Now wait a minute - the kid wants to play with his friends, on the team he’s played on before. So Mom should think only selfishly of how successful he can be and put him on a team he doesn’t want to be on? This is the reason I have so much trouble with “elite” or “club” leagues at this age. A nine-year-old shouldn’t be pressured to “excel” at the expense of enjoying playing with his buddies.
Colonel, USAFR
My son will be 12 in Dec., he is not overly outgoing but he is not shy either. In the 4 yrs. he has played “elite” ball his world has expanded beyond what most of his friends has. Through baseball he has made friends with boys from all over. Every year we ask him, you sure you want to do this? He always looks at me like I’m crazy for asking.
This fall he went to a team where he knew only 1 player and I have to admit I was curious to see how he would adjust. He did great, by the end of the 1st inning they were high fiving, giving thumbs up and were very supportive of one another. By Sunday, they all like best buddies. In the long run I believe it will help him as an adult to be able to go into a situation where he has to stand alone and be himself and not be attached to who he knows to be comfortable.