u/Critical-Crow-9717

I often think about this advice a friend gave me regarding maximizing playing time for my son. He asked, "What does he do that forces the coach to keep him on the field? Whatever it is, invest more time in that. Too many kids spend all of their time trying to fix their weaknesses. But the kids that play are usually the ones with a loud skill."

I ask myself this question often, especially during the offseason. I'm sharing it here in case someone else finds it as useful as I have.

(The hard part for my high schooler is that the true answer to the question is that almost never makes mistakes. He's always where he's supposed to be. He's basically an on-field coach. But it takes a long time to demonstrate that skill.)

Are you an athlete (or the parent of an athlete) who is trying to get recruited to play college ball? It's so stressful and complex that I thought I'd start a discussion where folks on here can share their experiences and support one another.

Time sensitive question:

We have a game today in PerfectGame league play. Due to injuries, we are down to 9 players. Our starting pitcher (included in the 9) is also injured and cannot run, so we can't bat him.

How do I enter the roster to only bat 8 and effectively skip the pitcher's spot in the order?

Normally you'd just add a DH and enter the pitcher as the last batter, but we won't have a DH. I could use the "skip batter" feature, but according to ChatGPT, using "skip batter" multiple times can mess up state and/or add automatic outs.

Any tips?

Hey all. Message me if you have a used A2000 or A2K glove you want to unload. I would like to buy one for myself.

I'm curious what other single-sport ball players do for offseason programs. My son's offseason program emphasizes "physicality" by lifting 4-5x/week, followed by improving measurables - namely speed training and hitting coach (each 2x/week). Factor in recovery time and a weekly club team practice and it leaves little time for fielding work or arm strength. Even without playing a second sport, it feels like there are not enough days to do everything. What do others do?

I've seen two different people selling the same glove on here. One's listing is marked with "Approved Seller" flair, the other isn't. Yet both list the glove with that date-stamp card, so if it's earned by adhering to sales guidelines, shouldn't both have the flair? I suppose I'm asking: how is "Approved Seller" status determined, and by whom?

I thought this might be an interesting discussion. I'm going to describe 3 players competing for 2 MIF positions, and you predict what happens to each next season:

Player one: current sophomore. Starting varsity 2B as a freshman. Lost job midway through the year over bat. Starting varsity 2B sophomore year. Lost job midway through over bat. Best defender, fastest runner, best pure athlete. Swing and miss hitter, despite profiling as a contact/speed guy. Most power of the three, despite being slightly smaller. Two sport athlete, star in second sport but prefers baseball.

Player two: current sophomore. Varsity roster, plays on JV for games. Coach indicated he should aim to start MIF next year. Candidate for JV MVP this year. SS/2B, swapping positions with player three below. Most polished of the three, but a tick behind other two defensively, and no single "loud" skill - but no weakness. Solid pitcher, though projects as varsity RP. Single sport athlete with heavy investment in offseason development. Similar speed to player three below, a full step behind player one.

Player three: current freshman. Only lefty of the three. (Edit: lefty hitter, throws right.) Meteoric rise. Played JV, and along with Player two above, candidate for MVP. Biggest of three, but all three are similar. Three sport athlete. Flip flops SS/2B with player two above, but has the edge in SS starts. Pitches but not as well as player two. Similar performance to player two this season, but has the edge in fielding and hit for a tick more power. Same speed as player two, a full step behind player one. Added varsity practice team near end of season.

Assume 3B and OF are blocked, so it's truly three players for two positions. How does this play out next season.

I don't know if anyone will find this helpful, but I hope someone does.

When my HS sophomore was a 6th grader, he had two coaches: a middle school coach and a rec coach.

The middle school coach would shout and swear. He once sacrificed my son's at bat to expedite the inning ending to avoid a strange scoring rule that would have turned our win into a tie - which is fine, except he never bothered to tell my kid who found himself alone at the plate, confused and embarrassed, while everyone else left the field.

He wanted to quit the sport.

I called his rec coach, who was a knowledgeable baseball guy and ran an academy. He got in the phone with my kid and made him laugh, then invited him to practice with the academy.

We moved at the end of the season, unrelated to baseball. I still talk routinely to the rec coach, 4 years later. Yet I often wish that school coach could see my son today - varsity roster, raking, starting pitcher in PG finals - but not so he could be proud, but rather out of spite.

And that's my problem. I should spend all of that emotional energy instead thanking the rec coach one more time.

The coach picks the kid before the season, but we have the power to pick the coach we remember after it.

I have to remind myself of this. Maybe some of you do too?