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What about the other guys??

CM Coach May1,000+ posts
Up untill a few years ago this showcase baseball stuff was totally new to me. I never had any players play showcase baseball and it quite frankly was something that had not really caught on in our neck of the woods.

Not untill my youngest son started playing showcase baseball did I come to realize how special these bonds are that these young kids make. Not only with the players they play with and for but the coaches as well. I watched last year "my son played up" as player after player verballed to a college program. I saw how hard they pulled for their team mate hoping he would have a great game in front of the college coaches there to see them play. I watched the guys that had verballed gladly take a back seat in playing time so the other guys could get the time in front of the coaches. And I saw these guys never miss a weekend even after they had made a decision so they could be there for their team mates that had not "made it yet" to the next level.

I saw them cheer wildly when a team mate would do good in front of the coaches. And I saw the hugs and high fives when a player would show up and tell everyone "Hey I signed with ______"! The parents would be so supportive and really cared about all the kids not just there's. There was never any of this stuff where a kid signs and then just disappears from the program. He stuck it out for his team mates. He understood that he owed to his team mates the same thing the ones before and given to him. And they were loyal to the coach who has worked so hard to give them the oppotunities to be seen and made all the phone calls.

When my son verballed there was never any question about what he was going to do. He wanted to be there for the "other guys". And he wanted to play. The job is not done untill all the other guys are taken care of. Its not just about you. Its about the team. What would happen if every kid that verballed decided that the job was done. What about the other guys?
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H HitaHomer1100+ posts
Makes me sad that there is no "showcase" baseball near where we live. No teams, no PG showcases, no pro try-outs or teams. . . Son can't even play fall ball because the closest showcase team is 3 1/2 hours away and he can't travel that far AND keep up grades, visit colleges and go to a couple camps.

He would love what you just described. He has gone to a couple camps where in just the few days, the boys on his team bonded like that and he loved it.

I think that probably helps some kids make it farther than they would have - having that encouragement. The boys on my son's HS team don't seem to pull for eachother at all. My son says "come on guys we all want the best for eachother b/c if we all do our best, our team is good, we win and as a plus scouts will come." Its like they think that if someone else is good it takes away from them instead of helping them. The parents are even like that. Its just crazy.
TPMTPMHSBaseballweb Member since 2003
Good thoughts.

DK had verbaled but went to play in WWBA in jupiter in October to help out.
He also played the entire summer before he left for school. He was asked to be the "advisor" for the guys who were now being recruited. He actually helped in a way, Clemson coaches came to watch him and picked up a few players.

I see so many play for a team, get what they need from the experience and then leave. Frown I see so many other players give up great opportunities just to help others. Smile

The game is so much more than just about yourself.
T TG500+ posts
quote:
Originally posted by HitaHomer1:
The boys on my son's HS team don't seem to pull for each other at all. My son says "come on guys we all want the best for eachother b/c if we all do our best, our team is good, we win and as a plus scouts will come." Its like they think that if someone else is good it takes away from them instead of helping them. The parents are even like that. Its just crazy.
At our high school there are little cliques on the team and with the parents. No one wants anyone to get ahead of anyone else. Parents sit in their little cliques and rag on other players. A new coach came in last year. I met him the other night. He told me he has never seen anything like it. He said that's why he started talking to my son and two other 8th graders last spring. He not only has to groom talent, he has to groom attitudes.

My son's travel team (15U starting with fall) has twelve players. They all consider everyone a starter. No one plays every game. My son likes to be bat boy when he's not in the game. He can't stand doing nothing. If you asked anyone on the team who's the best player the response would be "Which game? Which tournament?" A different players steps forward every game to lead. The parents are tight. You'll see the parents of a kid on the bench cheering for the kid who replaced their son that game.

My daughter's high school team was loaded with travel talent. Every starter for three years got rides. My daughter's class (five of them) went through together for four years. In addition to the spring sports banquet they had their own party. At the end of the party they were all upset their era was over. The underclassmen were upset they lost their big sisters.

Her travel team had the all for one attitude, too. Every player got rides. When a player had their offer they took a back seat and cheered for those still waiting.

If players and parents only understood the value of TEAM instead of looking out for #1. #1 gets taken care of when a team sticks together.
Last edited by TG
bcb3bcb3100+ posts
My son went to his first tournament with his new showcase team last weekend. What a differences in attitude from his hs team and previous travel teams. Every kid on the showcase team was up in the dugout all game, cheering and rooting on their teammates. There was a lot of talent, but it was all about team. The kids treated the new guy like a valuable addition instead of someone who might take someones playing time. On the ride home he told me it felt like he'd been playing with these guys forever.
RobVRobV100+ posts
quote:
Originally posted by bcb3:
My son went to his first tournament with his new showcase team last weekend. What a differences in attitude from his hs team and previous travel teams. Every kid on the showcase team was up in the dugout all game, cheering and rooting on their teammates. There was a lot of talent, but it was all about team. The kids treated the new guy like a valuable addition instead of someone who might take someones playing time. On the ride home he told me it felt like he'd been playing with these guys forever.


I think this says a lot.

Seems like when you are on a team WITH a lot of talent, this is the type of great situation you have. Nobody is worried about a guy taking away their playing time, so everyone can be loose and root for the next guy.

No inferiority complex.

My son has played on few of these types of teams this year, and it's amzing how these kids can get together for one game, and then act and feel like they've been playing together forever. They're all having fun.

Different story than on some other teams for sure.
B blm100+ posts
We live in rural area too and travel ball is just that for us travel ball. We had played on a local travel team (45min) away, and its was like many of you had said, cutting up players and not pulling for anyone but there own. We had the coach that has attitude, puffed up and cocky. He's threatend by players with equal or more talent than his son. He even got upset when son showed up with a new bat that he purchased with his own money he earned and was proud of that, cleaning horse barns.

After we had enough of that we move onto a team 5 hrs away. The players are the best,treated son like he had been with them for ever. No one threatend high five and pats on the back not only when you hit but when you did not too. As our season with them was coming to a close son was asking, can he play there next year. Its alot of work and time but all worth it just to have that kind of chemistry. The best part is he loves where he's at and it brings the best out of him and all the players.

Its just amazing how people you just met can be so right, and the ones in your own back yard are so wrong.
G gotwood4sale10,000+ posts
quote:
Originally posted by blm:
We had the coach that has attitude, puffed up and cocky.


First off blm...welcome to the HSBBW. I have been noticing your screen name since you first started to post. You see, I encountered the acronymn BLM frequently when I worked in the woods.

The Bureau of Land Management, within the US Dept. of the Interior, manages millions of acres of prime forest land throughout Western Washington and Western Oregon. Your screen name brings back pleasant memories for me. I know it is unintentional, but "thanks for the memories!"

Now...about that coach you mentioned. The puffed up one. He deserves to be immortalized here with a fine picture of himself...in all of his glory!



I have to thank you again blm for your post and reference to this particular coach. This allowed me the opportunity to once more tack up this photo on the message board...it is one of my favorites!
Last edited by gotwood4sale
S smalltown10+ posts
Well TG and BLM similar story, rural area, H.S coach is very cliqueish. Travel ball is much more fun for my son but quite a drive. Kids are way more supportive of each other and way more talented. Best part will be this senior year, my kid is not respected by the coach or the coaches son's clique, coaches son's also senior year. My kid got an offer to play college, first one at our school in anyone's memory. High school coach is speechless and clearly dumbfounded since his whole goal since freshman year has been to showcase his kid. My son is having a lot of fun with it especially since he always knew he was good regardless of being stuck on JV for years. The college coaches told us high school ball means almost nothing.
B blm100+ posts
If what I think your implying is correct, sorry we have DEP & DCNR. Same thing different letters is all. On the other hand BLM, my parents are to blame not much I could do there.

Iam glad you got the opportunity to post your photo once again. It is amazing the likenss of the two... Smile

Smalltown,
Congratulations to yourson and to you for your accomplishmentandfor not letting that negativityget in your way.Good luck to you on your journey.
Last edited by blm

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