Should He.......?

i wouldn't send a video. if your son is a player,chances are the coach has heard about him.

impress in person.

The coach will think you are a nut.

No video! Warning signs will go off everywhere that there is an overinvolved dad coming with a kid that is likely to cause problems.

Let him make his own way.

If you send a video of your son you might as well tie a red flag on your kids backpack.

Very bad idea.

A very good idea would be to take your field workouts to where the coaches eyes might be. Get caught working hard and performing well. A lot!

slbaseballdad,

I think this would be overreaching things for a high school tryout and could hurt your son more than help him. I agree with 20dad that your son should seek to impress the coach in person. Let your son do this thing on his own. Both of you will get more satisfaction out of the process in the end.

no

Not sure why one would even consider it.

As long as you send his last years offensive stats along with it it should be OK.

Ouch!

The coach is going to see you coming and turn the other way.

Stay away from getting involved in the high school baseball, other than supporting the team and making sure your son does his best and is at all events fully ready to go at least 15 min ahead of time!

Let your son's play speak for him at tryouts. I think sending a video has the potential to really embarass him, and send the wrong message to the coach. In our area, parents are discouraged from attending HS JV and Varsity tryouts. I like this policy because these young men need to make it/not make it on their own.

You want to be sure the coaches know who your son is. You want to be sure he gets a fair shake. You want your son to do well because you love him and he loves playing the game. There is nothing wrong with that at all. In fact its a great thing when a parent does care imo.

But you have to understand that the only thing that is going to matter to his hs coach is what he sees when your son is trying out. He is not going to care who he played for. He is not going to care what his batting average was or any of that stuff. He is going to evaluate all the kids based on what he sees.

Yes he will know of some of the players. Yes he may have even seen some of them play. And yes I am sure he has heard of some of the kids coming in from other people. But none of that is going to matter. He is going to see for himself and evaluate the players based on what he sees when they get on the field.

You do not want to come across as one of those parents trying to pave the way for your kid. You do not want to be "one of those parents."

Be the first kid to practice everyday. Come dressed like a player every day. Come prepared to outwork everyone. And then do that. Take care of business in the class room. Show the coach you want it and take advantage of every opportunity you get. Find opportunities to show you can play. When your shagging batting practice make plays. If everyone else is just hanging out in the field and they are allowed to do that dont follow them. Lead by example by making plays. When everyone is at the cage and some guys are just standing around if thats allowed, be the guy working hard. If guys are allowed to walk on or off the field be the guy running on and off the field. If there is an opportunity to get in extra work be one of those guys.

During the first week or two of the season many times I will give the incoming players opportunities to be lazy. I will then watch to see who takes advantage of these opportunities to be lazy and who works. Coaches are always watching. Even when you dont think they are. No, especially when you dont think they are.

Enjoy the holidays and just tell your son to get out there and earn it. Stay away from the parents that try to earn it for their kids. Stay away from anything that makes you appear as one of those parents that can not allow their kid to earn what he wants. And then sit back and enjoy the process. If your son can play and he really wants it he will be just fine. Good luck

Coach May,

That is just another classic post, maybe your 1674th classic, but simply superb!
catchersdad

no no no and no

,

"impress in person."

Aw shucks 20dad...that takes all of the fun out of it. It's concrete advice, but near impossible for the likes of someone like me to pull off.

And as for sending the coach a video...no.

Hear what these guys have to say.


.

Oh, no...Don't send a video

SLbaseballdad,

So with the resounding number of responses discouraging you to not send, what do you think you shouldn't do?

I will say I admire you for coming on here and asking first. Had you sent it,

And quite possibly had your son's friends found out that you sent that video this is what he would have gotten.

I think you have your answer.

I don't know a lot about this sport, but I know our freshman coach was not happy with fathers who chewed him out after not putting their kids on the freshmand team.

It seems to me that given your son has been playing with older kids and having decent success, and given that he is a sprinter, he should have a decent chance to make the team at some position.

That's really all you can ask for. Sending a video really says "Say coach, I want to make sure that you know my kid because there's some chance that you don't run your tryout in a way that will reveal true ability and potential. Here's a video to assist you."

Now, if you could cause him to watch the video based on some kind of subterfuge....such as wanting to learn how to correct some "problem" that your son was having in some position, that might accomplish what you're looking to do without making you look like a jackass. But be careful about trying this. Coaches are pretty smart and have good radar.

Welcome to a great website... For the record, coach may is way over 1600 because he posted without the little underscore for a few years too... If he was a hitter you'd say, that guy can rake, if he was a pitcher you'd say, that guy can paint....

You've gotten excellent advice here... No video. After you get to know the coach and you want to give him a video this time of the year go ahead as long as it's bull Durham or major league.

quote:

As long as you send his last years offensive stats along with it it should be OK.

Absolutely laughing out loud here.

Great, great post, Coach M!!


Give Son of Coach M my best!

quote:

Originally posted by Coach_May:

Be the first kid to practice everyday. Come dressed like a player every day. Come prepared to outwork everyone. And then do that. Take care of business in the class room. Show the coach you want it and take advantage of every opportunity you get. Find opportunities to show you can play. When your shagging batting practice make plays. If everyone else is just hanging out in the field and they are allowed to do that dont follow them. Lead by example by making plays. When everyone is at the cage and some guys are just standing around if thats allowed, be the guy working hard. If guys are allowed to walk on or off the field be the guy running on and off the field. If there is an opportunity to get in extra work be one of those guys.

GLAD I ASKED. CoachM, thanks for this. I will make sure he reads and gets this. Everyone, thanks for helping me NOT make a mistake.

quote:

GLAD I ASKED. CoachM, thanks for this. I will make sure he reads and gets this. Everyone, thanks for helping me NOT make a mistake.

And thank you for being open minded enough to listen to these good people. It doesn't always happen that way.

You are welcome and thanks Prepster and I will tell Jeff you said hello. He thinks the world of you.

It all comes down to human nature. Its human nature to want to take care of those who do things they way you think they should be done. Its only natural for a coach to want a player to succeed that does things the way he thinks they should be done. When you see a kid that wants something and they are willing to do whatever it takes to get it you want it for them as well. Your going to look for reasons to keep him. Your going to look for opportunities to play him. Your going to want to work with him and help him reach his goals. And your going to want the guys that display the type of behavior you want in your program to be the guys in your program.

When you trying to impress a coach know what impresses a coach. And then make those things your foundation of your baseball house. Then you will be doing them not because your trying to do them to impress anyone. Your doing them because its who you are and what you are about. But you have to know what your baseball foundation should be built with.

Dedication.
Determination.
Desire.
Discipline.

No one has to tell you to hustle because you know no other way.
No one has to tell you to be on time because if your not early your late.
No one has to tell you to be there for your team mates. Because thats who you are.
No one has to tell you to work hard. They have to tell you to take a break.
You take pride in the way you practice because you want to be the best you can be. You take pride in the way you conduct yourself on and off the field because your last name was given to you to represent with pride.
When your coach needs something you step up. Not because your trying to impress anyone. But because he is your coach and you want to step up for him.
When your team needs something you step up. Not because your trying to impress your team mates but because you want to be there for your team.

When you know what your baseball foundation needs to be built upon you will find it is also what you as a person should be built upon. Someone that people can count on. Someone your team can count on. Someone your coach can count on. Someone that doesnt talk about it they are just about it. They lead by example not because they are trying to lead but because thats who they are.

It takes absolutely no more talent than you already have to be the type of player a coach wants in his program. It takes absolutely no more talent than you already have to build upon your baseball foundation and continue to grow from there. Baseball is a great game played by great young men. But the bottom line is what you do when no one is watching will determine what you are capable of doing when everyone is watching. And your character as a person and a player are one in the same. Play the game with passion. Work at the game with passion. And live your life the exact same way.

In the end all you really have is that guy standing there looking in the mirror asking those all important questions?

Did I? Did I do it the right way?
No matter how long you play this game, no matter how much success you have in this game, the only thing that will really matter when its all said and done is if you can say yes with no regrets.

No, do not send video to the high school coach. The coaches know who the incoming players are, the kids talk. Read Coach May's response about 10 times - great advice.

My son's high school coach started following him and others in middle school. At the end of 8th grade he had lunch with my son and told him what to do to prepare to be a high school player.

Had he not known my son I would have instructed my son to approach the coach in the fall, tell him he his goal is to play varsity baseball for the high school and ask what does he need to do to achieve his goal.

Your son is in high school. He's a big boy now. It's time for him to fight his own battles and make his own way. When parents intercede it often raises a red flag to the coach.

The coach would assume more about you than your son if you sent an unsolicited video.

Coach May, your posts should be framed and put in every locker room!