THE TRUTH ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
When high school baseball is good, it can be a very rewarding experience. When it’s bad, it can be a living nightmare in the life of a young adult. Many parents have told me directly that they thought “high school coaching would have been better.” The truth is that while there are many great coaches out there, some have personal agendas that end up ruining what should be a joyous experience. With that in mind, here is my advice to the parents of any aspiring high school athlete.
an advantage to their child. Sad as it sounds, it’s a regular occurrence for nearly every team in the country.
THIS MONTH IN BASEBALL HISTORY The Birth of the All-Star Game The MLB All-Star Game is a fixture of the baseball calendar. Every year, the best players from around the majors come together for a week of events culminating in the game itself. Given how big of a deal the Midsummer Classic is now, you may be surprised to learn of its humble origins. The idea for the first All-Star Game was the brainchild of Arch Ward, a sports editor at the Chicago Tribune. The Windy City was slated to host the World’s Fair in 1933, and Ward thought it would be a good idea to showcase the best players from America’s national pastime. He conceived the event as a one-off showcase, but it grew to something much larger. Looking at the lineup of the first game, which took place on July 6, 1933, it’s not hard to see why it became an annual fixture. Twenty Hall of Famers played that day, including Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Jimmie Foxx. Since that original matchup, the All-Star Game has been held every year except 1945, which was canceled due to World War II. Nearly a century later, it’s hard to imagine a baseball season without All-Star festivities. • Expect cliques or alliances to be formed in order to increase other individuals’ ability to shape or influence coaching decisions. Resist becoming involved in such cliques or alliances to assist your child. Simply put, don’t play politics. • I suggest you view high school baseball as a great opportunity for growth, development, and learning that life is far from fair or perfect. It is a fabulous opportunity for young athletes to learn how to work as a team toward a shared goal without relinquishing personal integrity and independent thought. These days, high school baseball isn’t the be-all, end-all determining factor it was 20 years ago. While it’s still important, you shouldn’t treat it as a make-or-break situation for your athlete. Remembering that will keep you from becoming another angry parent who spends games berating coaches and umpires. Not every program is perfect, but most have integrity and are trying their best. That’s what really matters.
• Don’t expect your coach to be baseball’s equivalent of John Wooden. That’s unfair and unrealistic. Truth be told, you are probably not perfect baseball parents either. Instead, expect your coach to simply have personal integrity. The rest you can work through. • Expect other parents to try to influence or shape circumstances to positively give
UPCOMING RANCH EVENTS
ELITE PITCHERS BOOT CAMPS: JULY 23–25 SOLD OUT AUG. 6–8
SEPT. 4–6
SUMMER PROGRAM: JULY — SESSION II BEGINS JULY 5 AUG. —SESSION III (SPECIAL MINI SESSION) BEGINS AUG. 2
INFORMATION AND REGISTRATION AT WWW.TEXASBASEBALLRANCH.COM/EVENTS
A SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR OATES SPECIALTIES ! EQUIPMENT PROVIDER,
www.OatesSpecialties. com/Durathro
3 Where You Can DREAM as BIG as Your Work Ethic Will Allow! PHONE (936) 588-6762
Published by Newsletter Pro • www.NewsletterPro.com
Made with FlippingBook Learn more on our blog