help his grades, the key factor in playing in college.

Honestly, I found with my two kids that I could have just taught them the bare minimum until 14yo and they would have been nearly at the same point they are today.  it all changes after puberty if they hit the gym, they catch up to all the kids that were phenoms at 11-12yo.  Also travel ball was a complete waste of time.  A lot of money to be saved toward development right there.

@ClevelandDad posted:

I forgot to mention this related to my above comments.  My wife bullied me for weeks to watch a recent baseball movie named "The Hill."  I got dragged kicking and screaming and finally watched it with her.  A tissue box later... It was one of the greatest movies and certainly baseball movie I have ever seen.  I've researched the movie, and unlike most Hollywood movies, it is very close to reality.  Unbelievable circumstances led a crippled child (with a huge heart) to the cusp of the highest levels of baseball.  My favorite baseball movie has always been the Natural but this one is equal if not better than that.   

I have also seen this movie and had a similar reaction. There was also a personal connection for me. In real life the scouting event that Hill attended was held by the Montreal Expos on the campus of Blinn College in Brenham, Texas. Back then many MLB teams held invitation only tryout/prospect camps. I attended that same event a few years earlier. And Red Murff (the scout that was a prominent character in the movie) scouted me, invited me to the event, and offered advice to me at the end of the camp. Of course I didn’t take his advice, as I should have, which is a big reason that I advise kids today - in hopes that they will make a better decision than I did.

Just a couple of more thoughts about this...

As my son entered hs this year things changed. The extra time he had for clinics and lessons became taken up by school ball and travel ball practices and strength and conditioning. That alone has him busy at least 6 days a week.

Because practices don't provide a ton of reps almost every day after practice my son will hit off the tee, do catching drills and grab us to throw bp. Pretty much after every game and practice he's back in cage working on things that he is not satisfied with. I think that alone has made the difference in his development.

The other thing is the mental component. My son set his goals pretty high (I thought) initially I wanted to protect him from disappointment by gently pointing him in a different less competitive direction. (My son like yours at 13/14 was moved from the A to the B team to become more versatile positionally despite performing very well at the plate and had been extremely disappointed at the time)

But after a wiser more experienced parent had a heart to heart with me. I realized my job is to be a cheerleader and keep things positive and always encourage. It's also our job to encourage balance as well other sports/hobbies and friends. (This is something we are still working on)

Two years later he's been starting on JV and is now on a very good 15U/16U travel team despite being average sized and needing to gain weight and strength. There been lots of ups and downs but he still loves the game and is having fun.