HS BASEBALL POLITICS

Most players don't get to college ball through high school ball. They get to college ball playing showcases with their 17U travel team or attending individual showcases.

Unfortunately, politics can be part of the game, from youth ball to the pros, and high school sports are notorius for this.  Fortunately, a talented player doesn't have to be held hostage by a high school program; in many regions of the country, the bulk of a player's college exposure can be through other avenues including showcases, high profile tournaments, and individual college camps.  When high school baseball becomes too political, you have to look at the opportunity as "spring training"--get your work in, take advantage of every opportunity you get, embrace whatever role you earn, support your teammates, and respect your coaches, opponents, officials, and the game itself.  At the same time, devise a development and exposure plan that is customized to your own unique student-athlete profile (your "Recruiting DNA" as I refer to it), get in front of college coaches, and play the game the way it was meant to be played.  As time unfolds, monitor your progress, read the "tea leafs" along the way, and remember that your college decision should be (IMHO) about the college experience and your future, not just college baseball.

There are many success stories of players who don't enjoy outstanding high school baseball careers for whatever reason (including politics) but work to ovecome the adversity and realize opportunity to play at the next level.  I remember a player I helped from the Northeast who I met at a Perfect Game showcase--it was clear to me that the player had at least one college tool (he could hit) but had never earned a spot on his high school varsity squad, and he was entering his senior year.  After helping him develop his own personal "plan of attack" to manage the balance of the recruiting process, the young man generated interest from not one but two Division II schools, and committed to a program several months later.  Guess what...despite securing a college baseball opportunity, the young man still didn't make the varsity team in his senior year either but had been recruited to play college baseball, wow!

If you have talent, then there is a college baseball opportunity for you...prepare, perform, persist.  Just remember--not every college exposure opportunity is created equal, so choose wisely! 

My two cents.....

Stay out of high school baseball politics.  Give your son the time, tools and resources to develop his game and academics.  Talent & grades will trump everything else.

As others have hinted, your son will most likely get his exposure through travel ball,  American Legion or other venues such as showcases.  Unless your kid is a phenom or projects to professional baseball, the MLB scouts will not be at his high school games.   You've got bigger fish to fry than worrying about high school politics.  Remember, only 5-6% of high school baseball players make it to the next level.   Focus your time and energy toward developing a college recruitment strategy for your son.

Good luck! 

PS...Use the HSBBWeb timeline as a guide for recruitment, and post specific questions about your journey or strategy on this site.  You've got a tremendous resource with the people that post here....use it.  http://www.hsbaseballweb.com/recruit_timeline.htm

What WallyL said.  His advice is as good as it gets here at the hsbbweb.

I know a kid who spent a lot of time on the bench in high school. Very talented but tended to be too nonchalant at times and botched some easy plays. Drove his coach crazy and sat the bench as much as he played

He went to a DII camp and impressed them. Although he was already accepted as a student at the school, he is now going to sign for baseball.

fred2945,

Unless you attend all practices and get to see and hear how he interacts not just in games, you really don’t know why he gets the opportunities he does, and for sure you can’t possibly know he’s the “best player” on the team. In fact, if he isn’t getting as many opportunities to play as other players, he’s definitely not being seen as the best player on the team.

Just because a player has great skills, it doesn’t mean he’s earned a chance to play. It takes more than just baseball skills to earn PT. If its really bothering you, you need to get more input.

My best advice, High school ball you can't do much but hurt your son's chances of playing by getting involved. Sit back, relax, breath.. no matter how hard it is and try to enjoy the 4 years they have there. Time is short and before you blink they will be gone. I would suggest finding a good summer team that gets him in front of scouts and when you write the check, you have more control with summer teams. If you don't like the team or coach, move to a different summer team.

But remember, time is short, they will be done sooner than we want..

Teach your son to concentrate on what he can control and don't waste time thinking about what he can't control.. With that in mind, focus on gettting bigger, stronger, quicker, faster, becoming a better hitter, fielder, thrower.  Become the best he can be and always have a positive attitude.  Focus on working hard and being the best teammate he can be.  If he does this and some more it will work out for him.  Of course, do the other stuff to get noticed like playing on a good travel team and attending certain college camps and showcases.  If he does all of the above and performs at a high level no amount of "politics" will keep him off of somebody's field.  Best of luck and don't  sweat the small stuff because before you know it high school will be over and when he gets into college he will have to prove himself all over again with some or all of the same issues, except that the college coach is paid to win and know amount of your worrying or concerns will mean a hill of beans to him.  Just my two cents.

In my experience; A high school coach who bends to politics, won't be a HS coach for very long.  You've already received some great suggestions

Stay out of high school baseball politics.  Give your son the time, tools and resources to develop his game and academics.  Talent & grades will trump everything else.

 

 Teach your son to concentrate on what he can control and don't waste time thinking about what he can't control..

Colleges are maximizing their recruiting time at showcases and regional or national tournaments for travel teams, so that is probably more important than HS games, but a college also looks for good team players.

In So Cal, there is a league that replaces High School teams, probably for this very reason. 

That all said I've seen more than one set of parents move their to kids to another HS, contribute more to the boosters, schmooze the coach and other parents, to try to get their son playing  time.  (or to play at the position they want).    Few were successful, some were.

1.  How good are your son's grades?

2.  Does your son have a good attitude during practice?  If you say yes how do you know this?

3.  What grade is your son in?

4.  What was the record this past season?

5.  How far in the playoffs did the team go this past season and past few seasons?

6.  How many players has this high school program sent to the next level in past few years?

Thanks

Thanks for all the Great advice, Coach2709 to answer your questions:

1) finshed 9th grade with a 4.5 grade piont average

2) our team went 11-4, we do not have a post season for B team

3) He pitched 9 innings went 1-1 with 2 saves,  He also caught 8 innings.

4) our School sends 3 or 4 players the next level.

Thank you for the answers fred2945 and to be honest most people tend to disappear after their first post.  To be honest the politic threads tend to get somewhat heated on occasion and I'll be the first to admit that I jump towards the person posting is making excuses / unrealistic and things like that because I've been on the receiving end of that accusation.  I tend to defend fellow coaches because I've been in their shoes but I will readily admit this does happen.  When it does happen it's a huge black eye to our profession because that one person somehow seems to pigeonhole all of us into that same corner in most people's eyes when it's not true.

All that being said I want you to understand that my next part is not an attack on you.  It's just some good advice that I've seen come true over the years.

Your son just finished his freshman year and is not on varsity yet.  Relax and be patient because his time will come if he has the talent.  Those are good stats and he should be proud of them but it also doesn't mean anything in he grand scheme of things.  In fact most stats don't mean much because the person looking at the stats probably has no clue as to how good the competition is.  For example - player A hits .430 with 9 HR and player B hits .299 with 3 HR - who is the better hitter?  On the surface it looks like player A but when you break down the stats and player A crushes weak pitching but struggles against good pitching - is he really that good?  Player B on the other hand could have had two bad weeks which in high school would be around 13 - 18 at bats where he faced really good pitching and squared up most of what he saw but hit it at the defense - would you rather have the guy who can square up good pitchers or the guy who struggles against good pitchers?

I have no idea how good the competition your son faces in high school or travel ball - only you can figure that out but this is when you need to be honest with yourself (and your son).  He needs to play against the best he can find that he can compete against because this is what will make him better.  Maybe the high school B team (is that JV or freshman ball) isn't very good and he's facing good players on weekends then he will be fine.  But if he's not facing good players on the weekend then that is the part you can control more than the high school team.  If he can face better competition then it will help him with high school.

If your school sends 3 or 4 guys to the next level then that should be a good sign to let things play out on the coaches decisions.  They've been there and had success - trust they know what they are doing.  But in case they don't have a clue this is where the good travel stuff will help.  Don't put all your eggs in one basket - don't rely only on high school but also don't rely only on travel cause you never know who is watching at any time.  Have your son go out and compete at everything he does and if he has it and he's playing on good teams, playing in the high profile travel tournaments, going to showcases and attending the camps of colleges he has on a list of schools he wants to attend then it will happen if he has the talent.

But don't ever let him slack on the grades.  Chances are if he does go to college he will get more academic money than baseball money.  Plus it makes him more attractive to a coach.  If a coach knows he can get a good player who is going to get academic money then he knows he can go out and get another player with baseball money.  Don't get caught up in the ego of "baseball scholarship" - the name of the game is to get there and through as cheaply as you can.

Good luck

HS Basbeall Politics.....get used to it and accept / ignore it.  Your not going to change it so don't let it get to you.

Get seen by Showcases / travel ball.  

Overheard some parents yesterday talking. The parents were saying that their high school team had a volunteer assistant coach who was a dad of one of the players. They said the kid moved from 1st to DH to one other position depending on who was pitching. Said he batted .029 with one hit all year long, but stayed in the lineup every game.

That sounds pretty bad, but it just goes to show that there are politics everywhere.

It happens at all levels.  It is frustrating when it happens in school sports because we are always told the "best" will play.  It happened to my kid in middle school.  As a parent there is nothing more frustrating to watch.  They only real thing you can do is tell your kid to work hard and "leave no doubt."  The nice thing about baseball is the multiple seasons - spring, summer and fall - which can be with different teams/coaches.  

I am an old school guy. You play your best players. As a coach if you are influenced by outside forces then find something else to do.