Hey Zeus said:

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Get a Tahoe. Take family vacations in the same spot in Florida every year. Name your kid Colton. Go to Academy and buy a $400 bat. Sign up for some team named the Texas Rattlers or something similar. Spend all your money you should be saving for your kids college fund in travel ball. Have your kid burnout out when he is 16.

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It's funny 'cause it's true.

AgShaun00 said:

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it keeps my boys off of screens more

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This is a legit reason. Screens are utterly ubiquitous anymore and kids are glued to them. Events and activities that get them to be active and socialize instead of stare mindlessly at whatever iDoodad they can get their hands on is much better for their development across the board.

Even if that means the inevitable Tahoe, $400 Academy baseball bat, and mindless droning on about family trips to 30A.

We've done both leagues multiple seasons.

Farm League baseball is a joke. We only do it for my younger son because his whole SKSA team can stay together, they are an okay team so really no competitive advantage. SKSA won't let you keep teams together, that's why most kids go to select.

SKSA is fine until 10, after 10 it's a total joke.

blindey said:

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AgShaun00 said:

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it keeps my boys off of screens more

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This is a legit reason. Screens are utterly ubiquitous anymore and kids are glued to them. Events and activities that get them to be active and socialize instead of stare mindlessly at whatever iDoodad they can get their hands on is much better for their development across the board.

Even if that means the inevitable Tahoe, $400 Academy baseball bat, and mindless droning on about family trips to 30A.

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What if...and hear me out...

It should be kept in moderation, just like anything else, including sports?

A lot of great points brought up here.

Regarding kids if the 80's, which includes me, no one goes to the park and plays pick up games anymore, we sound like grandpas when they say I used to walk to school, up hill 20 miles each way......things change.

The cost associated with these programs are all over the map and its tough when u look at the cost per year over several years...... I think if u can find programs that aren't year round, those are the best ones, u keep costs down and allow the child to play multiple sports

Finally, if parents are doing this for them, and not their child, then that's is the biggest waste of time and money.

Do you have any children? Honest question.

Yes, two boys. 4 and 7. Yes I played sports growing up. Lettered in high school football 2 years and baseball 3 years.

Bo Darville said:

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Wait a minute, these kids are encouraged to keep a B average like that's a good thing? If you can't maintain an A average in modern education with grade inflation then you probably need to rethink your priorities and step back from the diamond.

And no, I'm not going to be proud of my kid for doing "what he loves" if it's a stupid ****ing decision.

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Playing baseball is a stupid decision?

Also, I like you on the politics board, but you have to be trolling here. Do you understand how limited baseball scholarships are? While most parents aren't looking for their kids to get scholarships, you would have to be a damn fool not to be proud about your kid getting one. I would be even be proud if it was from Concordia or Phoenix University.

Of course he knows! He was a 3 year letterman in baseball and had offers to play all over the country, until he became sports-woke and decided that youth sports are a waste of time and money. That's when he decided to start telling others how to live. And here we are.

blindey said:

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AgShaun00 said:

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it keeps my boys off of screens more

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This is a legit reason. Screens are utterly ubiquitous anymore and kids are glued to them. Events and activities that get them to be active and socialize instead of stare mindlessly at whatever iDoodad they can get their hands on is much better for their development across the board.

Even if that means the inevitable Tahoe, $400 Academy baseball bat, and mindless droning on about family trips to 30A.

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Have you ever looked at Academy bats and baseball equipment? I buy guns there and love the place, but it's not where serious baseball people go. They don't even carry Marucci bats in store around here. They specialize in the $49 USA bats.

I know folks talk about the direct costs of these ventures - fees, uniforms, travel, lessons, etc., etc. So I will throw hidden costs into the mix.

What about when you and your wife have been at work and then the ballpark all day and you come home for supper, but you're too tired to fix it? You go out to eat. A family of 4 will drop $40-$50 easy on supper. Then you have to get on your kid to do his homework at 9:30 every night. You are exhausted. He's exhausted. Everyone's temper flares. It's a mad house.

Take the situation through the whole week and by the time you get to Saturday and you look out and your yard needs to be mowed. That's another $30-$50 for someone to mow the yard.

Get 2 or 3 kids following this routine until they burnout or leave for college, and you've carted kids all over the state and nation playing ball for 12-15 years. At that point, you look across the dining room table at your wife and realize over the course of that time, you have become different people. She hates you. You hate her. (Now some jerk-wads on this site will relish that fact. I don't.) At this point, you now have to fork out attorney's fees and spousal support because you can't live under the same roof.

Yes, there are direct costs, but don't forget the hidden costs. Some people love that life. (And this scenario is worse-case, but it could happen.) My wife and I made the decision to not pursue it. All three of our kids had chances at competitive swim teams. We said, "No thanks."

If you want your kid to have fun in athletics, see if you can't live/work in a small town with a 3A/4A school. Let him play 3 sports and enjoy being a kid.

Just my two cents.

Baseball-Junkie said:

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Bo Darville said:

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Wait a minute, these kids are encouraged to keep a B average like that's a good thing? If you can't maintain an A average in modern education with grade inflation then you probably need to rethink your priorities and step back from the diamond.

And no, I'm not going to be proud of my kid for doing "what he loves" if it's a stupid ****ing decision.

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Playing baseball is a stupid decision?

Also, I like you on the politics board, but you have to be trolling here. Do you understand how limited baseball scholarships are? While most parents aren't looking for their kids to get scholarships, you would have to be a damn fool not to be proud about your kid getting one. I would be even be proud if it was from Concordia or Phoenix University.

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A scholarship to a juco is ****ing worthless. It's like getting a gift card to Golden Corral.

Bonnettecj1 said:

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Of course he knows! He was a 3 year letterman in baseball and had offers to play all over the country, until he became sports-woke and decided that youth sports are a waste of time and money. That's when he decided to start telling others how to live. And here we are.

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Sports did very little to help me in my civilian or military career. And god help me if they had led me to a juco or D3 ****hole.

Pretty sure he was being sarcastic.

I didn't take it as sarcasm. His other posts make it sound as if he would legitimately be impressed with a kid playing baseball at a juco.

He was being sarcastic about you, not him.

Never mind.

Baseball-Junkie said:

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Have you ever looked at Academy bats and baseball equipment? I buy guns there and love the place, but it's not where serious baseball people go. They don't even carry Marucci bats in store around here. They specialize in the $49 USA bats.

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Certainly not the case at all locations. I'd have no problem picking up high end gloves or bats at either location closest to me.

Bo Darville said:

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Bonnettecj1 said:

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Of course he knows! He was a 3 year letterman in baseball and had offers to play all over the country, until he became sports-woke and decided that youth sports are a waste of time and money. That's when he decided to start telling others how to live. And here we are.

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Sports did very little to help me in my civilian or military career. And god help me if they had led me to a juco or D3 ****hole.

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I would be proud of my kid for chasing a dream. I would also want him to take school as serious as he does baseball because the cards are stacked pretty heavily against him. There is no shame in being in a JUCO, and there is no shame in playing baseball while there. And if it's free? That's more money in my pocket, at the end of the day.
I hope your boys go to JUCO so you can give them the pep talk about how they're worthless pieces of **** for going there. You're a barrel of joy, sir.

It's not "free" if you spend loads of dollars on select garbage and that's the best you got out of it. It would be sad and pathetic.

And yes, if my kids busted their ass academically and the best they got was a juco then yes I'd give them a good NCO style earful.

Nothing I said was that far fetched. On the contrary, you're actually trying to pass off someone's Colton getting a juco scholarship as a legit accomplishment.

Accomplishment is what you make of it. To some, accomplishment is getting a scholarship to play baseball at a JUCO. To others, accomplishment is being an complete DBag and dictating how others raise their children, and if you're proud of them, then you may as well off yourself. You've accomplished your goal of doing the latter.

Bo Darville said:

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It's not "free" if you spend loads of dollars on select garbage and that's the best you got out of it. It would be sad and pathetic.

And yes, if my kids busted their ass academically and the best they got was a juco then yes I'd give them a good NCO style earful.

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Yes, it's free. We're spending money because our kids love the game. It's not for college, so if they get any scholarships, it's a bonus. Whether they accepted it or not, even your curmudgeon self, would have a party for any scholarship offers to your kids. Knowing you from here, I am sure your kids spend most weekends in front of the tv, computer or on video games because their dad is too good for much else. I hope they're able to do what they love in spite of you.

So if your kids told you they wanted to quit baseball, dedicate themselves to e-sports in hopes of making it to League of Legends would you buy him a $2,500 gaming computer and let him dedicate every waking hour to it?

Bo Darville said:

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So if your kids told you they wanted to quit baseball, dedicate themselves to e-sports in hopes of making it to League of Legends would you buy him a $2,500 gaming computer and let him dedicate every waking hour to it?

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Yup, that's it. My kid isn't at school right now -- he's at the baseball field -- such exaggeratory extremes to justify your shortcomings.

Answer the question. Don't dodge.

For the spring season, we are going to home school our boys and put them on a 4-6 baseball agility program. I had a Div iii coach tell us that our boys got potential.

If they dont' get Div 1 scholorships, then it will be a waste, but I feel confident that will be achieved. I mean it is their goal, not mine.

Bo Darville said:

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Answer the question. Don't dodge.

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I answered it. You're right, he's at the field "every waking" hour, so of course I would buy a $2,500 gaming system.

Fine, since you insist on being obtuse in an effort to dodge I'll rephrase.

So if your kids told you they wanted to quit baseball, dedicate themselves to e-sports in hopes of making it to League of Legends would you buy him a $2,500 gaming computer and let him dedicate the same amount of time to it as he did baseball?

Bo Darville said:

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Fine, since you insist on being obtuse in an effort to dodge I'll rephrase.

So if your kids told you they wanted to quit baseball, dedicate themselves to e-sports in hopes of making it to League of Legends would you buy him a $2,500 gaming computer and let him dedicate the same amount of time to it as he did baseball?

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My son never said anything about playing baseball to make it to something else. He plays it because he enjoys it, so please rephrase it again, and I'll answer when you get it right.

More dodging.

Bo Darville said:

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More dodging.

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That's rich coming from the exaggerating. inaccurate and generality guy. When you get the question correct, I'll address it. Any chance you work at CNN and just pose as a conservative on here?

It appears that there is some sexual tension between you two. Just do it already and get it over with.