My favorite is the four year old softball pitcher, taking pitching lessons since she was three so she'll be ready when she's old enough to play travel at eight years old.

If the kid doesn't burn out, she'll probably one of the best 8U pitchers just on training. However, I wouldn't be surprised if she's passed by a lot of other players by 10U and 12U as they catch up.

You can't buy talent for your kid. You can only cultivate innate talent.

I like that I didn't spend one red cent on youth baseball academies and my son started on the varsity and was one of the top hitters on the team.

Nothing beats natural ability. You can't buy it in a baseball academy but since peeps spend big bucks trying, it's a good racket

I don't see anything wrong with getting professional instruction once approaching or in high school to improve as long as it's affordable and realistic. What's unrealistic is spending 100K to get 20K worth of college athletic ride.

I would think most people on this board fall into the group that is being pointed at.

Wouldn't Tiger Woods fall into this category???

How about Russian talent that is dominating women's tennis? The families spend all their money getting their kids into the US training facilities beginning at the age of 5. i.e. Maria Sharapova.

I can't imagine specialized training at an early age is all bad. But, I do agree, the parent needs to keep an eye on reality.

quote:

Originally posted by RJM:
I don't see anything wrong with getting professional instruction once approaching or in high school to improve as long as it's affordable and realistic. What's unrealistic is spending 100K to get 20K worth of college athletic ride.

The discussion reminds me of the parents profiled on HBO Inside Sports, who mortgaged their house to send a son to The Pendleton School to help their son get a golf scholarship. The max # of golf rides is 4. They spent over $100K and the kid had no offers.

quote:

Originally posted by Brian Shanberg:
Wouldn't Tiger Woods fall into this category???

How about Russian talent that is dominating women's tennis? The families spend all their money getting their kids into the US training facilities beginning at the age of 5. i.e. Maria Sharapova.

I can't imagine specialized training at an early age is all bad. But, I do agree, the parent needs to keep an eye on reality.

For every Tiger Woods I wonder how many parents are now spending $5,000 a year ($100 a week) on psychiatrists.

Dr. Joel Fish of the Center for Sports Psychiatry said their biggest client base is kids who were pushed heavily and feel they failed their parents, whether they're still playing or quit. Given CSP consults with Team USA's, the Olympic team and pro sports franchises this is a one heck of a statement.

Fish wrote a book for the parents of young players called "101 Ways to be a Better Sports Parent." He said when his kids hit the early teen years he was becoming the parent he provides counseling about. It was a wake up call for him. His book isn't about blowing off the importance of competing to win. It's about how to approach it and discuss it with kids.

quote:

Originally posted by Dad04:

quote:

Originally posted by RJM:
I don't see anything wrong with getting professional instruction once approaching or in high school to improve as long as it's affordable and realistic. What's unrealistic is spending 100K to get 20K worth of college athletic ride.

The discussion reminds me of the parents profiled on HBO Inside Sports, who mortgaged their house to send a son to The Pendleton School to help their son get a golf scholarship. The max # of golf rides is 4. They spent over $100K and the kid had no offers.

A friend looked into IMG for her tennis playing son. Her son was top ten ranked in the state as a high school freshman. The tennis part is the famous Nick Bolitieri tennis school. It was 50K a year before the extras. At that point she decided her son was not the next Federer and paying for college minus whatever ride he gets would be less expensive.

There is a grocery store here that usually in the fall allows LL teams to collect money for travel expenses. Being thre done that serveral times, my husband and I always find some extra dollars to put in teh helmets. Last fall, wearing my son's former college colors a coach asked me if I knew anything aobut the baseball team. Upon further discussion, he did not realize that the 11.7 baseball scholarships were only partial for D1 baseball, fewer for D2 and none avaliable for D3.

I think that parents of very young players really do not realize this until their players reach HS age.

As far as sports academies, most (I say most) people that I know who have sent their players (any sport) have been more for potential pro opportunities over college opportunities.

I hope that parents of young players reading here will realize that it's more important for the fact that they love the game. That should always be the first consideration when participating. As the player grows and matures, their talent and desire will dictate whether they will achieve the next level (whatever that is at the players age). I have friends who spent a small fortune they didn't have on an individual competitive sport, their son winning state championships and a few on a national level very early. At 16 he told them no more. Kids burn out, get hurt, their desires change as they get older and can think for themselves.

We all tend to overspend on our children. We overspent on daughter's dance, but we knew she would never be a dancer at teh next level. Actually I think that she was a better dancer than son a baseball player, but she was different, not as focused, or determined and not academically inclined to get a scholarship. Wiht kids being 9 years apart, I realized that young children often have passions and there is an ebb and flow in their desires. So with that in mind, we watched our spending with baseball, and allowed other activities. Don't get me wrong, my husband was a dad with dreams of his son playing top D1 baseball, playing in Omaha, playing on the cape and becoming a professional player. I was the school comes first mom. Not until son was into his second year of HS did we realized that he had special gifts and then we began the push, and planned it all out, with great advice from really great people and spent very little compared to those parents of today.

I think that our economy will have a great impact on our children's sports. Those that can afford to spend will continue, while many will have to cut back less and less. Don't fret about it, don't get anxious by the stories you hear, your sons talent will determine his future, just plan and prepare for when the time is ready, which is during their HS years.

If you have it, you might as well spend it. If you don't, then too bad for the kid unless he is blessed with the natural ability enough to make up for it. These things can make a significant difference, and I have seen certain kids as a result drafted far higher than would otherwise have been the case.

But, there are other things too. I am cutting a check today for $3,000 for a one-on-one SAT prep course. I hope it turns out to be money well spent, but I also know there are no guarantees.

So much of todays youth sports seems to be about the money.

My youngest is a basketball player. AAU teams in our area are now asking $1000 a player to have them play in 4 tournaments in the spring. There is an organization here that has 6 teams at the same grade level with 11 players per team. Having coached for many years, I can tell you firsthand that there isn't much instruction going on. People who tell you "what a kid really needs is court time, or field time" are usually somehow financially benifiting from your kid playing.

My youngest no longer plays AAU. Promoters have told me "he really needs to play to get the same exposure as other players". BS. If the kid can play, he'll get found.

quote:

Originally posted by RJM:

quote:

Originally posted by Dad04:

quote:

Originally posted by RJM:
I don't see anything wrong with getting professional instruction once approaching or in high school to improve as long as it's affordable and realistic. What's unrealistic is spending 100K to get 20K worth of college athletic ride.

The discussion reminds me of the parents profiled on HBO Inside Sports, who mortgaged their house to send a son to The Pendleton School to help their son get a golf scholarship. The max # of golf rides is 4. They spent over $100K and the kid had no offers.

A friend looked into IMG for her tennis playing son. Her son was top ten ranked in the state as a high school freshman. The tennis part is the famous Nick Bolitieri tennis school. It was 50K a year before the extras. At that point she decided her son was not the next Federer and paying for college minus whatever ride he gets would be less expensive.

You can't get blood out of a turnip. $100,000 for tuition and "stuff" can buy alot of tennis lessons.

Here in San Antonio, there are a lot more "have-nots" than "haves" who can afford the fees for the area's top select team. Roughly 35 colleges of all levels come each summer to see the top team play, contrasted with 3-4 colleges for some "cheaper" teams with fairly equal talent that are unfortunately competing in sub-par tourneys with little visibility. It's sad to see talented players get short-changed because their parents don't have the money to pay for the team offering the most opportunity.

Infield08, I am pretty surprised by that. I would think a college would do better finding a diamond in the rough than being one of 37 going after the same kid. If it's truly fairly equal talent I think some marketing and networking is in order. Get on the local blogs and talk 'em up. Email coaches to make them aware of these players. Call up the local newspaper and have them run an article on some of the kids. All of this is free. Maybe the best thing these kids could do is discover the HSBBW and find out what they need to do to get to the next level. Money doesn't buy ability.

What if we do this stuff because it's just fun?

If I spend $800 for a travel team or $10,000 for a personal trainer, what's it to you?

Now, I happen to think the $10k is exhorbitant but that's mostly because I don't have $10k.

Along the same vein, people ask us where we go on summer vacation. They go to Disney, or the Dells, or Myrtle Beach.

We go to Omaha, Indianapolis and St. Louis for baseball tournaments. We hope to step up to Marietta and Jupiter soon!

I think one factor WHY the more "expensive" teams and the more "expensive" showcases have the better talent.

Let's say my son is a baseball pitcher.
If he throws 60 miles an hour I will suggest he take up youth mixed martial arts (MMA) and buy him a white terry housecoat.

If he throws 70 miles an hour I may buy him a glove and let him play rec ball.

If he throws 75 miles and hour I may see if I can find him a local travel team to play on. Maybe he can catch a ride with a neighbor.

If he throws 80 I will take him to some local showcases and look around for a better team and buy a new set of tires for my truck (w/nitrogen for better gas mileage).

If he throws 85 I'll get on the internet and locate the best team around and check my back account to see how much money I can spend on promoting him. Cash in a few CDs.

If he throws 90 I'll just set back answer the phone and weigh the options and compare the different fees of the elite teams and probably sell my bass boat.

If he throws 95 mph I can put my money back into a CD and negotiate the best deal on his high profile teams and showcases. I may even become an "expert" on a baseball website

Fungo

Fungo,

quote:

Originally posted by Fungo:
If he throws 90 I'll just set back answer the phone and weigh the options and compare the different fees of the elite teams and probably sell my bass boat.

Fungo

What kind of communist sells his bass boat?

quote:

What kind of communist sells his bass boat?

No clue. But I'm game. What kind of a communist sells his bass boat?