Any youth baseball parents/coaches out there

[DIIdude]

I have a question, of sorts.

I have a 9 yr old son. He has so far this year hit three balls over a 200 ft 5 ft tall fence, the last one not getting much over what, 30-40 ft off the ground, just ripped it. He hit a few out last year on shorter fields and a machine, but this year its live pitching.

So, people are starting to make comments like he's the "real deal" and such. Now I've always been one to believe that no matter how good you are there's someone better. So I'm wondering, is that really so exceptional? I know that around here 10 and 11 year olds aren't hitting it out that much, but I live in a smaller town. On the other hand some of these people watched Scott Rolan grow up.

And so you know, I'm not suffering from a case of the big head. I always reply to people that he's just a little kid with a lot of growing up to do. And no, he doesn't spend his evenings hitting off a tee, but rather out riding his bike, both pedal and MX, playing, and just being a happy little kid.

 

[brianhoberg]

Honestly, I can't wait for my son to get older. He's 6 months old, so yeah...I have a while !
But, I'm hoping he decides to play soccer as I'd love to coach him in soccer, my other passion aside from rugby
His mother won't let him play rugby.
-Brian.

 

[SGaynor]

Honestly, at that age, you never know...

Some kids just have "it." I've coached my kids in softball/baseball and have seen kids whose parents have zero athletic ability, and those whose parents were pro athletes, bat like Don Mattingly. Then I've seen kids who were OK, only because their dad worked with them non-stop (Built a batting cage, with pitching machine, in the back yard for the 8 yr old daughter).

This year I'm helping coach my 6yr old son's baseball team. First day of practice, we're working on throwing. All are throwing right handed. Then we work on batting. All bat righty, except one kid who was having trouble. His dad was there, said he bats better lefty. Sure enough...It happens, my brother is like that.

Next practice, I've got half the team's parents telling us that their kid can switch hit. BS. These parents are already looking for Johnny to make it. I live in a town with a lot of overachievers and kids who are "perfect."

Point is, just encourage your kid(s). If they like the game they'll stay with it. If they have talent, they'll do well. If they both have talent and like it, they stay with it, work hard at improving, and may play in HS and beyond.

My philosophy is that I'll keep my kids involved in athletics until they are 12/13. After that, if they don't want to do it, I'm not forcing them.

 

[Roverlady]

My husband is a high school coach....has coached from T-ball all the way up. Played his entire life, including in college.

As we have followed a lot of kids since we've been together, you see a lot of trends. You see kids that do really well in little league and then fizzle out. You see the opposite in others.

The best thing I think would be NOT to encourage your kid that he is a superstar but that he should do the best he can and learn the fundamentals. You don't want him to hit the ball for the fence every time, especially when he gets older and the competition gets more serious. Practice with him if you have time. If you don't know the game or have never played, read up on how to support your kids (without being over bearing). Encourage him to really LEARN the game so that he is coachable when he gets older.

Honestly, from our point of view, there is nothing worse than a parent telling everyone their kid is the best and telling their kid that....usually, those are the ones who will fizzle out or get frustrated when the other kids surpass their ability with age, weight or strenght. Or they get up to bat and try to hit a homer every time....and end up striking out.

 

[jhmover]

Just don't turn into a pushy "Soccermom" with him, remember the game is for his enjoyment and he will know how far he wants to take things, or not. Encourage, yes. Berate, no. Show him things, yes. Make him practice 24 x7, no.

 

[Lucasd2002]

see if he likes switch hitting...

 

[DIIdude]

Naw, I'm really not pushy at all, in fact he is usually on my butt to go throw or take batting practice. Also I think you'd find that me and my wife are pretty realistic about his future. As I've told her he may just be maturing faster and by the time he's in HS he may not even be the best on the team, or even on the team. It doesn't hurt he's a straight A student with not much input from the wife or I, so it's not like he has to excel at sports to have a future.

That said I can't help but be a little curious as to how he matches up with other kids outside our area. I'd post something on a youth baseball forum, but those people are a little to close to the sport and I'm afraid that might not go well.

It is funny the side of people something like this can bring out. I live in a small town where everyone knows one another and how athletic they were in school. Well I'm not from here and at 45 it's a little hard to tell if I was an athlete. So I had the head of youth baseball question the fact that he's my offspring. I thought he was joking until he said it a second and third time with a straight face. I guess I might be a little more understanding it he didn't look more like me than his mom. LOL

 

[itdnwiwbp]

Like everyone else said, it should be fun. In my personal opinion and experience parents and coaches ruin many fine athletes with tons of natural talent and endless potential. Last night I picked up a baseball bat for the first time in eight years and had a blast. I was dreading it though because the last few years of my baseball 'career' were miserable. My parents actually paid me to play my last year hoping I would get back into it and want to continue - didn't work. I do remember a particular postgame pep talk after a loss, though, about how the whole team just need to give their all and have fun because no one was getting paid to be there. Beside the point. Just don't make your kids practice 24/7. The same thing happened to me with running though that turned into an injury that prevents me from doing it anymore.

 

[DIIdude]

You don't want him to hit the ball for the fence every time, especially when he gets older and the competition gets more serious. .

I missed this and wanted to address it. Yes, I played as a kid, and was very good. I got burnt out from the demands placed on me. I'm very aware of that with my son.

As a seven year old off a machine he had a game where he struck out every time at bat. Well this guy within walking distance of my work had a batting cage set up with a machine and let people use it. So every morning after I had things straight at work my wife would drop Keegan off and we'd walk over and hit a bucket of balls. We had this saying, and we still abide by it, "the surest way to not hit a home run is to try to hit one". He hit 5 hr's out of his next 7 at bats and it been off to the races from there.