Varsity coach wants priority in summer

Some coaches want the kids to play for them this summer.  My son's coach really wants his kids playing for him (usually Legion Ball, incoming Srs and select Jrs play in various tournaments) which is mildly irritating but we play both with his team and a tourney team on the side. 

Have your son discuss his options with the coach and actually find out what the coach wants.  Ours preferred my son playing for him, and he will but didn't mind other teams as well.  HS coaches are aware that a lot of kids play on extra teams these days and most are willing to accept some kind of compromise.

As for playing time and such, remember he is a sophmore on a Varsity team.  While you may feel that he is a better player than some of the Jrs and Srs also remember that your opinion is subjective and that some of these other kids are better known to the coach and it may just be a case of him trusting these kids more at this point.  Your son will get his chance.  Don't put too much into what other parents say, they may hear part of the conversation or misunderstand what is said.  If it is true then you can look at it as an area to improve on in the offseason. 

If your head coach is so unapproachable how does another parent know that your coach thinks your so is to slow? 

Here is my advice: (I guess that's what all this internet stuff is about right?)

You play your summer for the team your kid wants to play for. 100% his choice. Not dads choice, not coaches choice. HIs choice. He may choose cuz of playing time, friends, cool field, better schedule, etc.. I don't care what his reasons are, they are his reasons... cuz if it goes bad it goes bad and he learns from it, rather than getting resentful about it.

if it goes well, he gains confidence in his decision making... will there be doubts either way? heck yeah. but that's all a part of it.

just my thoughts...

Yes, that is a good question, how did that parent know. Coach doesn't discuss with me what he thinks of other players. Funny thing with this parent is his son was playing first base in yesterdays game. There is a great deal of politics and nepotism on the team. It is difficult to turn the other cheek. In my opinion, what I see going on is very ugly.

As for the summer, my son does not want to make high school the priority. He is considered a core player on his club team and wants to attend a couple of prospect camp/showcases he was invited to. His high school has a 2-4 record so far. Don't think that will get much better.  My son does not want to enter any tournament play with such a weak team. As of now, four seniors will be leaving. It is scary to think what the team will look like then. JV team is also very weak.

I haven't seen a school where some parent thinkks that there is some degree of nepotism or politcs going on...in a lot of cases, it is.  Hey, it happens.  Just keep in mind your son is a soph on V, he could be playing JV, that might be more benfecial for him.  There may or may not be reason why he is not playing.   That is his battle ti fight, just don't over think it, high school ball has turned into more of a rec ball type scene anyway.

I'm with TS, let your kid choose who HE wants to play for over summer.  He will enjoy it more, play harder and be better for it in the end.  Good luck

And, so, is your son going to be part of the solution and be determined to lead a resurgence for his HS or is he going to shy away from the challenge of being part of a weak team?

I hope that you take the time to read some of the many posts regarding HS ball.

There are lots of possible solutions for dealing with the HS summer ball/ travel team dilemma.  And, of course, there is importance to participating in a good travel team if he has aspirations beyond HS.  But, don't discount the likely possibility of valued life-long memories from being a part of his HS team.  And you may very well be an influence on whether those are really good or really bad memories for him.

Good advice all around...cabbagedad nailed it.

Your questions have been asked many times here.  There is no right answer we can give...you are in the best position to figure this out of any of us.

FWIW, I have known both bad HS coaches and some of the best...even perhaps THE best.  Even the one I consider the 'best HS coach in America' (and yes, there's some real data to support it including a mythical national championship)...but even he occasionally gets accused of favoritism, etc...  I've watched his teams up close for years...its complete BS.

There are very few (including bad HS coaches) that play favorites.  They wanna win as much or more than you and I do...they put who they think are the best players on the field.  That does not mean they are 100% correct in their assessment, but nearly all do play who they think are best.

The summer team choice is yours to make...by CA HS rules.  But the conversation about the current HS season that maybe could(?) happen is your son's to have.  Not yours.  You can coach him on it.  He needs to begin with, "Coach, I wanna get better and help this team...what can I do to improve and get more playing time?"

Then he needs to listen.  And you need to not stress about it.  He will grow up a little and make you proud.

Good luck! 

+1 on what others have said, now is the time for you to be positive about just being on the team regardless of how bad they are and/or your feelings about a coach.  As a parent of a Soph. on a large 6A program you will likley hear every and anything about a coach. Guy could be a total douche but he needs to learn how do deal with it on his own b/c the same circumstances reproduce later in life inside and outside of baseball.  With respect to summer he needs to communicate with the coach as stated above.  I would hope an adult coaching in HS would realize and understand a undersclassmens need to see the field with his own peers/age, and if it helps both the HS program and player then why not.

Batsmith;

Are you from Northern, Central or Southern California? We assist with the Tampa Bay

Rays Scout team tryouts. If you desire an opportunity for your son to experience

a Professional tryout, please contact my e-mail.

There is  "no fee" for this pro tryout.

Bob

"founder of the Area Code games"

<rwilliams@goodwillseries.org>

HI there,

This may be off subject a bit,but I want some input from other parents.......My son is a senior high school baseball player. He has played for the same high school team since he was freshman. Just a little background on my son.....he made varsity team freshman year, he has recieved many state and regional awards, recognitions, etc. and the team were state champs last year. He is a great player...good attitude, good grades, etc.  His coaches have been difficult at times, and word of other parents having arguments, disputes with these coaches are not uncommon. We have stayed out of any of the politics....also have advised our son to let things roll off in these situations, but today he had a tryout with a college in our area, and his coaches did their best to make sure he almost missed the try out!!  They were told several weeks ago he would try out....and were even asked permission to allow my son to leave baseball practice 30 min early to attend this try out.  Today they held him late.....lied to him and told him his mother said he didnt need to leave early, and only when his dad showed up at practice wondering why our son had not left for try out yet, was he allowed to leave and he almost missed his try out......i do not understand why any coach would do this to a kid...It is very obvious they did not care about this tryout and its obvious they were trying to make him miss it! .please help with comments, advice...etc. Thanks!

I am always a big proponent of parents staying out of coaching issues, setting good examples and being supporters of the entire team and program.  However, if you are the mother in question and if your son told you directly that they lied to him about what YOU said, they have now stepped into your personal and parenting world and you have every right to demand a full explanation (assuming you can trust that your son is fully truthful in these matters). 

That said, something doesn't add up here.  Just about every HS coach would consider it a feather in his cap if he can help one of his players with the opportunity to play at the next level.  It doesn't sound like your son has been a problem at all for the coaches and you have stayed out of the politics.  Might there be anymosity between the HS coaches and the college? 

I guess we'll just have to see how it goes. My son has been getting minimal pitching time, the coach has been using each pitcher for one inning. Maybe this week he'll stretch to two! No field time except for very beginning. I just find this strange as my son has been told he has a "vacuum glove"..Thanks all for putting things in perspective. My son wants to stick it out and it is 100% his decision.

Batsmith,

I am going to run with some comments you are making in an effort to expand your thought process a bit.  I'm sure some of my assumptions will be off at times, but hopefully you can benefit from some of it anyway...

"My son has been getting minimal pitching time, the coach has been using each pitcher for one inning..."   So, the coach is pitching EACH pitcher one or two innings per game.  It's not like your son is the only one getting short innings, they all are.  It is still early in the HS season, even in CA.  Perhaps he is still trying to figure out who will contribute best under game situations during league and also stretching out pitchers as he goes.  Maybe your team will be participating in an Easter tourney and he knows he'll need extra arms and needs to get all of them game innings.  It's great that he's giving a lot of guys opportunities, even a soph.  If your son is getting his turns, that's awesome.  He is a soph on V.  That said, even if he is just practicing every day with V and not getting many game innings, he is likely getting much more out of it than he would practicing with JV.  Practicing every day with better players makes you all that much better than practicing with weaker, younger players.  Also, the V level typically has more and better qualified coaches working with the players every day.

"I just find this strange as my son has been told he has a "vacuum glove"..." 

OK, do you expect a coach/staff to bring up a soph to V and tell him he sucks?  Of course they are going to point out strengths and encourage him.  And there are ten million possible reasons that kid may not play alot of defensive innings (could be mobility, arm strength, reliability, arm accuracy, game awareness, cohesiveness, looking at others before awarding the spot, offensively weaker, sense of entitlement, dad's a pain in the #$%, etc. etc.).  We have a kid who swings the bat as well as just about anyone on the team, yet he was getting very little PT up 'til our last game.  Some defensive deficiencies outweighed the stick when compared to what others bring to the table on both ends.  Also, he is limited with what positions he can play and those positions happen to be stacked.  We can't DH him because we have a very strong hitter with a bad wing who can only DH at this time.  I had no doubt that he would get his chance and I figured that, when he did, he would be mentally prepared to seize it.  I felt that way because I know his folks are the type to encourage and set the good example and that spirit has been handed down to this kid.  Tough situtation though, because this kid is a senior and tranferred from another school where he was always a starter.  He finally got his shot at a start for our most recent game.  He came through and undoubtedly earned more opportunities.  That's how these things tend to work.