Noticing there are some kids that play on more than one team, one of their age group and one above.
Does anyone have experience with this and their son and was it beneficial or did he get burnt out?
Original Post
Replies sorted oldest to newest
this isfne for position players but for pitcers it shouldnot be permitted
How does a player play for multiple teams and commit to both? When does he have time for practice? I never wanted players who missed my practices while playing for other teams.
Before high school I did have a secondary list of players on other teams if I needed additional players. They only played for me if they had the weekend off. But they did not get priority over my committed players. Often they were kids I was seeing how they would fit in as a committed team member for the following year.
A handful of times my son played on second teams if we had the weekend off and they needed players. I told him to tell the coach to bat him last and play whatever position was open.
Before high school I did have a secondary list of players on other teams if I needed additional players. They only played for me if they had the weekend off. But they did not get priority over my committed players. Often they were kids I was seeing how they would fit in as a committed team member for the following year.
A handful of times my son played on second teams if we had the weekend off and they needed players. I told him to tell the coach to bat him last and play whatever position was open.
My son did it when he was older, both teams in same program. I don't recommend it. He would get called up for the older team but didn't always get playing time. Got old. I would think of it more in terms of how many days a week a kid plays baseball. Plus, practice is important, especially before high school. I'm not sure kids that age absorb teaching during games as well as they do in practice.
My son and I recently talked about a friend of his who is playing on two teams, and he thought is was a bad idea.
Before graduating from high school most serious position players will play in hundreds of games without playing on 2 teams at once. It is a marathon!
My son and I recently talked about a friend of his who is playing on two teams, and he thought is was a bad idea.
Before graduating from high school most serious position players will play in hundreds of games without playing on 2 teams at once. It is a marathon!
My boys had no problem with it at 8 & 9. As they got older, I discouraged it, for no reasons other than keeping close watch on their pitching & maintaining team unity on their primary team.
I just remembered a story going back to 8th grade. The coach of the local Connie Mack team loved my son. He out him on the roster even though I told the coach he would probably never play. About four times my son came home before dinner saying he had to get to Connie Mack games. I told the coach it wasn't fair to the shortstop to be moved so my son could play short. He put my son at second. My son was the shortstop on the middle school team. He played wherever the pitcher came from on our high ranked travel team.
Freshman year that kid's mother complained her son started at short over my son when my son was the starting shortstop on JV and her son was on the freshman team. She complained the next year when my son started at short on varsity and her son started at second on JV. When my son was moved to center junior year the mother sniped at me, "Someone finally figured out your son isn't a shortstop."
Ah, the good 'ole days!
Freshman year that kid's mother complained her son started at short over my son when my son was the starting shortstop on JV and her son was on the freshman team. She complained the next year when my son started at short on varsity and her son started at second on JV. When my son was moved to center junior year the mother sniped at me, "Someone finally figured out your son isn't a shortstop."
Ah, the good 'ole days!
I have a story that goes along with the subject here. My son used to play on two different teams until he was maybe 9. Local coach or kid pitch league so no travel involved. I dont think he ever missed a game because they would both have a game on the same day.
Then on his 11 U team he had a teammate that also played on a 12 U team. I guess the ages dont matter though. Anyway, the dad would always tell the 11 U coach that the other team would have priority and he would miss a lot of games to play with the other team. I even remember tournaments he would show up in his other jersey and change when he hit the dugout. The kid went from being a very popular kid on the team to one that nobody liked. I saw how other parents treated his parents and how the other boys treated this kid, adn thought I would never do that to my son.
My thinking became "is your son really that big of a star that he can just show up and play when it fits into your schedule? Meantime the rest of the kids are putting all their energy into this team?" Selfish thinking.
I will say though that the last two falls, my son has played with his summer team on the weekends and for an old coach of his during the week. The only stipulation was that there would never be a situation that he would have games on the same day as one team played on Saturday and Sunday, and the other team on Tuesday or Wednesday.
Then on his 11 U team he had a teammate that also played on a 12 U team. I guess the ages dont matter though. Anyway, the dad would always tell the 11 U coach that the other team would have priority and he would miss a lot of games to play with the other team. I even remember tournaments he would show up in his other jersey and change when he hit the dugout. The kid went from being a very popular kid on the team to one that nobody liked. I saw how other parents treated his parents and how the other boys treated this kid, adn thought I would never do that to my son.
My thinking became "is your son really that big of a star that he can just show up and play when it fits into your schedule? Meantime the rest of the kids are putting all their energy into this team?" Selfish thinking.
I will say though that the last two falls, my son has played with his summer team on the weekends and for an old coach of his during the week. The only stipulation was that there would never be a situation that he would have games on the same day as one team played on Saturday and Sunday, and the other team on Tuesday or Wednesday.
I did this for 10u and 11u. I loved every bit of it but I am done playing baseball at 20 because of shoulder injury caused by overuse. It probably isn't the best way to do things at age 10 but those were my favorite days on a baseball field.