12 year old wants to play baseball

[Anonymous]

My son played t-ball, coach pitch and machine pitch but it’s been many years. He wants to come back to baseball but he’s worried about being out of it for so long. He does practice throwing/catching/hitting with his younger brother. What is the next step after little league? Is there a fun rec baseball league around McLean, Vienna or Reston?

Thanks so much!

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately little league fall registration has closed for the Fall in those areas. You could email your little league you are zoned for to see if they have any spots still open, but its probably unlikely since teams are formed. You should keep your son working on his skills over fall and summer and sign up for Spring season. There are some indoor facilities that will have hitting clinics.

[Anonymous]

Thanks so much for the response. He’s doing other things for the fall so we were thinking about the spring but I think he’s aged out of Little League by that time. I’m looking for a low key fun league for 13 year olds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks so much for the response. He’s doing other things for the fall so we were thinking about the spring but I think he’s aged out of Little League by that time. I’m looking for a low key fun league for 13 year olds.

If you are Nova, look at Babe Ruth.

[Anonymous]

Yes, if he turns 13 anytime between Sept 1 2006 and Sept 1 2007 he's too old for Little League this fall or next spring.
I don't know who to recommend him to but I do know the age cut-offs because my son is also this age.
Good luck!

[Anonymous]

I’ve seen people do Babe Ruth or an intermediate team that is somehow affiliated with the little league.

[Anonymous]

So your kid sits out all those years everyone else is learning how to play the game right way, and now he wants to come back in.

Grow some backbone. Your kid mad his bed. Time to lie in it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So your kid sits out all those years everyone else is learning how to play the game right way, and now he wants to come back in.

Grow some backbone. Your kid mad his bed. Time to lie in it.

NP: what? This is nonsense. My 10yo has a 12yo kid on his fall ball team (LL majors) who has never played organized baseball in his life, and he is very much welcome! If it is a rec league there is no reason the kid shouldn’t sign up. The kid I mentioned above is working hard and contributing to the team- they’ve only had 2 games so far and he’s gotten two hits (and struck out the rest of the time yes)- only plays RF for now but is working hard to improve. There is a place for everyone. While her kid is likely to be one of the weaker kids on a team (for now) that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t play and learn. If he works hard he can catch up surprisingly quickly (especially if he is athletic in general)- might even surpass some of the kids who’ve been playing for years. You can’t teach talent and that will become more and more obvious as the kids get older.

[Anonymous]

While you are looking for a league, bring him to the batting cages for practice and maybe hire a coach or register him for a county training class. Confidence boosting is key!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So your kid sits out all those years everyone else is learning how to play the game right way, and now he wants to come back in.

Grow some backbone. Your kid mad his bed. Time to lie in it.

This attitude is prevalent in kids sports nowadays with type-A parents pushing their kids to specialize, play travel as 7 year olds. SAD.

Great athletes can and do switch sports. Case in point, my cousin played lacrosse for years then dropped it to try soccer when he was 11. He was a natural. Fast forward, he is playing Division One college soccer on a full scholarship!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So your kid sits out all those years everyone else is learning how to play the game right way, and now he wants to come back in.

Grow some backbone. Your kid mad his bed. Time to lie in it.

NP: what? This is nonsense. My 10yo has a 12yo kid on his fall ball team (LL majors) who has never played organized baseball in his life, and he is very much welcome! If it is a rec league there is no reason the kid shouldn’t sign up. The kid I mentioned above is working hard and contributing to the team- they’ve only had 2 games so far and he’s gotten two hits (and struck out the rest of the time yes)- only plays RF for now but is working hard to improve. There is a place for everyone. While her kid is likely to be one of the weaker kids on a team (for now) that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t play and learn. If he works hard he can catch up surprisingly quickly (especially if he is athletic in general)- might even surpass some of the kids who’ve been playing for years. You can’t teach talent and that will become more and more obvious as the kids get older.

Agree, this is really stupid. If nothing else, OP can find a league with other kids who are also trying to get up to speed. Even adults have kickball leagues for christ's sake.

[Anonymous]

So glad you kid wants to play baseball! That PP is just a jerk. My son plays travel ball, has played since he was little and is a baseball fanatic. But on his travel team there are kids who leave for a couple years and come back. Kids that take a break during cross country season and then come back.

There is plenty of room for a kid to try baseball again at 13. If he has time and interest I would have him do one of the winter clinics at one of the indoor baseball facilities before the spring season starts, just to build his confidence. The other thing that new players need is baseball sense. They need to know where to throw the ball for different plays, where to look during a play, etc. If he likes watching baseball on TV that can help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So your kid sits out all those years everyone else is learning how to play the game right way, and now he wants to come back in.

Grow some backbone. Your kid mad his bed. Time to lie in it.

This attitude is prevalent in kids sports nowadays with type-A parents pushing their kids to specialize, play travel as 7 year olds. SAD.

Great athletes can and do switch sports. Case in point, my cousin played lacrosse for years then dropped it to try soccer when he was 11. He was a natural. Fast forward, he is playing Division One college soccer on a full scholarship!

That other poster is crazy. Even little league series folks were promoting the idea that kids should not specialize and should play more than two sports / play outside more. They even had PSAs about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So your kid sits out all those years everyone else is learning how to play the game right way, and now he wants to come back in.

Grow some backbone. Your kid mad his bed. Time to lie in it.

This attitude is prevalent in kids sports nowadays with type-A parents pushing their kids to specialize, play travel as 7 year olds. SAD.

Great athletes can and do switch sports. Case in point, my cousin played lacrosse for years then dropped it to try soccer when he was 11. He was a natural. Fast forward, he is playing Division One college soccer on a full scholarship!

That other poster is crazy. Even little league series folks were promoting the idea that kids should not specialize and should play more than two sports / play outside more. They even had PSAs about it.

NP here. Sort of off the subject, but I have a kid who is pretty decent at baseball and have been feeling the pressure to get him into travel. All of his close friends who love baseball are doing it and I hate feeling like he's being left behind. He does play basketball in winter and summer, so he's by no means specializing in baseball, and I recognize I need to shake off the pressure, but...it's there. He is not doing it and my husband definitely does not want him to do it. We have other commitments so logistically it wouldn't work. Rationally I know all this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So your kid sits out all those years everyone else is learning how to play the game right way, and now he wants to come back in.

Grow some backbone. Your kid mad his bed. Time to lie in it.

This attitude is prevalent in kids sports nowadays with type-A parents pushing their kids to specialize, play travel as 7 year olds. SAD.

Great athletes can and do switch sports. Case in point, my cousin played lacrosse for years then dropped it to try soccer when he was 11. He was a natural. Fast forward, he is playing Division One college soccer on a full scholarship!

That other poster is crazy. Even little league series folks were promoting the idea that kids should not specialize and should play more than two sports / play outside more. They even had PSAs about it.

NP here. Sort of off the subject, but I have a kid who is pretty decent at baseball and have been feeling the pressure to get him into travel. All of his close friends who love baseball are doing it and I hate feeling like he's being left behind. He does play basketball in winter and summer, so he's by no means specializing in baseball, and I recognize I need to shake off the pressure, but...it's there. He is not doing it and my husband definitely does not want him to do it. We have other commitments so logistically it wouldn't work. Rationally I know all this.

How old? My DS is 10, almost, 11 and same thing. We said no to it for this year- mostly due to family schedule and also the expense. Most of his friends play both rec AND travel...so he does play with them for rec. My DS is doing rec fall ball and rec again in the Sprinf. He does do a weekly batting lesson. He is not falling behind skill wise at all (played LL all stars all summer too). I don’t think there is anything wrong with travel but I think it is OK to set limits on what the family can handle. We probably won’t do travel until 12 or my DS ages out of little league. Thus far- some of the best players also play travel, some do not. I think he continue doing rec only for a bit, yet.