Just wondering

Your post gave me a good laugh. What you said about todays parents is so true. Thanks for the chuckle

CA

It wasn't meant to be humorous---I got tired of running the town LL a number of years back because I got tired of parents showing up at my door on Sunday afternoons to b i t c h and m o a n about all inane things

From what I am told it is even worse now---even college coaches tell me horror stories

It is horrible out there. I also was on a LL board. The parents are crazy. Now that I have gone through most of all of this baseball stuff I found your comment so true. Sorry if it bothered you that I said it was funny.

CA

didnt bother me at all

Amen, TR.
I'll guess you didn't mean just LL, but all youth baseball leagues.

LL often is used as a generic term for all youth leagues....

Having been associated with a number of youth governing bodies....PONY, DIXIE youth,Babe Ruth etc....they all have the same issues....

I don't think it is just the rec ball that is leading parents to moan and groan when little johnny doesn't make varsity as a freshman. I think it is mainly travel ball that is leading to this feeling. In rec ball you end up playing on a team made up of players covering a range of ages 9-12 (for little league), 13-15 for (Babe Ruth) while with travel ball you pay to join a team of kids that are the same grade and age as your player. This gives them the feeling of entitlement as little johnny didn't need to pay his dues and wait his turn to be the "older" player. Rec ball I think to an extent teaches you that the "older" players get first shot at the playing time and younger players have to earn their way onto the field. Kids (and parents)nowadays avoid rec ball and thus do not learn these lessons which apply to high School level (mainly Jr's & Sr's on Varsity, freshman on freshman or JV etc..) Of course you still have a few parents at any level or league who still think johnny should be playing in front of so and so...

I am a mom of a freshman who is playing JV and floating into some Varsity games as well. I guess I am on the flip side of this coin, there are lots of +'s to playing Varsity, but, what do we have to look forward to in the next three years if he goes to Varsity now?

Lefty,
You have a lot to look forward to, better play, faster game, with him going up as a freshman he has a lot of bonding time with older and younger players. He'll have a lifetime of friends that grew together. My son plays on a J.C. team and his best friend at another J.C he played high school with for three years just signed with a top 5 D1 school. He's as happy for him as if it were my son was going to that school. Also showed him that he now can make it.

quote:

what do we have to look forward to in the next three years if he goes to Varsity now?

Lots! Growing and getting better with teammates the same age, developing better and better chemistry, going from a part time player to a contributor to the guy everyone wants to see in the clutch. Getting better! Learning more! 2B just finished his 3rd year on varsity and we have two more. There is much more than just making the varsity team.

Plus, the drama!

Don't get me wrong I know that he has lots to learn still and many adventures in the years to come, But having achieved Varsity at a young age & a Freshman- making THE TEAMtakes on a whole new meaning.

Youth League War Stories - almost deserves a thread of it own....

When I was the Player Agent of our local LL I had the parent of an 8 year old tell me to make sure his kid got on a good team because he was being scouted already.

I have a hundred killer LL Board stories but that one always cracks me up when I think about it.

Yeah, the other day a guy told me his 5 yr. old was being looked at by a large D-1. He said his son was way ahead of all the other kids on his team, so he was looking forward to playing tougher competition when he got to college. LOL!!! Just kidding.