Just Play The Game

AMEN!!! Play Ball!!!

ITS



Well said !!!

Okay, so if I agree with you, then I just sit back, let my son play on his HS team and do nothing else?
If I agree with you, I don't buy him the Stealth Comp? And if I agree with you, I do not bother reading this website and try to become better educated?

quote:

I dont know about all the other folks out there - but this non stop flow of ranking/rating nonsense is rapidly getting very old.

How about just playing your *** off and enjoying the experience? ......

You got 12 year olds being ranked and you got about 3000 "showcases" - each with their own All American teams every year.

I absolutely agree. For pre-HS all this ranking stuff is nonesense, just find a level of competition that is suitable for the individual player and go play.

quote:

Okay, so if I agree with you, then I just sit back, let my son play on his HS team and do nothing else?
If I agree with you, I don't buy him the Stealth Comp? And if I agree with you, I do not bother reading this website and try to become better educated?

I think there's a difference between gettting caught up in all the hype that abounds and helping our son's to improve. (The question of the latest greatest bat is another thing, if I could have my way our kids would be playing with wood bats.) I think a lot of it comes from our own desire to up our self esteem/percieved status through the accomplishments of our kids.

quote:

and the rags like Baseball America.

Ouch! I LOVE Baseball America.

I think it all comes down to balance. My son, for the most part, cares only about playing the game. But he also greatly desires to play at the college level, and frankly, it would be delusional to ignore the resources out there that can help him achieve his goals.

This is a great topic, and it has been brought-up many times before.

The mistake everyone makes is based on one thing, getting their son into a D1 program with a full ride scholarship!! Ain't gonna happen, but they continue to think that their son is going to be the one. We all have, at one time or another felt that there was the possiblity that our sons were/are D1 players, and many have been. But, a small percentage.

You can make a D1 roster, great! Are you going to play? Does your son have the mental toughness to be able to undersatnd what is required of him to be on that team? Waiting for his opportunity, "turn," to play? What about his academics, social surroundings, is that going to interfere with baseball? It can, it has!!!

Lets talk scholarships. Do you really think that he is "qualified" to get all of the money you he deserves? The 11.7 scholarships says he doesn't. So now what?

You should go to several showcases, maybe in different parts of the country where your son might have interest in going to school. Isn't the idea of going to college, and playing baseball, to get an education at a school where he can play?????

We all want what is best for our kids, but lets be parents first and try to have them understand that they need to be happy, going to college, playing baseball. Lets not frustrate them by building their hopes to where they stop playing the game they love, and maybe even from getting an education. This is supposed to be a growing, learning time in their lives where they become who they will be, meeting and making relationships that could last them a life time.

Give them the opportunities and let them decide which path(s) to choose. Guide, don't lead!!!

quote:

How about just playing your *** off and enjoying the experience?

This has always been my philosophy. First, let me say that it doesn't bother me at all if people want to invest in whatever they want to invest in. Free country allows that. I can only control the choices I make.

The showcase industry was not well known or talked about in our parts. We got letters in the mail for several of them but I assumed these were scams. I feel differently about them now and see the value they can provide to legitimate players. Money cannot make one legitimate but may help those who need to improve.

My feeling about ball players has always been they need to play. Find a competitive team that plays competive tournaments in the summer and pay no more mind to it. I never worried whether my son was on THE most elite team. There were always people trying to get us to switch to some other perceived better situation. I did not stew over those kind of things. There were long term relationships developed and they were cherished. When the kids got to the high school level, there were a core of them that had played together for years and it showed by how they played as a team.

All I have now is memories from my son's youth. Many of them involve the game but also the relationships that were developed along the way. The peripheral stuff we often worry about are just that and detract from years of enjoyment that we otherwise might have. There is a time for everything. Joe Morgan once said that Sparky Anderson's favorite expression with the Big Red Machine was to "Play the Game" and it seems like the right expression to me as well.

The balance returns sometime during the fall of the freshman year, and/or February and March of the following spring.

It is possible to play your *** off, enjoy the experience and plan for life after high school, at the same time. If you are not planning ahead, you are falling behind, imvho. I do agree that the achievements and enjoyment of your high school baseball experience, can be comprimised by distractions as it draws to a close. Parents should do what they can to maintain perspective.

I doubt the toothpaste is going back in the tube though. In this age of satellite TV and wireless internet, in your vehicle no less, the relatively small baseball world is getting smaller by the day.

Live in Chicago and want to find a warm weather, NAIA aeronautical college program, with a baseball team? Get on the 'net. Email the coach your Skillshow profile with a password.

Our problem has been finding a good competitive team. Thats been the whole frenzy part of it for us. Once we found a team, its alot less crazy.

Tid bit:
Was at the batting cages the other night with my son " for fun " and amongst my son were a handfull of 8-9 year old boys waiting in line with him to get into the cage. One of the dads ( who also had a highschooler with him there ) looked at me and we both just laughed. We were admiring the younger boys who had this contagious innocense about them. It was all about " just hitting the ball " and being with their buddies. They were watching our sons, the " big boys " with such admiration. Our boys were serious and analytical of each other, trying to hit each ball with the perfect swing and intensity.

The other highschooler dad looks over at me and says, referring to the younger boys " Those were the days eh? When all ya cared about was connecting the ball with the bat! No pressure or underlining reason to be here other than plain ol' fun! Now its all about making everything perfect, being on 100% of the time, and getting a college to notice. Geeesh,..those were the good ol' days!!"

I sat there and listened to his words.
Another dad came up to me and asked how long we've been " back at it "? He was stressin that this year he and his son hadnt started as early as they had last year. Stress, stress, stress.

The parents were questioning each other as to who got here first? Who's been training the longest? Who had what bat, etc. My heart started to palpatate faster than the norm.

Made a committment to myself and to my son while driving home.
Going to make a concious effort to take in every moment, both the good and the bad,..and just simply relax, win or looose, new bat or no new bat, & am simply going to enjoy....this baseball season. Were going to do what fits for us and arent going to jump in the firey rat race of who got there first with what.
Zen,...zen,.....peace, and fun!!!

LETS PLAY BALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think it means:

Take everything with a grain of salt and a dose of reality. Don't assume your kid should attend every showcase in the country. Don't assume a $400 bat will get him into the pros, or improve his average substantially. Set up a reasonable plan of attack that fits your family budget, your kid's talents and dreams, and go from there. Just because there are 1000s of showcases and camps available doesn't mean you have to do every one of them, or any of them. Do what is best for your kid and your family, and don't worry about what everyone else is doing or hyping. Be a good/informed consumer.

Quillgirl,..I like your style!

My kid had a practice the other day in St. Louis. Before we entered the fielding area, young lady fielding ground balls. Dad hitting shots at her. Afterwards, passed her and asked her if she was having fun. Her response, "Yeah if you like getting beaten up by those balls." Asked her if she wanted to come out and field with our team. She started laughing with the other girls. Dad took her away. Play the game and enjoy it. HAVE FUN. That cream, it will rise to the top. As a parent, how much time are we going to spend thinking about what we want our child to be while not enjoying the child we have in front of us?

I did want to mention that she plays on a team that is a school/conference rival. That probably has a lot to do with her dad not wanting her to practice with us as well.

quote:

Originally posted by CoachB25:
how much time are we going to spend thinking about what we want our child to be while not enjoying the child we have in front of us?

CoachB - IMO - beautifully said.

quote:

Originally posted by CoachB25:
My kid had a practice the other day in St. Louis. Before we entered the fielding area, young lady fielding ground balls. Dad hitting shots at her. Afterwards, passed her and asked her if she was having fun. Her response, "Yeah if you like getting beaten up by those balls." Asked her if she wanted to come out and field with our team. She started laughing with the other girls. Dad took her away. Play the game and enjoy it. HAVE FUN. That cream, it will rise to the top. As a parent, how much time are we going to spend thinking about what we want our child to be while not enjoying the child we have in front of us?

First off Happy MLK day. The man had had a great message for every race and his thought were way ahead of his time.

Good thread ITS. As SSmom said

quote:

Going to make a concious effort to take in every moment, both the good and the bad,..and just simply relax, win or looose....

I remember those days of playing catch, cages, games, "talkin ball", and everything else that came with the territory, I miss them and thought that it may be behind me. That was until a few weeks ago. The son was back and he and a few college players were working a 1 day camp. I asked what they were doing and he said the basic camp stuff and then he was doing a 2 hour classroom section, now I was interested. I dropped in and Ryan had 20 10-13 year olds talking about focus, preparation, school, conditioning, teamwork, attitude, and passion. He was calling these kids to carpet and it was probably the most interactive discussion I had ever seen. There were some parents there and others were coming in and he got them in the discussions and the 2 hour talk went almost 4 hours non-stop, and no one left.

The evolution of "enjoying the ride" has gone to the next level.

Itsinthegame,
I agree with you in a sense but at the same time why should we care? Let parents play their game too. Yes I agree some act like fools and try to buy success for their sons but who do you fault for that? This is America and we’re just watching free enterprise and parental blindness meet. If parents want to spend it, we Americans will find a way to get it. Let's not include players in this because players are different. They are NOT guilty of what is being discussed here. Real players only care about playing the game. To my knowledge my son has never looked at the internet to see if he was ranked. He never came to me and asked me to send him to a showcase. He never came to me and asked for a glove or a bat. Players could care less about all this ranking and validation. However idiotic all this is, I am also a firm believer in parental support and if done properly, that support takes time and money. If left up entirely to my son I think he would have been perfectly happy playing rec ball with a team bat and a $50.00 glove. I doubt that he would have gone out for the high school baseball team. I think it took parental involvement (and other adults too) to guide and mold him to make him a D-1 player and on into professional baseball. I have to give a lot of credit to the older generation of posters on the hsbbw because they gave me much needed advice. Credit goes to coaches Tim Dulin, Joe Platt, and Charlie Lea because they were influential in his development. I agree players should play their butt off but it takes a parent and others to make sure they do it right and in the right setting.

My take on rankings ---- They are not much more than a progress reports and should be taken with a grain of salt. Just last week and article came out on my son and where he was ranked by scout.com and for $79.95 I can read the rest of the story. I didn’t spend the money because my scrapbooks are full and the $79.95 will have no bearing on how his future unfolds.
Fungo

Thank you all for putting some much-need perspective on the upcoming high school baseball season. I'm going to print all the comments and read them frequently to remind myself to enjoy all these fun moments and not get so caught up in all the "garbage". Life goes so fast with teens, I want to enjoy it all before the empty-nest syndrome starts. Thanks and keep posting!

Fungo....

Well said!

A St. Louis poster wanted to know where the incident I mentioned happened. As some of you might know, we have a new place opening on this side of the river. It is being called "To Be the Best." It isn't open but is taking teams and opening cages on a limited bases prior to its grand opening. I take my girl there for fielding, pitching and hitting when we can't get our gym. It's going to be very nice but doesn't have the floor space for fielding that some places in St. Louis have.

Fungo,

I do agree - parents can do whatever they want. I was passing along my observations - not trying to dictate anything.

As for the players - I disagree with you.

I spend alot of time on baseball fields with kids that are younger than yours. I see exactly what I posted previously in many many cases.

And it isnt something I saw alot of in the past.

The focus - at least with the 15-17 year olds - seems to be less on the game itself - and more on the other junk I mentioned.

It is an observation - and my own advice (which I know isnt worth very much) to all the young kids out there.

Work hard - play hard - and enjoy the game.

Focus on what really matters - as opposed to what could be - what might be - or what should have been. It all goes by way too fast anyway.

That is the primary point of the rather long winded post I put up earlier.

CoachB25:

Are you going to offer food, snacks, or beverages? Does anyone have the chili concession yet?

Much success on your venture Coach.

quote:

Originally posted by Fungo:
My take on rankings ---- They are not much more than a progress reports and should be taken with a grain of salt. Just last week and article came out on my son and where he was ranked by scout.com and for $79.95 I can read the rest of the story. I didn’t spend the money because my scrapbooks are full and the $79.95 will have no bearing on how his future unfolds.
Fungo

Fungo,
I really get that. My son is a RHP senior that just popped up on the scouting radar last fall. Because of this, he's nowhere to be found in any of the rankings, in spite of the fact that he currently has D1 offers on the table. In Illinois we have a magazine that for $75 a year, you can see all the rankings of the players and some features (my intent here is not to knock the magazine, I have never read a copy).

My point is, if my son were ranked, I honestly might be tempted to pony up the $75. Because he's not though, I have no interest.

I guess my point is how subjective things become, at least for me, based on the circumstances.

I have however, realized at this point, that I have done all I can for my son regarding this high school season (where his team will be quite good)and college baseball and therefore have resigned myself to the position of supportive spectator and fan...Time to enjoy

So good it's worth repeating again, even though someone else already highlighted it:

"As a parent, how much time are we going to spend thinking about what we want our child to be while not enjoying the child we have in front of us?"

Parents of pre-high school and high school players, and even those in college ... stop and smell the roses, feel the sunshine on your face, cheer the good plays, enjoy the game, win or lose. The ride will be more fun for everyone.


Julie

quote:

Originally posted by gotwood4sale:
CoachB25:

Are you going to offer food, snacks, or beverages? Does anyone have the chili concession yet?

Much success on your venture Coach.

Gotwood4sale, I haven't agreed as of yet to be a partner. I go there after I take my girl to St. Louis. In doing so, I compare the two facilities as well as to let my daughter throw. I don't think anyone has the chili concessions as of yet but I know I can whip up a mean bowl off the cuff if need be. LOL! I do think that they are going to have the ability to sell all beverages and have a great room that would be conducive to allowing parents to watch TV and unwind while their kids play.

ON this topic, my girl fell tonight in the shower and hit her head. It really scared both of us. She has a knot about the size of Texas. She wanted to lay down and so, we looked at a picture album. I'm going to scan a picture from that album and post it. It really did bring this topic home! bTW, that's what you get when you do your pitching motion in the shower!

CoachB,
Sorry to hear about your daughter. Hope she is OK and it's nothing more than a painful lesson on when and where to practice.

On a side note I just want to say that I appreciate your posts. You are usually right on the money with your advise. I think the kids who are lucky enough to have you as their coach are going to learn alot about baseball and if they are paying attention they will also learn alot about life. High school baseball needs more like you.

Thank you for what you do.

quote:

Originally posted by CoachB25:
As a parent, how much time are we going to spend thinking about what we want our child to be while not enjoying the child we have in front of us?

I will admit to being guilty as charged. Some of the best advice anyone has ever given me. And I am not talking about just baseball.

Thanks Coach!

Just play the game

Makes sense to me, all baseball players play the game. It is the single most important thing in baseball. Without the "game" there is no Baseball.

Why do all the other things have to be garbage or nonsense? Rankings, showcases, tryouts, clinics, camps, instruction, etc. - None of these can replace just playing the game!

I see major changes in amateur baseball in just the past 10 years. Some for the good, some not so good.

Good - Opportunities for the talented young players has increased dramatically.

Bad - Opportunities for the less talented who just want to have fun has decreased.

Good - Scouting and recruiting uses more technology and has become more event oriented.

Bad - Scouts and recruiters are less likely to accidently run across an unknown top player.

I'm not certain the old or the new way is better, but we live with the new way. The only constant is the GAME! It will always be the most important thing in baseball.

quote:

As a parent, how much time are we going to spend thinking about what we want our child to be while not enjoying the child we have in front of us?

CoachB25,
Very good! And how much time will we spend thinking about what our child wants to be! In the end, that should count the most!

We all see parents who want something for their children much more than the child wants it! Sometimes parents work much harder at what they want their son to be, than the son does! That is a bad recipe for success IMO

CoachB25:

I certainly hope everything is ok with your daughter. She has a lot of dedication to her game...that's good.

Showering can be painful...I know...watching the escapees from my graying head of hair mock me as they relax and stretch out on the strainer really hurts!

I've tried to shut them up by pouring Grecian Formula on them, but all I get in return is a rousing chorus of opa!

BB's fine and has a knot on her forehead. Thanks everyone for asking. Also, thanks for the many kind words. I'm the most blessed person on the face of the earth and truth be told, I'm the one that is lucky to get to be around my players.

Regarding this topic, I said I'd post a pic of my kid. When we all get caught up in what we want our child to be, I think we can all go back in time to that one time where ball was as simple as:

quote:

Originally posted by PGStaff:

Why do all the other things have to be garbage or nonsense? Rankings, showcases, tryouts, clinics, camps, instruction, etc. - None of these can replace just playing the game!

PG,

Noone really addressed your question - so I will try.

First - I didnt see anything suggesting that any of the things you mentioned were "garbage or nonsense".

Quite the contrary - I believe that if they are put in the proper perspective - they are enhancements for the youth player - that can help him get better and reach his goals. Many of which didnt even exist 15 years ago.

But here is where the problem sets in.

When these things become more important that pure performance on the field to the player. And I am most definitely seeing more of this with each passing year.

I caution all young players to use their brain.

Play the game first. That is where the focus needs to be.

The other stuff - or most of it anyway - is fine and can be fun as well - but only if put in the proper perspective.

For a player - when the rankings - and the useless blurb in Baseball America and the All-Star selections take more of your attention than the game itself - you will most likely wind up in Palookaville in short order. IMO.

I feel that people inside of baseball and people that have went thru this before, ex player's, coaches,Recruiter's/ scout's.

Have a great advantage over the player's/parent's that have never experianced the recruiting/drafting procees??

They understand that sometimes you don't need all the extra curriculuier activeity to get noticed.
But they also have the inside track/info.

So parent's don't know what's right are wrong??
So there's a learning curve.

Parent's do what they feel is right to help there player succeed.
Nothing wrong with that.

Showcases/and Tournament's are a very useful tool in helping a player reach there goal's.

If a Parent could be sure that there player was seen by the Recruiter's/Scout's just playing as competitive of baseball they could find would be great.
But nobody is sure of that?
So we use the system that is in place to make sure that is taken care of.
If that make's since??
EH

The hardest thing for most parents to realize is that 1000's of games and 1000's of dollars won't buy tools in many cases. And tools my friends are what scouts want. They don't care about averages, championships, or what league or showcase they've been too. If they have tools they will almost always get a chance at next level until the level exceeds their abilities... just my thoughts...
so in the meantime... enjoy the games and the family time in the car, or hanging out at a batting cage... it's beautiful time if the kids want to be there... if they don't want to be there help them get really good at math or something they can make a lot of money doing and maybe they'll take you to the World Series some day

quote:

enjoy the games and the family time

That should be the first and foremost thing on your mind.

If it's not fun, they won't do it for long.