Anonymous
Post 07/03/2025 15:47     Subject: Is baseball the toughest sport mentally?
Tennis and other racquet sports like squash are brutally stressful too. DS plays both sports recreationally but I’ve been amazed to see many of the more competitive junior players have individual mental coaches that help them out. These are 11/12 year old kids!!
Anonymous
Post 07/03/2025 13:51     Subject: Is baseball the toughest sport mentally?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:When my son was 13-15 he was a junior umpire in baseball for 7-8 and the 9-10 year olds in Southern California. He usually umped behind home plate and both ages played kid pitch. He also was a junior ref for soccer and basketball.

It was interesting to go watch him ump/ref and watch the game as a truly impartial observer. I didn't care who won and spent time looking a the parents, coaches, players.

Baseball was mentally the toughest at those ages. All eyes are on you when are up at a bat. You get hit by a pitch and the next time up at bat with a lot of kids it effects them. You have crazy parents walking up to get close to the plate to yell instructions at their kid. Coaches grimace and groan when kids would miss a pop fly. Pitchers would melt down and some would even cry. My son had to encourage kids to keep playing and ignore some comments from coaches and parents.

I never saw kids that age getting the equivalent of the "yips" in soccer or basketball. To watch a catcher all season play so well then all of a sudden lose it and not be able to make a throw at the end of the season was tough.

There were for sure crazy basketball and soccer parents, but wow some of the comments he got as an ump from grandparents and parents were absolutely brutal. And maybe it was just a fluke but he didn't have coaches of 8 year olds in other sports argue with him about a rule that he knew was correct (ex. yes it is a hit by pitch of the ball bounces and hits the player, there is no rule in little league (unless it is a local rule) about how many times a pitcher can hit a batter, a runner can avoid getting tagged as long as they are within three feet of basepath). It was crazy to see coaches of 7-8 year olds try to intimidate a 13 year old junior ump behind the plate to get him to change a correct call or try to get him to go another inning when he was calling the game because of darkness.


My baseball playing son was an ump as a summer job when he was 16 and it was eye popping. He did not enjoy it and said he’ll never do it as a job again. The worst was when he had to step between two coaches - grown men - who were about to come to blows about funny business with a line up for 8 year olds.

Only bright side - he wrote his college essay about breaking up that fight and now he’s off to play baseball in college!


This is a league problem. Our LL has mostly 13-16 year old umpires and a zero tolerance policy for anyone abusing umps or coaches possibly fighting.

If coaches fight, immediately removed as coaches for good and prevented from even watching games for a suspension period.

If parents abuse umps, umps eject and then they must leave the field and not return…game won’t continue until the parent leaves. Usually can’t return for at least a couple more games.
Anonymous
Post 07/03/2025 13:43     Subject: Is baseball the toughest sport mentally?
Anonymous wrote:When my son was 13-15 he was a junior umpire in baseball for 7-8 and the 9-10 year olds in Southern California. He usually umped behind home plate and both ages played kid pitch. He also was a junior ref for soccer and basketball.

It was interesting to go watch him ump/ref and watch the game as a truly impartial observer. I didn't care who won and spent time looking a the parents, coaches, players.

Baseball was mentally the toughest at those ages. All eyes are on you when are up at a bat. You get hit by a pitch and the next time up at bat with a lot of kids it effects them. You have crazy parents walking up to get close to the plate to yell instructions at their kid. Coaches grimace and groan when kids would miss a pop fly. Pitchers would melt down and some would even cry. My son had to encourage kids to keep playing and ignore some comments from coaches and parents.

I never saw kids that age getting the equivalent of the "yips" in soccer or basketball. To watch a catcher all season play so well then all of a sudden lose it and not be able to make a throw at the end of the season was tough.

There were for sure crazy basketball and soccer parents, but wow some of the comments he got as an ump from grandparents and parents were absolutely brutal. And maybe it was just a fluke but he didn't have coaches of 8 year olds in other sports argue with him about a rule that he knew was correct (ex. yes it is a hit by pitch of the ball bounces and hits the player, there is no rule in little league (unless it is a local rule) about how many times a pitcher can hit a batter, a runner can avoid getting tagged as long as they are within three feet of basepath). It was crazy to see coaches of 7-8 year olds try to intimidate a 13 year old junior ump behind the plate to get him to change a correct call or try to get him to go another inning when he was calling the game because of darkness.


My baseball playing son was an ump as a summer job when he was 16 and it was eye popping. He did not enjoy it and said he’ll never do it as a job again. The worst was when he had to step between two coaches - grown men - who were about to come to blows about funny business with a line up for 8 year olds.

Only bright side - he wrote his college essay about breaking up that fight and now he’s off to play baseball in college!
Anonymous
Post 07/02/2025 16:26     Subject: Is baseball the toughest sport mentally?
Anonymous wrote:My DD did competitive gymnastics for many years. That was mentally brutal, IMO. The kids are competing both solo and as a team/gym. A bad score could take you out of contention for a solo medal and also hurt your gym's chances of winning a team medal. It was also pretty brutal as far as injuries go.

If I had to do it over, I'd probably not allow the completive route. She's 23 and has back and knee problems. It's hard to swallow as a parent.


Is she also very short? That’s the physical reality of gymnastics…it stunts your growth.
Anonymous
Post 07/02/2025 15:47     Subject: Is baseball the toughest sport mentally?
My DD did competitive gymnastics for many years. That was mentally brutal, IMO. The kids are competing both solo and as a team/gym. A bad score could take you out of contention for a solo medal and also hurt your gym's chances of winning a team medal. It was also pretty brutal as far as injuries go.

If I had to do it over, I'd probably not allow the completive route. She's 23 and has back and knee problems. It's hard to swallow as a parent.
Anonymous
Post 07/02/2025 15:40     Subject: Is baseball the toughest sport mentally?
Anonymous wrote:What? No. Baseball is on no way the “toughest” sport as far as mental stress plus endurance.

I would say tennis is. You are out on the court- just you and opponent. You have to own every error you make and readjust, sometimes your opponent cheats and you have no choice but to let it go and carry on, matches can last 2+ hrs of you giving your all, not giving up, constantly strategizing. It is gruelling.


This thread is trying to compare TEAM sports and the mental aspect, not individual sports.
Anonymous
Post 07/02/2025 15:39     Subject: Is baseball the toughest sport mentally?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:What? No. Baseball is on no way the “toughest” sport as far as mental stress plus endurance.

I would say tennis is. You are out on the court- just you and opponent. You have to own every error you make and readjust, sometimes your opponent cheats and you have no choice but to let it go and carry on, matches can last 2+ hrs of you giving your all, not giving up, constantly strategizing. It is gruelling.


You summed it up - "You are out on the court- just you and opponent.". So if you mess up only you and maybe your family is upset. It is a different type of mental toughness that can withstand 11-14 other players and their families being upset at you for messing up and making an error or striking out at a critical point in the game. There is just so much focused attention on one person. Maybe a goalie has that type of attention or in soccer during a penalty kick.


Or a quarterback, place kicker, coxswain, free thrower shooter, anchor leg of a relay, etc.

Baseball is not special in this way.

Anonymous
Post 07/02/2025 15:34     Subject: Is baseball the toughest sport mentally?
Gotta be cornhole
Anonymous
Post 07/02/2025 15:29     Subject: Is baseball the toughest sport mentally?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:What? No. Baseball is on no way the “toughest” sport as far as mental stress plus endurance.

I would say tennis is. You are out on the court- just you and opponent. You have to own every error you make and readjust, sometimes your opponent cheats and you have no choice but to let it go and carry on, matches can last 2+ hrs of you giving your all, not giving up, constantly strategizing. It is gruelling.


You summed it up - "You are out on the court- just you and opponent.". So if you mess up only you and maybe your family is upset. It is a different type of mental toughness that can withstand 11-14 other players and their families being upset at you for messing up and making an error or striking out at a critical point in the game. There is just so much focused attention on one person. Maybe a goalie has that type of attention or in soccer during a penalty kick.


Lol, I guess this is why kickball is also well known to be the toughest sport mentally.
Anonymous
Post 07/02/2025 14:26     Subject: Is baseball the toughest sport mentally?
Anonymous wrote:What? No. Baseball is on no way the “toughest” sport as far as mental stress plus endurance.

I would say tennis is. You are out on the court- just you and opponent. You have to own every error you make and readjust, sometimes your opponent cheats and you have no choice but to let it go and carry on, matches can last 2+ hrs of you giving your all, not giving up, constantly strategizing. It is gruelling.


You summed it up - "You are out on the court- just you and opponent.". So if you mess up only you and maybe your family is upset. It is a different type of mental toughness that can withstand 11-14 other players and their families being upset at you for messing up and making an error or striking out at a critical point in the game. There is just so much focused attention on one person. Maybe a goalie has that type of attention or in soccer during a penalty kick.
Anonymous
Post 07/02/2025 13:59     Subject: Is baseball the toughest sport mentally?
What? No. Baseball is on no way the “toughest” sport as far as mental stress plus endurance.

I would say tennis is. You are out on the court- just you and opponent. You have to own every error you make and readjust, sometimes your opponent cheats and you have no choice but to let it go and carry on, matches can last 2+ hrs of you giving your all, not giving up, constantly strategizing. It is gruelling.
Anonymous
Post 07/02/2025 13:30     Subject: Is baseball the toughest sport mentally?
All sports are hard at some level but the idea that baseball is the toughest sport mentally is beyond absurd. Not even in the Top 10. Way too slow of a sport to involve mental toughness.
Anonymous
Post 07/02/2025 12:45     Subject: Is baseball the toughest sport mentally?
When my son was 13-15 he was a junior umpire in baseball for 7-8 and the 9-10 year olds in Southern California. He usually umped behind home plate and both ages played kid pitch. He also was a junior ref for soccer and basketball.

It was interesting to go watch him ump/ref and watch the game as a truly impartial observer. I didn't care who won and spent time looking a the parents, coaches, players.

Baseball was mentally the toughest at those ages. All eyes are on you when are up at a bat. You get hit by a pitch and the next time up at bat with a lot of kids it effects them. You have crazy parents walking up to get close to the plate to yell instructions at their kid. Coaches grimace and groan when kids would miss a pop fly. Pitchers would melt down and some would even cry. My son had to encourage kids to keep playing and ignore some comments from coaches and parents.

I never saw kids that age getting the equivalent of the "yips" in soccer or basketball. To watch a catcher all season play so well then all of a sudden lose it and not be able to make a throw at the end of the season was tough.

There were for sure crazy basketball and soccer parents, but wow some of the comments he got as an ump from grandparents and parents were absolutely brutal. And maybe it was just a fluke but he didn't have coaches of 8 year olds in other sports argue with him about a rule that he knew was correct (ex. yes it is a hit by pitch of the ball bounces and hits the player, there is no rule in little league (unless it is a local rule) about how many times a pitcher can hit a batter, a runner can avoid getting tagged as long as they are within three feet of basepath). It was crazy to see coaches of 7-8 year olds try to intimidate a 13 year old junior ump behind the plate to get him to change a correct call or try to get him to go another inning when he was calling the game because of darkness.
Anonymous
Post 07/02/2025 12:17     Subject: Is baseball the toughest sport mentally?
Anonymous wrote:LOL.

Let’s review all the sports off the top of my head where the athletes are far more likely to be seriously injured, perhaps for life:
Football
Figure skating
Gymnastics
Rugby
Diving
Skiing
Ski jump
Luge
Bobsled
Surfing

Get real, OP.


My son and many of his friends and other kids we know who play baseball have suffered from back injuries in their lower lumbar spines. That type of injury takes months of recovery and intensive PT. My son was out most of baseball season and then part of the fall season back in 10th grade.

My son plays a D1 sport in college (not baseball), but when he was in 11th grade he told me his mood is directly related to his batting average during baseball season. Ironically, he had the season of his life his senior year when he was already committed/accepted to college and no longer put pressure on himself about baseball.
Anonymous
Post 07/02/2025 10:19     Subject: Is baseball the toughest sport mentally?
gkahpaul wrote:Even the most seasoned and experienced baseball players will tell you that you never truly get comfortable with an object being thrown at you at over 80-100+ mph...not even taking in to account being good at it (base hit minimum, let alone hitting a HR) - You just learn to mentally lock with each pitch so the mental aspect is huge.

This point alone is why most will tell you starting kids at 9 or 10 is too late and puts them at a significant disadvantage, due to the amount of time required to establish a decent comfort level with live pitching because things can and will go wrong at times.


There are many sports that are like this - gymnastics, figure skating, ice hockey. One can argue that focusing for 2 min for 4 at bats in a game is not more stressful than having to focus on every ball movement in a 2 hour tennis match, or making every stride in a 100 m dash perfect, or facing a single opponent on a wrestling match, or pushing your endurance to the limit in a 1500 meter race, or performing a 2 min figure skating routine in front of subjective judges, or exerting yourself to the point of nausea in a triathlon. It’s all pretty stressful.

And to the poster who said that even though baseball players are not involved in any plays far more than 50% of the time, they are WATCHING, which is incredibly mentally taxing, then I guess sports parents are the most mentally tough of them all.

A swimmer would find it mentally challenging to be at bat. A baseball player would find it mentally challenging to push past pain and lack of oxygen and race a 400 IM. A distance runner would find it mentally challenging to be a goalie during penalty kicks.