Skip to main content

Replies sorted oldest to newest

Re you suck …

One Saturday in LL my son had a bad game. He commented he sucked. When I responded he clarified. He said he didn’t mean he sucked. He meant he sucked that day. He said next game he would play better. He said if he played his best he would be great that day.

At that moment I realized I didn’t have to worry about his mental approach to the game. He understood everyone has bad days. If you’re a good player keep your head up and put it behind you.

What doesn’t help kids is when dad gets in the car with junior and breaks down the game when the kid doesn’t want to.

Coaching 10u travel when the last out in the last tournament occurred one of my players mumbled, “Thank f’n God it’s over.” The kid was a solid 10u player. I chatted with him. He said this would be the last ride home where his game gets picked apart by his father.

Dad publicly referred to his kid as one of the Fantastic Four on the team.* Dad had big dreams. Dad didn’t play past LL. He lived through his kid. No money went unspent on lessons. But when a kid gets to the 60/90 he must have talent. This kid didn’t have that much talent. He was a smallish kid who could smoothly handle the small field. It crushed dad.

* Only one of the Fantastic Four played last middle school. My son was one of the dad’s Fantastic Four. My kid had the talent. But I would never arrogantly refer to him publicly this way.

Last edited by RJM

Thank the heavens that my parents agreed with Dusty, and let me play multiple sports when I was younger.   By high school I was a light hitting catcher with a live arm, and no future in high school baseball.

My wife and I exposed our kids to baseball, track, lacrosse, basketball, ultimate frisbee, golf, fishing, and swimming when they were young.  All three gravitated to baseball and fishing by high school.   KInd of strange when I think about it because they have 3 very different personalities.

PT:

one year during our Area Code games I organized a "hitting" clinic for all 300 players.

Eric Davis, Dusty Baker were the clinic teachers. I walked over to Dusty and ask "why are you not talking"?  Hes said "Eric won't let me". Davis is controlling the discussion,

"there are 300 radar guns watching you and they do not clock "change ups".

"TURN THE BAT LOOSE"!!

Bob

I am going to take the other side of it.

My kid played a lot of different things when he was really young – baseball, gymnastics, track, basketball, etc.  (But, no football.)  As he got a little older, it settled on baseball and basketball.  But, by the time he got to 8th grade, he decided to lock into baseball only.

He goes into freshmen year at HS and everyone wants him – the baseball coach, the basketball coach (who knew him from summer camps) and the football coach (even though he never played football but because he was known as being a good athlete.)

He decides – I want to lock in on baseball and only train for baseball because I want to make varsity as a freshman and be a starter.  (And, in the end, he did.)

Meanwhile, all his grade-mates went out for every team.  Some of his middle school baseball teammates played freshmen basketball and football.  They went to every practice, every day, and went to every game – often just sitting the bench on game days.  It was a whole lot of time “being a multi-sport athlete” and not really playing much in games.

Now it’s baseball season and my son is the starter on varsity as a freshman (very rare in our school) and the other kids are all on the freshmen baseball team.  The kids and the parents are resentful of my kid being on varsity.  And, my answer them all is:  While your kid was going to football and basketball practice EVERYDAY and then sitting the bench at the games, my kid was in the gym lifting and in the cage hitting.  He could have done the same thing as your kid just to say:  I “play” all sports.  But, rather than do that just for show, he focused on the sport where he had an interest and worked hard at it.

Now – this isn’t for the stud who is a stud at every sport that he plays.  That kid should play them all.  But, if a kid is only interested in one and doesn’t want to play others just for the sake of being called a multi-sport athlete, then he shouldn’t be dinged for just playing baseball.

the sake of being called a multi-sport athlete

I never knew anyone who played multiple sports just to be called a multi sport athlete. Like my kids they played because they had a passion for the sport.

Before high school whatever sport was in season was their favorite sport. When they got to high school the focus turned to the extra work necessary to become college baseball and softball players. But they still played other varsity sports.

Their schedules were very full. My daughter’s friends complained about the lack of time she had to just hang out with them. They were mostly two sport athletes. My son played three. My daughter played four. Want to have a tight schedule? Play two sports in the same season.

Last edited by RJM
@baseballhs posted:

Our hs is extremely competitive. Very few kids make the teams if they don’t specialize. Not saying it’s right, but it is a fact.

This is how our large high school preferred it to be. My son bucked the trend. His baseball coach didn’t care. His baseball coach had been a three sport high school star. The basketball coach cut him soph year for never appearing at “optional” practices and not playing in a summer league. A former NBA player parent said he should have been the point guard soph year. The soccer coach rode him unmercifully about not playing elite travel soccer in the summer. He was a better soccer player than baseball player. He attended an elite goalie summer camp. Punting for the football team was something he just had to show up after soccer games to do. He tried place kicking. He didn’t have time to learn and practice quickly elevating the ball. The previous kicker was a soccer player who went to summer kicking camp and became a D1 place kicker. That kid played three sports.

Since there were less female athletes the girls were encouraged to play multiple sports. During my daughter’s time in high school more girls went D1 than boys. She played four. Even a couple of kids (one boy, one girl) who were on Team USA teams and went on to play professionally played multiple sports.

Last edited by RJM

A bit of Satire:

Oh, the counter-pressure to "Let your kid play other sports" is getting thick these days.  As if they are being forced to chose one and one only.  Some kids only want to play one sport competitively, I don't think I've ever actually seen a situation where a kid wasn't allowed to play another sport, directly or by "pressure".   It is getting to a point where there is almost a stigma for the kid who only plays one.  And for some reason other athletic activities don't count if they aren't organized. (skiing, biking, flag,pickup games, etc)

But it seems now like it's a parents "badge of honor", usually followed by "I made sure little johnny played more than one sport" --- think about that statement.  

I think it was about the time Urban Meyer stated he liked to recruit multi-sport athletes that all of a sudden the parents came out of the woodwork to taut how many sports little johnny plays.

I think maybe a lot of it is coming from the resentment of club sports and the ridiculous cost.  I'm right there with those on that.

Then the question of Athlete, is it really playing multiple sports that create an athlete, or an athlete who likes to play multiple sports.  What do you call a kid who can't hit, can't field, can't throw, but can run a sub 7 60,  raw athletic talent.

A coach knowing a kid plays multiple sports is only another indicator of potential talent, not a requirement of it.

I mean I get speed, a kid can be a banjo hitter and get on base when infielders don't charge well, then steal 2 bases and walk in on a passed ball, heck keeps the team from losing 12-zip.  I've seen real athletes, those kids that seem to be able to do it all, can pick up a sport they haven't played in years and excel, but really those kids are few and far between, the vast majority play multiple sports at average levels.

I saw a recent quote from a Power 5 coach that said, (paraphrased) "I like recruiting Pitchers from the North because they have winter and can't play baseball year round, and play other sports, they're athletes".  Saying that about a pitcher is like telling your buddy don't worry, she's got a GREAT personality.  Now if he meant that the kid won't have his arm blown out from over-use, that I can see as a valid statement.

I think scouts and coaches like mutli-sport athletes because at least they can point to that when they get it wrong.  "Man, he's let 3 routine ground balls through his legs, but did you see that goal he scored in the state finals last year."

As far as the jerk dad described by Dusty in the video, that is the real issue.   I've been guilty of the car ride home thing, I think most of us have, at least most Dad's I know have confided that to me and I've said, "oh, that's a big no-no", knowing full well I've been guilty.

Let them play, let them fail, be there to pick them up... should have been left at that I think.

HSDad22 I can’t tell what part is satire but we have first hand experience of a HS coach who heavily “encouraged” players to drop other sports in HS and when they didn’t he penalized them. Our son continued to play basketball and it definitely impacted how he was treated by that coach (in the long run it was very beneficial for him). Other players on that team dropped their second sport and regretted it.  Another example: I was told by a father that we weren’t “serious about my son’s  baseball future” because we didn’t send him to FL for a showcase event when he was 11 (he was playing basketball because it was basketball season).

I 100% agree with the idea that kickball, pick up games, rec sports etc should count. Doesn’t have to be varsity level athletics in three sports. The idea is that kids should not feel pressured to focus on just baseball too soon.  Finally , It doesn’t say force them to play other sports regardless of their interests or abilities. The idea is to let them play other sports, experience other things because more than just well-rounded athletes, we want well-rounded people.

@HSDad22 posted:




I saw a recent quote from a Power 5 coach that said, (paraphrased) "I like recruiting Pitchers from the North because they have winter and can't play baseball year round, and play other sports, they're athletes".  Saying that about a pitcher is like telling your buddy don't worry, she's got a GREAT personality.  Now if he meant that the kid won't have his arm blown out from over-use, that I can see as a valid statement.



As much arm injury as I am seeing late hs early college, I think its a valid statement.  Not just pitchers, they are starting to see lots of back injuries due to repetition.  In warm states, a majority of kids are playing year round.

An anecdotal story...Kid at our hs was a top baseball prospect.  Committed before freshman year.  The feedback he was getting before senior year was that scouts didn't think he was athletic enough.  Senior year he played basketball too so he could show more athleticism, and was the high scorer almost every game. He went number 12 overall and I do think that helped.  Baseball scouts would watch him play basketball Friday night and show up Saturday to watch him play baseball.  Complete freak talent.

We didn’t force our kids to play anything. We introduced them to as many sports as possible, organized or recreational. They liked them all. Obviously by high school they had to make some choices with sports that overlapped.

My son was cut in one sport soph year and badgered by the coach in another for being a multi sport athlete. The football coach was just happy he could get from his Friday afternoon soccer games to his Friday night football games to kick for the team.

My son loves baseball and football, esp the camaraderie in the football locker room in his school.  He also belongs to a select group of singers in his HS.  Several stories with this.

Going into this junior year, he decided to sit out football and focus on fall baseball hoping to get the recruiting process out of the way going into summer ball.  Well, that plan went out the window when he watched the first football varsity game.  He can't resist the itch and signed up to play after that game (I'm sure the football coaches kept trying to talk him into it contributed also).  He asked me about it and I told him that it's his decision, but he needs to understand the pro/con, and worst case scenario (he gets hurt), and that he needs to be able to live with that.  But I also told him that it's important to not let his life revolve just around baseball and I would support whatever he decides.  His baseball travel coach and varsity baseball coach is also supportive (thankfully) so we went ahead and joined the varsity team.  A week later, he dislocated his finger during a football practice and was in a case for 4 weeks.  He was still able to play some while in a cast and playing a lot towards the end of the football season.  But that totally sank his fall baseball (missed Ft Myers, Jupiter and several of the college workouts he's signed up for).  I asked him if he regretted his decision.  He said totally no regrets as he is enjoying playing football a lot. I told him that at the end of the day, that's what's important.  I don't know till 6 to 12 months from now how big an impact his decision is to play football (and getting injured).  I don't know if there's any long lasting harm to his throwing hand.  But he learned an important lesson that baseball isn't everything in his life.

Second story is that during spring, his school sends this select group of singers to Nashville for vocal master coaching.  Last spring, the event conflicted with his varsity baseball games but I can tell he really wished he could have gone.  The coaching session was on a Fri morning.  After his baseball game Thu night, I told him that I'll drive him to Nashville that night, and drive right back home Fri afternoon in time for his game.  He called his baseball varsity coach and he was on board.  It was tight but we got back in time.  He sat the first inning but played well the rest of the game.

I don't have any proof to back this up but I think having all these other passions and activities helps makes him more balanced, it helps him understand that baseball doesn't define him (esp during slumps in baseball), and he doesn't burn out.  He is just as excited about baseball right now (along with football and singing).  He went through a slump midway through the summer travel season and killed it in WWBA.  I have several other stories that showed his character when I least expect it, and I can point to his experience in all these other activities (and church) that shaped him.  Of course, one could argue the hypothetical that he may have ended up in the same place if he just focused on baseball.

We all hear (and continue to hear) that coaches love multi-sport athletes. But I came to the realization around 2019 that this is not entirely accurate. Coaches love players who are talented and athletic enough to be multi-sport athletes.

This doesn't mean that players shouldn't play other sports unless they're a 3-sport letter winner. But I think that encouraging players in the HS level to play other sports just to be a multi-sport athlete is not necessarily the right route.

Personal story

H played every sport imaginable up until the time he got serious about baseball, which would have been 8th grade. He just loved to compete, whether he was good at the sport or not.

Spring of 8th grade, he strongly considered playing football once he hit high school. But he ultimately came to the realization that he didn't enjoy football that much, and that he would only be playing in the hope that it would somehow help him in baseball. So he decided against it. Still, he felt like he needed to be that multi-sport athlete (see above), and wanted to find a way to do it.

He would ultimately swim for the HS team as a freshman because he DID enjoy it, and knew that it would be great conditioning for baseball (definitely was that). But it ultimately caused him a great deal of stress due to the season overlapping with the start of baseball. As a result, he's baseball only when it comes to his focus. But he still loves playing other sports on the side.

Another aspect of multi-sports is the variation of competitive experiences.   Son who is a 2022 committ asked his soon to be college coach if he should play basketball this winter or skip his senior year for baseball training.  Coach surprised us.  Said, play basketball, compete every day, handle different pressures.  He said kids come to college with more skill and strength than ever but less competitive experiences.  He followed by saying motivated kids will find time to maintain their baseball training.

Last edited by BBSBfan
@BBSBfan posted:

Another aspect of multi-sports is the variation of competitive experiences.   Son who is a 2022 committ asked his soon to be college coach if he should play basketball this winter or skip his senior year for baseball training.  Coach surprised us.  Said, play basketball, compete every day, handle different pressures.  He said kids come to college with more skill and strength than ever but less competitive experiences.  He followed by saying motivated kids will find time to maintain their baseball training.

Agree with this post completely. Playing HS basketball did more for improving my quickness and agility than anything else I ever did. It made me a much better overall athlete. That can really come into play if a change in position is ever part of the equation.

@BBSBfan posted:

Another aspect of multi-sports is the variation of competitive experiences.   Son who is a 2022 committ asked his soon to be college coach if he should play basketball this winter or skip his senior year for baseball training.  Coach surprised us.  Said, play basketball, compete every day, handle different pressures.  He said kids come to college with more skill and strength than ever but less competitive experiences.  He followed by saying motivated kids will find time to maintain their baseball training.

I agree completely. My kids were multi sport athletes. They were also top students. They found time to do it all.

Because my daughter played four sports some friends sometimes got on her for lack of time together. The fourth sport was indoor track on the second team for the 4x100 and 4x200. She had basketball during the week and track on Saturday nights. Track was her hang time with those friends. Several of her long time friends had gravitated to track. She travels with a fast crowd 😀. There’s a lot of hanging out time in track.

On Friday’s my son had soccer in the afternoon and punting for the football team at night. The one thing he didn’t have time for was learning how to elevate placekicks. The previous soccer/place kicker went to kickers camp in the summer. He kicked for a D1 rather than play college soccer.

So my kids both specialized once they got to hs. One thing to note re physical development is that one sport kids can incorporate non baseball activities into their training work. For instance my catcher son does a lower body football workout in the off-season - daughter does basketball drills to improve vertical and lateral movement (she's volleyball). Many paths on this

Add Reply

×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×