My youngest has been asked to play with a new team for next season (they will be playing 10u). This new team will be better in terms of wins and losses than his current team, but I feel the level of coaching is better on his current team. Taking into account that my son has expressed (on several occasions) the desire to be on a winning team, which way should we go?

Absolutely stay with the better coaches. In 5-10 years no one will care that his 10U team went 30-0. They'll be more interested in how HE as developed into a quality baseball player.

StatManLV,
I agree with biggerpapi. The development of a player at 10 is very important. The fundamentals of the game are taught by coaches so the coach is a very big part of that development at your son’s age. But as he gets older the caliber of the team becomes more of a factor because the better teams and tougher schedules will challenge a player to work harder. In a few years I suggest you consider both the team and the coach to find the proper fit and challenge for your son.
Fungo

I am in accord with the above posters---this is the time the young man can truly benefit from real good coaching--wins at 10 years of age mean nothing

While the coaching he gets is very important at his age so is his enjoyment of the game. If staying with the "better" coaching make sure he buys into it. Maybe private instruction while playing on the team he wants is an answer. All the good coaching in the world won't help if he is out of baseball.

quote:

Maybe private instruction while playing on the team he wants is an answer.

He currently works with a pitching instructor, so maybe that could work.

I don't know why this has to be posted as an "either-or". Either he wins, or he gets good instruction, but not both? That isn't the way it usually works.

One thing you'll find is that you are leaving an age where there are only a handful of teams out there to choose from, and entering the years when these teams start sprouting like weeds. You'll have lots of options, every year until about age 15, when travel teams start consolidating, dying out and dwindling in number.

Good coaches attract good players. Their teams tend to win, since talent on the field plus talent in instruction and game management equals success.

My advice is to look around some more before you make a firm commitment to any team.

Things you need to look for:

1. Is the team run by someone who knows baseball?

2. Can he relate to young kids? Many knowledgeable people cannot.

3. Is he a good adult role model? Or is he a screamer?

4. Does the team have a nucleus of solid players who bring good attitudes (both theirs and their parents') to the team?

When you click on all of these cylinders, think about going to 4-5 kids you know who are talented and whose families know how to behave themselves, and see if the coach would be willing to let you ALL try out.

Another way to go about it might be, that if you think your current coach is the right guy, see if you can help him to identify and recruit better talent to the team. You might even find that some of those currently with the team that wins more frequently would be willing to jump if someone approached them correctly.

All these teams exist in a perpetual state of free agency. Players jumping teams is the norm, not the exception. Heck, right now someone is trying to raid your team's roster, I'll bet. Some handle this gracefully, others do it completely without class.

Before you contact anybody, think about the right way to go about it. But don't sit out this process or you will end up on the short end of the stick.

Your son is telling you that he wants to switch teams. It is his childhood, so I would at least consider doing what he wants.

quote:

Your son is telling you that he wants to switch teams. It is his childhood, so I would at least consider doing what he wants.

I think StatMan's consideration is what prompted this thread in the first place. Had StatMan not considered his son's request he would have not asked for our opinions. I say do what is best for the child ------- which is not always what the child thinks he wants. My son wanted to quit baseball in mid season when he was 10 and I told him no. He's 22 and still plays baseball ---
Fungo

I know all that, I am just suggesting dig a little deeper.

If my son is asking to switch teams and he says it is because he wants to win more games, I am wondering to myself if there are, in addition, other reasons that he is not happy where he is. Conflict with a bully teammate, not being happy with playing time, not "fitting in".

Sometimes kids use a bogus reason for wanting to switch when the real main reason is something else.

Statman,

The advice you're receiving regarding your 10 yr old son is great if he really has a legit shot to play serious college baseball and perhaps pro ball someday. Essentially all the advice to keep your son with the better coach is for "player development". Personally, I think that's ****. He's 10. No kid wants to be on a losing team and no matter how good the instruction is, if he keeps losing he won't want to play anymore.

To me, the most important thing is this...my son son is going to be with his coach for a couple hours a week. I am going to teach him 95% of what he learns these first few years of baseball. If that couple hours with his coach makes or breaks him as a ballplayer then I've got nobody to blame but myself. If you look at your team, you can tell which kids have dads (or moms) that practice with them all the time.

I guarantee that if your son is on a winning team he will actually play better, and he'll enjoy going to the yard every day. He won't dread it like he probably does now.

Best of luck no matter what you decide to do.

Jon

Stan,
Yes you have a dilemma. All of the above posts have a good point. Here is a bit of my experience. I have a high school senior and sophomore. Both were very fortunate to be on national championship teams when they were younger. As biggerpapi pointed out, the hs coach could not care one bit about what their pre-hs record was. (In fact, it is probably better to NEVER bring that up). I also happen to agree that good coaching is an ABSOLUTE MUST at this age. When they get older and start playing 60 games in 60 days (hs summer ball), there is no time for practice. The coach absolutely expects a player to know all the complicated cuts, hitting situations, etc., for every position. We dads often sit back and wonder why not practice more, but it is the nature of the beast.

Now the kicker, my now senior's 12-year-old coach almost drove him out of baseball because he had no fun... At any age that fun factor is important.

Finally, I can assure you at 10-years old, even if you make a mistake you have many years to to find a better fit for your son. Best of luck to your family, and enjoy these younger seasons for what they are. They grow up way too fast!

I'm curious, if the other team is winning more, it does say something about their coaching as well, doesn't it? My experience at this age is that the "better" coaches win. What do you think is better about your losing team's coaching?

quote:

What do you think is better about your losing team's coaching?

Some of the big reasons in my mind are:

1)Handling of struggling pitchers - not leaving the pitcher on the mound without a visit to figure everything out for himself.

2)Positioning of the defense based on hitters and specific game situations - I rarely ever heard their coaches telling the defense to reposition themselves, even one game when the left fielder was nearly holding hands with the center fielder for about three innings.

3)Comments from parents of kids on the winning team saying that our team showed improvement from the start of the year to the end of the year while their team didn't progress much.

1)Handling of struggling pitchers - not leaving the pitcher on the mound without a visit to figure everything out for himself.

Every pitcher is different. Sometimes I make mound visits and sometimes I let the pitcher figure it out. It varies depending upon the game situation, pitcher, etc.

2)Positioning of the defense based on hitters and specific game situations - I rarely ever heard their coaches telling the defense to reposition themselves, even one game when the left fielder was nearly holding hands with the center fielder for about three innings.

They must have very good pitching!

3)Comments from parents of kids on the winning team saying that our team showed improvement from the start of the year to the end of the year while their team didn't progress much.

As a coach, I never pay much attention to what parents say. In fact if they all stayed home and just let their boys play it would suit me fine.

Which team would provide the most playing time (most important issue IMO)? How is the hitting instruction on the other team? How do they win with such poor coaching? Just talent?

Also, he will be on a 10U team. That means that he was on a 9U team this season? Sometimes we forget the importance of having fun at this age. I would rate having fun as factor two behind playing time. Plenty of time for good "coaching". Playing time and fun!

I have seen some very talented players and teams progress very little due to poor coaching.

Hopefully the team that is winning is not useing lots of tricks or plays that eventually will not be used in baseball.

Callaway is correct in how important playing time is.

You may wish to visit some of the other teams practices and see how well organized they are. There should be little or no idle time, and many supervsed stations at that age.

Question: Are they playing with open bases or tight bases?

Callaway, playing time would be the same. In either case he'd be the number one pitcher and one of the top two or three hitters.

T-Ball, open bases. Why?

If you were NOT playing open bases, I'd say that was a huge mistake.

Where is he on his current team? I like the competion if they are in the top 3-4.

With all this said, remember this, especially in HS....if you hit you will play. We have a kid on my younger son's team who can't catch with a fishing net. Hits .500....he plays every inning. (And deserves to be out there).

How many players on each roster?
You mentioned that your son wanted to be on a winning team. Has he expressed interest on this team in particular?
Does he have any friends on the new team?
How do you like your current set of parents?
Do you know any of the other parents from the new team?

All of these factors will effect the overall enjoyment of how you spend your family weekends and all of these factors are important. Again, after the playing time issue.