OT- when is too much

[o_tacodawg]

I have a family friend that has had their boy in baseball since knee high. Kid is a prodigy on the bump. Has played travel ball all his life, all stars every year, just that damn good. He’s 12 now and just had an ACL surgery from an accident at practice- while pitching.

My son is only 4 and is on year 2 of tee ball. I’m gonna keep him in it but at what point do you say enough is enough for your child and would I be a ****** friend to bring up the conversation to his parents? 12 years old and the boy already suffered a gruesome injury before he’s even had time to fully grow.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

You do it if the kid likes it.

 

[mstateglfr]

There is no hard line between what is nurturing and what is Earl Woods.
...though Earl did help form the best golfer in the world, so there is that.

If you see your kid feeling too much pressure, reduce his involvement.
If you think he is playing out of obligation, reduce his involvement.
If the time suck is too much on your family, reduce his involvement.

The fact that you are thinking about this is good.


As for that other kid, yikes- I wouldn't tell other parents they need to have their kid ease up on sports.
By the time I was 13, I had broken both wrists, my heel, and broke or jammed my fingers a dozen times. An ACL tear is brutal, but active youth athletes get hurt.
ACL tear pitching...damn.

 

[Ozarkdawg]

But keep an eye on it.
I'll brag on mine a little. He was always above the curve. Loved it at 12. Highest BA on every team he played on (and it usually wasn't close from park and rec up thru AAA travel). Solid Sunday pitcher for travel. Played with guys who went on to juco, small college, and a couple playing in sec now and I have no doubt he would have been in that mix somewhere, but we just did too much and after 14 he burned out. Didn't even play HS, it just got old.

 

[sandwolf.sixpack]

I am assuming there's only one ACL and you are saying he is having surgery on his knee, correct? That just sounds like an accident. It's not like he's having Tommy John surgery from throwing too much.....so I don't see how that would be indicative of them overdoing it.

But either way, it's really not your business, so if you bring it up I'd recommend you tread lightly. And unless the kid seems unhappy, I don't know why you would feel the need to bring it up.

 

[greenbean.sixpack]

Play it by ear, if the kid really loves it, he will be out taking swings and catching the ball off the house on his own everyday after school. If the kid only likes it, don't go overboard.

 

[Russ Wheeler]

I have a family friend that has had their boy in baseball since knee high. Kid is a prodigy on the bump. Has played travel ball all his life, all stars every year, just that damn good. He’s 12 now and just had an ACL surgery from an accident at practice- while pitching.

My son is only 4 and is on year 2 of tee ball. I’m gonna keep him in it but at what point do you say enough is enough for your child and would I be a ****** friend to bring up the conversation to his parents? 12 years old and the boy already suffered a gruesome injury before he’s even had time to fully grow.

Good that you are thinking about it, but honestly, you’re on the same road. 4 years old and already in their second year? I never saw the point in T-ball personally. Mine all played soccer from 4 until 6, then we started baseball, which is a year younger than I wanted.

I’m considering pulling mine out of select ball, even though he’s one of the better ones. The reps are good, but the pressure just sucks at this point. And I’ve seen that he likes other sports. I’m guessing this 12 year old didn’t play any other sports? That repetitive motion combined with sitting around playing Xbox all day contributes to injuries in my opinion. Kids’ tendons and ligaments just aren’t very strong.

If the kid likes it, do it I guess. You’ll know if they want to do it. Baseball is just a weird deal in the south, a status thing maybe?

 

[philduckworth]

Just use common sense and have realistic expections. I wouldn't worry about burning out. Baseball players burn out all the time at all levels of the game.

Travel ball is a ton of fun for the kids and parents if done correctly.

Your son is 4 so you don't need to think about this for another 3-4 years. And you don't have the experience or the right to bring it up to his parents. That's a bad idea.

 

[mcdawg22]

You do it if the kid likes it.

This is exactly right. I laugh at some of the parents I watch while my daughter plays soccer. I played from 4-12 years old and never played football. Lot’s of my friends played football at that age. My HS didn’t have a soccer when I was in Jr High and I played football. I got better at it and when we started playing soccer I did it to stay in shape in the offseason. My senior year I was a very average soccer player but a decent football player. A lot of those kids that played football were no longer playing and they were good at baseball and basketball. That’s a round about way of saying, keep the kids engaged in sports if they like them, but promise at 11 years old may not translate to a particular sport.