Preparing for High School

Hi,
My son is a 13 year old 8th grader as well. We are in the same boat trying to prepare for high school as well.

Son is a pitcher and there is no way he wants to go behind the plate.
Maybe your older son can help the younger with the mental aspects... Why do they pitch batters a certain way etc. Maybe have the younger son catch the older's bullpens?

I think knowing that you are prepared goes a long way to providing confidence going into a tryout. Below is an old post of Coach May's regarding their off season progam. I showed it to my son and it helped light the fire in regards to things that he could/should be doing.
I hope it is ok by Coach May to copy it here...

Hope this helps. I agree this site has been wonderfully helpful.


Coach May's Post------------------------------------------------------
Here you go kid. This is what we do for rising 9th graders.

Monday Weds Friday- 20 minute run - jog at an 8 min mile pace for 1:50 sec sprint for 10 seconds. Jog at an 8 minute mile pace for 1:45 sec sprint for 15 sec. Jog at an 8 min mile pace for 1:50 sec sprint for 10 sec. Jog at an 8 min mile pace for 1:45 sec sprint for 15 sec. Jog at an 8 min mile pace for 1:50 sec sprint for 10 sec. Do this for 20 minutes. Walk for 2 minutes and cool down.

Next- Med ball work out. Standing two hand toss 8 lb ball 45 sec. Do this twice. Keep up with your reps.
Standing overhead two hand toss 8 lb ball 45 sec two sets keep up with your reps.
Seated two hand toss 8lb ball repeat twice. Seated two hand toss overhead repeat twice.
Sit up with med ball 10 lb ball. We call in single pop. Put the ball at your midsection and go back popping the ball behind your head on the ground. As you come up with it put it back in your midsection and toss it to your partner two handed. He throws it back to you in the up posistion and go again. Two sets 45 seconds keep up with your reps.
Triple pop with 10 lb ball. Sit up posistion starting posistion. Pop the ball on the ground with both hands on your right side then back to your left then go down pop the ball behind your head and back up passing the ball to your partner. Repeat for two sets of 45 seconds.

Wrist rollers with 2 1/2 and 5 pound weights. These are easily made with a broom stick and some rope with weights. Four sets of 30 sec reps. Keep up with how many times you can roll it up and roll it down. Make sure that you roll it down no just let it down.

Ladder drills. They are not that expensive and if you want get a can of spray paint and draw one on the ground. You can go online and get the exercises but they are not really complicated. We foot in every hole. Every other hole. Icky shuffle. Icky wide shuffle. Side to side. High knee lifts. Cross over high knee lifts. Bunny hop every hole. Bunny hop everyother hole. And some more. Go through all ladder drills twice. Keep up with your times without hitting the ladder or the lines.

Jump rope. We do five sets of 1 minute. With 30 seconds of rest between sets. We work as fast as we can with the rope without stopping. If you mess up just get going again as quick as possible.

Box jumps and explosions. PM me and Ill give you the deal on these.

Lead sprints. We get in our primary lead posistion. We work on our explosion starts. 5 for 5 yards. 5 for 10 yards. 5 for 20 yards 5 for 30 yards.

Hills we have a hill that is pretty steep. We work lead sprints up this hill full speed. We run 5. We run 5 backwards. We run 5 sideways each way. We make sure that we jog down not walk down the hill.

Tuesday Thursday- We work lower body on Tuesday and Upper body on thursday. Now Older kids do weights Mon Weds and Fri and this work out on Tues and Thurs.

Tuesday- Light squats (form form form). Half squats. Calf raises. Dumbell jumps light weight. 5 or 10 lbs. Leg extensions and leg curls.

Then we run stairs after a long stretching period before we lift and after we lift. Then we get in some ball drills. (Ball Drills) Brutal exercise that we feel builds (reveals character). The kids love them because they test you. Here they are. Take a can of field paint. Paint a dot the size of a softball on the ground. Five yards in front of it paint another a dot. Five more yards another dot. Five more yards another dot. Five more yards one more dot. Thats a total of five dots. On the second dot put a baseball. And put a ball on every dot except the first one. The player starts from the first dot that is the starting spot. Start the watch and the player has to go get the first ball and put it on the first dot where he started. He goes back and gets the next ball and so on. After he has all the balls at the first dot he has to go back and put them all back where they originally were. We he gets back to the start line and all the balls are put back he is finished.

Thursday- Dumbell bench press. Dumbell incline press. Dumbell raises front and side and back. Tricep push downs and bicep curls with dumbells.

We are introducing weights to these younger kids and we teach them proper technique and form. Same running as on tuesday.

We start this program on Aug 1 and run it through Feb 1. We use Tuesday and Thursday for Hitting. Mon Weds and Fri are our long toss days.

Son you are 13 and there is a ton of things you can do to start working on getting bigger stronger and faster and more athletic. We started out with 32 or 33 and finished with 28 guys all the way through last year. You would be amazed at how much stronger and faster these young men got. Not to mention the arm strength gains and bat speed and power. I think it had alot to do with the season we are currently having. 21-3 14-0 #2 in the State so far. If your willing to pay the price you can make tremendous gains. Good Luck Oh by the way- You have Saturday and Sunday to chill- There are no days off during the week if you are serious. Once you start taking days off you are finished.
Im not advocating that at 13 you start with the weights are guys are 14 at the youngest. Just leave that part out and use the med balls and wrist rollers. Your never too young to start running seriously and pushing yourself. Good Luck

I think all parents find themselves asking "What do I need to do and have I done enough"... I really wouldn't approach this this too seriously. Most players are developing at this age and they need to be allowed to develop and adjust. My son wasn't a catcher when he started high school (he was a P/3B) but he ended up catching in college and the pros so don't get too focused on one position. Personally I think I would key in on hitting and developing arm strength. Those two alone will take you far. I would seek out a good hitting instructor and work on long toss --- maybe some pitching mechanics if you think he will pitch. Pitching mechanics doesn't hurt even if he NEVER pitches. Throw in some rice bucket drills, and maybe some thera bands nothing strenuous. Other than that a few fungos and if a catcher he can practice blocking, transfers and throwdowns. Don't build high school ball up to be some insurmountable challenge in his and your eyes --- normally it isn't that difficult for a player that has played travel ball.
Fungo

Great advice so far. Since you already have one ahead of him you know the roaps.

I concur with Fungo:

1. Long toss, long toss, long toss and build up the arm strength. We just got back from the Jaeger sports clinic and Jim Vatcher (undersized position player who went on and played for 15 yrs) told a story about his one and ONLY request from a scout was to go out to right field and throw to third. He threw bullets and they signed him.

2. If he can hit they will find a position for him to play.

good luck

good posts and great answers so far. I think that its true if you hit they will play you, but many freshmen are still developing and need to work on beginning to condition their bodies to be stronger, quicker, faster, I think the stuff Coach May discusses is great stuff. My son and four of his teammates worked out in the fall with a trainer who did most of the stuff C. May discusses. that along with long toss, and hitting with someone who can work on the strategies of hitting at the next level and mechanics will do you a lot of good. Those things with some baseball abilities will set you apart from a lot of kids who show up for HS baseball.

To BaseballMom10, Fungo, BOF and fanofgame:

Thanks for the advice, I see a number of common points around long toss, hitting lessons and conditioning, all of which make a lot of sense.

I will share this with 34 (our 8th grader) and let him soak it up.

I am sure I'll be back with more questions and if its ok, I'll keep you posted on his progress.

Thanks again for your help.

This may not be the case for many of your kids. But for the vast majority of players coming into a high school program there are many firsts.

For the first time in their life they are going to be throwing every day of the week. On day one they will throw to get loose and throw to work on proper mechanics of throwing. They will go to posistion play where they will throw some more. Pitchers who are also posistion players will also throw pens. There will be alot of throwing.

Now they will come back the very next day and throw again. Some will be sore from Monday. Some will be starting to get a little sore from Monday. And its only Tuesday with at least three more practices this week and maybe one on Saturday. The kids that have not properly trained for baseball season before baseball season will be in serious trouble.

They will condition as part of practice every day. Many young players coming into hs have never had conditioning as part of a baseball practice. This in itself will be a taxing situation for many young players.

For the first time in their life they will be competing with and against players much older than they are. More physically developed and more mature mentally. The pace of the practices will be much faster and more intense than many have ever experienced.

Players who come into the tryouts / season physically prepared to compete will have a huge advantage over the competition. Players who have been on a solid throwing program before tryouts / season will have a huge advantage.

Its not something you stress about or worry about unless you have failed to properly prepare for it. If your properly prepared you will gain confidence from the preparation you have put in.

#1- Condition
#2- Long toss
#3- Hustle

Coach May, why don't you take a sabbatical from your team down there in NC and come up to beautiful South Jersey to coach my sons HS team. You probably do more teaching in one week than his coaches do in two years!

If you like Philly cheesesteaks I can run over the bridge and get you couple whenever you want.

Coach May, Thanks for the comments. Even with my older boy having had 3 years of high school ball, I did not focus on the impact of the everyday practices and the age difference for a 9th grader compared with the older players. I will share your words with 34 and I am sure he will take them to heart.

fillsfan thank you for the kind comments. When I first started coaching in hs I had never had a son of my own come through a hs program. I looked at it through a coaches eye and with a coaches perspective. After having two of my own sons come and go through a hs program I now not only look at it from a coaches perspective but as a dad as well.

Of course a serious player is going to work on his hitting , fielding etc. But what do they fail to concentrate on that will help them? Core strength , agility , speed , physical conditioning. And when you are younger you play a couple of games a week maybe on the weekends you play four or five games. You practice once or twice a week. Now in hs you are throwing everyday. Condition the arm "prior" to the season.

I have always believed that you should be "season ready" when the season starts. If you wait to start getting ready once it starts you will behind the players that are already prepared and your team will be behind the teams that are already prepared. Good luck to your boys.

I can't top what Coach May has said, but maybe I can add to it with a few tips on getting ready for tryout season in what -- 7/8 weeks?

The big thing here is you have kids who are about to have more demanded of them than they have probably ever thought would be asked. Unfortunately, we live in an era that dotes on kids to the point of excusing them from work, forgiving their indulgence in idleness, etc. Most of these kids have played travel ball and they believe they are ready for high school ball. But playing every day is a lot harder than taking the occasional trip out of town to a tournament. And if you get cut from this team, you can't just find another team that'll take your money.

If a kid is about to go into a well-run high school program for the first time, the difficulty factor can be quite a culture shock. That can run some kids off; others fail to adjust and find themselves cut from the team before they knew what hit them. (And then, the whining starts ....)

Here's what I would emphasize to your son to help him succeed:

1. You're in competition with older boys and with lots of other travel ball veterans. If you skimp on the preparation for tryouts, you'll have no one but yourself to blame if you get yourself cut. Start running 5-6 days/week and work on a lifting program that's appropriate for someone his age. (Ask a personal trainer if you have access to one, or the coach if you don't.) Bottom line: Show up to tryouts in top shape.

2. Also, show up looking like you care. Wear your hat right and your practice togs right. Some folks don't care, but many do. Don't take the chance at offending someone with your cockeyed hat or your shirt tail out. Treat it like an extended job interview.

3. Hustle everywhere you go, and don't stop hustling just because one of your slacker friends thinks it's not cool. Act like someone is watching you every moment -- because someone is.

4. Stay caught up on your school work. The daily grind of practices and games, 5-6 days/week for 3 months or more, can wear you out mentally and if nothing else, cramp your schedule. Eliminate internet surfing, "Guitar Hero", AIM, texting and other time wasters from your daily routine, and cut your TV time way down. This will assure you don't fall behind in school or let your grades drop.

5. Behave yourself.

If you think you can get into trouble at school and that's separate from baseball, think again. Coaches hear about this stuff and nobody wants Mr. Trouble on his team.

In a similar vein, avoid making any negative comments about other players, even if you think no one is around to hear you. There's a name coaches have for players who run down their teammates like that and the name is, Poison.

Same thing goes for the kid who throws helmets and bats whenever he strikes out. Who needs the headache, or the drama? Those kids think they are showing their competitive fire, but really they're just showing their self-involvement and immaturity.

6. Tell your son in advance that if he gets cut and thinks the coach screwed him, you will not intervene under any circumstances. You of course wish him every success, but this one's all up to him. Even if you wanted to intervene, the coaches wouldn't listen, so don't count on mommy and daddy to bail you out if you don't do the work. Because if you don't, someone else will, and they might beat you out of that roster spot you're after.

quote:

But what do they fail to concentrate on that will help them? Core strength , agility , speed , physical conditioning. And when you are younger you play a couple of games a week maybe on the weekends you play four or five games. You practice once or twice a week. Now in hs you are throwing everyday. Condition the arm "prior" to the season.

I have always believed that you should be "season ready" when the season starts. If you wait to start getting ready once it starts you will behind the players that are already prepared and your team will be behind the teams that are already prepared.

Very good points. Our new (third year) high school coach is trying to change a losing mindset at the high school. He had the team meeting in early November as the fall sports regular seasons were winding down. He told players and parents many games will be won based on what the players do in the training facilities between now and tryouts the first week of March. He warned not to wait until March to get into playing condition. He told the winter athletes if they can't get to the training sessions he's set up in the afternoons, get to a facility at night or weekends.

Another thing incoming high school kids can do to help themselves along with conditioning long toss hitting etc. is being able and willing to play multiple positions. When my son played hs ball, as an incoming freshman, he was primarily an outfielder but also listed himself as a pitcher and catcher. Ironically, the most catching he did since he was 12 yrs old was some rec ball and caught on his 9 yr old all-star team but that's it. In his sophomore year, one kid who tried out for the team as a catcher didn't make it so they were left with 1 regular catcher. My son volunteered to be the backup figuring he'd catch a couple games in a pinch. For different reasons, he wound up catching over a 1/4 of the season while playing OF and some relief pitching the rest of the time. He also played SS on his legion teams but didn't push for SS in school probably because that spot was taken and he figured he would be one of the better outfielders in the program (which he turned out to be). Plus he was a good hitter and his high school coach wanted outfielders that can produce offense.

I remember the few games my son didn't start in the field, he still DHed to keep his bat in the lineup and in his senior year, he developed some speed and was the primary courtesy runner and pinch ran in the couple of games he wasn't in the field.

One last thing that's one of the most important is to hustle and run everything out hard. It payed off in getting the extra base, beating out the play for an infield hit or reaching base on a strikeout. I always told my son no matter who he plays for, they will rarely ever ride you if you make a mistake as long as you come prepared, ready to play, play hard and play the game right. Just that alone might make the difference for some player sitting the bench or getting keyplaying time or making the cut. Especially if the competition for spots is real close.

For kids at that age if they have talent need not do anything different than what they have been doing. At least this is how I feel---a good prgram will know who the frosh are coming in

Many coaches will run infielders thru drills at 3rd, SS and 2B just to see what they can do

The player just needs to be in baseball shape and hustle all the time

What if you are a can't miss kid? The only choice the coaches have is JV or Varsity? Should you work out to get stronger or play as much as you can to keep your timing?

As a frosh in HS what is a "can't miss kid"?

I am a firm believer in getting bigger stronger faster and more athletic will make you a better player. Playing all the time does not address these issues. There is a balance that must be struck. One of the reasons I really like showcase or travel ball for hs aged kids is they can play 5 or 6 games on the weekends against high caliber competition and then spend the week working on the aforementioned.

There is a huge difference in a Jr in hs that has worked very hard on his core strength , speed , athletic ability , agility etc for three years and a Jr in hs that has just played all the time. A huge difference.

quote:

Originally posted by Doughnutman:
What if you are a can't miss kid? The only choice the coaches have is JV or Varsity? Should you work out to get stronger or play as much as you can to keep your timing?

I have a freshman and the HC had workouts for three weeks prior to the Christmas Break. The difference I noticed most about the "can't miss" kids was their lack of strength and conditioning in comparison to the older kids. Many were shocked by the amount of running and strength drills they had to do.

This web site has been a great information source for me over the last couple of years, however I have never posted here. My oldest son is in the 8th grade now and high school is getting close. I have a lot of interest in this topic and all of the responses have been great. I do have a couple of specific questions.
He plays 1B, 3B, catches and pitches should he begin to focus on a couple of positions or continue to play all. Also he switch hits has a ton of power from the right and is a contact hitter from the left. He wants to work more on the right. Question does a switch hitter bring value to a high school coach?

quote:

He plays 1B, 3B, catches and pitches should he begin to focus on a couple of positions or continue to play all.

The more versatile a young player is the better position he's in. You never know where the opening in the lineup will be. I trained all my pre high school travel players on outfield play. Often the first positions that open up for underclassmen are right and left field.

When I said can't miss I meant a kid that will be playing Varsity in HS. Didn't mean to imply college or pro level success. I am sure that everyone has seen a Freshman in HS and the only expression was WOW. I had the great fortune to play with one in HS and have seen a few at our local HS. Freshman that are fantastic. Thanks for the answers.

quote:

Originally posted by TRhit:
As a frosh in HS what is a "can't miss kid"?

lmao.

Must be 6'5, hits from the left side,
throws 90, runs 6.9 in 60, plus pop in bat, and when he dons on the tools of ignorance, pops at 1.8 ssec!

Close Bear,
I played with a kid who ran a sub 7.0 sixty, was 6'2" about 180 and threw in the mid 80's and could hit. He also started on Varsity Football as a safety and punter, Started Varsity basketball as a 2 guard and could dunk no problem. All as a freshman. He was a can't miss 14 year old. Started at Bradley as a pitcher and made it to AAA before elbow problems stopped him. It was pretty obvious to everyone that he would make Varsity baseball as a freshman. He started at SS and was the closer.

We have two kids at my sons future HS who started as freshman last year. JO kids. Getting offers already as sophmores when they get invites to camps. It was pretty obvious they were can't miss for varsity.

LMAO.

Why is it always about size? Pretty sure Mike Fontenot was not 6'2 in hs.

As freshman, they have to understand that they're primarily playing against 17-19 yr olds so the success they have against 16 yr olds has to be put in perspective. As frehman pitchers, unless they're that far ahead of the curve for their age, they need to learn that they may no longer be as dominating at the varsity level until they learn to pitch to the older players. It comes with experience and maturity.

While throwing 75 at 13 is good for a 13 yr old, it won't get anybody out at the varsity level so strength and conditioning a must to add the extra mph to the fastball so that the other pitches are effective.

zombywoof- I would hope there are not that many 19 year olds out there in high school. I know that I turned 19 while entering my sophomore year in college.

I think the elite level of youth baseball has prepared talented freshmen to play at the varsity level. The ones that are playing at the national level have played under pressure situations against the equivalent of varsity baseball as a rule. We've had many players play varsity as a freshman. The reality is that varsity baseball in some areas is not that great.

It gets down to two things- what is the philosophy of the school. Do they let talent find it's level? Secondly, is this player socially ready to play with 17-18 year olds. He might be able to physically compete but hanging out all season with kids 2-3 years older is not an easy thing for many kids. It is a concern.

quote:

Originally posted by Doughnutman:
What if you are a can't miss kid? The only choice the coaches have is JV or Varsity? Should you work out to get stronger or play as much as you can to keep your timing?

After 8th grade I told my son the difference between freshmen and upperclassmen is upper body strength. He didn't take it to heart. When he was one of the last two cut from varsity one of the pieces of advice he was given was to improve his upper body strength.

quote:

One of the reasons I really like showcase or travel ball for hs aged kids is they can play 5 or 6 games on the weekends against high caliber competition and then spend the week working on the aforementioned.

Coach May ....

How do you feel about the effect on maintaining timing not playing for five days? It was one of my concerns with travel the past three years (7th to 9th grade). Maybe it's not as much of an issue as the kids get older and more skilled.

quote:

I would hope there are not that many 19 year olds out there in high school. I know that I turned 19 while entering my sophomore year in college.

A lot of kids are being held back a year either when they start school or in middle school. Normally a senior is eighteen by the spring. Being held back would make him nineteen.

In PA, while most kids start kindergarten at age five, the law only requires a kid to start first grade by age seven. Kindergarten is optional. The high school athlete is eligible as long as he doesn't turn twenty before the high school year ends. I believe most states have the same/similar rules about nineteen year olds.

My son is a late spring kid. In freshman basketball most of the players were at least a year older. He was only one of three who were the normal grade age. One of the kids in his grade with a September birthday is twenty months older. That's a huge physical advantage as a freshman.

In the summer its usually a four day lay off. Play Friday Sat and Sun , so your off Mon - Thurs. Its not alot different than the HS season where you can have a Tues - Fri game situation and your off Sat Sun and Mon. I have never heard the guys complain about it. The players that spend those days running , lifting , throwing , hitting etc seem to continue to get better throughout the summer season. On the weekends we play Sat and Sun and not on Friday we usually have something on Monday at a local college. Usually a dh.

We talk a lot about the "stud" at 11-12 is not always the best player at 14-15. I have also seen that the best players at 13-14 are not always the best players at 16-17.

Of the 4 best players on son's 13 yo team, three may not make the 16u team and the 4th is middle of the pack now. More evidence that all that really matters until 16 years old is to work hard and improve year to year. Doesn't matter what travel team you play for or whether you make varsity as a freshman. The goal should be to be the best player you can be at 16 or junior year. I don't mean that you should peak at that age, just that the college attention usually start then and that is when you want to be the best you can be.

Their are going to be setbacks along the way and the way a player handles these setbacks also will determine what kind of player he is at 16-17.

fills ... In 13U the dad of one of your best pitchers told me while my son (5'2" at the time) was playing travel to have fun, his son (5'9", throwing 78-80) was playing for a college scholarship. The dad was about 5'9". I just smiled. This kid had dark hair and always pitched in the semis or finals. He's a lefty that also played first. While our kids didn't play in the same age group last summer, I don't recollect seeing this kid the year before in 14U. If you know who I'm talking about is he one that faded? Or is he a 6'2" stud throwing upper 80's?

I have seen it go both ways guys. I have seen the top guys on a team at 12 move on and sign with big time schools. And I have seen the top guys on some teams not make the high school team. It just comes down to who works , who has the talent and who still wants it when it really matters.

quote:

Originally posted by ncball:
zombywoof- I would hope there are not that many 19 year olds out there in high school. I know that I turned 19 while entering my sophomore year in college.

My son graduated at 17. I'm fairly sure he was the youngest senior on the varsity squad. He will be 18 entering his sophomore year turning 19 early in the semester.

There are quite a few 19 year olds still in high school. More than I thought.

Coach May I agree 100%.

RJM you have a PM.

My son is currently a 2014 13 year old (August 1995).

We sent him to Transitional Kindergarten at 5 and Kindergarten at 6, as much to gain a year of maturity than anything. He will be 18 when he graduates HS, and start college as a freshman at 19.

This was done with several boys he was in school with at that time.

Others can confirm or dispute this but I was told by a parent who had a younger (17yo) HS grad that some recruiters and scouts like the 17yos because they have more opportunity to grow and develop.

For College coach the HS seniors that are more mature physically are the first ones they look at---colleges do not have time like the pros to wait for full development

filsfan,
I am sure that is true, especially for pitchers in pro ball. But it seems to me that colleges like their kids a little more polished to get instant results.

To find the exception to the rule just check out Jaff Decker from Arizona. A definite man child when he was drafted in the supplemental round by San Diego. All of the ESPN guys said he didn't have an upside. The kid isn't very tall, is very wide and had a scraggly beard in HS. They were pretty brutal.

All he has done is flat out hit!! The number one HS kid out of the draft. We saw him hitting for a couple of scouts, our team was going to take the field for practice when he was done. Our kids were just "wow" and "did you see how far that ball went?"

They didn't realize he was using wood until we told them. That was when I became a believer in, "If you can hit, we will find a place for you." All of the stuff about size, maturity, whatever goes out the window when you can flat out hit.