Posted on 06/20/2014 7:20:48 AM PDT by Phillyred
Hi Al. I was hoping anyone involved with little league baseball might have some thoughts or suggestions. My 12 year old just loves baseball and he's a really good player. Unfortunately He just finished up his last year of little league with no chance throughout the years to make the summer team. It is the all-buddies team. They pick only 11 kids every year. Does anyone find that ridiculous? The tryouts are a joke, and really just a showcase for the coach's sons. The same core 10 have been on it since t-ball.
The really frustrating thing is that two of the kids on the team are playing up! But they are good friends with the other kids. Why can't they just play at their own age level? My guy struck out 3 times this year (early in the year). His batting average and OBP was very high...but like others here, he was not a HR ("elite") hitter (like most of the all star team). Just got base hits and the occasional double. Very good fielder, very fast and athletic, but smallish for his age. His coach had him at infield/short stop most of the year but he plays any position well- even played catcher well. He was also the team's 4th/5th pitcher and often closed tight games.He had a streak of 4 or 5 games straight where he had a perfect OBP. He was hitting the very best pitchers in the league with ease all year. He put in a lot of hard work this year and it just kills me that he never got to experience the high level summer play. He loves the game so much and plays it well.
Anyway, just venting here, but I was really hoping someone might have a suggestion or think of a way he can still play baseball this summer. It is frustrating that so many towns around us he would be playing on, but we are stuck in this "elite" league. Anyone else going through this?
We know how you feel... In our local Little League, if you are not a son of a coach or a coach's favorite, you doesn't make the All-Star team. And if you are a coach that vocally sticks up for your team against biased officiating, your son will not make All-Stars as well. There is no rhyme or reason to how the All-Star team is selected... If you question how the determinations are made, you will be told "stats". But no one will actually show you the stats because they know that real stats would prove the bias.
My son, batted a .522 this past season, with OBP% of .686, and SLG% of .783. He averaged better than 1 stolen base per game, and his STB% was 100.00. His fielding (CF) was great, and he had no issues in accurately getting the ball to the infield without using a cutoff man. For 3 years in a row he has been passed over, and I am left trying to comfort him from the front seat as we go home... He doesn't understand how someone with a sub-.200 average can make All-Stars when he doesn't. Children know when they are being wronged... They are not stupid. And they don't forget. I just keep telling him that favoritism shown others now will turn into a great disservice to them later, as they were never as good as they thought they were and the truth really hurts.
He gets professional private batting instruction weekly, and has a form that rivals anyone in the MLB. He is young and working to perfect it, but knows that it will be worth it in the end. (He still gets a little "rotational" sometimes on low and away pitches... He knows the answer is to keep his hands up and to rotate the barrel of the bat downward as it comes across the toe-line.) He has a head for fielding and was setting up double plays from the mound at age eight when everyone else was still stuck in "the easy play is at first" mode. He is his own worst critic, so I have to be sure to reinforce his positive actions and let him figure out how to reverse the negatives by asking him questions. I believe he is truly focused on the long-term aspect of playing, so he understands that the real rewards will come later. While it is a true in life that favoritism exists and happens often, it hurts me to see him have to deal with it at this young age involving a game he loves - but he will be a stronger teen and a better adult for knowing the realities of life. Until then, we practice, we play, we seek out opportunities that allow us to improve and we look toward the future.
Start a new team in competition with the coaches’ team.
“Start a new team in competition with the coaches’ team.”
Best idea yet. Then recruit his best players - I’ll bet some of them would love to leave.
BUT - don’t make the same mistakes he makes:)
A few travel teams recruited my youngest son and he and my wife and I said no thanks. He plays little league and middle school baseball and middle school basketball. He said I want time to rest and not get burned out, we agreed and you are right travel ball is expensive and time consuming.
I don't know what 'elite travel teams' are?
College scouts most definitely come see Houston big 20-6A & 20-5A football, basketball, track & baseball/softball boys and girls.
Play a meritrocratic sport instead? (Like football, lacrosse, or rugby? Sometimes soccer too.)
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