Has anyone ever had a son or daughter who decided to just take a year off from playing ball?
Does is matter how old they are? Is this such a bad thing? Has anyone found it made the child a better player?
Original Post
Replies sorted oldest to newest
Not sure when you are talking about taking a year off.
Baseball is a game of skill that needs to be developed over time, but not all develop in th e same way. I am not sure if it matters much for very young players, but I think that, because of how fast things are going these days as far as recruiting, anyone taking a year off in HS might have catching up to do.
There are many players I suppose who have natural ability, maybe some time off won't affect their playing time when they return, but most likely this isn't always the case.
Then again, my sons team has a walk on this year who has earned a roster spot this spring, college senior, who has not played in college at all.
who has not played bb for years.
Baseball is a game of skill that needs to be developed over time, but not all develop in th e same way. I am not sure if it matters much for very young players, but I think that, because of how fast things are going these days as far as recruiting, anyone taking a year off in HS might have catching up to do.
There are many players I suppose who have natural ability, maybe some time off won't affect their playing time when they return, but most likely this isn't always the case.
Then again, my sons team has a walk on this year who has earned a roster spot this spring, college senior, who has not played in college at all.
who has not played bb for years.
Baseball is a game of passion, and if the passion's not there why do it. We question many thing in peoples lives, but we don't walk in their shoes.
Family321-I went back and read your old posts and if I assume to much from this I will apologize in advance. Based on that reading it appears there have been some struggles and some tension filled situations. Before I would agree to the year off I would have a heart to heart and figure out why. Burnout, fear, or has the passion really died. If the child still loves the game, you should find a way to keep him playing. Hard times and struggles are part of the growth process. I know when mine have reached that overload point, I find that if I back off and show that there is more to life than baseball, they seem to get regrouped and head back themselves. Fishing has always been the way to get mine recentered. Find something that relaxes them, and before you know it they are talking and working through it. Just my two cents. I'll have a good thought for you.
One year off could be good or bad depends who, when or how happens, but when the year off is your kid decision then the most important thing is to know why. His answer will tell you more than anybody here.
deldad great advice. When talking bout kids I don't think it's right to force feed, but it may be a key to something bigger.
CLARIFICATION FOR YEAR OFF - NOT PLAYING FOR A TEAM THIS YEAR. HE WILL NOT BE IN HIGH SCHOOL UNTIL NEXT YEAR. HE WANTS TO TAKE A YEAR OFF CLEAR HIS HEAD A LITTLE. START WORKING OUT MORE AND JUST TAKE SOME PRIVATE LESSONS.
Just a gut 'momma' feeling but as I look back on the different stages of our son's baseball development, I remember times when he obviously pondered life without baseball. For him, the feelings seemed to last only as long as his feeling of 'failure' did or as long as his 'time off from throwing' for the season did, and by October/November, he was biting at the bit to get back on the mound. He is getting ready to head out to his 3rd full season of pro ball, and with all the trials and tribulations with that life, he still misses the game by mid-November.
From this woman's perspective, I look at it much as I would a romantic relationship that ends: if the necessary passion remains and the couple are 'meant' to be together, it will happen. Likewise, in baseball, I believe that if there is still a passion after a hiatus from the game, the 'couple' will get back together and it will be for the betterment of both. (And obviously, in some players' cases as mentioned by TPM, it can be several years with success still at the end of the road.) If that doesn't happen, we can only hope that the young people involved will find their true and driving passion elsewhere, for the betterment of both.
From this woman's perspective, I look at it much as I would a romantic relationship that ends: if the necessary passion remains and the couple are 'meant' to be together, it will happen. Likewise, in baseball, I believe that if there is still a passion after a hiatus from the game, the 'couple' will get back together and it will be for the betterment of both. (And obviously, in some players' cases as mentioned by TPM, it can be several years with success still at the end of the road.) If that doesn't happen, we can only hope that the young people involved will find their true and driving passion elsewhere, for the betterment of both.
If your Son is going to hit the weights with the goal of developing his body and also receiving weekly private instruction from a quality professional source, it is possible that he may advance his game within one year. It will have everything to do with how you put a program together and the quality and quantity of the instruction he will receive. Not to mention his deduication to the process. Don't forget the importance of nutrition!
Great Post Futureback.Mom!
My son took the summer/fall after his 8th grade year (was able to play JV ball here in VA in 8th) off...
...he just wanted to "be a kid" for the summer.
Yes, I could have pushed the issue, but my "gut" told me otherwise. He ended up realizing how much he missed the game and rededicated himself to getting better.
...he just wanted to "be a kid" for the summer.
Yes, I could have pushed the issue, but my "gut" told me otherwise. He ended up realizing how much he missed the game and rededicated himself to getting better.
My son took last year off. If the priorities are in the right place you can make the best of a situation. Granted it was an injury, and it may be a poor compaison, but a year off is a year off. His skills did not dimminish because he approached the conditioning from a different angle and sat back to understand the game from a different angle and speed. In the grand scheme of things he may have filled in parts of the puzzle that many miss.