Run 2 Miles in "x" time to make 2020 HS team - your thoughts?

Endurance running is pretty useless for baseball. It doesn't hurt to do it but I don't think cc or miggy run a good mile and they play mlb, baseball is about explosiveness, not fitness.

Maybe the coach wants to test for willpower to train for it and fight through it.

Personally I think a bit of aerobic training is not bad for athletes because it improves ability to recover and withstand hard training. Shouldn't be the main focus of training but a little can't hurt.

To really improve in baseball jumping and sprinting helps a lot more but a bit of aerobic training won't hurt you either as it is a myth that endurance running makes you slow (several world class endurance runners could go the 100 in under 11s), it just doesn't make you fast.

I wouldn't say it's the focus, I would just say that is one of the basic requirements to make he team. Is it important or valuable to baseball at all? Probably not. Is it going to force kids to get in better shape for when they show up for tryouts in Feb? Yes. I would go as far as to say the time likely doesn't matter and the coach is saying it to get the kids running and in shape. 

As for the coach, I don't think he expects better baseball players from a timed run. Whether a kid is a better college prospect is really none of his concern either. The odds are that there are plenty of nonathletic kids who can't do 2 miles in 18 minutes and he wants to get rid of them before having a weeklong tryout where those guys are taking reps away from borderline players. 

My son's high school coach has everyone run the mile for time at baseball try-outs. It's not necessarily a main determining factor to make the team, but if you don't make the 6:00 target the first day, you have to run it again every consecutive day until you make it (target increases by 0:15 each day). I believe the coach uses it to see how his players approach the challenge; whether or not they prepare (this expectation is not a secret); and how they handle coming back day 2, 3, 4 and 5 and whether they have a different plan than the day before ;-). We are a top 6A team in Arizona.

do I want my kid playing for a HS coach who would turn down Bartolo Colon?  

bandera posted:

do I want my kid playing for a HS coach who would turn down Bartolo Colon?  

Yeah, I don't think you need "Big Sexy" on a high school team 

Chances are it’s a challenge to have the kids show up in shape ready to go. My son’s high school coach expected players to show up ready to go full speed including their arms being ready. 

Play a winter sport? Not an excuse. He opened the gym at 5:45am for winter sport athletes. When my son played basketball he started throwing February 1st. Baseball started March 1st.

When he stopped playing basketball he hit and/or did physical training every school day afternoon all winter season. He didn’t start throwing until February 1st even when he didn’t play basketball.

YachtRocker posted:

My son's HS coach has just announced (it's mid November 2019) that all 2020 team prospects will need to run 2 Miles within some yet to be determined time by end of February to be considered for the HS team in 2020 

Ok, yes I understand athletes of reasonable fitness should be able to run 2 miles.. but making that the focus for a sport that otherwise embodies sprinting?   Is that a worthwhile part of baseball training in 2020?  (can it help someone be a better baseball player - or better college prospect?)

Just curious as to your thoughts,  and what time might be reasonable for a HS prospect in a 2 mile "run"?  Is there a speed/time that represents reasonable baseball "fitness"?

thanks! 

Yacht, one of my sons had two different college HC's require running a mile under XX to be eligible to see the playing field or, in the case of a JC, to make the roster.  In each case, I'm pretty sure the reason had less to do with any conditioning benefits than other.  Generally, an aspiring player will be presented with new hurdles to overcome on a regular basis.  Often, one could question the "fairness" of the circumstances surrounding the hurdles.  Doesn't matter.  Doesn't do any good to ponder that aspect.  The player needs to take on the mentality that he will expect hurdles and attack them with ferocity as they come... that attitude will be required if he is to maximize how far he can take his playing ability.

As a HS coach, I have had to play hardball a few times with players that needed pushed to work on their overall conditioning... a few responded and went on to good things in the game (and elsewhere).  A few did not and failed to reach their goals or come close to reaching their potential.

I say this knowing that your son has challenges with that particular aspect but is strong in other aspects.  Part of me is tempted to ask more circumstantial questions.  But, at the end of the day, it doesn't matter.  He needs to attack the hurdle.  Once that is the primary focus, then we can talk about other steps that can be taken.  I suspect that if he fully buys in and does this, things will work out.  In fact, this could very well turn out to be exactly what he needs at exactly the right time.

Best to him!  And, keep us informed.

My son had to do similar, but think it was a mile. He's a pitcher in good shape but thinks long distance running is useless. Offered to do it as a series of sprints  ;-).

I don't think the coach did it as a fitness test. I think he did it as team building. I don't know that I agree, but in the grand scheme of things it's a pretty small thing and for my son it was an indication that the coach would have them running all the time.

I don't suppose the coach is an Army guy? I know that a timed 2-mile run is part of the Army physical fitness test and required for any solider to graduate from boot camp. Maybe just borrowing from that.

My son had to do it in college every year the first day of practice.  One year, there was a motel that was doing a food drive where the visiting teams stayed.  The coach made every player bring supplies to give to the food drive to support it.  When they got to practice that day, with their food, he made them run the food supplies to the motel.  My son said he felt so bad for the kid who brought the large bag of rice, like 20 pounds.  Some how word had gotten out about what they thought coach might do so most brought small cans.  But it made a point.  The pitchers had to run regularly around town to different places as part of their training and recovery and sometimes punishment.   He had one particular former alumni that always came to the game when he was able but could not anymore but sat on his porch every day.  The coach would make someone who was having a crappy practice so see him and spend some time with him.  They would have to run about a mile to his house and spend at least 15 minutes with him.  The coach would always tell them when they got back, baseball is fun.  One day you will be sitting on a porch.  Some things coaches do have nothing really to do with baseball but a lot to do with life.  Getting someone ready for the future is what sports is all about.  Tell your son and his friends they can complain or they can get ready for life.  I think it has nothing to do with baseball but may have more to do with culling out or helping them get ready.

bandera posted:

do I want my kid playing for a HS coach who would turn down Bartolo Colon?  

https://m.facebook.com/mlb/videos/10155053800097451/

Its anecdotal I know, but one of my friends who was a successful DIII pitcher said that running/jogging really helped him improve strength and be a better pitcher.  Push ups too of course.  This was in the late 80s so who knows!  In any event, this requirement doesn't bother me much.

we all know that nothing people did in past generations has any merit. if you don't subscribe to weighted balls, elevate and celebrate while running a 6.5 you have no place in the game....search twitter for any needed confirmation. 

Those old guys didn't know a damn thing because driveline says so. 

sorry for the rant - carry on. 

BBMomAZ posted:

but if you don't make the 6:00 target the first day, you have to run it again every consecutive day until you make it (target increases by 0:15 each day)

6:00 minute mile? How many kids made it on day one? And do you mean it changes to 5:45 the next day or 6:15? If it's 6:15 the next day then that sounds reasonable!

ABSORBER posted:

BBMomAZ posted:

but if you don't make the 6:00 target the first day, you have to run it again every consecutive day until you make it (target increases by 0:15 each day)

6:00 minute mile? How many kids made it on day one? And do you mean it changes to 5:45 the next day or 6:15? If it's 6:15 the next day then that sounds reasonable!

They are allowed additional 15 seconds every day. I estimate that about 60 kids try out for our baseball program and that about 1/3 of the boys made the 6:00 minute mile on the first try.

Son’s P5 baseball team is known as the second track team for the school according to the players!

Upon speaking with other parents from my son’s travel team days...their sons are running a lot also.

At some point the HS players need to get use to running...

Scott Munroe posted:

Son’s P5 baseball team is known as the second track team for the school according to the players!

Upon speaking with other parents from my son’s travel team days...their sons are running a lot also.

At some point the HS players need to get use to running...

 

Yup, one of son's schools ran sand dunes uphill something like 3x per week all fall, REALLY early a.m.  If you were late, you ran around a very large campus instead of getting a short break before weights. 

A lot of guys think if they can really swing it or wing it, they can just show up and do their thing.  At most schools, you are going to have to jump in and survive a serious S&C program in the fall and that will include some extensive running, whether sprints, distance, shuttles, etc.

I absolutely do not think that the boys should just "show up and do their thing" 

But putting the only emphasis on the boys training for a qualifying 2 mile run versus training for sprints, (which constitute the majority of baseball running) seemed a little misguided to me. 

So for those who may think my post was because I feel this is being too hard on little "Yacht  Jr".. LOL

YES I think they should train & train hard, be pushed & pushed hard.

& YES I think their running 2 miles is not unreasonable..

BUT, I think they should be equally or more emphasizing training for & running Sprints..

And I'm really appreciative for all the comments and enjoying the discussion.

He could be made to do this before practice...