Anyone know anything about the Boone Co Longhorns? A buddy of mine has a 13 yr old brother that plays on the team.

The 12U King of the Lakes tournament is this weekend at Kenton Lakes. The tournament features almost all of the major 12U teams from Cincy plus quite a few out of town teams. The Tomahawks and the Flames are in the same pool. Should be one heck of a tournament.

A couple of months back someone posted about his son looking to play summer baseball locally, I coach a team in the Kenton County "AA" league and would like to add 2 Varsity or JV level players to my roster. Players cannot turn 19 before May 1. Please email offline if you are interested.

I still think knothole if run properly is great for the kids.

 

We have had two good experiences playing knothole.

We have had two good experiences playing knothole.

 

I am with you on knothole, if run properly.

 

I have watched hundreds of players play for these "higher" leagues and yet make foolish baserunning mistakes at the high school level. I think baseball is the toughest of the big three sports to get a full ride scholarship to a D-1 school for many reasons-money available from the school, etc. In my opinion, parents spend an awful amount of time and money trying to promote a child, and "how great they are", and are often disappointed at the end that Brescia (for example) gave them $2500 per year towards a $20, 000 per year education.

 

That time and effort might be better served playing a different sport or studying. And nobody on here is a bigger baseball fan and supporter than me.

I am with you on knothole, if run properly.

 

I have watched hundreds of players play for these "higher" leagues and yet make foolish baserunning mistakes at the high school level. I think baseball is the toughest of the big three sports to get a full ride scholarship to a D-1 school for many reasons-money available from the school, etc. In my opinion, parents spend an awful amount of time and money trying to promote a child, and "how great they are", and are often disappointed at the end that Brescia (for example) gave them $2500 per year towards a $20, 000 per year education.

 

That time and effort might be better served playing a different sport or studying. And nobody on here is a bigger baseball fan and supporter than me.

 

Not everyone that has their kid play in a select environment has pipe dreams of them making it to the pros or receiving a college scholarship. Nor are the select teams perfect. With this being said however, if my son were good enough to play on a good select team I would take that in a heart beat over knothole.

I am with you on knothole, if run properly.

 

I have watched hundreds of players play for these "higher" leagues and yet make foolish baserunning mistakes at the high school level. I think baseball is the toughest of the big three sports to get a full ride scholarship to a D-1 school for many reasons-money available from the school, etc. In my opinion, parents spend an awful amount of time and money trying to promote a child, and "how great they are", and are often disappointed at the end that Brescia (for example) gave them $2500 per year towards a $20, 000 per year education.

 

That time and effort might be better served playing a different sport or studying. And nobody on here is a bigger baseball fan and supporter than me.

 

And I've watched hundreds of major league games and seen equally inept baserunning mistakes.

 

Baseball is indeed a very tough sport to earn a D1 scholarship, as these schools have less that 12 scholarships per year to offer and therefore have to break them up into smaller chunks. I've been around a lot of select baseball and while you certainly have that parent segment that obnoxiously believe their son is on the fast train to MLB stardom, the majority of them simply want a more competitive and better-run environment than your typical knothole league. And, generally speaking, their son does indeed have a better opportunity to develop into a better ballplayer in this environment. And, who knows, perhaps even develop into a player capable of earning a D2 or NAIA scholarship or playing at the D3 level. There's much, much more college baseball out there than just D1.

 

And I would never tell some kid who loves the game of baseball that he should quit and pursue some other sport because he has a better opportunity to find a scholarship playing football or hockey or some other sport. You play the game because you love it. And the importance of scholastics is a given regardless what sport - if any - a kid decides to play.

:confused:

And I've watched hundreds of major league games and seen equally inept baserunning mistakes.

 

Baseball is indeed a very tough sport to earn a D1 scholarship, as these schools have less that 12 scholarships per year to offer and therefore have to break them up into smaller chunks. I've been around a lot of select baseball and while you certainly have that parent segment that obnoxiously believe their son is on the fast train to MLB stardom, the majority of them simply want a more competitive and better-run environment than your typical knothole league. And, generally speaking, their son does indeed have a better opportunity to develop into a better ballplayer in this environment. And, who knows, perhaps even develop into a player capable of earning a D2 or NAIA scholarship or playing at the D3 level. There's much, much more college baseball out there than just D1.

 

And I would never tell some kid who loves the game of baseball that he should quit and pursue some other sport because he has a better opportunity to find a scholarship playing football or hockey or some other sport. You play the game because you love it. And the importance of scholastics is a given regardless what sport - if any - a kid decides to play.

 

I always likes your posts Coop, and agree with you 98% of the time, but I believe people have their kids on select or AAU teams as it makes them seem better than the rest, and IMHO, then that "greatness" should translate into some type of superior performance at the high school level, and I am sorry I don't see it.

 

I agree I would never have a kid a quit a sport they love no matter what it is. I think it is the parents that need to get a grasp on reality.

 

Another point off the subject matter is-have you ever noticed how many coaches say they played at UK or UC and you wonder how that could be true with the little they know of the subtelties of this great game.:confused:

:confused:

 

I always likes your posts Coop, and agree with you 98% of the time, but I believe people have their kids on select or AAU teams as it makes them seem better than the rest, and IMHO, then that "greatness" should translate into some type of superior performance at the high school level, and I am sorry I don't see it.

 

I agree I would never have a kid a quit a sport they love no matter what it is. I think it is the parents that need to get a grasp on reality.

 

Another point off the subject matter is-have you ever noticed how many coaches say they played at UK or UC and you wonder how that could be true with the little they know of the subtelties of this great game.:confused:

 

Well, if you've always liked my posts, then you must be a smart guy.

 

Again, I know what you are saying about some parents' attitudes towards their son/daughter and their future impending greatness. Yes, those people are obnoxious and tiresome. But I really do feel that the vast majority of parents in select ball simply like the fact that it is generally better organized, better run, and better competition. I put my son in select baseball at a young age because he loved the game and was very good at it. And yes, there probably was a point in time that I (like most dads) deluded myself into thinking that he would one day play at the professional level and was a sure-lock high D1 player. Then reality sank in. But select ball was still the appropriate level for him. Perhaps my team was just lucky, but I had very, very few - if any - of the parents that you referred to. I guess my difference with your post is simply that I think you've painted parents of select players with too broad of a brush. There's A LOT of good parents out there that keep things in proper perspective and have the right attitude.

 

And I am indeed of the belief that select ball makes a player more ready to compete at the high school level. Knothole ball is wonderful, but it is recreational. You don't play enough games, don't play enough meaningful competition, and you will generally find far more dads with less knowledge of the game coaching than in select ball. Certainly that's not an absolute. You find some real idiot coaches in select ball also. (Hey, sometimes those idiots even progress to manage MLB teams - Dusty Baker being a case in point :irked:).

Well, if you've always liked my posts, then you must be a smart guy.

 

Again, I know what you are saying about some parents' attitudes towards their son/daughter and their future impending greatness. Yes, those people are obnoxious and tiresome. But I really do feel that the vast majority of parents in select ball simply like the fact that it is generally better organized, better run, and better competition. I put my son in select baseball at a young age because he loved the game and was very good at it. And yes, there probably was a point in time that I (like most dads) deluded myself into thinking that he would one day play at the professional level and was a sure-lock high D1 player. Then reality sank in. But select ball was still the appropriate level for him. Perhaps my team was just lucky, but I had very, very few - if any - of the parents that you referred to. I guess my difference with your post is simply that I think you've painted parents of select players with too broad of a brush. There's A LOT of good parents out there that keep things in proper perspective and have the right attitude.

 

And I am indeed of the belief that select ball makes a player more ready to compete at the high school level. Knothole ball is wonderful, but it is recreational. You don't play enough games, don't play enough meaningful competition, and you will generally find far more dads with less knowledge of the game coaching than in select ball. Certainly that's not an absolute. You find some real idiot coaches in select ball also. (Hey, sometimes those idiots even progress to manage MLB teams - Dusty Baker being a case in point :irked:).

 

Hey Coop, it was good seeing you in the dugout this weekend. Your help with the boys is always appreciated.:thumb:

Hey Coop, it was good seeing you in the dugout this weekend. Your help with the boys is always appreciated.:thumb:

 

Thanks. I enjoy being with this team, though it's hard for me to do so while the high school season is ongoing. Once high school play is over I'll be able to devote much more time and plan to be a full-time coach in future years.