There is a safe-ish middle ground when it comes to select ball. Unfortunately, not all rec leagues are strong enough to develop much talent, if your son is looking to play ball in high school. (Notice I said high school, not college. Just assume that high school is the furthest up he's going to get, and if he goes further then that's great.)

However, on to the other extreme from rec ball, you have the travel teams where parents invest 10s of thousands of dollars per year and travel all over the country all throughout the year. To me, that's just ridiculous. You can find good, solid programs where you don't have to put so much time and $$ into them. I don't know where you live, but in the DFW area, both of my sons have played ball for years and we have only traveled out of the metroplex once for a tournament (to Round Rock).

Personally, I think 9 years old is a little young, but what do I know. My sons played rec ball until 11U and 12U, respectively then select ball. My oldest never played after high school and my youngest is a sophomore, so who knows what will happen. But my expectations definitely aren't on him playing ball past high school.
And in summary, you'll have a really good time at the ball park for the next few years...just don't make any plans on Saturdays and Sundays for a long time. The way pool play/bracket play works...you really never know what your weekend schedule is going to be like so just tell everyone not to invite you anywhere until your kid is in high school.

EDIT to add: another poster was 100% correct in stating that your kids will be expected to play summer ball once they get to HS. You don't play in the summer, you probably aren't going to play in the spring. And if you don't play football, then you practice all Fall, or play Fall ball if your school participates in it. Ours does, but not many around us do. It isn't UIL sanctioned, so the baseball coaches technically can't have anything to do with it.

*Sigh* so many edits.

Sense some of this ITT:

Great topic.

My son started this year, 9 u, but the program isn't year round, March - End of June. It is a money grab, plain and simple, but our program, if the family doesn't have money, will help with the cost from the organization, so in some instances, yes, it's who has the money to play, in other instances that's not the case, it's who is the best player.

Our coaches are a former all American at Tulane and a head high school baseball coach, we are lucky with the instructions these kids are getting.

No one at 8,9,10, 11, and I'd say even 12 should be playing 1 sport year round, it's a disaster waiting to happen. With that said maybe your child is ready for that.

Someone said it earlier, set your expectations as a parent. Is this for you to live your glory days like uncle Rico through your child of does he want to do this?

Make it fun, a very small percentage of the kids playing at 9 will go play high school baseball and very few would play college ball

.... our cost, by the way is $650 dollars, as stated we go from March to end of June with 1 practice a week and tourneys on the weekend.

We do some practicing in the fall, but all of our kids play soccer and football.

Thanks for the post and tips.

He's going to be 10 in December so he has to play 10U. We live in Houston, so I don't think we will be traveling much outside of the city. Where we live, the competition just isn't there with the rec leagues.

pipelinemoe, where do y'all live?
sounds like y'all have it set up in a reasonable manner

Bonnett,
do you happen to live in Humble area? If so, I know what team you joined. Live in that neighborhood and know all about that team, the coaches, players, etc.

We live in Humble and have struggled with this. Son has always played soccer and baseball. Some swim team and flag football mixed in. The local rec leagues both soccer and baseball are getting watered down as everyone moves to "select".
My son was on good rec team all the way thru 7U with the same coach and they moved to select in 8U. He's a well above average rec player but average select. We made the move b/c we really liked the coach and the core group of kids. They've really developed into a great team since then. We did it one season before he even said he was tired of doing stuff every day and all weekend long. Baseball in the fall which is supposed to be slower was 2 practices a week and games on sundays every other weekend. When we didn't have games we'd have practice. He wanted the spring off so we gave it to him. The next fall in 9U he wanted to do rec again. He was on another good team and had fun. Most of these kids from our team joined a "select" start up team and my son could have joined them but he asked what the schedule was. When we told him he said nope. Wanted that time to go fishing!! YES!!

took the spring off from baseball...his choice. But is playing rec again this fall in 10U. Even after not playing for a season and summer he's picked up right where he left off and maybe better just watching MLB and talking about the game.

Now this startup is adding another team. It's also a bunch of rec players. I know most of them and even talked to a couple of the dads who have said the same. If they treat the team properly, slot in appropriate competition tournaments they might develop into a good select team in a couple of years. That's if the kids develop....if they get good coaching....if they don't burnout....or if they don't have a bunch of kids switch teams. Don't get me wrong...I think the start up is doing a lot of good things compared to most select teams...especially how they are handling it financially. But I've already seen the signs of it becoming like all the other "select" teams which leads me to......

Most coaches will tell you it's not year round but even the start up team by us has been meeting once a week throughout the summer. And that's after they played thru end of June to be in a "world series". And I know that they were doing the same over the winter as well.

We know at some point he'll have to make the jump but holding it off as long as possible. His old select coach came and watched him play recently and said he could still go play with the old select team. So rec even watered down couldn't be that bad for him.

Like others have said, this age it should still be about the fundamentals, repetitions, and having fun

bam02 said:

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9 year olds don't have "their sights set" on anything .!!

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Well, you can't do it when they're 6 because there is no summer league for being a fireman.

So my 9 year old shouldn't have a goal? Thanks for your parenting advice. I'll make sure to take it into consideration.

JoeAggie5 said:

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Quote:

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Now I know who's kid isn't good enough to make a team

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Forget everything I said. You'll fit right in with the select baseball crowd.

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Actually OP was the kid who did not make the team. He is now reliving his life through his 9 year old son.

Bonnettecj1 said:

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I'm looking forward to that part of tourneys.

I just worry about bs politics when it comes to kids.

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The eye candy is nice but the tournaments suck. My daughter's 5-6 coach pitch softball team played in a tournament this past season. They ended up taking 3rd place out of about 20 teams. Their 2 losses both came from select teams (yes, at that age) from other parts of the state. They kept one close but got smoked by the other. First game was the previous night at 8, then back on the field at 9 the next morning and we finished our final game (win to secure 3rd) around 11 that night. She fell asleep before we even got out of the parking lot.

Played football my entire life, Pepe. Dude threw a jab, so I threw one right back.

Bonnettecj1 said:

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So my 9 year old shouldn't have a goal? Thanks for your parenting advice. I'll make sure to take it into consideration.

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No, he shouldn't. He's 9. Let him be a kid at that age.

aTm2004 said:

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Bonnettecj1 said:

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I'm looking forward to that part of tourneys.

I just worry about bs politics when it comes to kids.

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The eye candy is nice but the tournaments suck. My daughter's 5-6 coach pitch softball team played in a tournament this past season. They ended up taking 3rd place out of about 20 teams. Their 2 losses both came from select teams (yes, at that age) from other parts of the state. They kept one close but got smoked by the other. First game was the previous night at 8, then back on the field at 9 the next morning and we finished our final game (win to secure 3rd) around 11 that night. She fell asleep before we even got out of the parking lot.

wait wait wait

your daughter's 5-6 YEAR OLD team is playing a tournament? or is that 5-6 grade?

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5-6 year old team. My daughter just started 1st grade. When I heard about playing in a tournament, I was shocked. That's too young for this stuff, IMO. She should be learning how to hit a ball, field a ball, what the positions are, and when to run vs. stay.

Proud dad moment...she did hit a HR (in the park) during it and was the first one on her team to do so all season. In her league, the final game for who decided who got 1st vs. 2nd, she drove in the tying run and scored the winning run. She had bad habit of half assing it while running, but she actually ran hard to first and beat out the tag to keep the game going. I made sure to let her know her hustle is why they won that game.

wangus12 said:

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Select sports. Investing thousands of dollars and hours for almost no return. Its like throwing money into a fire

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buy a boat instead.

1. You have no idea how I parent or how my kids act.
2. When you hear, "Dad I want to play on X team", that is a goal set by the child. I don't force him to do anything.
3. I "let him be a kid". He's in love with the game of baseball and begs me daily to play catch with him. And I do, among other things.
4. I did not start this thread for parenting advice from *******s like yourself. If you think what I'm doing is wrong, that's your opinion. Raise your own children and let me raise mine.

Y'all would be shocked at the level of play at a 5 & 6 year old tee ball tournament and absolutely amazed at the plays being made at some 7 & 8 year old coach pitch tournaments. I'll talking double plays, diving catches, and final scores of 2-1. The boys already understand the game and want to be on the field. It may not be for all kids, but you can quickly tell which ones like it.

Bonnette- we did the rec then select route for both boys. One loved it and the other tolerated it until football took over even though he was a far better baseball player. Oldest went on to play college ball. If you have the means, do what you can to allow your kid to follow his passion. We knew the economics of select and the probability of playing beyond HS ball, but it was definitely worth our investment in him. He learned all the attributes that has made him successful today. Interesting enough, almost all his closest friends played beyond HS both at the collegiate level as well as professional ball. A few are in the show, a few are still chasing the dream in the minors. But most are regular old dads now looking forward to T-ball.

Only advice is to find a situation that is best for your son and your family. Enjoy the ride for as long as he wants to stay on.

"The game doesn't stink Mr Wheeler. It's a great game..."

Bonnettecj1 said:

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1. You have no idea how I parent or how my kids act.
2. When you hear, "Dad I want to play on X team", that is a goal set by the child. I don't force him to do anything.
3. I "let him be a kid". He's in love with the game of baseball and begs me daily to play catch with him. And I do, among other things.
4. I did not start this thread for parenting advice from *******s like yourself. If you think what I'm doing is wrong, that's your opinion. Raise your own children and let me raise mine.

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Let me guess, you also think sports "build character" and teach "life lessons"?

Quote:

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What, as a parent who's never done select ball, should I expect from select baseball? Is it fun for the kids but hell on the parents, or a good time for all involved?

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Quote:

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4. I did not start this thread for parenting advice from *******s like yourself. If you think what I'm doing is wrong, that's your opinion. Raise your own children and let me raise mine.

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So which is it OP?

aTm2004 said:

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5-6 year old team. My daughter just started 1st grade. When I heard about playing in a tournament, I was shocked. That's too young for this stuff, IMO. She should be learning how to hit a ball, field a ball, what the positions are, and when to run vs. stay.

Proud dad moment...she did hit a HR (in the park) during it and was the first one on her team to do so all season. In her league, the final game for who decided who got 1st vs. 2nd, she drove in the tying run and scored the winning run. She had bad habit of half assing it while running, but she actually ran hard to first and beat out the tag to keep the game going. I made sure to let her know her hustle is why they won that game.

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That's amazing but a tournament seems a bit much for that age. I have a fairly uncoordinated 4 year old who dances/spins in circles during her soccer games and trips over her own two feet while running so I'm having a hard time imagining her (or other kids) only a year removed from that playing a multi-day coach-pitch tournament but I guess that's normal...

I never asked for advice on how to raise my child. I asked what I should expect when it comes to select baseball.

Bo Darville said:

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Bonnettecj1 said:

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1. You have no idea how I parent or how my kids act.
2. When you hear, "Dad I want to play on X team", that is a goal set by the child. I don't force him to do anything.
3. I "let him be a kid". He's in love with the game of baseball and begs me daily to play catch with him. And I do, among other things.
4. I did not start this thread for parenting advice from *******s like yourself. If you think what I'm doing is wrong, that's your opinion. Raise your own children and let me raise mine.

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Let me guess, you also think sports "build character" and teach "life lessons"?

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Absolutely it does.

My son played LL and select all the way thru, made varsity as a sophomore, and got offers from some of the very top juco's in the region. He was a bit stocky and broad-shouldered, but I had taught him how to hit early on and he knew he what he was doing at the plate. All the coaches told us he was the next Ken Caminiti, and we believed them. Well, sure enough, he turned out a whole lot like Ken Caminiti, but not in the way we hoped. Select Ball can take its toll; please know what you're getting into.