QA Career at Age 8?

Please help me better prepare for a professional future in Baseball for my son. He's 8 years old and loves the game, and practices daily. His cousins are pro ball players. Do you recommend any particular books on the subject, or contacting a particular league, methods of practice, any help would be appreciated.

ATwo answers, first from our scouting consultant Kurt Kemp...

1. A baseball player or, for that matter, any person will have the greatest chance of success if they are doing something they truly love to do. There are no books, leagues, or methods of practice that I know of that teach that. If your son loves to practice, loves to play the games, loves to compete, and has nowhere else he'd rather be than on a baseball field, then he will have the greatest chance of taking his physical ability as far as it will go. It may be good enough, or it may not. Either way, your son will enjoy the journey and have a great experience in the game of baseball.

2. (from Richard Todd) Part of the program - in addition to maintaining his healthy love for the game as Kurt suggests, is to make sure - over time - that he has good instruction both in-season and off-season. The range of books, videos and other training help is vast. We try to filter through that spectrum with our top recommendations. In this case I would suggest he look at the youth training DVDs by Ron Wolforth (available through WebBall) starting with a current video "Advanced T-Ball" and "Combat Pitcher". This shows what the youngest players are capable of and techniques that work. As he grows other advice will be helpful. If he does show promise by high school, you should then pick up a book called "Playing Outside the Lines" or "College Bound". It is not about how to play, but could help you as a parent give him the best opportunity to continue in the game. By the way, every parent should not expect every 8 year old to be an intense ball player, nor should all families try to put their kid on some fast-track. Baseball can be just good recreation, too. Keep it fun.

QChoosing A Competitive Team

My 10 year old son played baseball with a select team in our neighborhood baseball organization this past spring. He did very well and this past fall I decided to search for a more competitive team that would help him hone his skills and expose him to the best, most competitive youth baseball in our state. He tried out with four teams and narrowed his choice to two. My dilemma is distance. Team A is 28 mi. trip each-way. Team B is 50 miles away from home. Team A has offered to pay for professional pitching and catching lessons, has very knowledge, experienced coaches. They seek to defend their title. Team B offers the opportunity to play against the best teams in the state in some very competitive tournaments. The coaches have a proven record and obviously experience. My son is wanting to play with Team B. There are several concerns that arise due to the distance: Time away from home, homework, additional expenses etc.

AI don't think the dilemma is distance so much as potential. And I don't mean which team wins, I mean which team will do the most to build your son's baseball experience.

It's a mistake for an 18 year old who just signed with a pro team to think he has made the Show. It's a bigger mistake for a 10 year old (or his Dad) to think the aim is LL world series or equivalent.

I would go always with the opportunity that will provide the most training/playing experience for your son - the most enjoyment from the game, the most chance to grow and imporve - gradually, so that his amateur career peaks somewhere between 17 and 21 (HS or college).

But there are also no locks in life no matter how good he does in the next few years. So I would also not sacrifice time for school or other pursuits by spending more time driving. And the ultimate question you have to ask is how athletic are you? Because ultimately a kid's projectability into college or the pros will have something to do with his genes. In other words are your dreams for him anchored in something real.

You don't need to answer those questions for me - just for youself. From what you describe the closer team offering pro calibre instruction is probably the way to go. [Follow up from WebBall: we understand he decided the same way and it's working out.]

QNot Outgoing

When I was in T-ball I could throw the ball on a rope. At the next level I dominated as a pitcher. I am a reserved kind of guy around people. This has hurt me every year that I have played ball. One coach said I had talent but would ridicule me because he thought I was not a team player. It was that I was not very outgoing. I am now in my last year of middle school and each year of baseball has been a complete loss. Coaches that don't coach: kids who ask the most times get to play. I did pitch one complete game this season and did very well, but I can't improve if I only get to play one game a season. I am so frustrated. Next year is high school and I really want to pitch, but I have now found out that the high school is having the same coaching problems that I just came from. My dad is trying to channel me into golf, but my mom is very pro baseball. What do I do? How do I make myself so visible that they want to play me.

A(These are the toughest questions, the ones hardest to answer because the information is often limited, one sided, and I have no accurate way to judge the situation. Still, I am willing to try and help, because ultimately these are the questions that most need an answer - not just for baseball but for life.)

You face the same struggle as many players - getting noticed, getting fair playing time. You might want to read some of the comments in the scouting section - not because you want to get recruited yet, but to help you understand what can make the difference - in particular the 'sixth tool' page.

Also, don't assume that everyone else's assessment of you is wrong. You may not be able to change your basic personality, but you can improve your visibility in simple ways. Always be on the field before the coaches arrive - try to do your warm up throws and swings in a place visible to them. Ask their advice on say a detail of your fielding or hitting - give them credit and show a willingness to listen and work with them.

There are no quick fixes but if you love the game, stay with it. (Unless that is you can drive a golfball over 250 consistently and can sink 20 footers in which case Dad may have a point!)

QPlayer's choices

Our 12 year old is an excellent (lefty) 1st baseman and has pitched around 10 innings this past summer. Our summer team took 1st place and we placed 5th in [region]. Our coach wants to reorganize - drop 6 and add 6. The problem is that our 12 year old has received calls from 3 different teams. One team in particular, appears to offer more 'coaching' than the winning team/coach. Is there a philosophy behind these next three years prior to high school? Do you recommend any particular web site to research our dilemma? We love our Summer coach, but must do what appears to be the best for the 12 year old.

AThe challenge is in sorting out promises from reality. 'More coaching' can mean many things - more coaches managing the games, or more experienced instructors, or more pre-season and in-season practice sessions. 10 innings of pitching is not that much and if he wants to pitch more he needs to look at the coaching staff with good pitching instructors.

Playing first usually means no more at that age than he is taller than some teammates - and that could mean he just spurted early or, if you are tall, then he may continue to have a height advantage. This is important, because if you are not very tall, then he may be close to max. Unless he is already over 6' it is unlikely he will remain a first baseman for much longer - which means he also needs more fielding instruction at other infield/outfield positions. Why? Because first baemen do not develop the reflexes, speed and agility especially in the legs that are needed almost everywhere else on the field - so his fielding may suffer unless he gets to work at more fielding challenges.

If on the other hand you are tall and he is likely to maintain that height advantage, then as a first baseman he will also be expected to step up as a power hitter - which means hitting instruction (both off-season in a training facility) and with his team is important.
So, in looking for more coaching you need to evaluate whether the coaching offered will help pitching, hitting, fielding. Ask each team who has called what they can offer in instruction.
Obviously by this answer I am advising you that coaching - if good instruction - is very important in the next 3 years - all things being equal. However, don't under-estimate the power of a winning coach - if the team competes more, gets into more tournaments, plays higher calibre talent - all of this can inspire some young players to excel. (Winning is definitely more fun than losing - and fun is a great motivator.)

The decision ultimately is yours. You need to ask tough questions. Ignore promises about how much palying time he'll get - that is seldom reliable, go instead with the chemistry of coaches and players and with the calibre of instruction your son needs most. Good luck to you.