Why do parents....?

I was hoping to get some insightful answers and I believe I have. Three thoughts come to mind in reading these posts:

1. Money is not a factor for those who choose showcase
2. AAU ball stripped the talent from Rec leagues forcing the "must play up for better competition"
3. Money is a factor for those who can't afford the travel and team expenses

From my personal experience, the one thing I like was dbacks "priceless" statement. Whether it was Legion ball, showcase, AAU or rec ball, one of the things I enjoyed best was talking baseball with some of the parents...that is still a big treat for me.

Even though my oldest son has moved on to college, I still like to watch the HS age kids better. It is fun to watch them grow, physically and mentally, from one year to the next. And it's fun to help guide a parent needing some help through the recruiting process. I guess that is what is meant about "giving back". I hope that those that have had son's graduate remember how it was for you and will continue to post here to share your thoughts.

 

Bravo, Coach May. You sounded like you were describing our AAU/Showcase experience to a tee. My son only played AAU at first after rec ball allstars. He came to me and said he wanted to join a full-time team. I was able to find a fantastic fit for a kid that wanted to WORK at his game. Retired HS coach who at one time was the winningest all-time NC coach with 5 state championships. Very old school. Would rather practice than play which is unusual today. Practices were very intense like college. My son spent four years under this man and will sing his praises until the day he dies. The guy took a fairly average bunch of kids and turned them into a juggernaut team in two years. The core group of guys that stuck it out now no exactly what you get from hard work. My hat is off to Linwood Hedgpeth. He eats, sleeps, and breaths the game of baseball and taught his kids to play it the right way.

 

where's the passion by the player?

cheeze, you mentioned 3 things for girls, but I did not see the word "passion" or anything about what the girl wants.
In several of the baseball posts on this subject, the word "passion' was mentioned for the baseball players.
In general I do think that girls have less passion for sports than boys. There are a few girls with it, but few & far between.

 

That would be an interesting topic for another thread. Is the passion for baseball passed down from the father who shares the same passion? If so, softball would not have the history nor the father's passion for the sport.

 

I don't know Braves...even though she is just 12...my daughter's passion for softball is pretty strong.

 

father's legacy

many softball dads had passion for baseball and try to pass that on to daughters in the form of the next closest thing for them: softball.

 

Baseballman, could you refresh my memory of Hedgepeth? I believe he used to coach in the Whiteville/Hallsboro area? I haven't heard his name in years.

 

not in all cases......played more FP Softball then i played baseball. minority but it happens! played in europe, usa and loved it!


my DDs grew up with FP softball...watched Men play in the early years of their lives!

 

Sorry dbacks, I left off the question mark at the end. It wasn't meant to be a statement