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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