school vs summer team

Both have their strong points and weaknesses. I prefer summer ball because it has been my experience that the kids get more instruction and development. Others may disagree.

And of course the level of competition is much higher in summer.

Nothing beats high school baseball. We have good coaching, good competition, incredible pressure......It is just a blast! IMHO

I love HS baseball as well.. I just love baseball period summer, HS, fall (well maybe not fall so much)

Times that by ten for summer ball, if you play on a competitive team that really goes out after it.

Longhorns10,

If your son plays on a playoff caliber HS team in a competitive district, summer pressure is not 1/100 the pressure of high school.

Robert S
He's on a play-off calibre team and top level summer squad and I'm telling you high school ball couldn't hold summer balls athletic supporter. The level of competition, pitching depth,position players skill sets,instruction, game situations not to mention 1-9 being able to mash. No comparison.

Robert try telling a 17 or 18 year old playing in the Connie Mack South Plains Regional Final with a Farmington trip on the line that it's 1/100 the pressure of the high school playoffs. If you never been a part of playing Sam's Mustangs in the finals you don't know what pressure is like. Not talking about you Robert but a player.

Is the pressure on the kids or the DBAT brain trust?

Good point Ball4TX, both because you have to make the right calls on pitching and substitations.

Playing in your High School colors may have a more emotional attachment, but the pressure and competition these kids face in the summer can be unbelievable. Playing with 50 scouts gunning you, trying to impress just the right college, etc. or perhaps trying to make a USA team where everyone is a top player, that is some kind of pressure. I have had this discussion with some old cronies, baseball is different than it used to be. The summer teams nowadays did not exist in our time. It was more like high school. Rarely did you have a bench full of pitchers all waiting their turn to bust you inside at 90+. Rarely did you have a line up 1-9 that could flat out mash.

I know Robert S. son's team is good, but could they really beat, let's say a tip top 18 year old team? Perhaps the level of competition one sees is in the eye of the beholder. Meaning, depending on where you play in the summer and what level your HS team is at dictates your feeling on the matter.

I enjoy the summer team more because it gives me a chance to travel and see parts of the US that I normally couldn't afford to see.

I think the pressure of high school ball is more related to pride, school spirit, friends, etc. Playoff losses and losses to rivals linger longer with the student athletes than summer losses because they care so much about their school teams, thus creating pressure, especially for the top players, during high school season.

While I know several top select teams that hated losing, they were all loaded with cream of crop talent and realized that they could get beat any day and seemed to accept the fact better.

As far as SWAC's comment about Connie Mack however I have to agree that the pressure during qualifying and especially the pressure of being under the gun in Farmington has to rank at the top or near the top of the pressure list for a 17 or 18 year old player. If you haven't seen it first hand it is hard to imagine.

SWAC,
The Farmington analogy is a good one. But how many kids face that as opposed to kids in the playoffs? Farmington is about the 18 kids and families on one team, high school is about your whole school and in some cases your whole community. Much bigger for the entire town of Celina than the mustangs and their parents.

with robert

quote:

Originally posted by SWAC:
Robert try telling a 17 or 18 year old playing in the Connie Mack South Plains Regional Final with a Farmington trip on the line that it's 1/100 the pressure of the high school playoffs. If you never been a part of playing Sam's Mustangs in the finals you don't know what pressure is like. Not talking about you Robert but a player.

I know one young man who couldn't agree more!
And to succeed is priceless!

Robert S.,

As I high school coach, I really enjoy reading your posts on this subject.

Sandy -- I can almost see his head growing.

FD - As a High school coach and summer coach myself, This is definetly an interesting read. I would also agree that Robert S. posts have been a good read.

It's ALL fun, ain't it?

FO,

Even the worst of times in baseball, are still the best of times of my life.

quote:

Originally posted by Panther Dad:
Sandy -- I can almost see his head growing.

GOOD GRIEF! What have ya'll done?

Obviously, the quality of HS ball is better for some than others. Mine keeps a calendar of the number of days until Summer ball starts!

He'll have "summer ball" somewhere, eh dad?

Just hope he has some arm left when it gets here. If it was up to "mom of ones", his summer ball would amount to playing catch in the front yard with "little ones"! Hope she's not reading this.

For free summers....contact Scott Boras.

I agree with each of the posts...I guess in some respect, the word "both" seems appropriate, relative to which is better.

We have a few years left, but I would guess the pressure for a senior, pitching in a HS playoff elimination game holds quite a bit of pressure. In addition to everything else going on, "I may never wear this uniform again" has to weigh on that young man.

After taking another one on the chin yesterday, we are in the same boat as dadofones, counting the days until summer ball.

quote:

Originally posted by Robert S.:
SWAC,
The Farmington analogy is a good one. But how many kids face that as opposed to kids in the playoffs? Farmington is about the 18 kids and families on one team, high school is about your whole school and in some cases your whole community. Much bigger for the entire town of Celina than the mustangs and their parents.

Robert you make a great point and I agree with your statement. Only a few kids get placed in the Farmington anology but you do acknowledge the presure is great.

I'm considering renaming the topic to....."Great points made by Robers S"

exactly what are they pee dee ?? Seems to me the drift is summer ball is better. Not everyone can play for McInknee teams but their are some pretty good summer teams. On a summer team there are no move ins, dads are not president of the booster club, you don't have football coaches trying to coach baseball, etc.
Are there not summer rivalries to get all hyped about? Instead of state championships - AABC national championship. Who wants to see a 20-0 game which there are plenty of in HS ? Who really wants to play in that type of game or district ?? The only way to get better is to play better competition so there is no choice which is really better - is there ?