Expert: Rick Bundy - 6/10/2009

Question
I'm on a 13 year-old tournament style team that was set up by the high
school baseball coach, but he gave the manager position to a parent.  Now,
I'm not one of the best kids on the team, but I'm certainly not the worst.  I
find that I'm sitting 90% of the time though.  I'm practicing harder then ever
before trying to earn a starting position, but the best player on the team who
is WAY better than anyone else by far on our team plays one of the two
positions I play (1st).  The coach's son plays every game at the other position
I play (2nd).  What should I do?  I know that now that I'm older the coaches
stop playing everyone equally and play the better players, but I'm not getting
any playing time so it's hard to get better while sitting on the bench.  My
parents are willing to talk to the coach and see if he could put me in a little
more, but I kind of don't want them to because my coach will probably tell
the high school coach who is running the league about my parents asking
him to play me more and I dont want that to hurt my chances of making the
high school team.  What should I do?

Answer
Thomas:  I would begin by speaking to the coach yourself and see what he feels you need on to increase your game time.  He should have some ideas, and that provides you with a starting point.

This conversation will come much better from you than your parents, at this point.

I do not know the personalities, history or local politics involved here; but it is not out of line, nor should it be threatening for you to ask what you can improve on right now so you are able to play more.  That is a legitimate request.

At 13, you have yet to play half of your potential organized baseball career.  Much can, and will, change with yourself and those you are currently competing with for positions.

Back in the age of the dinosaur,when I was 12, our LL All Star team won the city, then state and came within 2 games of the world series. I was a starter on that team.

At 13, and in the 8th grade, I tried out for my middle school team, and was promptly cut.  The tryout consisted of three ground balls, 2 of which I fielded and one which was a bad hop.  The next day my name was on the cut list.

I tried out for the freshman team the next year.  On the last cut day, the coach told me he really didn't like me ( tough to hear at 13 ); but he couldn't really cut me because I seemed to hit his best pitcher all the time.  What he really did like to do was hit one hop laser ground balls at me, to see what would happen.  That season resulted in 7 at bats.  At the end of the season, my freshman coach was hired as the varsity coach.

The next year I sat the bench on JV, until 6 of our players were called up to the varsity.  My opportunity was staring me in the face.  I did well and begin thinking about what it would take to make the varsity the next spring.

That self analization made me realize I was over weight and did not field well, plus I was not strong enough.

I set about remedying those items, lifting and running every day.  The weight came off, the strength improved.  

My junior year, there were 80 hopeful players standing on that field the first day.  My work had paid off, and I made that team; but on the bench.  Our SS made 6 errors in the first 3 games, prompting the coach to move our 3B to SS, and there was my chance.  He let me know I was playing; but if I ever made an error, I would never play again for him.

We were state runner up, and I never missed another varsity start that year or the next.

Two years of Junior college, 1 year in the Central Illinois Collegiate League, two years at a four year university and a trip to the NAIA world series, followed by 35 years of coaching high school baseball and 9 seasons with the Az Diamondback's Training Centers.

So what does a stroll through the land of the dinosaur have to do with the present?  You are now at a point to step back and make an honest assessment of where your abilities are now, and develop a plan to move them forward.  Look at strengths as well as weaknesses.

The situation with the two positions you currently play may haunt you all the way through high school, and it may not.  As I said earlier, things change.  Think in terms of increasing your possibilities by learning other positions.  Every team needs three outfielders every day; but only one second baseman.  They also need 4-5 pitchers.  Work to increase the coach's options to use you within the team structure.  

On most high school teams, there is one player who is playing in a position which is not his personal strength; but one which makes the team stronger overall.  That player is a valuable asset to the coach and the team and is the essence of what teamwork is all about.

It can often be hard to think past the present, especially when things aren't as you would like them to be.  Concentrate on the things you can control.  On my website, www.theoleballgame.com, if you click on Mental Game on the nav bar, then scroll down to the bottom of the page to the link for Mental Control, it may help you some.

Think of baseball as a journey.  This season is just one stop on that trip.  Learn all that you can from it, take that information and build for the next step.  No matter how much you put into baseball, it will always give you more in return than you put in.

Good luck as you move forward!

Yours in baseball,

Rick