Varsity call up

Congrats.

Good luck to him! Let us know how it goes!

Congrats. He will be fine. If the coach didn't think he was ready he wouldn't be playing. Some of my most memorable moments as a HS coach is watching those kids in their first varsity start. I brought a kid up one day just because it was a Saturday game due to a rain out and the JV had not played that week. I gave him the start because he was a LHH and the guy we were facing was a RHP. In his first at bat we had runners on 1st and 2nd with no outs and I had him sac. He looked terrible and nervous and couldn't get it down and was down 0-2. The next pitch he went yard. In his next at bat he worked a full count and went yard again. He never saw JV or the bench the rest of his HS career.

 

Your son is going to be fine. I can feel it. Let me know if I was right.

Good luck to him! Very exciting. You're probably more nervous than he is

Congrats!! 

a kid last year that was a freshman gets called up to varsity for 1st game of season and my son is the starter on bump.  Kid is throwing up.  First batter hits a popup right to him in left field. Kid loses in the sun and runs to CF and ball literally lands where whe was standing and CF has to pick it up.  First at bat he is facing a kid that starts at a D1 school in the SEC and kid throws a nasty curve and this kid ducks, squels and proceeds to get called out on strike 3.  Parents started whispering about the freshman not ready. His dad was felt bad and paniced.

My son told him it is ok even after a good chuckle and took him fishing that weekend.  Kid made All-state as a freshman last year. 

Moral of story, enjoy the moment and let him know it is all good.

Good Luck!

Everyone, thank you for the well wishes and positive thoughts!!!
The day went great.
Coach May, not quite a 2 Homerun day but a 1 for 2 day with a single and a walk. 1 run scored.
First at bat, the boy was nervous. Took 2 fastballs down the middle, very unlike him. Next pitch he managed to get the bat on the ball and grounded out to second. Was hoping that was it for the nerves and it was. Next at bat, first pitch fastball banged right back up the middle. The last at bat was my favorite. Was a tight game, other team brought in a fireballer. Much harder than anything my son has seen in JV. Took the count to 3-2. Fouled off 2 more pitches and then took a curve in the dirt to earn the walk.
Had just 1 opportunity at third and made the play. Overall a great great day!!!
The coach even texted my son after the game with the blurb about the game in the online newspaper with my boys name referring to the run he scored. He said I thought you'd like to see your first newspaper mention.
Coach talked to him after the game and said we are going to bring you up on an as needed basis right now. Seems like the best of both worlds to me. Will only bring him up when he's going to play.

On the way to the game, I mentioned to my wife all the times I've read on this site about situations like ours and the advice was always enjoy the moment rather than always think about what's next. Well we did that and it was great!  thanks to all here.
And a special thank you to Coach May. I have read so many of your posts over the past couple of years and have gained great respect for you. I appreciate you taking the time to write your thoughts and you were right on. The boy came through!  Thank you.

Almost forgot!!!!! Team won 5-3!

Awesome! Thank you for the kind words.

Well done! Thanks for sharing.

 

My 2017 (Soph.) is a catcher on his V team. Did great in his first real V game that was pretty tough on Tues night, won 15-12 after being down 0-10. Two LONG innings and lots of balls in dirt and everywhere else. Turns out the other catcher was sick so he caught his second game the day after, out of the blue and unexpected, away against an elite team in the cold and wet. Did not go as well!

 

Have to be ready when you get the call. Good luck going forward!

Great first day! bravo!

Congrats on surviving that special day. You ARE breathing now I hope. lol. Enjoy the rest of the season. The seasons go by so quick so soak each moment up.

 

And Coach May is a legend on this site with his insight, knowledge, prior coaching, and wisdom. He has touched many on here for as long as I can remember.

 

YGD

There is something about that first varsity start (especially as a freshman) that is special. My son pitched a no-hitter in his first varsity appearance on the mound this year. Missed a perfect game when the ss made an error in the last inning to allow the only base runner of the game on. In a small town (3A Colorado school) this kind of thing makes you an instant celebrity. Front page of the paper, everyone in town knows, etc. The greatest part for me was that all the games are broadcast on the radio here and I have an archived copy. When we got home after the game, we sat down and listened to it together. That may be one of the favorite moments of my life, sitting with him in the living room and listening to the broadcast. No matter what he does from here on out with baseball - or if he never plays another game - he (and I) have that moment.

It really was such a cool moment and one tgat will stay in the memory Rolodex forever. What I really loved to see was the older kids gave him such respect. They were constantly laughing and joking with him in the infield which really put him at ease. I could see it going the other way with some jealousy or even anger that a younger kid is taking one of our friends spots but there was just none of that.  Well, I should say there was none of that on the field but there were definitely not a lot of warm and fuzzy welcomes from the parents. Nothing negative said, but not really a welcone either. That's ok though, I get it and hold no ill will. I'll win em over!  Lol.