I didn't make the team

They are good ideas, I'd play rec ball. You won't get better at baseball if you don't play. Besides its fun!

Another question: Should I play in the 13/14 age group where I can for sure play allstars or should I play up in the 15-18 age group where I'm not sure if I'll play allstars or not?

I would suggest playing the highest level you can but make sure it's a level in which you can actually play most of the time. Wouldn't play up unless I could get on the field alot. There's no substitute for playing the game.

quote:

Another question: Should I play in the 13/14 age group where I can for sure play allstars or should I play up in the 15-18 age group where I'm not sure if I'll play allstars or not?

Do you have the option for both age groups? If so, I can tell you that whenever possible, my son always tried to play "up"....he always felt (and we agreed) that to be challenged is better. His skills always improved when doing so. Good luck, and keep plugging away!

edit:

"Wouldn't play up unless I could get on the field alot."

Must have posted at the same time...

15/18 during the HS season??
Do they have that in rec league?

I'd play the 13/14, And move up if possible in the summer.
EH

Ask the coach where you need to improve your game. Then thank him, look him right in the eye and tell him you will be back next year. Support the team. Show the coach you want to be a part of it.

If you think you have the talent and the drive, then stick with it. Many players get cut that first time, then improve themselves to where they make JV as a soph. and varsity thereafter. The fact that you are eligible for 14u play as a freshman means you are younger than most of your competition in your class year. That may also mean you have more room yet to develop than they do, so you don't have to hang it up just yet.

The advice above is very sound. #1, be positive in all you say and do, because word gets around. Think about how you want the coaches to be thinking of you -- as a sour grapes whiner, or as someone who redoubled his efforts?

# 2, work on your skills. Play for the best team you can get on that will give you decent playing time. Don't limit yourself to rec ball. These days there are travel teams in abundance. Shop carefully before choosing the one that fits you best. But don't limit yourself to playing; work on skill drills, practice with partners and by yourself when able, etc. Basically you've been told "you're not there yet", so you have some catching up to do. You have to overcome the obstacle of not being on the frosh team to do that catching up.

Included on that, I do think you should play 15u, because that's where your competition is. You may be young for your grade, but that will never change, so you have to rise up to your competition.

# 3, make sure you're in the best shape you can be. Run, and hit the weights. Talk to a knowledgeable trainer about baseball-specific workouts, and about what your specific weaknesses are and how to address them.

Also, if you struggle in a particular area (pitching form, hitting, fielding), you might want to consider some private instruction.

Happened to my kid, went out and dominated in summer ball, made the h.s team junior year and will be playing in college next year. You gotta have the drive though and try to be able to play multiple positions.

Wow, great advice everyone. That's what I love about this site.

Keep your head up, kid. Play, play, and play. Don't give up.

ro1249,

All great advice so far, but here is one more idea.

Is there another sport you can participate in at school this spring, like track or cross country or tennis, in addition to playing rec baseball?

A kid my son played with from 6 years old through 15 or so got cut after Freshman year. He worked VERY hard to prepare for the season but got cut. He fully intended to try again the next year, but turned around and tried tennis for the first time.

He turned out to be a natural at tennis and he excelled for the rest of his high school years in that.

I see this kid a lot at the club where I work out; he's in second year at our local community college. He says he will always love baseball, but he is thrilled he discovered his tennis abilities and he's happy now, doing that year round and playing rec softball.

Not the route for everyone, and I don't think you should give up on baseball, but just another perspective...

Rec ball is a start, but you need to do more. Most rec ball programs just don't play enough games. Try and find a league or team that is going to play 50-60 games. If you have to, play in two leagues so you can get playing time. I don't like the idea of a 9th grader playing 14U ball. No one cares if you are a 14 U allstar. They care if you are competitive with 15-18 year olds who are going to be fighting for slots on the varsity team.

Does your high school sponsor a summer team? If so, get on it. How about an American Legion team?

You have a chance, but don't kid yourself. The climb is going to be hard. You need professional instruction, and you need to dedicate yourself to becoming great. Do a search on "Coach May" and whatever he says a young ballplayer should do, do it!

Floss daily...a Coach May maxim!

Hang in there and keep trying. The last few cuts for freshman are almost impossible to get right for any coach. Kids change way too much during that time period. As long as your coach is one who is willing let his mind be changed by performance you'll be OK if you work hard and improve.

Here's some slightly different advice, which is appropriate for where I live, and is probably good for Georgia too.

Try to get on a 14U travel team.

Others here have suggested that you "play up", but there is almost no activity among 15U and older travel teams during the high school season. You've only got a year to get better before the next HS tryouts, and trying to find a place on an older team will waste 1/4 of the available time.

Since you didn't make the high school freshman team, it seems likely that there are nearby 14U teams which play in tournaments which will stretch your present ability. The bonus is that the 14U teams are playing and practicing now. Playing with an older team only makes sense if you must play rec ball, but I don't recommend rec ball to anyone who is trying to significantly improve their game.

Always play up...always play for more than one team for as long as you can...especially if you are a pitcher.

The only way you will get better at baseball is to play a lot of it as much as you can for as high and tough of the competition as you can face.

This strategy is to assure yourself that you are applying yourself as much as possible to improve your skills as fast as you can...why? because from 9th grade on you have very little time now to try to catch up with the guys who have been doing exactly what I'm explaining.

Good luck.

If you love the game, never quit.

Wanna hear an awesome story?

A kid (junior this year) went out for JV three times (8th, 9th, & 10th grades), got cut all 3 times.

I saw him last week at tryouts again and thought to myself, "oh no, the poor kid just doesn't know when to quit"...and I'll be a son of a gun if he didn't make the varsity this year! Talk about determination!

Do you guys know of any 15U or 16U travel teams in Georgia that play in the spring and are looking for players? I have heard that the Georgia Eagles are good. Do you guys know when their tryouts are?

Sorry to hear you did not make the team!

One question is how old are you, I always believe in playing the highest level you can but why play 16U and get totally dominated, if you are only 14?

Play at the highest level you can be successful at!

I am 14, turning 15 in July.

Hey man, im sorry about not making it. I would play 13/14 if I was you because of the more playing time.

I would stay with your age group, find the strong team, but make sure that they will be a team that likes to practice and develop players vs just ones that play weak games or go to tournaments and get beat.

Good Luck!

Do you guys know of any competitive 14U or 15U travel teams in Georgia?

Ro1249,

There are a lot of top travel teams in Georgia. Sounds like you really love the game, so play as much and as often as possible.

Most the players that “play up” in Georgia are very talented. Looking at this realistically, it’s possible that your present talent level may not be at the stage of “playing up” quite yet. If that’s the case… it is not a problem… find the level you can play at and play.

Sorry if that sounds like a low blow (not meant to be), but we have no way of knowing your present talent level. I do think everyone here agrees that you get better by playing.

IMO, that should happen at the level you belong. If you have the ability to compete against the very best 16 year olds, that is where you should be. If you don’t have that ability yet, play in your own age group.

Playing up is always talked about. Why don’t we give kids who can’t compete at their age level an opportunity to “play down”? Either way, playing is the most important thing. It’s hard to work on your game and improve if you’re not playing.

One last thing… To me the most important thing is to enjoy the game. I wish they would never cut players! Especially young kids who love the game more than (probably) half the kids they keep. One day, I’d love to hear about you making the varsity!
Good luck

BTW, Here are some travel type teams from Georgia
16 U
Rockdale Rhinos Stockbridge
East Cobb Titans 16's Marietta
Team Georgia Marietta
TNL Travelers Macon
Stars Baseball Harlem
East Cobb Orioles Roswell
East Cobb Braves 16's Marietta
RBI Baseball Atlanta
East Cobb Patriots Atlanta
5-Tool Nationals 09 Evans
Georgia Roadrunners Alpharetta
STAF Yankees Kennesaw
East Cobb Yankees Kennesaw
East Cobb Panthers Calhoun
Homeplate Chili Dogs Peachtree City
OTC Bearcats McDonough
Big Stix Baseball 09 McDonough
Sandy Plains Trojans Marietta
Georgia STAF Woodstock
East Cobb Bandits Alpharetta
Metro Hurricanes Atlanta
East Cobb Dodgers Woodstock
Homeplate Angels LaGrange
Dugout Club 15U Peachtree City
East Cobb Astros 15u White
Dugout Club Strikers Fayetteville
15U Sandy Plains Wildcats Marietta
East Cobb Rebels Roswell
East Cobb Cougars Kennesaw
East Cobb Titans 16's Marietta
Rockdale Rhinos Stockbridge
Georgia Roadrunners Alpharetta
Home Plate Chilidogs Peachtree City
East Cobb Panthers Calhoun
Savannah Chain Savannah
TNL Travelers Macon
STAF Yankees Kennesaw

15 U
East Cobb Cougars Kennesaw
East Cobb Padres Calhoun
East Cobb Patriots Atlanta
East Cobb Rangers Canton
East Cobb Longhorns 15u Marietta
East Cobb Longhorns 14U Marietta
Georgia STAF Woodstock
Chain Baseball Rincon
East Cobb Rebels Roswell
East Cobb Redhawks Marietta
OTC Bearcats McDonough
East Cobb Astros 14u Atlanta
Sandy Plains Wildcats Marietta
East Cobb Dodgers Woodstock
East Cobb Astros 15u White
Dugout Club 15U Peachtree City

14 U
East Cobb Astros 13U Marietta
East Cobb Cardinals Acworth
East Cobb Braves 14u Rome
East Cobb Astros 14u Atlanta

I'm sure there are lots of others

Sta7y with it, ro1249, and don't you ever give up on a dream! The game needs earnest and dedicated kids like you. You'll make it.

Stay with it. I didn't make my varsity team way back in the day as a Sophomore, a lot of my friends did. As they loaded up the bus for their "varsity" spring trip I was talking to a few of my friends before they got on. A few weeks later the coach told me he saw me at the bus and saw the look in my eye and that he'd make a spot for me. By the end of the season I was starting at 1B. Sometimes it's the littlest of things.

I agree that playing some sort of travel team / rec ball is best because you need to play but try this idea on. Ask the coach if you could keep stats for the team and be able to practice with the team in return.

This way you can help the team out, show the coach you are a good kid, love the game, get along with the other guys and most importantly work on your skills. It will stink doing all that work and not getting to play this year but maybe by the end of the season things could change.

You really need to be commended for your take charge attitude. Most kids would hear this rejection and quit. They would shift the blame somewhere else. You are wanting to make yourself better and willing to do the work for it.

Keep this attitude up for every aspect of your life and you will go far. Everyone faces failure but how you handle that failure determines your level of success.

Best of luck and keep us posted.

I am sorry that you did not make the team. But do not give up and try to call your area select teams near your area for tryout. Here is the website may help you to find a team.

http://www.baseball-links.com/links/Youth_Baseball/Georgia/

Good luck!

Daddyboy

You are asking this question on HSBBW and that, by itself, shows that you have a desire to play this game.

Start by looking at your 5 baseball tools. Arm strength, defense, speed, hit for average, hit for power. Which tools are your strengths? Your weaknesses. IMHO make your arm your #1 tool. Long-toss daily--and I mean year-round--and focus on arm strength and athleticism. Get on a good, consistent workout program. Become an athlete. If you are a position player, hit the cage on a routine basis.

Next, I would contact the coach, and tell him that you respect his decision but you really want to play this game. Can you be the team manager? Be around the team, and doors may open.

Meanwhile, like others have said, play as many Summer and Fall games as possible against the best competition. Get some one-on-one training from a former pro or college player, if possible.

Bottom line is, if you work three times harder than anyone else this Summer and offseason, I believe the coach will change his mind next year. You are far too young to give up on your dream. Go for it!

Work your butt off and make that team next year. Don't give up.