HS baseball in North Texas (Frisco Wakeland)

Welcome to the forum!  Wakeland is one of the top high school programs in DFW area. They advance deep in the playoffs most every year. 

Here's my input:

1. Very rarely does a freshman make the varsity team at this school. A few have but they were studs. Wakeland has a freshman team that plays a full tournament/district schedule.

2. The coach is highly regarded and I find it hard to believe he and his staff aren't devloping players. Results speak for themself.

3. ???

4. Most players at the bigger schools play year round. There are some guys who are football/baseball. Baseball/golf would be hard since the seasons are at the same time.

Freshmen don't get as much work on the field at any HS in Texas as Varsity but I can tell you my son played summer ball for coach Rose last summer and he is a great coach.  I only wish our school could have him instead of Wakeland.  As far as golf I know in some states golf is a fall sport but here it is the same time as baseball and would not be possible.  Summer ball is extremely important to continue to develop and compete.

My 2017 son is a year ahead of yours, and goes to a large school in N. Dallas.  Some thoughts based on conversations here and what we experienced:

There was a 7th period baseball conditioning class in the fall where they practiced and had games.  Multiple teams were formed (I heard 4). My son played football, so he did not participate in the baseball class. Not everyone made these fall "teams". I assume they were varisty/jv.  I think you pretty much had to be part of this program to make JV.

Tryouts in December/January.  We had 1 varsity, 1 JV, and 2 Freshman teams (freshmen/sophs go to two different feeder schools and each has a Freshman team).  Each of those had ~ 30 kids try out for Freshman, of which ~16 made the team.   I would say 1/3 were serious travel kids, 1/3 were travel/talented rec kids, and 1/3 were strictly rec level experience.

Freshman teams practiced every day and played ~ 20 games.  Due to the mix of player backgrounds, those practices didn't look as "intense" as a travel practice. I'm sure JV/Varsity was more intense as the competition continues to ratchet up.  It looks to me like 50%-75% of the kids fall away at each step (Freshman tryout, Fresh to JV transition JV to Varsity transition).  Some really good players are not going to make JV.

We had 2 Sophomores make Varsity. We had 0 Freshman make Varsity.  We  had ~ 4 Freshman on JV, who I think all went through fall program.

Since our Fresh/Sophs went to a different "feeder" school, they practice on their own field, had their own coach, and never saw/competed with the JV/Varsity players/coaches. 

No travel ball during Spring, you pick it up back up for Summer.  There was no pushing players to play travel by the coaches, but it's pretty obvious that you better be doing all you can to be in the 25% that will  continue playing into JV.

I realize this may be a little different than your schools situation, but wanted to communicate one person's recent experience/observation in case it helped.  If we had it to do over again, we would have definitely been in the fall class/program.

Not a Wakeland parent but still in Frisco.  My oldest just graduated playing 3 years on Varsity and still have a Soph playing.  I remember his Freshman year, I had all these same questions and how worried I was about it. In general you are correct but all programs are about the same.  Frisco schools only have 1 full time coach so fall ball is about strength training and evaluating kids.  Once football is over they'll have 2-3 more coaches to spread out across 80-100 kids.

For baseball kids the fall is basically your tryout period. They will have a formal "tryout" for the football kids in late fall and again when basketball is over but few really play both beyond there freshman year.  In early spring they'll make cuts for those that can't make it and then split the kid up to Fr/JV/V.  Then the fun begins in March.

1. Each coach has a diffenent style but in general they are focused on Varsity in the spring which means the JV/Fr teams are there to get better with the help from the Freshman football/basketball coach . 

2. Your son will be practicing baseball from Sept-May full time for 2 hours a day or more if your a baseball only kid. Which is a huge benefit to those who take it seriously. Which is one reason why 2 sport kids suffer and fall behind.

3.  This would be a true statment for the most part but starts in the Spring when all the focus is on Varsity.  JV/Fr kids can screw around or take it serious.  The coaches are always watching and making decision on what they see at practice.

4.  You should always play the highest level of summer ball you can and still get the most playing time possible.  Baseball is a hard sport to miss 3-4 months of practice/playing time and still improve each year.  Especially if the other 80 kids your competing against keep playing.

Don't be afraid to talk to some of the senior parents. Just understand you'll get mixed responses based on there kids playing time.  Four years will go by very fast so get involved with the booster club and be a supporting parent and not one of those parents.

LibertyBB, two hours per day in September, October, November, and December?  Are you at a private school?  I thought there were Texas UIL rules against practicing for more than a class period before the season starts. 

Your correct, no after school activities with the coaches involved. Frisco schools have baseball the last period which starts around 2:30 and school ends at 4:10. So they get in 1.5 hours of class time with most kids hanging around to hit or throw for another 30-45 minutes on there own if they have the time.  We had a close group of kids the last couple of years who really worked hard and put in extra time.  Like I said, it's up to the kids how serious they want to take it.

That's nice that you have 1.5 hours of class time, Liberty.  In the Houston 'burbs, we only get 45 minutes of class time per day.

We have a college style class schedule with A/B days.  Not sure when this started but I think it's related to HS students taking JC classes in there JR/SR years. 

My son played freshman baseball and he now tells me that he doesnt want to try out this year.  Last year was an eye opener.  Wakeland lost one of its baseball coaches due to pedophilia.  The team was coached by middle school gym teachers that did not know much about baseball.  The gym teachers where given a roster and told not to deviate.  Basically, my son rarely played.  The freshman practiced with the JV team and the practices where not productive.  The head coach was only concerned about the varsity team.  

Then let him try something else. Golf, band, etc there are many activities to be part of in a school.  baseball is extremely time consuming, if he doesn't love it he shouldn't play.  My sons coach was the worst coach and human being I ever met he was extremely verbally abusive and everything he new about baseball he learned in little league yet my son loved the game so he played.  He loved his teammates and has a lifelong band of brothers.  He overcame the coach and was drafted.  If they love it enough they play, if they don't then let him find something he loves.

Jonzub,

That situation was bad for sure but I don't think it impacted the Freshman team.  I hate to see a kid stop playing his Freshman year because Rose made a quick decision on playing time. Many of those Freshman kids played out of there normal positions.  Is your son in fall baseball or playing another sport?  I suspect Rose made his decision on playing time based on his evaluation in the fall.  If he loves baseball then stay with it, keep getting better and he'll get his chance to play.  You have to outwork the other 80+ kids in the program so like Throw'nBB said it's extremely time consuming but also very rewarding.

My oldest son is a Freshman in college playing ball, getting up at 5:30am to lift, 4 hour practices and can hardly walk he's so sore but is happy doing what he loves.