Multiple Sports

BB coach wants him to be great at his BB position. Why would he care about how good an all around athlete he is ?
He had better be good at BB or he won't get an opportunity to play BB. Most athletes are good at several sports but at some poiny you have to figure out what you really want.

Obviously, for a college baseball coach to be interested in your son, he has to be good enough to warrant that interest. Starting baseball workouts a few weeks later might get in the way a little bit.

But college teams are filled with two and three sport HS athletes. In my experience, college baseball coaches look on a prospect's success in other sports as a positive signal of athleticism. In and of itself it doesn't necessarily mean all that much, but as part of the total package of what a kid is, I think they look on it favorably.

If you are looking for advice, mine would be to keep playing as many sports as your son can be competitive in at the varsity level. High school is about more than preparing for college baseball. Don't cheat the high school years.

RK your advice is fine but clouds the issue. The BB coach cares only about what you can do for him. How you became athletic means nothing . Basketball which my son played through HS at the AAAA level and went to the Ontario championships meant nothing to his college BB coach. In fact Football and Basketball can be careere ending. You play these sports at you risk. My son chose to play BKTB in his senior year. He did suffer a sprained ankle knocking him out of both sports for about 6 weeks. Actually he went to BB practice and hobbled around not wanting to give up the BB time. He did what he could.
Understand that the BB coach only cares about BB. He will take the guy who offers the most in his view and not the super all around athlete unless he is the best at that spot. If you were graded on a point system the BB coach would give you 10 points for BB and 0 points for any other sport.

I like to use my 1st motto below:

BHD - Of course the coach only cares about what a prospect can do in baseball. But recruiting is an inexact science. No matter how much they have seen a kid play, they don't know for sure what a prospect can do in baseball. It is uncertain, and they know it.

So, success in other sports can definitely be a factor when the college coach is putting together all the information he can get. You suggest it is irrelevant. I think you are wrong.

Obviously the baseball talent is of most importance to the recruiting coach. However, I did read in BA several months ago many coaches like football players because they are mentally tough.

It's important for a high school athlete to enjoy his high school experience. Just so you know your son is not alone in this situation, my son is trying to play three sports. His sister already did it but still did all the offseason softball work. This is a large high school where coaches begrudgingly accept athletes playing two sports. The drain is (not including academics) while he's in freshman basketball season, he's at the two 5:45am "optional" baseball workouts because he will be getting a varsity tryout and feels the workout exposure may mean more than three days of tryouts. Now the s****r coach suggested he make the once a week captain's practices if he expects to start varsity next year.

He's been pushed to play AAU basketball and Select S****r in the summer by the varsity coaches. It won't happen due to travel baseball.

My son will eventually have to figure out if basketball is worth it. The class above him is loaded. Unless/until he grows to 6'2" or taller he may not get in the varsity playing rotation until his senior year (we're a basketball school/usually loaded). All the other talented basketball players play AAU basketball all summer while he's playing travel baseball. He has to figure out if it deterrs from his baseball progress which is most important to him. But, he loves basketball. So do I.

It was hard enough for him to give up football heading into high school. He decided the banging in the game on Fridays was too much to be physically 100% for weekend fall ball games. In 8th grade there were two weekends he had trouble swinging the bat due to hand or shoulder dings from football.

Thanks for the advice. If I were a college coach (which I'm certainly not), I'd personally like to see kids that play multiple sports. Obviously, I'd take the better baseball player over the three sport athletes. However, if the kid plays multiple sports, then he has more room to improve because he isn't devoting all of his time to baseball. Also, if he were a highly competitive basketball or football player, it would be reasonable to assume that he could play multiple positions because he clearly is a graceful athlete.

I prefer multi sport athletes. I scout prospective baseball players that play hoops. It exposes their athletcism and their mental makeup in how their respond to adversity.

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Originally posted by BobbleheadDoll:
RK your advice is fine but clouds the issue. The BB coach cares only about what you can do for him. How you became athletic means nothing . Basketball which my son played through HS at the AAAA level and went to the Ontario championships meant nothing to his college BB coach. In fact Football and Basketball can be careere ending. You play these sports at you risk. My son chose to play BKTB in his senior year. He did suffer a sprained ankle knocking him out of both sports for about 6 weeks. Actually he went to BB practice and hobbled around not wanting to give up the BB time. He did what he could.
Understand that the BB coach only cares about BB. He will take the guy who offers the most in his view and not the super all around athlete unless he is the best at that spot. If you were graded on a point system the BB coach would give you 10 points for BB and 0 points for any other sport.

Bobblehead, with all due respect to a forum "Old Timer", I hope no one listens to your absolute nonsense. Overall athleticism is an extremely desireable trait in a prospect. The vast majority of collegebound baseball players that play in our program, league, and state are in fact very good if not great multi-sport athletes.

It is disgraceful for anyone, including parents and coaches, to discourage a high school kid from playing multiple sports. First of all, multiple sports will in all likelihood make the kid a better conditioned and stronger overall athlete, which is good for any sport. Secondly, the majority of high school athletes will never play any sport beyond high school (regardless of what their parents think), and students should enjoy their high school years and activities while they can. Thirdly, every college coach I know (and there are many) covet highly athletic kids. In fact, you probably can't play at a high level college or pro ball unless you are a great athlete, and most great athletes are multi-sport stars.

Hopefully, most of you parents will encourage your kids to play whatever they want for as long as they can. If you really want the answer to the question asked above by baseball168, you should ask college coaches themselves, not some parent who forms an opinion based on what his or her kid does in an isolated situation. Baseball168, please allow your son to play whatever sports he wants while in high school. He will never get these years back. Whether or not he is an exceptional athlete will take care of itself. Just always work as hard as you can to be the best athlete you can possibly be, and the opportunities will come.

At the PG Underclass Showcase in Ft. Myers in December, they had a recruiting Q&A. My son talked to one of the presenters afterwards and was told by all means to keep playing his 2nd sport.

My son's high school coach has had six players throughout his career go on to play professional baseball. He said the one thing they had in common was they all played more than one varsity sport in high school.

quote:

Bobblehead, with all due respect to a forum "Old Timer", I hope no one listens to your absolute nonsense. Overall athleticism is an extremely desireable trait in a prospect. The vast majority of collegebound baseball players that play in our program, league, and state are in fact very good if not great multi-sport athletes.

Having a problem understanding what I said ?

Yes most BB guys are multi sport players. That is not what coaches value. athletic ability is not a result of muti sport . Muti sport is a result of athletic ability.
No one is advocating giving up HS sports. As I pointed out my son played high level BKTB in HS.
My point is if you play BB and want to go on to college BB you had better devote a great deal of effort in BB. My son's BKTB was never brought up only as a sport he enjoyed to fill in his bios. You have to beat out BB players to get on a college team and coaches look for dedicated BB guys. Couldn't care less what you did in BHTB of anyother sport. That is simple enough.

Read the original post and it sounds like BKTB is interfering with his BB. If you have to make a choice go with your sport that you are strong in. If he wants college BB he had better weigh his options because there are a lot of great BB players who don't get to play college BB.

quote:

Originally posted by BobbleheadDoll:
BB coach wants him to be great at his BB position. Why would he care about how good an all around athlete he is ?
He had better be good at BB or he won't get an opportunity to play BB. Most athletes are good at several sports but at some poiny you have to figure out what you really want.

What am I misunderstanding here? You said, "Why would he care about how good an all around athlete he is?" Sorry, but that's absolute nonsense. Of course a player has to be good at BB. Lots of kids are good at BB. Being a great athlete is the tie breaker.

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You suggest it is irrelevant. I think you are wrong.

It is irrelevant to a BB coach. The fact that my son played varsity BKTB never came up other than filling in his bios which is inaccurate to start with. All the coaches, and we deallt with at least 25 never asked about other sports. They wanted to know what he did in BB.
My son also played chess does that make him a genius or a good BB thinker. He played volley ball and was good at other sports. Yes these things help develop the BB player but they have no bering on the coaches determination of how good a BB player you are or even will be. Everything you have done makes you what you are and what you are had better be good enough to win you a spot on the college roster.
If you think you will get extra points because you played AAAA varsity BKTB against Jamal Mcclures team in the Ontario championships you are kidding yourself.
AS you all point out almost every BB player was a multi sport guy and made a choice to devote himself to his primary sport. Your choice but personnaly in the SR year if other sports interfer with BB you have a choice. My son's BKTB didn't interfer and he would practice full out at both sports.

quote:

Of course a player has to be good at BB. Lots of kids are good at BB. Being a great athlete is the tie breaker.

This is where you have a problem. If you take a moment in the recruiting process where the coach is trying to decide witch player to chose between a few players. Its not who is a slug and who is athletic. They are all athletic and they all are top players from their HS. Maybe in HS that will make a difference but the separating factor is how well you play your spot. If you were a slug you wouldn't get to 1st B witha college coach. I have never seen a non athletic guy in college ball. Other sports helped make what you are but it's what you are that matters in terms of BB skills. I would say devotion to the game of BB trumps all other sports.

"Being a great athlete is the tie breaker."
You see you really do agree with me you just forgot that they all are great athletes and that you are in a competition against guy who are some of the best you will ever see from HS all over the nation. That is what you don't understand.

Bobble, you honestly are taking the position that college coaches consider whether or not a kid excels at another sport to be completely irrelevant? Really?

So they learn nothing about a kid based on his toughness on the gridiron, or his ability to run the basketball floor? How do you know whether the colleges who recruited your son considered it relevant or not?

Plus I have no idea what you mean when you say "devotion to the game" trumps all other sports.

The absolutist position you are taking is pretty darn ridiculous, IMO.

quote:

BHD - Of course the coach only cares about what a prospect can do in baseball.

RK agrees with me too. He just confuses the issue and talks about how the guys get to be what they are. A BB coach as he said cares about BB period. That is his sport and he recruits athletes who are dedicated athletic players not slugs.

News to me that I agree with you! Maybe we have a language barrier.

If a player plays multi sport in HS and wants to only play BB in college, he better be a really good BB player to be given a BB scholarship.

Football and basketball players who get scholarships for those sports and play good baseball can end up on the bb roster, simply because it costs the coach nothing.
That's why they like football players.
JMO.

TPM -
Of the 08's in Oregon who have signed an NLI to play baseball, to my knowledge all but one of them are multi sport athletes. Maybe it is because we are in the north and can't play baseball all year round even if we wanted to. But it is the rule here, not the exception.

Mike Stutes, for instance, was a three year starting QB on a team that went to the state finals.

RK,
I was going to add that in and should have. Year round baseball has a lot to do with it.
The bb player that plays almost year round has a distinct advantage over the player that doesn't. You may not see it in athleticism, but you will in skills. I am sure if son didn't play year round, he would have played another sport.

But it happens, not often, Kyle Parker from north of here will play FB and BB at Clemson.

I think alot of it has to do with the coach's own experience in his younger days. I don't disagree they are about baeball first, but most of the guys I met when going around with my son did not have a big issue with him being a mulitple sport guy.

I think it is becoming more of an issue in high school, where too many coaches want to run their programs like they are at the collegiate level because they are wannabes.

quote:

Originally posted by Rob Kremer:
Bobble, you honestly are taking the position that college coaches consider whether or not a kid excels at another sport to be completely irrelevant? Really?

The absolutist position you are taking is pretty darn ridiculous, IMO.

Rob,
This is exactly the reason why you pick and choose who you take advice from. I would hate for a kid in high school think that he has to devote himself to only one sport, because some parent thinks that's what will get him to the next level. That's hogwash.

Too many kids are giving up playing multiple sports because people make the wrong assumption that they have to dedicate themselves to one sport. There are too many HS kids that give up football to play fall ball, or baseball to play summer basketball, because they get bad advice like in this thread.

Most of these kids never play beyond high school, and end up regretting their decisions to "specialize." I really wish more families would consult people "in the know," like college coaches themselves, and not take bad advice from people who make ill assumptions. Don't give up your high school playing days because you got some bad advice. You only get one chance to be in high school.

quote:

Originally posted by TPM:
RK,
I was going to add that in and should have. Year round baseball has a lot to do with it.
The bb player that plays almost year round has a distinct advantage over the player that doesn't. You may not see it in athleticism, but you will in skills. I am sure if son didn't play year round, he would have played another sport.

But it happens, not often, Kyle Parker from north of here will play FB and BB at Clemson.

TPM,
From my experience as a high school coach who has seen many players move to the next level, very few of them are year-round baseball players. The vast majority are multi-sport stars and stud all around athletes. Many if not most college coaches and pro scouts love to recruit athletes who prove their athletic ability in more than one sport. Maybe it's different in your part of the country, but out here the vast majority of high level recruits are multi-sport athletes. Like RK said, all but one NLI guy in Oregon are multi-sport athletes, as is the same in my state, and that means that year-round baseball players DO NOT have a distinct advantage as you say. In fact, they are at a distinct DISadvantage. At least that's true in this part of the world (left coast).

quote:

Originally posted by KnightTime:

From my experience as a high school coach who has seen many players move to the next level, very few of them are year-round baseball players. The vast majority are multi-sport stars and stud all around athletes. Many if not most college coaches and pro scouts love to recruit athletes who prove their athletic ability in more than one sport. Maybe it's different in your part of the country, but out here the vast majority of high level recruits are multi-sport athletes. Like RK said, all but one NLI guy in Oregon are multi-sport athletes, as is the same in my state, and that means that year-round baseball players DO NOT have a distinct advantage as you say. In fact, they are at a distinct DISadvantage. At least that's true in this part of the world (left coast).

I believe our program has an All-State basketball team within it, and a bunch of footballers, and skilled golfers

quote:

Originally posted by KnightTime:

quote:

Originally posted by TPM:
RK,
I was going to add that in and should have. Year round baseball has a lot to do with it.
The bb player that plays almost year round has a distinct advantage over the player that doesn't. You may not see it in athleticism, but you will in skills. I am sure if son didn't play year round, he would have played another sport.

But it happens, not often, Kyle Parker from north of here will play FB and BB at Clemson.

TPM,
From my experience as a high school coach who has seen many players move to the next level, very few of them are year-round baseball players. The vast majority are multi-sport stars and stud all around athletes. Many if not most college coaches and pro scouts love to recruit athletes who prove their athletic ability in more than one sport. Maybe it's different in your part of the country, but out here the vast majority of high level recruits are multi-sport athletes. Like RK said, all but one NLI guy in Oregon are multi-sport athletes, as is the same in my state, and that means that year-round baseball players DO NOT have a distinct advantage as you say. In fact, they are at a distinct DISadvantage. At least that's true in this part of the world (left coast).

I guess that is why Florida churns out more drafted players than any state as per population. There are very DISTINCT ethnic and race differences in these parts between a football player and a baseball player if you follow Florida sports.

Rodriquez, Hernandez, Rojos, Gonzales, etc. don't play football. They live and breath baseball. Not one player on my son's travel or HS team played anything but BB (oh wait, stand corected, one played s****r on HS team) and not familiar with any that were drafted out of HS (could be wrong).
On son's college team of all the players he played with, one played football and one basketball in HS.

To stay ahead in your skills and compete, you must play year round.

I may be wrong but in my area, that is the way it is.

quote:

Originally posted by TPM:
I guess that is why Florida churns out more drafted players than any state as per population. There are very DISTINCT ethnic and race differences in these parts between a football player and a baseball player if you follow Florida sports.

Rodriquez, Hernandez, Rojos, Gonzales, etc. don't play football. They live and breath baseball. Not one player on my son's travel or HS team played anything but BB (oh wait, stand corected, one played s****r on HS team) and not familiar with any that were drafted out of HS (could be wrong).
On son's college team of all the players he played with, one played football and one basketball in HS.

To stay ahead in your skills and compete, you must play year round.

I may be wrong but in my area, that is the way it is.

At least you qualified it by saying in YOUR area, that's the way it is, at least that's what you believe. I doubt you have surveyed every baseball player from every college or draft or high school in the country to find out whether or not he played more than one sport. It is definitely not that way in most parts of the country.

Maybe it's different in Southern Florida because of ethnic influences, but that's an anomaly. Also, there are plenty of kids in the West named Rodriguez, Hernandez, Rojos, Gonzales, etc who DO play football, basketball, tennis, golf, etc, and believe it or not, some of those kids with Hispanic names don't even play baseball! There are even some kids named Jamaal, Reggie, LeRoy etc who don't even play basketball!

It's important not to assume things based on your personal isolated experiences, just like you shouldn't stereotype ethnic groups. What happened on your son's travel team or his recruiting experience is not indicative of the entire country, nor the recruiting process as a whole.

Kids should be encouraged to play multiple sports in high school, if that's what they desire. They should not be advised to specialize in one sport just to keep up with the Rodriguezes or Jamaals. That's simply not the truth.

Wait I never said that kids shouldn't play other sports. I never said that coaches don't like multi sport kids.
I said that if you want to get a baseball scholarship and play other sports you better know how to play baseball.
You are doing the same thing by going on what is common from your side of the country just as I am going by what is common here in FL.

I would think that individuals that are multi sport athletes in high school kind of speak for themselves. If they have the drive, desire, discpline and athleticism to make more than one high school team roster, and one of those has continually been baseball (thus knowing how to play) then I would say of course, that player has certain qualities that coaches are looking for and are substantiated by their achievements. Playing year round baseball has it's issues as many have already pointed out here on the hsbbweb. Physically it is a positive for the athlete to use different muscle groups along with the aerobic benefit, say of basketball or s****.
As we have seen here on this website alone, the need for Tommy Johns Surgery is alarming in my opinion. Yearound baseball may be good for exposure, yes, no doubt as many of you illustrate with statistics regarding presteious scholarships and high draft picks. But overuse of young players arms with the goal for attaining the aforementioned must be considered.
Yes, I agree that the bb coach is looking for what you can do to help the team bbwise, and your resume for your other sports simply gets written up in your bio. Coach can tell a lot about your competitive nature, drive and ambition, if you have chosen to play and succeed in other sports.
I know my own son developed excellent footwork in s***** and basketball , also leg strength and upper body strength that helped him excell in baseball - everyone has their own story, but he has never had an injury other than a 24 hour ankle sprain.
Through the years he has been SS,1B,RF,P. He is now pitcher only in college. In his own personal story I do attribute his play of other sports to have been a beneficial experience in his case.
If you are going to go with yearound baseball exclusively because that is what is best for you, then just be sure to take care of your arm - educate yourself on preventative care (parents) and be ready for that next level.

I understand exactly where Bobblehead is coming from. This thread has TWO different topics and we’re trying to blend them together. The two topics are: 1. What’s best way to improve your baseball game. AND 2. Are multi-sport athletes better athletes?
ANSWERS 1. Play baseball and baseball specific training. 2. Yes. But it’s because the better athletes play multiple sports.

This is confusing the issue. If specializing and focusing ONLY on baseball is the best way to improve one's baseball stock so it stands to reason that playing multiple sports cannot be the best way to improve your baseball skills too. Recruiting 101 states: The better baseball players get better the offers. Like many HS baseball players my son played football in high school too. I think football helped him "grow" physically and emotionally which I’m sure helped his baseball game somewhat --- BUT--- had he worked as hard at baseball (in the fall) as he worked at football he would have improved his baseball skills even more and made him MORE desirable as a college baseball player --- So ultimately it hurt him if you want to use that theory (which I do).

I think the multiple sport athletes have an “extra” on their resume we can’t deny that. But ALL baseball players have “extras” that come with their talent. (some players have “baggage”). These “extras” and “baggage” can solidify or destroy a recruiting offer but that is much different than improving or lowering an offer. A player’s BASEBALL SKILLS are the basis for coaches offering a player a spot on his roster.
I’m all for multiple sport athletes in high school but lets not think that playing three sports in high school is the best way to improve your baseball game. A baseball player needs to focus on baseball and baseball specific training if you’re looking to maximize your baseball skills and ultimately your college opportunities.

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I prefer multi sport athletes. I scout prospective baseball players that play hoops. It exposes their athletcism and their mental makeup in how their respond to adversity.

Flintoid if I recall you live in Michigan. Weather has to impact your recruiting efforts in January and February. I can understand why you would go to a basketball game to watch baseball players in Michigan. That wouldn’t work here! It is much easier to be baseball specific in the warmer parts of the US. It will be in the 70’s here next week. I might add that in the past 20 years I have NEVER seen a baseball player play high school basketball at our high school.

Fungo

Do you play a sport(s) only to play in college, or do you play because you want to play?

Thanks Fungo, you are so much better at this than me!

Baseball 168, I have read your posting. I am also a parent of a sophomore. We are in the same situation with our son. Here is a twist to your question. If a boy plays let's say basketball, but main sport is baseball,(which my son does), he is then not able to attend any winter camps let alone any showcases. This would take him away from the commitment he made to his HS basketball team. the basketball coaches would NOT like this. So, one would think well go to them in the summer, but then again, your son would be missing the travel summer teams games and commitment he made there also. he is really not knowing what to do for his junior year. This situation lays heavy on our minds. He would love to go to some of the college showecases/camps/clinics in our state, but basketball is hindering this. Many nice clinics are held over the holiday break,ie; Thanks giving and Christmas, but he would miss several games, since there is always a Varsity basketball tournament at those times. On the other hand playing basketball does keep him in good shape. Please anyone respond with their thoughts on this matter. Thank you very much.

Disregard the "formal" playing season timeframes. Most multi-sport athletes are doing several things athletically simultaneously. Example:

Classes begin and the player may be involved in a Fall sport, be it football, golf, soccccer, whatever, and also hits the cages a couple weeknights, then play a Saturday doubleheader in a Fall league.

As the weather changes(northern), the player starts preparing for basketball while maintaining the cagework and other baseball workouts throughout the entire winter sport season.

As the winter sport winds down and blends into the preseason HS baseball practices, the player is in pretty good aerobic shape, while some sort of baseball activity has been the constant. The player then is baseball ready for the Spring as well as summer premier baseball.

If your player is a hitter/positional, as long as he is working on that aspect using station drills and facing some sort of live pitching for feedback and adjustments, i.e correcting weaknesses, as well as a solid throwing program for his arm, then the only thing missing "off-season" is the fun of playing in actual games.

If your player is a pitcher, they usually workout and throw bullpen year round anyway with their Guru's, so why not get your running part in on a athletic field or hoop court?

Our summer group of both pitchers and hitters solved this in winter workouts because each needed to face live hitters and live pitchers for feedback and improvement, so they assisted each other.

At least 6 D1 pitchers and 8 D1 hitters were involved in this process over a 3 year period, as well as many more from the summer club in D3 and NAIA............Get on a solid summer club!!

By the way, lets not forget they are in classes all day for 9 months. These kids learn time management well before college.

quote:

Do you play a sport(s) only to play in college, or do you play because you want to play?

Good point Dominick. Hopefully we play because we want to play. Sometime the high school games and summer games appear to be little more than a vehicle to get to the next level. I suggest we consider making it to the "next level" the ultimate measuring stick as how well we played the game at the previous level. There is no doubt in my mind that the showcasing phenomenon has carried over into the games and has helped create a change in the way many parents (and players) look at their son’s “baseball time” --- which includes ALL high school sports and summer games.
I’m guilty too. I remember THINKING about asking my son to NOT play football his junior and senior year of high school because of his baseball. At the time I thought this could have a negative impact on his baseball future (and may have). After seeing how much he enjoyed those two years I’m glad I didn’t say anything. The benefits far outweighed the “sacrifices”. I remember an invitation to Jupiter during football season and he declined because of a Friday night football game. It was suggested that he fly down to Florida after the game Friday night to pitch on Saturday. We stayed at home.
Fungo

My son had an interesting perspective on this---he was a three sport athlete--baseball, basketball and sokker---he was ,early on, termed possibly the best point guard in the HS history coming off the JV---he gave hoops up in his junior year to concentrate on baseball---he went back his senior year since he had done his baseball stuff to be seen already-- he did it to get in shape and be with his pals--- in the fall of the senior year the sokker team needed a goalie so he took the job and took them to the sectionals with his efforts

What amazed me is that he did this all on his own in making the decisions and it all worked and he had a ball

But baseball was his sport and he knew it--he was the first player ever from hsi HS to get a scholarship to a major Division I baseball program and he was the centerfold in the senior yearbook in his baseball uniform

Thanks again for the advice. I want to clarify why I started this discussion. As a freshmen, my son was MVP of both the JV baseball and basketball teams. It seemed he'd go up to varsity in both sports, but did not in basketball. He has heard that he will be named the MVP of the JV league, and the varsity coach has asked him to come up to varsity for the playoffs and play a signficant role. In no way am I telling him not to play basketball, I love it. My question was simply whether or not he should tell the coach he would play varsity basketball for the playoffs (and miss possibly 3 weeks or 6-8 games of baseball) or simply decline and get to varsity baseball. My question was more of a specific situation, but has sparked a very intriguing discussion. I think, personally, that it's ridiculous to tell a kid not to play multiple sports. If you put that much pressure on him, it's as if he's a professional athlete without getting paid.

IMO
Parents are the # 1 issue about whether their son/daughter should give up another sport to focus on one . BECAUSE OF THE SCHOLARSHIP ISSUE ! Football season doesn't overlap baseball season like basketball season does ! Remember ! There is a place for everyone to play at , they just have to find it !

quote:

Originally posted by baseball168:
Thanks again for the advice. I want to clarify why I started this discussion. As a freshmen, my son was MVP of both the JV baseball and basketball teams. It seemed he'd go up to varsity in both sports, but did not in basketball. He has heard that he will be named the MVP of the JV league, and the varsity coach has asked him to come up to varsity for the playoffs and play a signficant role. In no way am I telling him not to play basketball, I love it. My question was simply whether or not he should tell the coach he would play varsity basketball for the playoffs (and miss possibly 3 weeks or 6-8 games of baseball) or simply decline and get to varsity baseball. My question was more of a specific situation, but has sparked a very intriguing discussion. I think, personally, that it's ridiculous to tell a kid not to play multiple sports. If you put that much pressure on him, it's as if he's a professional athlete without getting paid.

baseball168,
Let me give you my two cents worth of opinion from a coach's perspective.

Like most coaches, I want to see my players on the baseball diamond from day one. However, that does not always happen because sports overlap, especially during playoff time. Also, we face injuries, illness, grade problems, family issues, school orchestra commitments, you name it. That all takes kids away from us at one time or another, and there is nothing we can do about it. It's just a fact of youth sports these days, and I am coaching a high school sport within the larger framework of high school curriculum, activities, community and family issues, etc.

In your case, it is still basketball season until the last day of playoffs. Your son should honor his commitment to basketball until it's over. After all, he made the decision to play in the first place. The baseball team will be fine until he arrives, maybe sooner, maybe later. If he is as good as you say, I'm sure the baseball coaches will welcome him with open arms whenever he is done with his basketball commitment. Most high school programs eagerly await its best players, and understand overlapping school commitments. Most coaches want to win, and we will place the best players on the field whether they play basketball or not.

Hopefully, for your son's and his team's sake, he is finding time to throw and hit so he prepares himself for when he turns out for baseball. The biggest mistake basketball players make is not getting their arms in shape prior to turning out for baseball. Then, they are set back by sore arm syndrome (out of shape).

Ultimately, it's your son's decision. If he is not going to stick it out for the duration of the basketball season, he shouldn't play in the first place. That's not fair to his school, coaches, or teammates. Like I said, his baseball team will survive until he gets there.