Rewarding home runs?

Nothing. He got a home run. The reward is right there.

Dadof3 posted:

My son will be playing 12u this year.  Should I reward home runs that he hits?  I did last year (milkshakes) because it was his first year hitting them.  Should I do it again this year?  What does/did everyone else do as a reward?

My fear would be that he would swing for the fences, and possibly mess up his swing.  I am not sure it would put him in the right place mentally.

I don't have a problem with rewards per se, but if you are going to reward the home runs, reward the sac bunts too!

OK, I was thinking of not rewarding them, but wasn't sure.

Just do whatever you can to get him the ball.   My son is going to be 20 next month and still has his first home run ball from when he was 10. 

Get him a chain to pop.  

No need for a reward.  The feat itself is an award.  My son's travel team coach taught that "HR's are accidents.  It's a line drive that never came down in the field of play."

The real reward is hitting them at the college level if your son gets that far.  My son had 8 of them in three years -  two of them were grand slams. 

I was more impressed of a stat he set during his sophomore year at a D2 Juco.  He broke the school record (23) hitting 24 doubles during the regular season and added three more in the playoffs.  He was #2 in the nation for D2 JuCo's in that stat.  It's also the stat that got him noticed by a D2 University.

We still have most of his HR balls from HS.

I have a friend who uses to reward his son for home runs when he was that age. He was eventually cut from his HS team. 

No need to reward him. Both he and his team knows what happened. 

Tell him to fall asleep with a grin on his face.  Because that's what hitting a homerun feels like.

Seriously, congratulate him.  The ball is a great reward.

The dad of a kid in our league offered his son $5 for every homer his 12yo season. The kid swung for the fences, struck out way too much, popped up way too much and didn't help his team. All for $25. When my son hit homers I gave him five rounding third. He got the post game ice cream regardless of game results. 

My son went deep in a cross town HS rivalry game last year. He's a LH hitter w/pop and trailing by 1 run top 6 with 1 on 2 outs , the opposing coach brought in D1 commit LHP to face him.

He drilled the first pitch over the right field fence. After the win I took him to Outback and bought him a steak . I don't know, it seemed appropriate and looking back I'm really glad I did it

Funny story.    I used to save the home run balls.  I probably had 8-10 balls lined up on the shelf in my home office  from the little league years.  10-13 years old or so.   I had visions of reminiscing in my later years with those balls on the shelf.        One day I noticed the balls were gone.   Son was 13 or 14 at this point.    When I asked my son where the balls went.   He said " batting practice ".  Lol.      

rynoattack posted:

Dadof3 posted:

My son will be playing 12u this year.  Should I reward home runs that he hits?  I did last year (milkshakes) because it was his first year hitting them.  Should I do it again this year?  What does/did everyone else do as a reward?

My fear would be that he would swing for the fences, and possibly mess up his swing.  I am not sure it would put him in the right place mentally.

I don't have a problem with rewards per se, but if you are going to reward the home runs, reward the sac bunts too!

My son = not a power hitter.  He smoked the top of the home run fence while at Sports at the Beach in DE.  Proceeded to swing for the fences the next two at bats and looked awful.. Closest he ever came to hitting one out.

Very realistic fear...  lol

I didn't reward HR's.  I did however purchase square plastic boxes to put his homerun balls in, it was up to him if he wanted them filled.  He has about a dozen in boxes on his chest of drawers in his room, all with various things written on them.

I think it depends a little on the kids. There are kids who always swing half ***** with like 50% effort  because they are afraid to miss or generally not that motivated. Those kids could benefit from a higher intent level in their swing  and should be encouraged to swing harder.

Other kids tend to overswing, pulling their head off and losing their mechanics, those kids need to be slowed down a little so they can focus on mechanics and watching the ball until contact.

My wife and I  never rewarded academic or athletic home runs with anything more than, "nice job" (or the equivalent).

Edited to say:  I apologize that this sounds "holier than thou."  Just telling it like it is. When our oldest came home from kindergarten many years ago with an A+ for gluing five pieces of macaroni to a piece of construction paper, my wife and I decided right then and there what our game plan was going to be.  True story, not kidding. .

The game stops. Everyone in attendance has to stop and watch you run around the bases until it can resume. Yeah it's a big deal. If you want to reward him for it you should do it. He's not being motivated to hit home runs for a milkshake. He's motivated to hit home runs because its a freaking Home Run. He has experienced what many will never experience in their entire lives at any level. Let a kid be a kid. As he matures in the game he will understand the difference in allowing his natural swing to produce the result and not changing his approach to do it. And if he never hits another HR at least he got to enjoy the moment without it being tempered with "Now don't get HR crazy!" Now that's just my opinion. You have to understand my approach to hitting is HAMMER TIME, MASH CITY, THIS IS WHY I PLAY, IF IT's CLOSE ITS TOAST, etc. So don't blame me if he goes 0-4 with 4 k's. But if he goes 1-4 with a 3 run JACK it's milkshake time.

Funny, my HS SR came home yesterday and asked if I would pay him for HRs this year.  I asked him why he was asking.  He stated that I never paid him for HRs and some of his friends dads still pay them.  I agreed to pay him $1 per HR.

Fond memories of Coach O'Donnell buying me a banana split at "The Farm Shop" in Southport, Ct. after my first home run in LL.  I got one more out of him before season ended.  It was our team tradition.  You might call it a reward.  Funny thing was, I never really liked banana splits.........would not have been what I would have wanted to order at that time, but it was our team tradition; Home run = Banana Split (reward).  

To this day I've never had another one, besides the two Coach O'Donnell bought me the summer I was 12.   But to this day, every time I'm in an ice cream shop and look at the menu and see "Banana Split" I think of Mr. O'Donnell.   He died of cancer two years later.  

My son at age 10 decided to become a switch hitter.  I told him I'd buy him the BB gun he always wanted when he hit a dinger Lefty in a LL game.  In the end he got the BB gun.  

I understand the various points of view on the subject.  But I see nothing wrong with incentive plans that are applied with care and thought.  Rewards and incentives can be appropriate.  Bribery and flat-out paying your kid to practice or hit home runs can be unhealthy.   

my kid scored on a bunt after the other team threw the ball around chasing him around the bases.  He swore he had hit a home run cause he scored... LOL..

He was 9.  LOL

Big difference celebrating with a kid after a HR compared to rewarding him.  I think I saw examples of both here.  Not saying one is better than the other....

I really do think this is one of those case by case things.  If my son hits a home run I might buy him a car.  It just isn't really in his cards or his style...  We have a friend who their 13 year old has hit numerous HRs his first year playing 60-90.  Playing 50-70 Cal Ripken as a 12 year old,  him hitting bombs there was a daily occurrence it seemed.  One player's feat could be just another Saturday's game while the exact same feat could be a story that the player would be telling his grand kids about when he is 80.

How you choose to celebrate it can and should be as diverse as the players we see.  I also saw a comment about bribing a kid.  How literal are we taking that word, bribe?  I bribe my kid all the time.  Want another 30 minutes of xbox?  How about another 30 minutes of reading, or some chores..   I think when the player starts to practice, play or strive for feats beyond the love of the sport, one could get into a grey area.  But whom am I to judge?

IMO..

Kevin A posted:

Big difference celebrating with a kid after a HR compared to rewarding him.  I think I saw examples of both here.  Not saying one is better than the other....

I really do think this is one of those case by case things.  If my son hits a home run I might buy him a car.  It just isn't really in his cards or his style...  We have a friend who their 13 year old has hit numerous HRs his first year playing 60-90.  Playing 50-70 Cal Ripken as a 12 year old,  him hitting bombs there was a daily occurrence it seemed.  One player's feat could be just another Saturday's game while the exact same feat could be a story that the player would be telling his grand kids about when he is 80.

How you choose to celebrate it can and should be as diverse as the players we see.  I also saw a comment about bribing a kid.  How literal are we taking that word, bribe?  I bribe my kid all the time.  Want another 30 minutes of xbox?  How about another 30 minutes of reading, or some chores..   I think when the player starts to practice, play or strive for feats beyond the love of the sport, one could get into a grey area.  But whom am I to judge?

 

IMO..

I agree.  And I think that's the point, "Who am I to judge?"  Only you know if you are flat out bribing your kid.  And for me a bribe, usually is a reward given up front, in an effort to induce or encourage a future behavior or action.  An incentive is the opposite, given after the desired behavior is exhibited.  "Hit these marks here, of your own free will, and this will be your reward."  

In the end, only you know if you are bribing, incentivizing,  rewarding, or prostituting.

I hit 15 HRs as a youth.  I just wanted to post this.  

I hear chicks dig the long ball, which by my accounting is reward enough. 

Catch1721 posted:

I hear chicks dig the long ball, which by my accounting is reward enough. 

I've been using that same motivation for my son since he hit his first HR at 8.  Now that he is 13, it really makes sense to him.   (Note:  Mom did not, and still does not, agree with this motivational technique.) 

hsbaseball101 posted:

I hit 15 HRs as a youth.  I just wanted to post this.  

PM me your address.  I will mail you 15 banana splits.

LOL!

Kevin A posted:

my kid scored on a bunt after the other team threw the ball around chasing him around the bases.  He swore he had hit a home run cause he scored... LOL..

 

He was 9.  LOL

I know some scorekeepers who would score that a homerun

Buckeye 2015 posted:

Just do whatever you can to get him the ball.   My son is going to be 20 next month and still has his first home run ball from when he was 10. 

My son will be 17 next month and he still also has his first home run ball from his 10u season (he was 9)...it is also still his only over-the-fence HR. 

Thanks for the input.  I don't think I will be rewarding him this year.  Last year he lead the team in walks, BA and hr's (9) and averaged 1 hr every 5.5 at bats, so I don't think he would necessarily "swing for the fences".   We did get him the encased shelf to house all the hr balls with the date/team and approximate distance written on them.  As PAdad says, I am excited to look back on them when I am old and hopefully still have my memory to remember them.

My kid got a tablespoon of Nutella after each HR.  Pretty sure that it did not negatively affect his average or plate appearances.  Teeth?  Not so sure.

Dadof3 posted:

Thanks for the input.  I don't think I will be rewarding him this year.  Last year he lead the team in walks, BA and hr's (9) and averaged 1 hr every 5.5 at bats, so I don't think he would necessarily "swing for the fences".   We did get him the encased shelf to house all the hr balls with the date/team and approximate distance written on them.  As PAdad says, I am excited to look back on them when I am old and hopefully still have my memory to remember them.

Just make sure you keep plenty of BP balls around- otherwise they'll end up in the bucket!

At 12U, 2 years ago, my boy had 11.  I found most of them and they're now in his room.  I bought him a T-shirt after he hit 3 in Cooperstown.   Enjoy them at 12u, when the fields got bigger at 13U, I only had to find one.

Ok, here's a fun non-home run story.

My son had some power in high school but was a pitcher-only on his travel team and is a pitcher-only in college. 

However, he retained formidable batting practice power.

One night before a collegiate summer league game, his coach let the pitchers take batting practice.  

My son put on a five o'clock fireworks display for the ages, launching rockets over the right field fence, over the little hill beyond the fence and over the fence at the top of the little hill. The visiting team made no attempt to conceal their shock and awe.

Fast forward to the bottom of the ninth.  Runners at first and third with one out in a tie game. The bench is depleted, and the coach decides to put my son in as a pinch hitter, hoping to get past this hole in the lineup without killing the scoring opportunity.

The visiting coaches had seen the power demonstration but did not know my son hadn't seen anything but batting practice for three years and was totally unprepared to make contact against live pitching.

Son stands in the box. Flexes muscles. Gazes at distant horizon.

Visiting coach calls for an intentional walk.

Next batter hits a sac fly to win it.

Swampboy posted:

Ok, here's a fun non-home run story.

My son had some power in high school but was a pitcher-only on his travel team and is a pitcher-only in college. 

However, he retained formidable batting practice power.

One night before a collegiate summer league game, his coach let the pitchers take batting practice.  

My son put on a five o'clock fireworks display for the ages, launching rockets over the right field fence, over the little hill beyond the fence and over the fence at the top of the little hill. The visiting team made no attempt to conceal their shock and awe.

Fast forward to the bottom of the ninth.  Runners at first and third with one out in a tie game. The bench is depleted, and the coach decides to put my son in as a pinch hitter, hoping to get past this hole in the lineup without killing the scoring opportunity.

The visiting coaches had seen the power demonstration but did not know my son hadn't seen anything but batting practice for three years and was totally unprepared to make contact against live pitching.

Son stands in the box. Flexes muscles. Gazes at distant horizon.

Visiting coach calls for an intentional walk.

Next batter hits a sac fly to win it.

Similar story with my son.  Only it was HS ball.  Senior year, district championship game.  Son's team (home) trailing by 1 run going into the bottom of the 7th.  Lineup coming to bat is 8-9-1 (son is #2 batter in the order).  First two batters are put out in quick succession bring up the top of the line up.   The #1 batter is a 5 tool player who had hit a 2 run blast in his last at-bat in the 5th.  

Opposing coach pays a visit to the mound.  From the first pitch (well outside) it's obvious they don't want to pitch to him fearing the worst.  End up intentionally walking him which brings my son up to bat.  Of course, I'm nervous as all heck as he has not had a good game having flied out, ground out and walked.  But he has the highest or 2nd highest batting average on the team and is generally a good clutch hitter.  Runner steals 2nd with the count 1-1.  Son works the count to 3-1.  Next pitch is an inside pitch that begins to tail over the plate (right in son's powerhouse).  Son rips a line drive over the 3B head down in to the LF corner for a stand up double scoring the runner and tying the game.  His team would go onto win in the 8th securing their first district championship in 25 years.

In my mind it was the hit of the year if not the hit of his career.

Straight cash, homey.

My view for both of my boys as young players was that if money would make you want to hit a home run more, please let me know immediately.  That would be a clear sign that it is time to stop playing baseball and find something you enjoy and want to excel in without external motivation (music, art, theatre, debate, whatever).

Swampboy posted:

Ok, here's a fun non-home run story.

My son had some power in high school but was a pitcher-only on his travel team and is a pitcher-only in college. 

However, he retained formidable batting practice power.

One night before a collegiate summer league game, his coach let the pitchers take batting practice.  

My son put on a five o'clock fireworks display for the ages, launching rockets over the right field fence, over the little hill beyond the fence and over the fence at the top of the little hill. The visiting team made no attempt to conceal their shock and awe.

Fast forward to the bottom of the ninth.  Runners at first and third with one out in a tie game. The bench is depleted, and the coach decides to put my son in as a pinch hitter, hoping to get past this hole in the lineup without killing the scoring opportunity.

The visiting coaches had seen the power demonstration but did not know my son hadn't seen anything but batting practice for three years and was totally unprepared to make contact against live pitching.

Son stands in the box. Flexes muscles. Gazes at distant horizon.

Visiting coach calls for an intentional walk.

Next batter hits a sac fly to win it.

i think that's kind of a home run story!  Love it.

Milk Shake = Approx $3.00

What does he owe you when he strikes out?