I wrote the below a few weeks ago during high school baseball tryouts and tonight I feel like sharing it with all of you.
Summer high school tryouts end today for my son who is entering 9th grade. I’ve known a long time this day would come. The day where your son is either told they'd made it or are given the grim speech about trying again next year. No telling how many times over the years I wondered if he would make the cut at his baseball crazy 6A school. If he doesn't how will he handle it? Or more so how will I?
My son's played baseball since he was 5 years old. At the age of 9 started showing a huge desire to play as much as possible. "Dad, come throw with me." or "Dad, come watch me hit." were his daily requests. For years I'd pull in the driveway every night after work and he'd be pounding on his hit-a-way. The boy literally spent one to two hours a day hitting. I must have bought a half dozen of those things and he'd wear them out. If I would stand and watch he'd stay out there all night with the truck headlights turned on and play the "How many line drives can I hit in a row?" game. After school each day he'd invite all his friends over and play his own version of baseball, called mini-ball, tailor made for a backyard sized field, or hold his own home-run derby. It was evident his love for the game was far beyond ordinary. They still play that game and it puts a smile on my face.
At age 10 he was passed over for all-stars. He was disappointed but truth be known mom and dad were the most upset. Within days of the disappointment an offer to fill in on a travel baseball was presented. He was so excited and the weekend of baseball made the all-star situation easier to handle.
The next fall he got an invite to be on a full time 11U AA travel team. It was a good experience but the fall season ended with a losing record and the coach replaced over half the players for the spring season. He wasn't asked to stay. In fact travel teams that were formed from players at our home park weren't interested in him either. A weak arm and slow feet were to blame. I recognized these truths but also knew he loved baseball and wanted to play. We kept looking and found him another travel team. It was a weak team and the practices were a long drive but it offered him opportunity to play which is all he wanted.
Like so many kids these days he played on a multitude of teams between 12U and 14U. Middle school teams, park, and travel. My wife and I decided that his dedication to the game and desire to work warranted our full support so we made sacrifices for him to play. He never did make an all-star team but it wasn't a big deal. He set a long term goal of earning a spot on the high school roster.
Over the years he worked with several instructors to help him with individual skills but there was one instructor who took a fondness to him. He saw something that made him want to work and spend time with my son. The coach told me it was my son's attitude and work ethic, not athleticism that drew him. This coach is well known in our area and works with many youth baseball players. We had a lot of conversations about my son's strengths and weaknesses over the years and he told me several times "I'll get him there, just stick with me." Now this wasn't a sales job as the coach had long stopped charging us for lessons. He opened his facilities and lent his time to my son who took full advantage by getting several hours of instruction three to four days a week. That coach is one of the most generous individuals I've ever come across.
Through all of this my son and I talked about what he needed to do to make the high school team, mainly keep working and have fun. I made it a point to remind him how opportunity will find a way to those that stick with it and how attrition will figure in, meaning there will be strong players that just give it up for any number of reasons but if he kept working he'd stand a good chance. We talked about how much things would change as kids went through puberty with some players excelling while others lose ground. The point being, never give in just because it seems unlikely with all the talented players around. I stressed there are so many factors in play you can't see, much less control, and to just keep working and playing to get better as long as you enjoy it. He never stopped loving the game, never quit working, and we never had to push him.
My son just called from tryouts. The coach posted the results on the dugout. He made the cut. He's a member of the 2018 team. Tonight we will celebrate his accomplishment and I will hug him and tell him how proud I am for his dedication. His tenacity, attitude, and dedication overcame his shortcomings. A lesson he can use long after he's done playing baseball.
Summer high school tryouts end today for my son who is entering 9th grade. I’ve known a long time this day would come. The day where your son is either told they'd made it or are given the grim speech about trying again next year. No telling how many times over the years I wondered if he would make the cut at his baseball crazy 6A school. If he doesn't how will he handle it? Or more so how will I?
My son's played baseball since he was 5 years old. At the age of 9 started showing a huge desire to play as much as possible. "Dad, come throw with me." or "Dad, come watch me hit." were his daily requests. For years I'd pull in the driveway every night after work and he'd be pounding on his hit-a-way. The boy literally spent one to two hours a day hitting. I must have bought a half dozen of those things and he'd wear them out. If I would stand and watch he'd stay out there all night with the truck headlights turned on and play the "How many line drives can I hit in a row?" game. After school each day he'd invite all his friends over and play his own version of baseball, called mini-ball, tailor made for a backyard sized field, or hold his own home-run derby. It was evident his love for the game was far beyond ordinary. They still play that game and it puts a smile on my face.
At age 10 he was passed over for all-stars. He was disappointed but truth be known mom and dad were the most upset. Within days of the disappointment an offer to fill in on a travel baseball was presented. He was so excited and the weekend of baseball made the all-star situation easier to handle.
The next fall he got an invite to be on a full time 11U AA travel team. It was a good experience but the fall season ended with a losing record and the coach replaced over half the players for the spring season. He wasn't asked to stay. In fact travel teams that were formed from players at our home park weren't interested in him either. A weak arm and slow feet were to blame. I recognized these truths but also knew he loved baseball and wanted to play. We kept looking and found him another travel team. It was a weak team and the practices were a long drive but it offered him opportunity to play which is all he wanted.
Like so many kids these days he played on a multitude of teams between 12U and 14U. Middle school teams, park, and travel. My wife and I decided that his dedication to the game and desire to work warranted our full support so we made sacrifices for him to play. He never did make an all-star team but it wasn't a big deal. He set a long term goal of earning a spot on the high school roster.
Over the years he worked with several instructors to help him with individual skills but there was one instructor who took a fondness to him. He saw something that made him want to work and spend time with my son. The coach told me it was my son's attitude and work ethic, not athleticism that drew him. This coach is well known in our area and works with many youth baseball players. We had a lot of conversations about my son's strengths and weaknesses over the years and he told me several times "I'll get him there, just stick with me." Now this wasn't a sales job as the coach had long stopped charging us for lessons. He opened his facilities and lent his time to my son who took full advantage by getting several hours of instruction three to four days a week. That coach is one of the most generous individuals I've ever come across.
Through all of this my son and I talked about what he needed to do to make the high school team, mainly keep working and have fun. I made it a point to remind him how opportunity will find a way to those that stick with it and how attrition will figure in, meaning there will be strong players that just give it up for any number of reasons but if he kept working he'd stand a good chance. We talked about how much things would change as kids went through puberty with some players excelling while others lose ground. The point being, never give in just because it seems unlikely with all the talented players around. I stressed there are so many factors in play you can't see, much less control, and to just keep working and playing to get better as long as you enjoy it. He never stopped loving the game, never quit working, and we never had to push him.
My son just called from tryouts. The coach posted the results on the dugout. He made the cut. He's a member of the 2018 team. Tonight we will celebrate his accomplishment and I will hug him and tell him how proud I am for his dedication. His tenacity, attitude, and dedication overcame his shortcomings. A lesson he can use long after he's done playing baseball.
Last edited:
