Senior Year

Congratulations to your son. I hope you and he enjoy his last year of HS ball. 

Good luck to your boy this season.  Our section doesn't crank up for another week.  And basketball delays that for my boy and others by one more week. But still - can't wait!

MAM, I will echo the sentiments above. Cherish this year. People tell you how much you will miss it when it's over, but you have NO idea until you live it. I miss throwing and tossing BP to my son. Some of the fondest memories of my entire life. It goes by entirely too fast. Soak every inning, at bat and so forth up. Since he is continuing his baseball career, you have that to look forward to. But I can promise you, it's not the same. Best of luck to your son. 

Congratulations to your son and your family.  My son too is a senior this year. Thank you for the advice.  My son will also have the opportunity to play college baseball next season.  So I will, enjoy the hell out of his last high school season.    Can't wait.  

It's been a strange journey for my 2017.  At this point a year ago he was out of baseball.  He wasn't happy with the program's direction, and decided focusing on academics was a more sensible choice.

Over the spring/summer the issues that had been brewing came to a head.  The staff was fired, and players transferred out en masse (some by choice, some not).  A few of the remaining players who had avoided all of the fallout asked my son to come back and play his senior season.  I think more for his leadership than for his baseball skills.

Tryouts started yesterday and even though the coach wouldn't reveal to pitchers what their velocity was - he did tell my son he threw 4 MPH higher than anyone else.  I'm hoping that means he is throwing harder, not that the rest of the team is really slow.  To be honest, he's always been a location/movement/offspeed guy so if he's the team fireballer, I'm thinking they better have a real stud defense out there.

In any case, he's looking forward to the season win or lose - as am I.  It's been a fun journey.  I've still got my youngest (11 yo) playing, so I guess I've still got a shot at another 4 years of HS ball.

My son is also a senior who will enjoy his last HS season before heading off to college.  His team was just moved to the strongest region in the state, and the team is just not that strong.  But my son sees it as a chance to face some of the best HS pitching as prep for college.  I like that attitude.  Also, my wife has retired, so she will be able to make every game this season.  She has already starting bringing food for the boys for a quick snack before practice.  (Actually, my son gets out early due to work study and stops home to pick it up.  My wife knows better then to show up at the field.)

Our region just got shuffled and thankfully we no longer have many of the strongest teams in the state.  With the reshuffling, we should at least get into the first round whereas we had been shut out previous two years.  My son sees it as an opportunity to pitch later into the season and summer baseball plans may need to be adjusted depending on how many rounds they advance.  Have a 2024 also so hopefully he will be on the high school field sometime in 2020 if he can make the freshman team as an 8th grader.

Enjoy HS and savor it....slow it down and have some fun. We were caught up in the rat race of a state title chase and before we knew it, he was headed off to summer school. It is very different and sometimes not so fun for me or mom. Best of luck to you and your son this season.

This is our son's last year of high school as well. Our tryouts don't start for two weeks, but are lots of basketball games before that - my son plays both sports. He will have the opportunity to play baseball in college next year, so we are all looking forward to the next step! Thanks to all on this site for the tremendous advice and insights provided over the last couple of years. And MAM congrats to your son and his family. Enjoy the last season of HS!!  

As others have posted savor every moment.  The season will fly by quick.  I still cherish my son's senior year even though we knew he would go on to play college ball.

Fortunately, my wife videoed every game that year so occasionally I go back and view them.

Younggun is correct. You have no idea how much you'll miss it when it's over.  College ball is a whole different ball game. 

Here's wishing your son a successful and fun season!

Congrats, MAM!  As you know, I have a senior, too.  Finishing up soccer (state tournament next week) and starting baseball the following Monday. Blessed that my 2019 made varsity, too, so the bros will be on the same team.  Little brother, 2022, just made intermediate team at same school, so there's this illusion of JH and HS baseball permanence.  How can we bottle that?

Tidbit from 2nd day of tryouts, hitting day:

My kid - who has been a PO his entire HS career except for one fall where he split time at catcher - had what his friend told me was a "monster" BP session. (Son says it was "okay")

Afterwards the coach (new this season) says to my son, "They had you as a PO? I'll give you two weeks to get up to speed at a position."

Son asked, "What position coach?"  He replied, "Don't matter. Whichever one you can be ready at fastest."