Summer Before Freshman Year

Wait, your 2025 team’s coach is also the head coach for three high school age group teams ahead of you?  Is that normal for your organization or just due to covid?  I don’t see how, in a normal summer, a single coach could possibly handle the schedule of three teams.  That’s nuts.

As for the rest of your question, man it’s hard to help you prioritize without knowing your base skill level.  What would you consider is your best tool?  Where would you say that tool is today in terms of being ready to show it off?  

Are you throwing every day?  Are you hitting off a tee every day?  Do you have someone to hit you ground balls, fly balls, etc?  There's lots you can do to get better on your own, don't let this Covid environment become an excuse for not putting in the work.  I'd be careful lifting weights right now given your age... if you were my son I'd tell you to wait until you get to HS.

@Smitty28 posted:

Are you throwing every day?  Are you hitting off a tee every day?  Do you have someone to hit you ground balls, fly balls, etc?  There's lots you can do to get better on your own, don't let this Covid environment become an excuse for not putting in the work.  I'd be careful lifting weights right now given your age... if you were my son I'd tell you to wait until you get to HS.

Hello, before the surgery I was hitting every day, doing a workout(light kettlebell) 3x a week, Sprinting 2x a week, getting ground balls off a wall everyday, practicing with team 1x a week and going to hit at the batting cages 1x a week. In the cage, I was facing 80 and 90MPH. I agree with the weights that I will lay off until HS. I have not let COVID become an excuse for not putting in the work. I was starting to learn a new position when I got hurt. Now, that I’m rehabbing and can’t throw, I’ve been working on my receiving everyday, doing glove hand drills 6x a week and working legs and core 3x a week.

That's a tough one. My son (freshman 2024) didn't play 14u travel  fall of 8th grade in order to get bigger faster stronger , and then middle school ball got cancelled. By the time travel finally started he was bigger, stronger, and a bit faster but his live pitch swing timing was off, so it took a while for his groove to come back... Didnt help that we would play one weekend, take two off , etc. I guess my sense is that you should play summer ball and still try to squeeze in workouts as much as possible (maybe your mom can find time to drive you to the gym?). Summer ball may not happen as much as we would like this year (that UK variant is worrisome) so take advantage of chances to play games when you can.

@22and25 posted:

Wait, your 2025 team’s coach is also the head coach for three high school age group teams ahead of you?  Is that normal for your organization or just due to covid?  I don’t see how, in a normal summer, a single coach could possibly handle the schedule of three teams.  That’s nuts.

As for the rest of your question, man it’s hard to help you prioritize without knowing your base skill level.  What would you consider is your best tool?  Where would you say that tool is today in terms of being ready to show it off?  

Yes, he is the coach for the 3 high aged school teams ahead of me and also a HS coach. This is normal, not something due to COVID. I would have to say my best tool is my defense. I have a good arm from the outfield and at my new position catcher (before the injury) I was great at blocking in the few inter squad games we played. I also have a pretty good swing but my problem was consistency. I was just starting to really find my swing before my arm injury. I plan on working even harder when I am rehabbed and attack my weaknesses.

2025, it is expected that you play on the high school coach's summer team, in order to have a chance of playing for the high school?  In that case, the answer is, play whatever the team plays, and work out yourself with the rest of your time.  Will this team regularly practice, with the HS coach watching?  Will they scrimmage with live pitching?  I guess in CA, no-one really knows.

First and foremost you should enjoy playing baseball. You should enjoy the summer. Especially if you’ve been locked down for a year. You should always play against the best competition you can competently compete. On the side mix in getting bigger, faster, stronger and more talented.

@anotherparent posted:

2025, it is expected that you play on the high school coach's summer team, in order to have a chance of playing for the high school?  In that case, the answer is, play whatever the team plays, and work out yourself with the rest of your time.  Will this team regularly practice, with the HS coach watching?  Will they scrimmage with live pitching?  I guess in CA, no-one really knows.

Not expected that you play on his team, but most do. He does watch the practice and runs it. He is our only coach. We do some intersquads but when we were going to face other teams with live pitching, the games kept getting cancelled. The other HS I’m waiting on for a financial aid decision newly has a n 8th grade team. They will have upcoming tryouts, but I will stick to my current team.

The HS season getting cancelled was the best thing that could have happened for my son. He worked out like crazy and saw the benefits quickly. Now he’s a gym rat. He went from mid 70’s in March to 80 in the summer. He was on a gun again for a tryout a month ago and hit 83 on the mound. Last Sunday at a scout day he threw 80 on his 1.85 pop (first time under 2.0). He’s also getting a lot of attention from travel coaches and his teammates with the bat.

My son was 115 lbs when he started eating better and lifting. He’s at least 145 now and ripped. Size was easily his biggest weakness. He also had a regular schedule to practice fielding, hitting, and catching. Now we need to add bullpens in there because coach wants him to pitch a little this spring.

Highly competitive game reps are extremely valuable, but you need to balance it with everything else.

@2025prospect posted:

Hello, before the surgery I was hitting every day, doing a workout(light kettlebell) 3x a week, Sprinting 2x a week, getting ground balls off a wall everyday, practicing with team 1x a week and going to hit at the batting cages 1x a week. In the cage, I was facing 80 and 90MPH. I agree with the weights that I will lay off until HS. I have not let COVID become an excuse for not putting in the work. I was starting to learn a new position when I got hurt. Now, that I’m rehabbing and can’t throw, I’ve been working on my receiving everyday, doing glove hand drills 6x a week and working legs and core 3x a week.

Good stuff, keep it up.  Honestly, I would find a way to swing a bat every day, or at least 4-5 times a week.  A tee is a phenomenally useful and under-rated tool for development.  You can do this in the garage or backyard with  a relatively inexpensive net.

@Smitty28 posted:

Good stuff, keep it up.  Honestly, I would find a way to swing a bat every day, or at least 4-5 times a week.  A tee is a phenomenally useful and under-rated tool for development.  You can do this in the garage or backyard with  a relatively inexpensive net.

Yes. My hitting was mainly tee work. I would work on every part of the zone into a net. Forgot to add that around once a week I would head to the park and hit soft toss from my mom. Somewhat like off speed pitch work. Thank you for the advice.

Hey 2025 Prospect,

First of all-I love your dedication to the sport . That's 90% of getting better. You'll figure out what to do. My advice-which is not worth much , since i don't know you personally, is this: You are smart, you can figure out what to do. Play to your strengths , but work on improving your weaknesses. Almost all the MLB hitters , hit off a T everyday . Do it ! work on hitting off a machine, whenever you can, for timing. Have fun-baseball is the Greatest game on earth, so enjoy each practice. Time spent playing computer games or watching TV , is time that other kids are getting better. My son ,also had an injury and is doing Rehab , preparing for the summer of his Freshman year. You've got time, rehab carefully and smart and get strong, so you'll never have this injury again. You've got time , but don't waste this time. There is alot you can do, while you are in Rehab.

God Bless , and get strong and let us know how you progress!

@Adams Baseball posted:

Hey 2025 Prospect,

First of all-I love your dedication to the sport . That's 90% of getting better. You'll figure out what to do. My advice-which is not worth much , since i don't know you personally, is this: You are smart, you can figure out what to do. Play to your strengths , but work on improving your weaknesses. Almost all the MLB hitters , hit off a T everyday . Do it ! work on hitting off a machine, whenever you can, for timing. Have fun-baseball is the Greatest game on earth, so enjoy each practice. Time spent playing computer games or watching TV , is time that other kids are getting better. My son ,also had an injury and is doing Rehab , preparing for the summer of his Freshman year. You've got time, rehab carefully and smart and get strong, so you'll never have this injury again. You've got time , but don't waste this time. There is alot you can do, while you are in Rehab.

God Bless , and get strong and let us know how you progress!

Thank you for the words of encouragement! 🙏 Best of luck to your son with his rehabilitation process! On the computer time and watching TV- I honestly don’t play much video games. Most of my computer time is spent here or watching baseball training videos. I enjoy reading old threads(some from before I was even born)  and hearing others experiences. When I’m bored and find myself on the computer, I’ll hop off and do something to work on baseball. Whether it be more receiving, reviewing video or doing mirror work.

Here is my youngest plan (also a 2025) for the spring. He played 2024 (15U) and 2023 (16U) tournaments all fall, so he had the opportunity to see what he needed to do to progress for HS tournaments this summer. We are part of a large org that merges city teams to the half-state/State level for summer tournaments in May when the HS players are done with their seasons. HS age groups have already had their tryouts but 14u going into their first Summer have their tryouts in May.

Son's first priority will be hitting the weights, eating and running; basically working on getting bigger, stronger, faster before the tryouts in May. He will also be practicing and playing tournaments with the 14U team. Keeping in mind that the 14U team stuff is preparing him for the summer. Focusing on fundamentals, hitting, being a team player and IQ.  

He is a catcher so he is also getting in as may bullpens as he can with older pitchers. Only way to get used to higher Velo is to catch it. He has been catching the pitchers from the local HSs and from the Org the past couple months as they were getting ready for HS ball and one for college. We posted on Social Media an offer to catch pens in the area, and got a lot of responses.