How is my 8-year-old son too old to learn how to play baseball?
My son wants to try baseball. He played two years ago and thought it was really boring, but is convinced he’ll like it now. Of course he tells me as the season is winding down. However, I’m the type of parent that just needs a little nugget of interest from a kid and I go off and figure out how to get it started. Google is my best friend.
Since sign ups are in January (why is that?), I really missed the boat on this one, so while I was at the park district for something else, I asked a few questions:
Guest post by Jill Kirby
Jill is a busy mom to five kids — four girls and a boy — who writes a blog called Cheaper Than Therapy, where this article first appeared.
“By any chance would you have any suggestions as to how my son could start or learn how to play baseball?” I asked.
“Well, we don’t really offer anything at this time,” she replied. “But you can sign up next year. How old is he?”
“Eight,” I said.
“Hm, check back next spring,” she suggested.
Another lady at the desk who was there to sign up for a different program felt compelled to grace me with her wisdom. “Ooooh, just starting at nine is kind of late,” she counseled. “Most of the kids have been playing for years. You might want to try another sport that you can get into where it’s ok for a beginner to be old.”
“So, he pretty much has to hang up his cleats before he even puts them on?” I retorted. “I mean, are you really saying he won’t go pro now?”
Clearly not picking up on my sarcasm, she went on: “Sadly, no. My neighbor is in 5th grade and has had a private baseball coach for two years. He’s amazing. I have one son that is showing a lot of promise, but I’m trying to guide my other one that doesn’t seem to have the natural ability into another direction.”
“What teams are we looking at: Cubs, Cardinals, Yankees?” I quipped.
There was a slight giggle. “Not quite there yet,” she continued, clearly certain in her convictions. “But we’re on the path! We’ve been in this baseball world for a long time. If your son starts now, he’ll never get drafted by a good team and if he does, he’ll get picked last. He’s just too old to not have experience. And forget about playing in high school, we could tell you who will be on that roster already!”
Is this really what it’s come to for kids? Do they really need to specialize in a sport by second grade? Most of my son’s friends just do one sport. They are very good at it, but most of their free time is spent either at practice or with the team. A lot of those parents may not be thinking pro right away, but they’re all thinking high school, and most college.
I’m not letting my kids pick just one sport until high school. Prior to that, I feel they’re just too young to make that big of a commitment. Plus, I don’t think it’s good physically. I want to scream at all the parents I know and say, “IT’S A MARATHON, NOT A SPRINT!”
I’ll find an opening for my son next spring — there has to be a Bad News Bears team somewhere. And that spot on the high school roster he’ll never get? Yeah, I’m not too worried. When your kid is icing his stretched-out shoulder or refusing to go to practice because he’s tired of it, my “unskilled” child will just slip (more like breakdance) into the open spot and enthusiastically be eager to learn. I’m really not in a hurry — and it’s a much happier place to be.
im glad i found this!! my son is 8 and we tried soccer a few times (didnt go well) so we figured baseball would be a better alternative… but everyones telling me hes to old, and him having mild autism isnt helping either! but were working on finding him a team and a part time coach to help… sports for their age are meant to be fun, not a lifetime commitment. keep your head up and he will do great! and who cares if you dont stress over high school and college looking at him? theyre 8 for crying out loud. be happy he wants to be outside and be social as apposed to being in the house playing video games all day.
You are correct that single sport training a child in second grade is wrong. However, there’s no way to hide that your son is behind at this point. Baseball is already a game predicated on failure (you make outs much more often than hits). So long as your son can tolerate struggling while he is learning the basic skills which others have already mastered you are right, he can catch up. However, you should know that some of these kids who practice a lot and get private instruction during the season are multi sport athletes too and they have an advantage that can only made up by work, not just time. My son started lacrosse “late” at age 8 and he ran into similar issues. He was not really accepted by the other Kids who had been playing together for several years and were obviously more advanced. As a result it wasn’t very fun and he went back to baseball as a spring sport. He plays hockey in fall and winter. The lacrosse kids, for the most part, were multi sport kids and play football (together) in the fall. Overall, point is that you’re about half right. If you were strictly talking about single stream v. multi stream players you’d be correct but you’re really talking about single stream v. no stream since your son didn’t play at all. That’s not quite the same thing. If your son is going to play into high school etc he should continue being a multi stream player but baseball has to remain one of the streams so he can develop those sport specific skills during that season. Playing other things throughout the year builds the total athlete.
If Lorenzo Cain can start as a sophomore in high school, I believe your son will be fine.
www.kansascity.com/sport…-time.html
Totally agree with you here.
I believe that your never too old to start something new, whether that is a sport or even a career path! To say your son is 8, how could they even think that he is ‘too old’.