2020 Select Baseball

[jshouse]

Todd

I cut it down a bit.

We will be 12u Dallas Mustangs-Randle and 10u Texas Oilers-Overstreet this spring.

That's a tough situation for sure, I would let him play both and see which one he starts gravitating to as the year goes on. You never know when the growth spurt will come and what his confidence and attitude will look like with each sport.

I know pushing him doesn't sound like a good option, and I am in the same boat with my youngest. He loves football and basketball and says I talked him into playing baseball again, and I may have but I told him give it 1 more season, 1 full season of kid pitch since we just left coach pitch, and see how you like it. If you don't want to play after this spring then I won't ask him to play any more.

I quit football in HS because of a coach and had a long talk with my parents about it, looking back I wish they would have pushed me harder to play, my MBA dreams never quite materialized lol

Good luck

[jshouse]

My absolute biggest fear is he gets too involved and gets burned out before he could truly shine.

One thing I would do over is not playing fall baseball. Both of mine took this fall off for the first time and played football and basketball, it was great that we weren't trying juggle all that with baseball like we always did in the past.

[glen]

RT- let the kid play golf and go support him if that’s what he wants to do

[systemnt]

One thing I would do over is not playing fall baseball. Both of mine took this fall off for the first time and played football and basketball, it was great that we weren't trying juggle all that with baseball like we always did in the past.

We do fall ball but i agree with this.
Fall sunday leagues are a waste of time.. unless your goal is just destroying LL allstar teams..
We did a open tourney schedule and treated it like a training eval camp for the goals set for the spring team.
Tan cant play football due to having had open heart surgery at a week old..(yet he plays catcher).. and hes got a height issue inherited so basketball isnt his thing..lol..he likes it..and will give it a shot but he lives for baseball.
When he hurt his arm last year it killed him and he still made me take him to practices and games ..just to be around it and do what he could.
When he got cleared to play full out again, he cried for an hour he was so happy.
Bottom line.. you know your kid, his drive, and your circumstances.
Do what he wants, push him and encourage him and dont let naysayers push their opinions of how to raise your kid on you.

[jshouse]

We do fall ball but i agree with this.
Fall sunday leagues are a waste of time.. unless your goal is just destroying LL allstar teams..
We did a open tourney schedule and treated it like a training eval camp for the goals set for the spring team.
Tan cant play football due to having had open heart surgery at a week old..(yet he plays catcher).. and hes got a height issue inherited so basketball isnt his thing..lol..he likes it..and will give it a shot but he lives for baseball.
When he hurt his arm last year it killed him and he still made me take him to practices and games ..just to be around it and do what he could.
When he got cleared to play full out again, he cried for an hour he was so happy.
Bottom line.. you know your kid, his drive, and your circumstances.
Do what he wants, push him and encourage him and dont let naysayers push their opinions of how to raise your kid on you.

agree. I have a few friends that have kids that only play baseball year round but the kid will straight up tell you that's all he wants to do. They don't like football or basketball and only want to play baseball, every day. How could you argue with that as a dad?

[chris1911]

My son is playing 13U this year and I really couldnt give two sharts about baseball this spring I just cant get remotely excited about it. I'm burnt out from all the blowing and going and would 10000% rather us just go fishing. Maybe I'm just getting too old for this and am becoming "get off my lawn" guy. Either way, I'm tired of it.

me an my 14u feel exactly the same way! we are holding onto the fact that this is the last season of travel. not playing fall this year, hes playing football and basketball and then winter high school baseball starts...im ready for the break.

[jer_james]

We do fall ball but i agree with this.
Fall sunday leagues are a waste of time.. unless your goal is just destroying LL allstar teams..
We did a open tourney schedule and treated it like a training eval camp for the goals set for the spring team.
Tan cant play football due to having had open heart surgery at a week old..(yet he plays catcher).. and hes got a height issue inherited so basketball isnt his thing..lol..he likes it..and will give it a shot but he lives for baseball.
When he hurt his arm last year it killed him and he still made me take him to practices and games ..just to be around it and do what he could.
When he got cleared to play full out again, he cried for an hour he was so happy.
Bottom line.. you know your kid, his drive, and your circumstances.
Do what he wants, push him and encourage him and dont let naysayers push their opinions of how to raise your kid on you.

agree. I have a few friends that have kids that only play baseball year round but the kid will straight up tell you that's all he wants to do. They don't like football or basketball and only want to play baseball, every day. How could you argue with that as a dad?

Couldn't have said it better. Pay attention and see the mood and the spirit. It will make the determination for you.

[Dale Moser]

What age and team are all your boys, if you're comfortable with sharing? My son, 8th grade, is playing 14U as he did this past Fall. He is with an organization that has teams in San Antonio (where we live) and teams in Abilene. The organization founder called me during the Spring of 13U season to ask if my son would join his team for the the first of their last three tournaments. He did, then they asked if my boy would play with them for the USSSA South State and the State tourneys that followed. Fast forward to last Fall and subsequently this Spring, the West Texas team has again chosen to have my son on their team as opposed to the local SA team. We enjoy it because the WT team is better organized and is a more competitive team. Also, my son gets to practice locally. He will be playing AAA/Major (AA last spring). I say all this, but here's the kicker. My son wants to play golf.

My son started playing golf with a buddy of his this past Summer that lives on a local course. At first, I bought him a very inexpensive set of clubs. As time progressed, he borrowed clubs from his friend as his hitting improved. For Christmas, I bought him a full set of Callaway clubs from the pre-owned Callaway website. I've taken him to Top Golf a few times and have been with him to the driving range on many occasions. He has a great, natural swing though his consistency in hitting straight is lacking as well as his putting skills. He is getting better, and I'm sure will continue to improve. His best friend, who he has been playing with, goes to a different middle school and will go to a different high school come this Fall, but is pursuing golf for this 8th grade year and beyond. They both grew up playing baseball together, my son since the age of three (10 years). The friend was a less than average baseball player and quit after his 12U Spring season as he did not make the cut for the select team my son played for, he and his dad had seen the writing on the wall.

My son has reported that he doesn't have the drive to play baseball as much as he does to play golf. When it's game day and he's in the field, he loves it, and he admits to that. Here is my dilemma: My son is an above average baseball player in both the fielding and batting categories, though he is not a pitcher and not a homerun hitter. He plays CF and 2nd and bats around .275 per season. He is fast, has a great eye for the ball in play on the ground or in the air, smart play maker, and has a decent arm. His draw back, and I think what gives him an inferiority complex, is his size. He has not had a growth spurt yet. He is the smallest player on any team he has played on. Even though he played quarter back for the middle school team in both 7th and 8th grade, it was on "B" team, and he gets frustrated at his lack of size. He will be 14 in March this year. He will also be going into 9th grade in the Fall. If he continues to play baseball at the level he is capable of, he still may not make the high school JV team (there is not a freshman team) unless he has a huge growth spurt in the next 6 to 9 months. Coaches, in my opinion, will see him as not mature in physical stature, and will pass him over. Now if he does sprout up, he would easily be able to make that team come Spring of 2021. The question is, what do I do about golf? he will be trying to play for his middle school team in a month or so against kids who have been playing since they were 3 or so. I feel he is a disadvantage trying to compete being so fresh, even though I think he will get there soon, to compete with other 8th graders. Just not sure how he could make a high school team, as I'm sure that is a lot more competitive.

We are trying to do both this Spring, splitting our time at the driving range and at the field/batting cage. I could go on and on, but this is long enough already. I didn't know I would go on this long. Any input is appreciated!

I forgot. I really want him to play baseball, almost to the point of pushing him into it more. Of course, I don't want to push too hard to alienate him. I just don't see golf as being advantageous for him in the near future.

Todd

Get him a lesson with a good golf instructor, and see what he says.

[jer_james]

Hey Dale - theres a great camp going on in Keller this weekend. It's at DBAT Keller. Lucroy is running it at DBAT. Jax had his best success while working with David. When he moved out to Alvarado is when we stopped being able to see him. They got a little of everything going on.

[Dale Moser]

My absolute biggest fear is he gets too involved and gets burned out before he could truly shine.

I'm no expert, but here's what we did.

Started "advanced" T ball at 4, we threw them 2 pitches then brought out the T. He was one of the 3 best players including some 5 year olds.

At 5 we did "advanced" T ball again, and the 8U team had lost 2 players right before the season started, so he played 8U (small town, rec league). One of the 2 best players on T ball, and top ~6 on 8U.

At 6 we started 8U in the local rec league, and joined a select 8U team that consisted of mostly kids from that league, for about 6 or 8 tournaments. He was one of the better rec players. With the select bunch he caught a lot, and played quite a bit of outfield, was great in the infield when he got to play there. He should have played 2nd most of the time, but coaches kid with **** attitude was there. It was a good experience overall, and they won a tournament and were 2nd in another. I should say that my son is really good about not getting discouraged. When he had to play catcher, or outfield, or set, he never let it bother him....even when he saw the kid with the **** attitude kicking balls around, where he should have been playing. I asked him and he just said "I don't care where I play, I just want to play".

Last season at 7 we just played 8U rec ball, then did an All Star tournament. He was DOMINANT at 1st base and at the plate. I think he went 36 for 37, the one time he got out was a rocket at the short stop's face which he caught. We won the league and did ok at the AS tourney before getting fed to Aledo. We put a 9U (kid pitch) team together and only got to play one tournament, where we got drove, but he did fine. Kid pitch is misery....

This year as an 8yo he tried out for a select team in the Canes org, and that is all we are going to do. He couldn't be more excited, and I'm ready to get on with it myself.


I ask him before everything I sign him up for if he wants to do it, and tell him I don't want him to do it if it's not fun, but we aren't quitting on a team mid season. He's never wanted to quit anything but soccer so far.

We do NOT play fall ball, that's deer hunting time. He does play basketball in the rec league, and we ended up on another more advanced team this year for a month, not sure what it's called.....it's just basketball.

He also loves golf, but we only get to play 2-3 times a summer. As he matures and he can seperate the two swings better, we will play more golf.

[Dale Moser]

Hey Dale - theres a great camp going on in Keller this weekend. It's at DBAT Keller. Lucroy is running it at DBAT. Jax had his best success while working with David. When he moved out to Alvarado is when we stopped being able to see him. They got a little of everything going on.

I would check that out, but he has basketball this weekend.

[Wechebuck]

Moco ballers.

What age group?

[piercebronkite]

Yup I’m a coach for 3rd graders, it’s not select but we have fun playing it. I can’t wait to get on the field with them this spring and teach them, teamwork, failure, sportsmanship, and all the great character building aspects of the game.


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[DM3]

My experience and takeaways from playing high level select ball for the past 10yrs. I have 2- boys (freshman in college and a junior in high school). The time spent with traveling the state of Texas including Oklahoma, Georgia ,Virginia watching the boys play has been a memory ill never forget. With that said if I had to do it again I would recommend to anyone to let the kids play every sport all the way thru high school, both my boys played multible sports thru middle school and high school. When your boy get to high school, college coaches will be interested in only 3 physical tools they have. Their 60 time, arm velocity and bat speed. If your son has size 6' can run a sub 7 second time in the 60, can throw a baseball 85 or better and has a bat velo over 90 they will get looks. If your son is a pitcher and can throw 90 or better they will get offers. The coaches could care less if they have played travel ball since they were 7. Spend your time and money with speed training a good weight lifting program and hope that god gave them good genetics.

[rtarcher]

Looking at great responses and hoping for more from my earlier post. Keep em coming!

Todd