What to expect

quote:

So, what do you think these boys will come across? Will they be surprised? Difficult? Easy? Challenged?

I am pretty sure the answer is Yes.

BBfam,

IMO - Hopefully - as they go through the beginning of this process - they will find that the only things that matter when they step foot on that field are - catching - throwing - running - hitting - and being a team player.

And also - hopefully - they will not be distracted by anything other than those 5 things.

Easier said than done when you are a young kid - but when we cut through all the BS involved in any level of baseball - those 5 items are the only thing that matters to someone who loves the game and wants to win.

IMO.

They will find there's a difference in the upper body strength of an upperclassman versus most freshmen. This is one of the great dividing points between the two groups.

They will find the kids who played high level travel in good programs will be further along in their development and maybe a little less awed. They've seen 80+ pitchers with nasty breaking stuff (our team played up to 16U and 17U in the fall to get accustomed to even more challenging pitching). They will also find the game is becoming about innate ability (got it or ya don't) and there will be kids with rec backgrounds who "got it" and will catch up within a year on those travel kids who "don't got it."

They will hear other young players and their parents talk about how they've been all-stars and travel since 7U, not realizing all that matters is "what can you do for the team now." Yesterday is reduced to nothing but plastic trophies and history.

quote:

Originally posted by Rob Kremer:

quote:

So, what do you think these boys will come across? Will they be surprised? Difficult? Easy? Challenged?

I am pretty sure the answer is Yes.

at the high school level, it's all about production at the plate and on the bases and QAB's, low ERA's, exceptional speed, etc. Position players need to contribute at the plate.

1B-Better be a good hitter
2B- low # of errors, good bunter
SS- low errors, fast baserunner, base stealer
3B- Good hitter, great fielder, on-base guy
P-Bring it or sit (must have control)
C-around a 2 pop-to-pop
LF-decent arm, must hit
CF-fast as lightning or won't cut it, can bunt
RF-monster arm and monster bat
DH-self explanatory

Also, good attitude, willing to work butt off for coaches, etc.

I think the transition to seeing more "small ball" played in high school is a big adjustment. A guy who is hitting #3 through #5 doesn't normally see many bunt signs in travel or rec. ball.
I know of several high school coaches that really emphasize moving runners with the bunt. Gotta know how to do it. Those kids that do will catch the HS coaches attention.
Not to say that it's the most important, but I think that it's a big plus for a kid who knows how to bunt well.

If they have been playing up, then perhaps this won't be the case - but what I noticed more than anything else was the defensive improvements in terms of range, glovework and throwing - balls in the hole, balls in the gap, lots of hard hit balls becoming routine outs...

Upperclassmen are bigger, faster, stronger and with better arms than they are used to seeing - and they convert far more balls into OUTS.

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Upperclassmen are bigger, faster, stronger and with better arms than they are used to seeing - and they convert far more balls into OUTS.

Very good point. Plays that were spectacular in Little League, Travel Ball....now are just another out that you better make. If you don't, be prepared to hear it from the coach and also teammates. You are now playing with the best of the best in your area and be expecting to beat people out at positions or sit and gather splinters.
Also, don't let the coaches see you show pain. Suck it up and take it like a man.

I think every area is different. And most programs are different. From my experience these are the things that most freshman are lacking in when they come into a hs program or surprised by.

#1- The speed of the practice. There is no standing around and no down time. You do not walk anywhere and you are always expected to be working.
#2- The intensity of the practice. Practice like you are going to play. Run everything out in practice. Try to make every play.
#3- The conditioning encorporated into practice.
#4- The amount of throwing. Most kids coming into a hs program are not used to throwing five or six days a week. And they are not used to spending alot of time at practice with conditioning drills and stretching be it dynamic or static.
#5- The schedule. Getting up at 6:30 going to school untill 3:30 practice at 3:50 to 6:50 home at 7:15. Eat , homework and then time for bed , do it all over again.
#6- Intense competition for roster spots as well as playing time. Most kids are not used to the prospect of not making a team or sitting the bench. There is alot of pressure to perform. You must be a person that thrives in a competitive environment.
#7- Practicing with players that are bigger stronger more mature and more talented than you. Some kids are intimidated by this and some are not. Some learn to use this as a way to measure themselves and learn. Some use this as an excuse as to why they are not performing up to par.
#8- Dealing with older players that will demand of them things they are not used to being demanded of them. "Hey rook take the trash to the dumpster". "Hey rook go rake second base". "Hey rook go pick up the baseballs at the cage". "Hey fng go get me some water from the cooler". We talk to our upper classman about respecting their team mates and treating people the way they would want to be treated. But lets not kid ourselves the older guys are going to test the younger guys. They want to see what they are made of. They want to see who is going to battle and not gripe and they are waiting to see who the softs kids are. Its just a fact of life. So even though you are just 15 you need to man up and get your respect from your team mates. You get it by busting your butt in practice , coming in in shape capable of making runs and doing everything everyone else can do.
#9- Dont complain or gripe around the other players especially the upper classman. They had to do everything you are having to do. Take out the trash , work on the field , pick up the balls , etc etc etc. Just earn your stripes and you will be respected by the guys.
#10- Even if your really good coming in dont rub it in anyones face. Hey some freshman come in and are very talented very early. Some sophs and jrs are not very talented. But they have earned the respect of their peers from years of investing into the program and busting their butts. Just go about your business and be respectfull of your team mates. Your team mates will be the first ones saying "Billy can play coach". Thats all you need to know.

Freshman lack #1- Arm strength #2- Speed #3- Power #4- Physical strength. (Work on these areas very hard prior to coming into hs.) The freshman that have made an impact in our program have been the ones that came in prepared to compete. And they have also been the ones that have worked extremely hard once they go into our program.

Learn this: Practice does not always mean taking ground balls or taking bp. Sometimes it means running , core work , agility work and some long toss. There is much more to being a good baseball player than playing games. There is the work ethic needed to work at the things that will make you a better baseball player. Good luck to all the young boys making the transistion to hs baseball.

That politics still play a part in baseball

That size matters

That speed matters

That you can get cut despite your LL All-Star past

That its more fun to play for your school and wear that school uniform than it is for any travel team

That you must get stronger

That you must beat your rivals

That it is important to go to the Varsity games and really observe

That the time in high school will go by very fast

Much of this depends on what you are used to and not all High School Programs are the same.
If you've played competively you should be a lot further along then a rec player. Our experience was that his travel team practices were faster, more organized and focused than the high school. I think that is not common but it is how it was for my son. I'll never forget the parent of an allstar rec player realizing that his son needed to step it up. The dads exact words were I didn't know this kind of baseball existed.
Coaches are always telling players to get bigger, stronger, faster. Working hard usually takes care of this. This is a factor but a good coach will notice a player that has good mechanics, that HUSTLES everywhere. That hits to the opposite field, that can get the bunt down. That in other words knows the game.
Do the right things, be coachable, have a good attitude and if you can play they will notice.
Also very important look people in the eye when you are talking to them. It's a sign of confidence.

I think the jump from 8th grade to high school was a huge jump.The talent is so much better on Varsity teams,as the good ones usually have a few upperclassmen that will go on to play at some sort of college level

I think the biggest difference is being real with yourself.In the 8th grade,chances are you are the best player on a team.You walk into HS,and you are just one of over 15 guys fighting for 9 spots.You have to work very hard(if you want to be good,and by that I mean lift after practice,take extra BP after practice)and understand the system you are in and how its run.Understand the plays,situations,the coaching staff,and the players around you,and you as an incoming freshman will be much better off.

I did some quick math and told my son when he starts varsity, if there are five starters from his class (whatever year they start) he will be among an elite 2% of the boys in his high school class. Imagine how many of those boys played tee ball and/or kid pitch. It was probably 75% of them. And this is just high school ball. The odds on D1 college ball are even more staggering.

Here is how I have always approached baseball. When I was coaching 12 year olds in AAU I said "Im not going to coach you like you are 12 year olds. Im going to coach you like you are 15. I am going to prepare you to play like you are 15. Why? Because 12 year olds that play like 12 year olds dont win championships!

When I coached boys that were in middle school I said "Im not going to coach you like you are in middle school. Im going to coach you like you are in HS. Why? Because middle school players that play like middle school players are not going to be ready to play in hs and they dont win championships."

When I started coaching at the hs level my approach then became "My goal is not to make you a good hs player. My goal is to make you into the type of player that can play in college. Build a solid work ethic. Become a man on the baseball field. Expect you to act like a man off the baseball field. Why? Because hs players that play like hs players and act like hs players dont play at the next level. And they dont win championships!"

If you wait to prepare once you get there for the level you are playing at you are way behind. Prepare for next level before you ever get there. Once you do step it up to another level. jmho

Great example Coach of how you can "play-up" while playing within your age group. I think a player can apply this same mentality to his approach to the game everytime he plays or practices. A lot of the game is mental and if you can think older and convince yourself to raise your game to an older level you will eventually perform consistently at that level.

Easier said than done

I can't think of anything that my son's coaches through the years that was not at the highest level. The only think that I can think of was the running and some of the nedurance stuff.
The skill part was all based on US cllege and pro workouts. His 16 U elite team was exactly the same as the 19U team. He was 15 at the time.
The coaches assumed everyone was trying to get to college ball so they followed a pro workout system.

I always taught our guys to throw the baseball. In other words be offensive when your on defense. If a guy gets a big lead pick him off. If he is getting a big secondary throw behind him. Look to make plays and never be afraid of making a mistake. The only mistake you can make is not trying to make a play.

On the offensive side I wanted my guys to swing the bat. If its around the plate never look for a walk look to mash. I used to use the hit and run alot with younger guys in AAU etc because I wanted players to learn to be aggressive and attack the baseball. I used to ask them "Did you come to the park today hoping you would walk"? "Or did you come to the park looking to mash?" Of course I wanted them to swing at good pitches. But the mentality was I want you to swing the stick and have fun at the plate.

To me its a mentality you can instill into young players that they will take with them as they progress in the game. Attack the game of baseball or it will attack you. Its a whole lot more fun to let it all hang out and learn to have fun getting after it. The approach of "Dont make any errors" "Throw strikes" "Why did you swing at that 2-0 pitch" "Dont make throws you dont have to make" I just hate this for young kids.

Go out there and play hard , play with no fear , mistakes are not taking chances on making a play , etc etc. I believe you create players that are fearless and get after it hard and have fun playing when you encourage them to attack the game with no fear of making mistakes.

I never taught any kid how to field anyway differently than I would one of our hs players or hit any differently. Why would you? But to me the mentality you instill is the most important thing you can teach at a young age. There are no stupid questions , and there are no errors when you are trying to make something happen. Too many young players are so worried about screwing up they cant excell at the game. JMHO

quote:

When I coached boys that were in middle school I said "Im not going to coach you like you are in middle school. Im going to coach you like you are in HS. Why? Because middle school players that play like middle school players are not going to be ready to play in hs and they dont win championships."

Great philosophy! I told my son and a player I mentor (his dad doesn't know the game) when they were in middle school, they were the two best players just by taking the field. I told them don't be satisfied being the two best. Be the best you can be. Challenge yourself to be better than each other. You'll find you drive each other to the top. They're now two of the three players getting varsity tryouts as freshman.

Great advice from everybody - especially Coach May.

A mom's perspective on what to expect about tryouts - every year when tryouts are held for high school baseball in the competitive areas of Texas, it breaks my heart for the few families of the freshman boys who do not make the team. These players have been on the select teams, played little league with the area kids, may have been too little or too slow, but had known for sure that they would play high school baseball and it just didn't happen for one reason or another.

I hope that the incoming freshman that may be on the bubble have a back-up plan - sign up for freshman football, track, or whatever sport your son is interested in also. Unfortunately,many parents are blindsighted and do not realize that their son may be one of those on the bubble. There's always an athlete choosen on the high school team that the select baseball parents didn't count on - someone who just moved in the area, didn't play select ball with them, etc. that the coach saw something special in them and choose them.

In Texas, everybody can play freshman football - you may not be on the "A" team or play very much but you will be a part of the program. That way if they do not make the high school baseball team that gives them a sport to be a part of. You can make a choice of which sport to play when you are a junior and senior if need be.

Unfortunately, in many highly competitive areas, there are good players that won't make the team. Things have a way of working out - one player that did not make the freshman baseball team and he and his family were devastated - is now playing D1 college football.

Good luck to everyone with high school tryouts!

.
Loved this...priceless and classic for ALL levels...valued, copied and sent on to many...

quote:

I always taught our guys to throw the baseball. In other words be offensive when your on defense. If a guy gets a big lead pick him off. If he is getting a big secondary throw behind him. Look to make plays and never be afraid of making a mistake. The only mistake you can make is not trying to make a play.

On the offensive side I wanted my guys to swing the bat. If its around the plate never look for a walk look to mash. I used to use the hit and run alot with younger guys in AAU etc because I wanted players to learn to be aggressive and attack the baseball. I used to ask them "Did you come to the park today hoping you would walk"? "Or did you come to the park looking to mash?" Of course I wanted them to swing at good pitches. But the mentality was I want you to swing the stick and have fun at the plate.

To me its a mentality you can instill into young players that they will take with them as they progress in the game. Attack the game of baseball or it will attack you. Its a whole lot more fun to let it all hang out and learn to have fun getting after it. The approach of "Dont make any errors" "Throw strikes" "Why did you swing at that 2-0 pitch" "Dont make throws you dont have to make" I just hate this for young kids.

Go out there and play hard , play with no fear , mistakes are not taking chances on making a play , etc etc. I believe you create players that are fearless and get after it hard and have fun playing when you encourage them to attack the game with no fear of making mistakes.

I never taught any kid how to field anyway differently than I would one of our hs players or hit any differently. Why would you? But to me the mentality you instill is the most important thing you can teach at a young age. There are no stupid questions , and there are no errors when you are trying to make something happen. Too many young players are so worried about screwing up they cant excell at the game.

44
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Yes..All excellent points in this thread. Having a son going thru rec, all-stars and high school ball, I've seen most or all of what's been pointed out. Especially the mental maturity and physical differences between freshmen and upperclassmen, the competition for making teams to roster spots, the added conditioning to practices and the long hours high school players put in general between conditioning, practice and games. Add some of the other outside functions like running clinics for the local rec league, booster club fundraisiong etc..It's definitely much different than anything done at the rec, all-star and travel levels.

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These players have been on the select teams, played little league with the area kids, may have been too little or too slow, but had known for sure that they would play high school baseball and it just didn't happen for one reason or another.

Sometimes these kid's parents have always found a place for these kids to succeed instead of forcing them to beat out someone in a challenging situation. The kids weren't forced to improve. The competition was dumbed down. The kids get a false sense of confidence, get to high school ball and "Wham," reality right in the face.

Learn what it means to compete. Not just against another team but just to get on the field. Putting your kid in win win situations all the time is not a win win situation. They need to know that they have to compete to play. Competition for playing time will do one of two things. It will either make you step up and accept the challenge and make you better. Or it will make you fold like a cheap lounge chair from K-Mart.

Kids that do not make it at the hs level are usually not very talented. Or they have never learned to compete. Why do you see so many "Studs" go into college programs and then you hear they are out of the program? Have they ever had to compete on the baseball field? When they get thrown into an evironment where its all about performance and everyone is talented do they know how to compete?

Now how to you put a very talented younger player in a situation where he has to compete? He is better or as good as anyone his age and he is always on the field. He knows this as well and he never feels those butterflies in his stomach at a tryout. Why? Because he knows he is better than everyone else and he knows he is OK. You take that kid and you take him out of his comfort zone and you put him on the field with some older kids or you put him on the field with some top flight players and you challenge him. He has to learn what it means to "step up your game".

I am a firm believer in coming out of your comfort zone and being challenged all the time. I believe that when kids are put in these situations at a younger age they learn alot. They appreciate what it means to be in the line up. They appreciate what it takes to make the team. And they appreciate what it means to work at the game. It pays off bigtime down the road for the ones that do this. JMHO

I couldn't agree more. My son has always had to work hard and compete. He has now passed by many of those studs that the game came easy to. That didn't have to work at it. He learned at a young age that if he wanted to be on the field he wasn't going to be given anything and had to earn it. He thrives on the challenge.

Coach May and bb1 - excellent posts!

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Coach May quote:

Why do you see so many "Studs" go into college programs and then you hear they are out of the program? Have they ever had to compete on the baseball field? When they get thrown into an environment where its all about performance and everyone is talented do they know how to compete?

Coach,
I think that is so true if you live in a "competitive baseball" environment. Many in this country specifically in the North have some "slim pickins" as far as a competitive cast. I remember when my son was in HS and asked by a recruiter who was his biggest competition in the area was. He caught me and the coach off guard by saying "I look him straight in the eye every time I brush my teeth".

I thought about that for a while and I think he had a great point. You cannot compete against others until you've come to grips and realize that the toughest competition comes from within.

RZ I certainly understand that. And can I borrow that quote? Thats awesome.

quote:

And can I borrow that quote?

Of course, that's what we're all here for, sharing

Coach May, I use your qoute's all the time. And other's with a positive message.
I post them on my fridge.
In fact i just printed and showed my son your Average speech.
He just left about an hour ago to go back to college.
And he took that qoute with him.

We've hosted Minor Leaguers for a few years now.
And I love to put yours and others qoutes on the fridge for them to read.
Just something to provoke thought, just in case there not into it that day??
I think it help's that they read such statement's.
Anyway keep them coming everybody.
EH