Son's First Start

First, congratulations, sounds like he's off to a great start!

 

Second, I have absolutely no experience (as our oldest is a HS player still) but I would go.  I never pass up the chance to see our sons play.

 

Good luck & have fun (both of you!)

Go, you never no when he is going to start again.

If you have the opportunity, go. These things happen rarely. Go and enjoy the game.

If you want to go, go.  It is exciting!!!  I went to a number of intersquads last year when my son was a freshman.  Sometimes there were other parents there, sometimes not.  When there wasn't anyone else there, I sat out in the outfield so I wouldn't be the only goober sitting in the stands watching.    I have only been to one intersquad this fall and that's where I sat.  Out in leftfield. 

 

Time will fly by and you will regret not seeing him as much as you can.  I usually take my son out to dinner afterwards.  Good chance to spend some time together.  I'm about 2 hours away from my son's school, so it's not that much different than your situation.

 

My vote is go ahead and go!!

My experience may not inform yours, but here it is anyway

 

If I thought my presence would help the player's performance I would go.

 

If I thought my presence would add pressure or a distraction that would hurt the player's performance I would not go.

 

If I thought it did not matter to the player's performance if I went or not, then I would do whatever.

 

 

 

Mine has about 4 years until we MAY be at this point, but I'm with bballman on this one.  I would go in a heartbeat.

Ask your son, How many Parents go to the Intra Squad games. If hes says quite a few, I would go. If he says none I would go but Stay way out of the way, and keep my mouth shut.

I would just ask son if he minded you showing up and maybe grabbing a bite after.  If it's his first start and it's fall ball where he is trying to establish his spot, he may not want the added parent awareness/pressure.  His response will tell you right away.  I wouldn't pick this one to surprise him.

And congrats to him for getting to this point!

I would go, and I would watch from the outfield where he couldn't see me.

 

I'm on the BOD of our local association so I am always at the fields. When my 8th grader is practicing with his VFW team, I sneak down to the big field and watch practice from a distance when I can. I don't watch because he needs me to or wants me to; he clearly doesn't. I watch because I love him, I am proud of him, and it makes me happy to watch him work hard at something he loves.

 

Congrats to you and your son. I hope, someday, to be facing the decision you are

Don't intend to take this off-topic, but do y'all go to your kids' college intra-squad scrimmages in football, basketball, tennis, volleyball, hockey etc? Those kids are loved by their parents too, I expect.

 

Or is this issue sort of specific to baseball?

Congrats to your son and GO.  And enjoy it!  But do like me, don't tell anyone you're his dad until you know he isn't getting knocked around like a pinball game. 

 

After he throws a no-hitter you tell everyone "that's my boy"!

I suspect not all of them, but on the occasion of the first start, I think it's worth considering.

       
       


Haha. Good one Bum!!  I like it.

And I wouldn't worry about the pressure, picked off. No offense to the other posters, but if your son can't handle pops being at an intra squad, maybe his makeup isn't where it needs to be. Your son has already pitched in some intra squads, so I'm sure he's comfortable being on the bump there at school by now. I think my son likes me being there. We've all watched our kids play probably thousands of games. I don't think dad being there will add much if any pressure.

Wow, thanks for all the responses. He just texted regarding something else. So it gave me the opportunity to inquire. I asked him are you really starting? he said yes why. I told him it's killing me not to be there. You'll see me start another time. Promise. Yes sir! I wanted to go but mom said stay away.You're welcome to come, won't bother me!

Many other parents show up? Not really, just scouts have been showing up to watch the Juniors.

Thanks again everyone, still not sure what I'm going to do.

OK, let me ask another question. Do y'all go to your kids' high school, and Legion, and summer team intrasquad baseball games?

 

Until reading this thread, I thought this was the exception rather than the rule.....by far. But, again, I am probably in the minority

Greenlight, when my sons played football prior to HS (they didn't play in HS), I would go and watch practices and intra squads. Along with a bunch of other parents. I will still go by the HS football practices from time to time and see parents sitting in the stands watching. I don't think it's a big deal. I just think you don't need to make a spectacle of yourself. Like I said earlier, if no one is in the stands, sit off to the side or in the outfield and watch.

I always go to intrasquad. Our Legion boys had a fall ball intrasquad last Sunday. The stands were full.

Only 3 hours?  Go.....is my vote.  Spend some time with him if you haven't seen him in a while.   These 4 years go by fast, and unless he is a starter will you know in advance when he is playing. This is one of those times when you know he has the "pearl".  BTW.....Your son is a college player....your presence shouldn't make a difference in his performance/attitude one way or another.  Enjoy!

Interesting. My experience is in the minority, for sure.

I would vote for GO. I'm the parent of a senior and a first start opportunity (even if it is intersquad) happens only once. If you need to be in the outfield and away from everyone, that's fine, but I think you really want to be there, so you should.

 

I know I didn't listen to my wife...

That makes two posters who have suggested to be discreet in the outfield, if necessary...or something to that effect. And one poster who said "No offense to the other posters, but if your son can't handle pops being at an intra squad, maybe his makeup isn't where it needs to be".

 

Can the two posters who suggest discretion embellish their reasoning (I think I agree with you)? In my own experience, college players would tend to feel embarrassment if mom or dad showed up at a practice event. This has involved sports in addition to baseball. I found this to be completely understandable and I took it as a sign of maturity or independence.

 

In fact, I am going out on a limb here but will say it anyway, that this would never be an issue in sports such as football, basketball, tennis, wrestling, hockey, volleyball. Wonder if there is a special baseball thing going on?

 

I'm one of those parents who likes to go watch (some) practices and all his games. He recently put on facebook that he used to be embarrassed to have the only parents who went to all the games now he say's he is embarrassed to ever felt that way.He has matured into a wonderful young man.

 

Interesting. Just to confirm, you are watching your son's college practices, right?

Green Light.  I'm not sure if it has more to do with me or my son, but I just wouldn't feel comfortable being the only one in the stands to watch.  I really think it would bother me more than it would my son.  That's why I would sit a discreet distance away.  I have been to intrasquad games when there are students or other parents in the stands and on those occasions, I would sit in the stands.  Just weird sitting there by yourself.

 

My son has always welcomed me and enjoyed my coming to watch him play.  Whether it's a real game or an intrasquad.  I just think if a kid is more nervous because mom or dad are there watching, they will have a tough time when there are a couple hundred people (or a couple thousand if at a big D1) in the stands watching a big game.  It should not be an issue that having a family member there causes them to be more nervous.  JMHO.

I think it is okay to be your sons biggest fan.  I also think in order to become a TEAM fan, you need to see the TEAM in action.  Players like to see "fans" in the stands, it's nice to know that you have a following, be it parents or other.  IMO, GO....support your son and the team and enjoy the atmosphere!

 

We did go to 2 Fall practices...we weren't the only parents there. During the first practice we attended the head coach came up to us and told us how happy they were that son decided to play his sophomore year after deciding to concentrate on academic's his freshmen year. We will go to the games in the Spring no practices.

Thanks for your views, bball.

 

(As an aside, some kids find big crowds less intimidating because they are anonymous. A few grizzled has-beens behind the screen can sometimes prove more unsettling)

 

I am becoming more sure that I am in the distinct minority as this issue applies to baseball, but probably in the majority as it applies to many other sports

FYI, just got a tweet from my son's school announcing that men's and women's basketball has started.  They invited all to come out and get "a sneak peek at the teams by watching a preseason practice".  I would guess that invitation was to students and parents alike.  Guess it does happen in sports other than baseball. 

The fact that something has happened does not refute an opinion that the thing does not usually happen, or that the thing is the exception rather than the rule.

 

The fact that people have won the Powerball, doesn't refute the opinion that it is rare to win the Powerball.

 

I have seen this type of reasoning on this Board a lot.

 

Is your point that parents typically attend their kids' college basketball intrasquad games, based on your tweet? My experience tells me otherwise

My point was that the school was inviting people to come out to practice. Kind of thinking if the school wants people to come to practice, it's doubtful that it's frowned upon.

Absolutely right!

 

After looking back through the thread, don't see where anyone came close to suggesting that. Good point in any case.

My Son is a PO at his college. I go to all the Fall intra squad games I can whether he is pitching or not. Most of these are on the weekend and they even have a name for them, The Red and Black world series. I go to meet the new parents and see the new talent. In my sons program this is encouraged.

Now would I go to a week day or regular practice,not usually. I did stop by one during his Freshmen year, but only because I was on campus for another event. I stopped for a few minutes watched from a distance and went on my way.

I get the idea at least from other parents who's sons go to similar schools that the Fall intra-squad scrimmages are more of an event and many families attend.

This would be the exact reasoning I would use. Recently I was at my son's scout day and except for the scouts, I was the only parent there. It just felt more appropriate to sit in the bleachers out in the outfield. Maybe others don't feel that way, but I do. The year before there were about other parents there, and we all sat in the stands.

When my son was with the cardinals, his home facility was only an hour away. We never went to the practice games for spring training and we only went to the games that he would call us to attend, usually when he started (this before he turned reliever).  The way we looked at it was that he was practicing his craft and he would let us know when he was ready for us to watch.

 

What you should do is ask your son how he feels about it. Our opinions and relationships with our sons are all different.

 

FWIW, no I wouldn't show up at a scrimmage (inner squad game 3 hours away). A regular season game that counts to show your support for the entire game, no problem.

 

Every season we attended the annual purple and orange games that ended fall practice, as did many other parents. We were also about 12 hours away!

 

JMO

If you want to go, go.  Would you rather have gone and wish you hadn't or not gone and wish you had?  We went to our son's only scrimmage of the fall (18 innings) not knowing if he'd play or not as a freshman.  Turned out he started and played first 6 innings and then hit the second 6 innings.  Sure am glad we went.  Even if he hadn't played, gave us a chance to take him to dinner afterwards and chat a bit.  And he is 3 hours away too.  We didn't go to the intrasquad scrimmages though, but if he were closer, I just might have gone.  You never know when they will play their last game, so don't miss it.  And do what Bum suggests!!!

My husband and I went to every thing we could when son was playing high school, college and minor league ball.  The only regret I have is we did not make it to spring training (he has been released so that chance has passed).  But I have to say my son enjoyed us being there and in college it gave us an opportunity to meet some other players and parents and to feel more connected with he talked about things.   We went to son's scrimmage game his senior year in college and glad we did......a number of scouts were there to see him and that was a moment we got to share (not meant to brag or boast). As other's have posted, you can always sit in the outfield.  Most importantly, enjoy some time with your son afterwards.

Thanks to everyone for your comments! Update, I did not go, based on the response that I got from PO Jr. "not a lot of parents show up, just scouts".

He called last night to give me the update, 4 IP, 4 Hits, 2K's, 0BB, & 2 Runs. Unfortunately, the 2 of the 4 hits were bombs. He said that that PC & HC told him he did a great job. He said he felt & pitched really good, just made a couple of mistakes that went yard. I was glad to hear that he was upbeat and positive. He said that he will pitch again this weekend, we are going this time! Thanks again to everyone!  

Green Light: From my perspective, your experiences are not only the exception, they are a bit odd. I have had 2 sons play Division 1 baseball (at Virginia Tech and at Arizona State). At each school, many, many parents were at nearly every practice. Since ASU is about 20 minutes from my house, I went to as many practices and scrimmages (which took place nearly every day) as possible. I was never alone. All three of my sons played high school football and when they were younger, a serious level of hockey. Again, the practices included lots and lots of parents and other family. It was as much fun as the games. If anyone gets a chance to go -- especially as in a case described by the original poster -- I would strongly encourage them to go.

Maybe odd, but not unique.

 

See post from Picked Off, a few ones back:

 

"Thanks to everyone for your comments! Update, I did not go, based on the response that I got from PO Jr. "not a lot of parents show up, just scouts".