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Now that my son is a high school senior with his college path chosen, I've been contemplating the path he has been on. I also realize how the path has changed my perception.

I always saw something special in him on the field. His "fast hands", mental toughness, baseball sense, moments of extremely high performance. Many parents see the same thing, I suspect. The result is that many of us have very high expectations, and want to help our kids reach their potential. Some will go to extraordinary lengths and expense.

What I realize now is that a true differentiator during the high school years is consistency. At some point the potential needs to translate to a consistently high level of performance. Sometimes parents will make excuses for their 17 year old son's inconsistency, and see only the "potential". I believe this may be at the core of many disagreements over playing time. Some players do the same thing, but my observation is that the players are sometimes more realistic than their parents. Parents believe that if their son just gets more playing time, they will be more consistent. It is a chicken and egg thing.

So as you are contemplating where you or your son fits in the baseball hierarchy, realize that consistency plays a role. In my son's case, he underperformed at showcases until after his junior year. He hadn't achieved a higher level of consistency.

Anyway, this is just one parent's perspective. Free!
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So very true, twotex! ...and that consistency comes overwhelmingly from daily effort to improve.

More than anything, reaching the upper rungs of the baseball ladder is about working diligently in the right way on the right things. Out of that effort comes the confidence and ability to perform consistently well when the moment arrives.

Best of luck to your son in his senior season!
Consistancy is what makes a player move from JV to V in HS, get more playing time on a college team, and in pro ball move up level to level and finally to MLB.

IMO consistancy is the hardest thing to maintain on a regular basis. Consistancy is ever changing, from season to season to game to game to at bat to at bat to pitch to pitch.

Don't be surprised if the consistancey your son found gets a bit inconsistant at the next level. The key is to never stop working to be the best you can be, even when you think that you have arrived!

It's also important to remember that all players mature at different times, both physically and mentally, and that can or cannot affect the consistancy.

Good topic!
Nice topic twotex and thoughts!

Baseball is a funny sport when it comes to consistency. Over a short high school season, you may not always see it if a kid happens to get into a slump. Sometimes when a kid is struggling in one area, you can encourage them to be consistent in another.

You see lots of pro athletes say that they want to be "consistent" and leave it at that. That word by itself does not make any sense however. What they really mean is they want to be consistently good as opposed to the alternative.

I agree with twotex that over the long haul, the best players are the most consistent.
Last edited by ClevelandDad
Spot on Spot on Two Tex. So true! That has been the theme of my conversation to my son for the last 4 years. Consistency among other attributes seperates the very good from the elite who continue to climb in their baseball journey. Every parent sees the glimmer of brilliance and believes that if the coach would just believe in thier son more the brilliance will be realized. The truth of the matter is that at some point the kid needs to perform because opportunity comes not from the potential to be consistent but from being consistent.
FWIW,

It is hard to be consistent unless someone gives you that opportunity to consistently play. However, you can consistently try to get yourself ready.

IMO, consistency doesn't necessarily involve results as much as it involves preparation. Everyone in the history of the game has stunk up the place at one time or another. Some, for one reason or another, continue to stink... Others get past it.

Consistency is how a player goes about his business both mentally and physically. How he prepares. It involves just about everything other than the most obvious results.

This consistency in preparation usually leads to the desired results if they were meant to be. But sometimes consistency can actually be the problem. This is the bad consistency of not being able to make adjustments. This is the bad consistency and almost always produces bad results.
quote:
It is hard to be consistent unless someone gives you that opportunity to consistently play. However, you can consistently try to get yourself ready.

IMO, consistency doesn't necessarily involve results as much as it involves preparation


I agree esp.with the first statement.

Always be prepared,always be ready.You never know when the opportunity will come.

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