Kid's club sports

[juiceweezl]

5th year with my son in select baseball. I feel your pain. It is nice hearing compliments on his pitching and such. Hopefully it gets him into high school, and possibly college. He's got the natural talent, but is 13.

My 15 year old just committed to Oklahoma State to play baseball a few weeks ago. The select ball deal has been a part of our life 8 years now (actually I have been coaching select ball over 25 years). I have an 11 year old too who plays (baseball and lacrosse). The oldest travel stuff has gotten crazy the last few years. He goes to Florida 2 or 3 times a year to play, Georgia twice, Arizona 2 or 3 times, and then all over TX. He wants to play professionally, and we're working towards it which means lessons, gym, extra practice, showcases, etc. It adds up, but he loves it. It's his goal, and we are doing everything we can to support him. The youngest makes his first big trip this summer as his team is playing some national event in Florida. Luckily I get reimbursed for expenses at work so I earn a ton of points. I use them and my miles to fly us around everywhere.

[BLAKE]

I'm stressing over the money and time, but also I have a 13 year old daughter that loves spending time with her parents and talks our ears off about her life. It's well worth the cost.

Sounds like you’ve got a good thing going there. That’s cool. I have a really good 13 year old daughter too, so I get it.

[bcoop]

I mean if hes dead set on something I will support it...but I definitely dont want to be throwing 5K plus away on sports and traveling every weekend for tournaments if I dont have to. I've known a few miserable baseball dads in that boat.


Which is why I am encouraging my son that motorsports is the way! Get him into karting and racing. He loved IndyCar this weekend and has always had an extreme interest in cars.

Well sure. Just don't push too hard. You kid is going to have common interests with you, but he's also going to have interests you don't care for. Just be supportive in all of his endeavors, even if they bore you. I promise you this. Kids turn in to teenagers, and teenagers are assholes. You're going to miss going to the games you consider boring, events you have no interest in, the crazy hectic schedule, etc. Because the day will come where they want nothing more than time away from you and your wife. It all comes full circle in the end, but it's tough. My oldest is 17, and we've been at odds for almost 15 months. Everything is an argument. Everything is a struggle. He wants his independence, and I'm just trying to prepare him for life. So cherish the activities you find boring while you have the opportunity to.

[SS Junk]

AND THE CATS AND THE CRADLE AND THE SILVER SPOON....

nukka that's all you had to say!

[bcoop]

nukka that's all you had to say!

lol. Not really. He didn't say he didn't have time, just that if he was going to spend all that time and money, he wanted it to be something he enjoyed too.

[Ruffdaddy]

Well sure. Just don't push too hard. You kid is going to have common interests with you, but he's also going to have interests you don't care for. Just be supportive in all of his endeavors, even if they bore you. I promise you this. Kids turn in to teenagers, and teenagers are assholes. You're going to miss going to the games you consider boring, events you have no interest in, the crazy hectic schedule, etc. Because the day will come where they want nothing more than time away from you and your wife. It all comes full circle in the end, but it's tough. My oldest is 17, and we've been at odds for almost 15 months. Everything is an argument. Everything is a struggle. He wants his independence, and I'm just trying to prepare him for life. So cherish the activities you find boring while you have the opportunity to.

Solid advice.

I'm soaking up every minute if it now while he is all about playing with daddy. I am dreading the teenage years because he already shows a lot of signs of trying to be independent at a very young age.

[Sean88gt]

It's all a hustle. My kid is in club baseball and it has taken over our lives. The goal was to get him to a level that he can play in high school, but that is 4 years off and he very well may end up getting burnt out.

The cost, politics, and headaches of it all make it really taxing.

I really miss watching him race as well.

[Chas_svo]

My 15 year old just committed to Oklahoma State to play baseball a few weeks ago. The select ball deal has been a part of our life 8 years now (actually I have been coaching select ball over 25 years). I have an 11 year old too who plays (baseball and lacrosse). The oldest travel stuff has gotten crazy the last few years. He goes to Florida 2 or 3 times a year to play, Georgia twice, Arizona 2 or 3 times, and then all over TX. He wants to play professionally, and we're working towards it which means lessons, gym, extra practice, showcases, etc. It adds up, but he loves it. It's his goal, and we are doing everything we can to support him. The youngest makes his first big trip this summer as his team is playing some national event in Florida. Luckily I get reimbursed for expenses at work so I earn a ton of points. I use them and my miles to fly us around everywhere.

My son is about two years behind yours. Good luck!

[Ruffdaddy]

It's all a hustle. My kid is in club baseball and it has taken over our lives. The goal was to get him to a level that he can play in high school, but that is 4 years off and he very well may end up getting burnt out.

The cost, politics, and headaches of it all make it really taxing.

I really miss watching him race as well.

Baseball seems to be the sport that I hear parents most exhausted by. It's expensive to play, expensive to travel for weekend long tournaments, expensive to hire specialty coaches and incredibly hard to make it in the pros. Soccer seems to be a close second

[juiceweezl]

My son is about two years behind yours. Good luck!

Thanks. Same to you! Fun to watch them grow up and play along the way. We're excited to see how far the oldest can go and then what the youngest one ends up doing as well. It's cool because the oldest acknowledges the younger one is 2 or 3 times as good as he was at the same age.

[Sean88gt]

Baseball seems to be the sport that I hear parents most exhausted by. It's expensive to play, expensive to travel for weekend long tournaments, expensive to hire specialty coaches and incredibly hard to make it in the pros. Soccer seems to be a close second

I'm not worried about the pros, but you're right, the amount of unrealistic parents gunning for that is insane. You see a lot of parents betting the farm on their kid that has no eye, no wheels, no pop, no drive, no arm, or no talent. There also seems to be an influx of kids that should be playing football.

If my kid can play through high school and enjoy it - it will have been a success. If he gets a look at "We Just Brought You In To Play Ball JUCO" then it was a huge success.

[juiceweezl]

I'm not worried about the pros, but you're right, the amount of unrealistic parents gunning for that is insane. You see a lot of parents betting the farm on their kid that has no eye, no wheels, no pop, no drive, no arm, or no talent. There also seems to be an influx of kids that should be playing football.

If my kid can play through high school and enjoy it - it will have been a success. If he gets a look at "We Just Brought You In To Play Ball JUCO" then it was a huge success.

PM me where you're located, school your kid feeds into, and what summer team he is on. I coach with one of the big DFW clubs at a younger age and know a ton of guys. I'd like to see your son.

Oh, and where is Dave at??? His kid is a STUD pitcher. He knows the whole circuit of travel ball, showcases, etc. Colby can straight up deal!

[Cannon88]

Think baseball or volleyball is high, try hockey. It's ridiculous. I am all for allowing your kids to play at as high a level as you can afford, and that their talent allows. The costs is absurd, though. Both of my kids play multiple sports, and they do well in all of them and enjoy them all pretty equally, and if they did travel in any one of them it would have to be exclusive. So far they haven't asked to go that route, I just don't think they are ready to give up their other activities.

[Sean88gt]

PM me where you're located, school your kid feeds into, and what summer team he is on. I coach with one of the big DFW clubs at a younger age and know a ton of guys. I'd like to see your son.

Oh, and where is Dave at??? His kid is a STUD pitcher. He knows the whole circuit of travel ball, showcases, etc. Colby can straight up deal!

Will do.

I think with the right coaching and someone working with him, he can be a helluva player. He has an eye and a mind for it. Right now, I just some HGH for him That and some competitive fire. It's starting to come out, but he's still really young.

[4bangen]

Well, We just finished Select Club tryouts, she's received offers from 3 clubs to play libero. We went with Attack in Lewisville. Real good club, super organized and they know their shit. they have 4 different teams in her age group:
blue (lowest)
white (better)
royal (good)
black (best)

She signed with the Royal team (not bad for her second year of playing and for a 103lb 5ft little girl).
The down side is that a season with this team is going to cost $3700. I really went into the wrong line of work, these people really know how to make money!