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last post is just one more reason this site is so special. Thanks for wanting to help out and by the way your son is a fine young man. There are many reasons and they are listed in this thread. But the main reason imo is Dads. If my dad had been into surfing I would have been as well. And maybe I would have hooked up with that girl in Holly's picture. Its a cycle of doing what everyone else around you is doing and being influenced by those that can influence you. We need more dads to step up and lead the way for baseball. And we need more people to reach out and be a dad to kids even if they are not yours. In other words dont talk about it be about it. Baseball is not an instant gratification sport. Kids need someone to take some time with them and teach them the game. Its not exciting to hit off a T for an hour or play catch when you can not catch. You need people that know how to make it fun and learn how to encourage a young kid to work to get better. In other words we need more baseball role models for these young men. We need people that are willing to give without expecting anything in return but the satisfaction of knowing you made a difference.

 

God help us all if that Socialist gets into office.

Vote McCain/Palin!!!

Please. (I said Please)

 

Wow...I have contacted a member to see if your son would be willing to help...and to see that you signed up and became a member and addressed this issue is more than I could have asked for. Thank you!!!

 

First of all I want to thank everyone on this board I have had some great response on here and Demaya12 I look forward of meeting. But this is a problem we can't blame on fathers. My husband is a great father and provider but my son and other kids can hear adults talk about baseball and it history until they blue in the face. This generation want to feel like they belong that there is othere people like them, with the same interest. If they don't see other black kids, how do they suppose to feel. Second is it very expensive and time comsuming. He been playing travel (aau) for 5 years and went to Coopertown NY back in June, and all over. The cost add up, not just for team but travel and food. They are with the team more then there friends, so to be the only one is hard. So it not the fathers fault it a combination .

 

I agree that it can be expensive. My son played AAU basketball and traveled all over the country. If my family was going to follow him, it would have been cost prohibitive. We were fortunate that On Deck and Impact (before Dirtbags) did not charge us a fee, but the travel could have been tough. We picked the one's to attend and treated it like vacations and missed out on other trips. But the actual cost of my son's participation was minimal.

I have found that most quality baseball programs (Showcase) have scholarships available and all of them have fundraisers to reduce the cost. I know of one team that works the Panther's games and the money raised offsets all costs to the players.

Sometimes one has to get creative. I know of one family that donates time by volunteering at every event (that is in need of volunteers) their team enters to defray costs. I guess what I am implying is if cost is a major factor (and it is for many), there are ways to defray it.

But, I believe if I read correctly, is the social factor of not having many that look like you and understand things the same way, that sometimes is missing. Although one can argue that developing friends of different cultures is important, it is equally or more important to feel comfortable in the environment and not to feel you are an outsider.

 

The discussion about the declining participation rates of African Americans in baseball is very interesting and very complex...as most issues around race are. What makes us different when much about us is the same? The facts are often troubling and distasteful to many, but it is hard to argue that they aren't facts. The most common explanations include the more appealing image of the basketballers and footballers for young blacks today, the impact of music and other cultural influences on young minds, and the packaging done by ESPN and other sports media that promotes the strong and valiant warrior heading into battle.....images that appeal generally to the black community who find living in America to be a battle in many ways. Baseball, on the other hand is considered slow and boring (to the casual observer).

Now, another reason that is rarely spoken but I believe is a huge contributor to the decline of the black baseball player. I was heavily involved in a large & successful youth baseball organization for several years. There was a significant effort to recruit minorities to participate with little success. What I saw as our biggest obstacle was transportation. With the well-documented decline of two parent families in the black community, it was virtually impossible for Mom to get the player to practice twice a week at 5:15 in the afternoon as she was just starting her second job. While this observation is a general statement that doesn't apply to all, it is true for the large majority of cases I witnessed first hand. Baseball is a game that it is difficult to improve at by yourself...team practice is essential. A kid can make great strides in basketball on his own, at his own pace, in his own neighborhood with others down the street...not true with baseball, especially if there is no interest in "pick up" games (which have virtually disappeared in the white community as well). Bottom Line: Baseball at the grass roots level has evolved into a very structured and groomed event for those that can commit the time, transportation and consistent effort to have their son in the right place at the right time with the right equipment. We have all helped build the machinery to make it happen as we unwittingly feed the monster ($300 bats, Cooperstown trip, embroidered hats, names on 10-year old All-Star jerseys, batting gloves and sweatbands galore....and then on to travel ball, showcase events and the $25,000 pursuit of $9,000 in scholarship money.....and I'm right in there with you!

 

Smart Men we are not.....

They say the Thrill of the pursuit is better than the catch right?

 

Absolutely....I love the journey we are on and I try to make sure my son feels the fun along the way, not just looking at everything through the lens of "the future". Players and families should savor the game today, the competition, the relationships, and the memories that are made along the way. It's never been about 25 minus 9.....