I had a nice conversation the other day with a very well respected and long-time HS coach in our area. We were talking about a player that currently plays for him that I happen to know very well since he was a young boy.
He told me that when he first got that player, he didn't think he was all that good. He said he couldn't put a finger on it, but it just didn't look right to him. So the kid sat on the bench for the first few games last year.
Then a starter got hurt, so he put this kid in. He was thinking he couldn't hit and they'd just bunt a lot with him until the starter returned. The kid began to hit, and field, and throw with the best of them. Soon he was batting in the 2-spot and one of their leading hitters. Ultimately made all-league in one of the best HS leagues in the country. Is now headed to a D1 school next year.
The coach who has been doing this for a LOOooonnng time was wrong and he admitted it. I know the parents well too, and I think this kid is lucky in several respects. 1) He got his chance - if not for an injury, he may not have and 2) His parents were supportive, not destructive. They told him to work hard and his chance would come. They told him to be ready. He was and it paid off.
So I guess the moral of my story is that sometimes the coach is wrong. How you handle it as a player or parent may very well determine how your son will ultimately do with the situation. Telling your kid that he is getting scre**d will probably not work. Telling him to be ready for when his opportunity comes may be just what is needed.
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