"To be on this ride with them, I appreciate them for that. I wish it hadn’t ended for us, but nonetheless, they’ve been amazing to be with.”
🗣️ » @3strikes_AU#WarEagle
https://t.co/uAa6HDIA7E
The D1 Portal.
It's not because of your velocity, spin rates, exit velocity or launch angle.
It's because you didn't perform in practice and the games.
Go to a collegiate summer league and become a better baseball player.
You don't need velocity and exit velocity experts, you need to develop more moxie and feel in the games.
A PARENT’S JOURNEY THROUGH YOUTH SPORTS:
Age 5: “He’s got a cannon.”
Age 6: “He’s the fastest kid out there. Coach said so.”
Age 7: “Rec ball isn’t challenging him anymore.”
Age 8: “We tried out for select. Obviously made it.”
Age 9: “$2,800 for the season. Plus uniforms. Plus tournaments. Plus hotels.”
Age 10: “Cooperstown is basically a family vacation, right?”
Age 11: “He needs a hitting guy. And a pitching guy. And probably a mental performance coach.”
Age 12: “I’m not a crazy sports parent. The OTHER parents are crazy.”
Age 13: “We changed schools. For academics. (And also baseball.)”
Age 14: “Showcases are a requirement at this age.”
Age 15: “Ya his ranking just ticked up. We’re cooking.”
Age 16: “He just needs to get seen by the right school.”
Age 17: “The D1 schools want him to walk on. He’ll earn a spot by sophomore year.”
Age 18: “Okay, D2 is actually really competitive.”
Age 19: “He’s redshirting. Strategic.”
Age 20: “He’s focusing on school now.”
Age 21: “You know what? He’s so much happier.”
Roughly 7% of high schoolers play in college.
About 1.5% of those get drafted.
Less than half of draftees ever play one day in the big leagues.
The odds of our kids going pro are somewhere between “struck by lightning” and “find a $100 in old shorts.”
I love youth sports (all my kids play a bunch of them) just keep a good perspective my friends. ✌️
A buddy of mine snapped this picture while I was watching my son play baseball last night. Honestly, it probably captures something I didn’t even realize in the moment.
Like many parents, I sometimes get wrapped up in these games. I think part of it comes from knowing these moments won’t last forever.
Deep down, we know we’re living through moments we’ll someday miss more than we can explain.
These games become more than wins and losses. They become memories.
And while I know there’s still plenty of baseball left, I also know there will come a day when I’d give just about anything to sit in a folding chair one more time and watch my kids play ball again.