Jeannie
thank you for the question would be happy to come in on as I've been faced with this very problem with my two boys and, so the kids that I've coached over the 40 years. This is going to be my coaches/dad answer.
There is no doubt in my mind you play for the team that is not highly ranked in your description. It has zero value for player development, player enjoyment, player advancement to sit on the bench. If you're not playing you're getting behind in a 10% playing time, top team really is nothing is nothing but late inning appearances, games that don't mean anything, games that are already lost or one that he would be getting in.
The only value playing with the team is the social interaction, and the prestige with that similar very thin when you're not getting to do anything to contribute. The one thing I can't see is how good he is and why he's only a 10% player, if there's a reason that he can overcome to become one of the 90% players and that's what he needs to do but he's going to do it by playing6 not sitting on the bench.
Then finally let me say one thing is a coach and a the may sound a little harsh this is 13-year-old baseball there no scholarships, there's no real glory outside of what you give it to yourself, there's going to be at least five more years of trying to become a player. When it really counts is in the high school, or the 17 and up summer teams. But he'll never make those sitting on the bench. He needs to be playing. Now if a boy or girl is a player and they are playing and they should be moving up within their age brackets play the top competition that's available. But they have to be able to play and succeed.
Let me ask you a question when I was coaching basketball in a very small high school I was the JV coach. We had a senior that was not very good in fact he was going to get cut as a player but he was a super kid is a person so we gave him the choice, a rare choice of high school, that as a senior he could play on the JV team and play not to set. He chose to be the 13th man 12 man squad at the high school level instead of to play at the JV level. So in reality he didn't play at all and all the games that season he probably got on the floor maybe a total of five minutes. So my question is was he right or wrong. To me that's the same question you're asking here is better to sit or better to play. It's always better to play in my mind and in my advice.
Coach Arnald Swift
34 years of teaching, 40+ years of umpiring, 40 years of coaching at all levels from youth to D1, coached almost every sport there is one point of the other.
I would like to say a few words about young players or even older players concentrating on the single sport to early in life. This is going on because my grandson all of a sudden is decided he didn't want to play basketball this year that he only want to play baseball. I was in particularly in favor but he is 10 years old and he's going to change his mind more than once that's a guarantee. What's happened on a practical level is that there is no baseball for him to concentrate on so the only thing he's doing is going to the cage once in a while it hitting with that's not really practice. But more importantly I think it's a matter he's not getting the life experiences that he would enjoy playing all the games with all his friends. I encourage parents to really get their kids to try many different things. Sports aren't any different than food, entertainment, academic interests, arts and science, all that kind of thing. I don't think there's a parent out there that doesn't hate when their kid just sits in front of the TV or in front of the videogame. But I really don't see that much difference between those two activities only doing one sport during the developmental years.
I'll even add a second story of a young man I know in California that only play baseball up until the time you said during his freshman class, 2016, at that point he decided he didn't like being left out social circle so he was going to play football. As it turned out he was relatively good enjoyed it and says he's going to do it again, now he's playing freshman basketball again doing very well, and then in the spring he will play baseball. The real point of this is that he tried to stay with baseball only up until the time he was 14 years old all of a sudden he decided that he would like to try these other things, you did and he's turned out to be good at it and enjoying all the benefits. Therefore I think the take away would be it's never too late to start doing other things.
If we as parents, grandparents think they were going to build an athlete it's going to get college scholarships, pro sports, or in any way have sports be part of his life from a financial side then were fooling ourselves. The mathematical odds of these things happening are extraordinarily high and then the truth is we spend more money trying to get this accomplished that we never spend on the scholarships if we didn't have the sports. Sports and competition are for enjoyment in the real benefit comes from playing the sport, being part of a group, and having your family be with you while you're doing it.
I wrote this both from first-hand experience with my boys, my grandkids, and what I believed as a coach for over 40 years. What are your thoughts?
My name is Trevor, and I have been catching for 7 years. Over the summer, I made sure to study all the footwork of a catcher and everything I could think of. I am currently a freshman in high school playing in open off season to prepare for tryouts in February. I keep telling my coach that I know how to catch, but he won't let me catch at practices or in our scrimmage games. Instead he puts in me in the outfield and plays everyone that he knows in the infield. What can I say or do to make him let me catch? I know I am a good catcher, but every time he asks for catchers, he ignores me, or says that I can catch in a game and forgets I am a catcher. What do I do?
Trevor: Yours is an interesting question, because it has several elements in it that are inferred and are direct questions. Let's handle the direct question: if you have worked that hard catcher for seven years then you really should be pretty decent, but never to get a chance to catch is a little odd. You indicate that you'd be willing to catch batting practice, or even just in practice I would certainly encourage you to go directly the coach and say your willing to catch BP or in the bullpen just so show that I can do it. Would you please give me that opportunity. When you ask it directly like that then he will be forced to give you a direct answer and no coach the world pass up a catcher wanting to work in those two jobs. Now you infer that you tried to and tried to catch and your coach put you out in the outfield with the vague promises he will catch you in a game. Something is wrong there no coach would put the player into the game as a catcher without have watching him go through practice, drills, and all the things of the catcher is required to do. Second question comes about how well are you in the outfield are you more valuable out there defensively along with your hitting skills. As a coach I have to make that decision. Then the other question that you didn't ask but a coach has to decide how good are the players in front of you, as much as you want to work at it has much you have worked at it are you still not as good in all the skills in a catcher takes.
I'm a long ways from saying don't continue to work because your letter indicates that you're willing to work, do all the hard jobs to show you can catch and then in turn try to get into the games as a catcher and you must just continue down that road. But be honest with yourself when you look at how you helped the team the best and maybe the coach is looking at it from that direction not just what you would like to do. Hang in there and continue to work at catching but at the same time to your job when you're playing the game at all those other elements that are involved.
Best of luck let me know how it turns out.
Coach Arnald Swift
From Greg
Hi Coach,
Well, it’s been 3 years since I sent this email to you. You said to let you know how things are going. I took your advice and found an academy for my son to attend. It’s a four hour round trip to Springfield, MO to Midwest Baseball Academy. Kyle plays on the USSA 14U majors team. He just turned 14 a week ago. He’s 6’1” 182# and built like a brick school house. They put radar on him in August and he was throwing 87 mph. He carried a .470BA with 18HR.
After summer travel ball we asked the local high school coach if Kyle could practice with the high school team while they played fall ball. Needless to say Kyle was a little intimidated being in eighth grade and playing with juniors and seniors. Before their first game we told him not to be surprised if he didn’t get to play much, if at all. He started the first game at SS and had a fantastic performance. He batted third. His first AB, first pitch, 350’ HR. Second AB first pitch also 350’. He finished 4/5 with triple and single. The high school played 10 games in fall ball. He had 32AB, 8HR, 21 hits, 2 SO. He got to pitch in 5 games, 15 innings, 27 strikeouts.
For my wife and I here’s the best part. Kyle is a straight A student, is loved by all his teachers and class mates. He is a leader in class and sports. We spend so much time on the road together it gives plenty of time for “life’s lessons”. He’s very humble and is not always comfortable with the attention he seems to get from players, coaches, and even umpires.
I know this probably sounds like somebody’s bragging Christmas letter, but I try to listen to people like you when advice and cautions are shared.
Thanks again,
Kyle’s Dad
Greg Fincher
Mixing Sports August 31 2015, 0 Comments
Dear Coach
I have coached baseball for years and have told my kids that baseball and golf do not mix. A lot of golf can be a detriment to your baseball swing. Am I off base with my teaching.
Coach
I can't really agree with you to give the short answer. I see athletics as all independent. When I first started out baseball players did not lift weights, but now we know how to do it and the increased strength has not be gained at the loss of flexibility (that was the worry).
I don't believe one skill takes away from another. We have too many good and very good golfers with in baseball some of them almost PGA caliber.
I understand what you are asking but I think it fallen in the categories of "It sounds like a good idea" but in truth no factual basis.
Sorry to disagree but you and I are two coaches talking.
Coach Arnald Swift
Dear Coach
My 8 year old has a good swing but does not hit the ball in the game. We play in a coach pitch league so the pitches are normally very good. Can you give me some suggestion for us to work on.
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I do understand your problem with little kids. As a matter of fact I do have a couple of things that you can do that will really help.
First and foremost you need to find yourself a protective screen for in the cage and place it in front of home plate. Then get you a 5 gallon bucket and turn it upside down and set behind the screen set up about 10
feet away from the batter. Now what you need to do is reach around the outer edge and underhand toss the ball to your batter. This is called front toss in it works with little kids better than soft toss from the side. You
will notice very quickly that for some strange reason, it must be the physics, that little kids can hit a ball thrown underhand. Then after you've done at for a couple of rounds give each kid like five swings have them
hurry in and out so they keep moving like you said the attention span is a big deal. Then in the third or fourth round flip it over hand from the same position so that you're down to there level and not standing above
them. You will be surprised how much better they hit I wouldn't even worry about the pitching machine until the game. What you're trying to develop his hand eye coordination.
Coach,
My son is a freshman in High School and played competitive baseball from March-October of last year. He will be playing JV basketball until JV Baseball starts in February. He needed the break; however, should he
be throwing before baseball practice starts in February? He’s a middle infielder and not an everyday pitcher.
Thanks,
Derek
Derek
This is a baseball and basket ball coaches answer, as I was both for a long time.
YES, only criteria is that he does not take time or effort away from his basketball ball team.
But yes he should start throwing, it is no different from running extra, weights, diet all the other things he may do out side of basketball.
I think he should play light catch from 30-40 foot for 5 days, move out to 50ft for 5 days, and so on with about 75 throws each day not don't worry about speed work on accuracy.
Then if time allow for him to get to the 110-120 ft mark then he should throw the last 10 throws of a session game speed. BUT be sure (if you are listening to me) that he has to work up to the 110 ft distance and
speed.
Let me know how it all works out.
Coach Arnald Swift
