A recent thread on this forum and my own observations of my son's team got me thinking.
Are there any exceptional HS baseball players that were NOT parent coached or trained while the player was in his youth? (Assume the most significant parent involvement was between ages 8 and 16.)
I think baseball is a very technical sport and that it takes much practice and experience to get good at. I figure if the players are not specializing at a young age, they run the risk of getting behind.
Football can also be a very technical sport, but I've seen numerous examples where a kid with great natural talent can walk on the football field for the first time and have great success. I had kids on my HS football team that had no father presence and no experience, yet their speed and quickness lead them to great success.
But, in baseball? Does it happen frequently? I know there are exceptions, but I'm really wondering about the typical HS baseball team and the star players on that team. Can you link those star players back to a parent that spent time with the child teaching him the game, while they were in their youth? Or are the star players just gifted athletes that learn it merely from playing it each Spring?
Original Post