My son is 14 yrs old an upcoming freshman at a High School that rumor has it does not have a very good reputation for its baseball program. He is 6'2" 180lbs, he throws low 80s & has hit a 380+ ft HR, has the drive and work ethic to be successful Am I getting ahead of myself (is he too young?) to possibly enter him into a "showcase" type enviorment as I am concerned that he will not get the exposure/help while playing at this school.

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He is 6'2" 180lbs, he throws low 80s & has hit a 380+ ft HR, has the drive and work ethic to be successful

A suggestion FWIW... If all of that is really true, he should find a real good summer team to play on ASAP. Surely there is a top 15 U team that would be interested in a player with that kind of size, desire, and ability.

dad13:

Who says he is throwing low 80's, you or a scout?

If he is a rising freshman, why don't you get the HS schedule and attend a Varsity game?

The rumors of a bad program could very well be coming from disgruntled parents for a variety of reasons. Go and see for yourself, and form your own opinion.

As an 8th grader, his focus should be on making his HS team. Find a solid travel team for the summer so that he gets the playing EXPERIENCE that he will need to be a Varsity contributor.

Then, look at the showcase route. JMHO.

CNY2010:

Thanks for your reply, My son has been working out with a former Major League Pithcher who has a new facility in our area. He also has a new radar gun system that measured his mph. I have been to games previously and have seen tryouts and it is very unorganized with very little instruction, fortunatley he is on a tournament team & a summer team with excellent coaching. it is what it is, we will see where it takes us..Thanks again!

Welcome dad13. Is he too young to showcase at 14? No. He could showcase but that probably isn't necessary at this point. I showcased my son at a small showcase when he was 14 but he was already playing HS varsity. “Rushing” the process can be expensive, futile and may cloud the issue of why he’s playing baseball. He needs to enjoy the game for what it is and not look at the game as a college prep event or a big showcase. At least not just yet. Things may develop or they may not. Let’s see where he stacks up on a good summer team and the high school team. The showcase will always be there as a way to purchase additional exposure if he needs it.

There is a big unknown in high school baseball. There are vast differences in coaches and team quality. They can be excellent to very poor. There is no benchmark. You expressed your concern with the lack of instruction in high school. Don’t rely on the high school coach to teach your son baseball unless he has a solid reputation as a “teaching” coach and even then additional outside instructions would only compliment his teachings. Look to private instructions (as you are doing) and a good summer team to better his game. I think at this point he needs to focus on being the best he can be ---- and playing baseball of course!
Fungo.

Fungo:

First of all I love your screen name! I beleive your opinion on the "Showcase" is on target. I guess what I am looking/hoping for in a HS coach is the fundamental mental/thinking aspect of the game where time is rarely spent on (ex: when to try to score from third on a ground ball depending on the situation etc.)as the physical part of his game is solid with him working out on his own or with other coaches. Again it is what it is, Thanks for your reply!

Hi, dad13. You've gotten some very good advice, here. Just my two cents: the very best you can hope for in a HS coach is one who truly has the best interest of the team - including your son - at heart. And it may not be apparent at first. The HC may be a great admin guy and a terrible baseball guy; he may be a great baseball guy but a terrible communicator; the administrators may love him, but he doesn't know rosin from pine tar; he may be not the popular coach with parents or administrators, but he has contacts and knows who can help your son - and can hook him up with showcase contacts - which happened with my 14-year-old (we didn't go last year due to injury, but can't wait to go this year). There are some things that your son may need to learn on his own, instincts he may need to develop, situational things that come mainly with experience. Mistakes on all sides will be made. Of that you can be sure. But if you are lucky enough to have a HS coach who cares about the team and your son's development, then he will use the skills he has - whatever they may be - to help him.

Dad13,
I would first find a quality summer program to join. You could have him attend a showcase to see where he stands with his peers. I think most importantly develop a plan for your son. You should pick and chose what events your son should attend. If you send me a an email to mike@sgvbaseball.com I will send you our recruiting guide we give to the players on our program. we also make it available to any one who might ask. We have recieved quite a positive response from scout and colleges on it. I think PGStaff will vouch for our program.

Michael Viera
San Gabriel Valley Arsenal