Youth baseball is a tough sport to excel in at early ages and again after 12U season (when move is made to "big boy" fields). Most good athletes try their hand at soccer, football, lacrosse, etc. early and enjoy the success and stick with it. For example, unlike soccer, baseball requires a certain physical maturity and coordination that 4-5 year olds just don't have. And who wants to watch 4-5 year olds play a slow moving 90 minute t-ball game in the blazing heat when you can be done with an action packed U5 soccer game in 30 minutes?

There's an old adage that good athletes don't always make good baseball players. Without consistent work on throwing and hitting from an early age, I firmly believe this is true. These days a 15 year old can't start to play baseball and be competitive. [Playing multiple sports is a whole different discussion, which I'm in favor of.]

Here are a few of my observations, from the 757 area.

1. Little League is on the way down, not sure if it's hit bottom. Pony leagues doing better, mainly because they allow runners to lead off and steal, etc. Leagues differ by location mainly due to level of commitment to maintaining fields year round. Keep in mind it's an all volunteer approach at this level. It's a you-get-what-you-pay-for scenario.

2. Better coaches are in the travel club circles. Better facilities, too. Cost is significantly higher, but instruction is top notch and most clubs have access to decent to excellent indoor facilities. Expectation is to make year round commitment, practices two or three times a week even during off season. Older players (>12 and up) are expected to work serious off season strength, agility, and conditioning program, usually with club team but sometimes with sports medicine group at their facility. Lots of recent D1 college players moving in to coaching these travel teams. Good technical instruction with these guys, but most are not clued in to the mind of teens and tweens. Sure this level requires a serious financial commitment, but more of a family transportation and logistics nightmare with more than one kid playing a sport each season. Most every weekend from early March to late June or July is booked for spring season. Fall season runs from Labor Day to Thanksgiving. Off season conditioning runs from December through February. Club teams generally run from 8/9U through 14U.

3. You have to LOVE the game of baseball to play at the current club team level around here. AND you have to have the family resources (money, time, and transportation) to play. [My 12YO daughter plays club field hockey and same is true here and for other club sports teams, I'm sure.] Unfortunately, this thins out some kids who love the game but don't have the resources to commit at this level.

4. After the 12U season, which usually culminates with some national tournament experience (Cooperstown, Ripken, Nations, etc.), there is a move to the full-sized high school fields and fences. This is where a lot of middle schoolers drop out. 12U power hitting studs now hit lazy fly balls on these big fields. Star catchers are merely ordinary throwing around the big diamond. Star pitchers have to grow into the 60 foot distance. This is the great equalizer year. Most kids have to re-learn the game and make mental and emotional adjustments while they grow into the bigger fields. These are the days when the runt of the 10U team hits a growth spurt and is now the gifted pitcher and shortstop starting for his high school varsity team as a freshman. On the flip side, the unhittable kid throwing heat at 12U now can't finish an inning.

5. At the middle school level, I really like to see a recent college player coaching. It’s almost a case of the younger the coach the better. Most kids I’ve seen struggle with the failures of baseball magnified on the bigger fields are helped the most by the recent college players. They remember the difficulty and the transition. They relate well to the emotional struggle and can teach the subtle technicalities of the game. They also relate well to “the grind” of playing tournament baseball.

6. As players hit the high school years, club teams die off and “showcase” teams take their place. The stated purpose of showcase teams is to get in front of college coaches and get noticed. It’s a tricky business at this point. Sales pitches abound, promises are implied, and passions run wild with parents, players, and coaches.

7. Also during the high school years, American Legion summer leagues are making a bit of a comeback. Again, the ones coached by younger and experienced players seem to recruit and perform better.

8. My son started as a freshman on his varsity team. After playing a few hundred travel/club team games from 10U to 13U, his baseball IQ and in-game confidence were off the charts compared to the casual player who tried out. His school is generally an athletic powerhouse in most sports, but baseball just doesn’t have the sizzle that other spring sports have. All the athletes are playing lacrosse or running track (as an off-season conditioning sport for their football season). What I have noticed for the varsity team is some recent success and the occasional visit from a college coach has turned a few heads of kids who chose the glamour of the lacrosse or soccer team. While I only have anecdotal evidence, the better school teams (public and private) always have the better facilities. If your school has lights on a well manicured baseball field and its adjacent practice field, you will draw much better talent to your baseball tryouts. And it’s here where I’ve noticed the kids who gave up baseball in middle school are eager to give it another try – some do very well after a break away from the game. Invest in the infrastructure and facilities and you’ll have a much better talent pool for tryouts.

9. Most good (and better) high school players are playing for and training with a showcase team year round. Many high school teams effectively extend their spring seasons by moving almost the entire team to an American Legion team for the June/July time frame.

Hope this helps in some way. All the best this season to you and your son!