Play with Talent or Good Coaching?

Is this is about choosing a summer team?  And what age group?

Older youth.  1-2 years before high school. Spring/summer team. 

How would your thinking change at different age levels?

With an older youth to lower HS level, IMHO I would choose the better coached team everytime. 

The 2nd part of your question is harder. It will take time to observe first hand what is going on with the team (more then likely by being at practices and seeing what is going on). Are the practices organized? Is the team fundamentally sound?

Reputation of the coaches? Word of mouth from someone you trust is always important, as well as others who have had kids go through the programs. All would weigh into a decision.

It would change because your expectations should change.  At the older levels, 16U and up, you should be looking for a team that provides quality coaching, contacts and EXPOSURE.  You can play with talent, or even a team with good coaching, BUT, a team that does not show well at tournaments do not get as much attention.

At the level you are talking about now, IMO, I would go for quality coaching over playing with more talented kids.  Playing for someone who can teach the whole game is pivotal

My Opinion:  Team1 without question.   … Players need to practice baseball, not specialize.  Winning tournaments is really not that important.  Allow me to generalize deeper details of your post; at Pre-High School ages, Teams like No.1 move players around during a game, bat the whole lineup, practice more often and with more intensity.  Teams like No.2 will pigeonhole players both into positions and lineup order, and have sporadic practice schedules.   (Further gross generalizations coming&nbsp Players - and Parents – on Team no.2 walk on egg shells.  All Players on Team no.1 will show improvement over the course season; they will also walk away from Team no.1 with an honest sense of where their skills fit among their peers.

A well run practice involves multiple stations.   You should be able to easily perceive there’s a plan in place for the practice.  Players may be standing and waiting for their turn an at bat or in the field, but they are not disengaged.

Thanks for your thoughts on this.  In this new era of pre-HS baseball, it is difficult to find the right team.  In my area I counted up to 12 teams within 30 min.  Many are well meaning dads who know little about the game itself.  We have been through several coaching changes over the years (within the same team) and each year the actual coaching got worse to down right pathetic.  He attended a team's tryout and I could see the coaching difference right away.  I saw more actual coaching in 2 hours than I saw the previous two years.  We had been lucky enough to experience great coaching a few years ago, so I knew a little about what it looked like.  The parents raved about the guy and his passion for the game.  My son was hesitant and unsure.  In the end, it was a hard decision but at this point I think the right one.   

I agree that in the sprint to high school, getting good coaching is the most important consideration.  Wins/losses & trophies mean nothing if the kid can't compete in HS because his swing in long or his pitching mechanics are bad.  Now try explaining that to a young kid. 

Good luck

possibly get some of the better talent to come w you so you can get to champ round at tournaments where u can be seen more.

At the younger levels, you should always go with better coaching, no exception to that.  Even though many younger players, and especially their parents, are caught up in winning tournaments, nobody at higher levels really cares what Johnny did when he was 11 years old.  With that in mind, what matters is finding coaching that can teach your kid the proper way to play the game.  As they get to the high school level, things begin to change gradually.  While quality coaching is still very important, so is playing on teams that college coaches want to see play.  You can't control that with regard to the high school team, but you can with summer baseball.  As your son gets to the high school level, you should find a team with quality coaching and which is a good team that college coaches follow.  They are out there, you just have to look to find them.  And of course, your kid has to be able to play to a certain level to even get a shot on such a team.

My two cents....with regards to what coach to select.

<14yo select skills development, good coaching and fun

>14yo experience developing and showcasing teams, facilities, connections to college coaches & networking

Skills development, physical development, and desire becomes the sole responsibility of the individual at 14.  Word of mouth, research on web sites such as HSBBWeb are a great resource to find a team.