2017 Select 9U Team Opening

[Grins]

If you know of any excellent players that don't have a home yet or are new to omaha we have an opening on our Omaha Tiger Select 9U UBA baseball team for 2017 season shoot me an email @ pgrinsteinner@cox.net
to further discuss.

 

[PeliniTheCrutch]

I have a much better idea. Maybe make teams and have tryouts late winter when freakin 9-year-olds have had a chance over the winter to develop skills and more importantly grow physically and compete in other sports.

 

[baseball31ne]

tryouts happen at the end of the current season because among other reasons, in the middle of winter, its a bit difficult to hit fly balls in a snow storm.

 

[PeliniTheCrutch]

tryouts happen at the end of the current season because among other reasons, in the middle of winter, its a bit difficult to hit fly balls in a snow storm.

Yeah, noted. I bet you do a ton of outfield work other than pop flies in those tryouts.

Having tryouts in July for a team that plays next year is embarassing, but I understand, it's gonna take a real coach that actually knows baseball other than just teaching "hitting" and pounding GBs for a "practice" to break the cycle. In addition, that select system would have to have the backing of a high school coach from one of the legit public baseball schools like Millards, Papios, Westside,etc.

 

[baseball31ne]

The better teams do have qualified coaches that do solid player development. There are far too many teams in my opinion overall.

Having been a select youth coach and working with high shcool aged players currently, more player development and less concern over getting wins at the younger ages would make the high school and American Legion programs within the state even better than they are now. There are certainly more teams than players with the necessary skills and coaches with the effective teaching skills and solid background in the game. I don't know the right number but the player development years are not being fully utilized like they should be.

Having coached in the south in past years, the tryouts there are over multiple days and they parents have much less say. as many of the teams work through baseball facilities that do year round training and usually do not have multiple teams at each age group. The overall population was higher in the state but much less teams as the little leagues were much stronger into the high school age groups. I remember watching a 16U Big league LL team beat a travel select team at a tournament. The LL team had four varsity players on it that just didn't want to spend the money to travel for their American Legion team or the local select program.

 

[PeliniTheCrutch]

I truly appreciate you responding honestly because I know I was pretty salty with you there. It doesn't take me much to get going about select ball.

One thing I can say unequivocally as a high school coach is that even though we have more kids playing year round baseball, they aren't any better than they were 15 years ago by the time they get to us. To be honest, they might actually be worse, and there is even less real baseball(baserunning, bunting, plate approach, GB footwork, etc) being taught.

Make these kids play football+basketball+tennis+track+ something before they get to high school for crying out loud. There is no worse high school athlete than the baseball-only kid!

 

[baseball31ne]

no problem, I think that select baseball is a misused term for sure. I work with American Legion baseball and I prefer the multi-sport athlete because they do not get as burned out on the field. The small ball and attention to detail is not strong as it used to be.

I would love to see some improvement in the skill development across all ages of baseball. I don't know if it going to get better anytime soon. I would like to think that the better organizations would be able to consolidate the better naturally talented players and develop them, but not sure if consolidation would do that or just get the money associated with select ball consolidated.

I am good talking baseball just about anytime, prefer the younger levels-non professional levels. Anytime.

 

[newAD]

The funny thing is, at least at the major level it seems, if you are going to a tryout, and you don't already know that your son has a spot there, then you are likely wasting your time. The decisions are usually already made for the roster the next year, and usually everyone knows it.

 

[litespeedhuskerfan]

Pelini you're being a little hard on this guy. He's doing what he should be if he's coaching select ball and doesn't want to be a bottom feeder. Nothing wrong with it at all.

 

[SeaOfRed75]

Agree with Crutch and baseball completely about this.

I guarantee you guys know a million times more about baseball than I do. My agreement comes from observing nephews. Nephews going down a baseball only route because everyone gets scared into it. If you want to be good and be a star its sport X year round. Awesome.

That said hope OP finds his players.

 

[NorthWillRiseAgain]

One sport is fine if that's truly their hope. Many more have done better playing multiple sports, though. It doesn't bank one one sport which may not be your best.

In the end though, most kids aren't going to have their future be sports, so a full devotion to it can be a waste.

 

[balsy]

One sport is fine if that's truly their hope. Many more have done better playing multiple sports, though. It doesn't bank one one sport which may not be your best.

In the end though, most kids aren't going to have their future be sports, so a full devotion to it can be a waste.

What?!? You mean my kid playing in the 10u little league tourney in Blair isn't gonna make it D1!? I don't believe you.

 

[T...Chafes]

What is the cost, # of games and tourneys?

 

[Grins]

What is the cost, # of games and tourneys?

Depending on the final number of tournaments it is around $2500-$3000 and we played around 45 games last season

 

[T...Chafes]

Wow, that's pricey! I coach a 13U team, we were $825 for about 55 games (while going 4-0 against Tigers Red/Black teams ☺️).

The player I had in mind for you was offered a spot on a Millard team, but parents were not wanting to pay around $2,500 and play 60 games. I'll throw it out there to him though, thanks! (He is an extremely talented baseball player looking for a home, but also plays a lot of soccer- so not sure how that is going to play out.) Thanks!

 

[Grins]

Wow, that's pricey! I coach a 13U team, we were $825 for about 55 games (while going 4-0 against Tigers Red/Black teams ☺️).

The player I had in mind for you was offered a spot on a Millard team, but parents were not wanting to pay around $2,500 and play 60 games. I'll throw it out there to him though, thanks! (He is an extremely talented baseball player looking for a home, but also plays a lot of soccer- so not sure how that is going to play out.) Thanks!

Prices are going up all over town and that would include access to UBA indoor facility during the fall/winter/spring which having a quality indoor facility to practice in the winter is worth it. Appreciate you sending along my email contact information.

 

[donahues17]

How often do select teams practice during the season? 45-60 games in a season plus tourneys? To each their own and I honestly have no problem with select ball, but it seems practice is where kids truly get better. How many ground balls does an infielder take in a game? Maybe 6 at max on average? Fly balls to an outfielder is probably 3 on average I am guessing? My youngest turns 4 in the spring and I am thinking about coaching him and some of his friends and doing my best to keep a team together as they grow. Trying to figure what is best for them? Rec league you play 1 or 2 games a week but can practice 2 times also a week. Select you play 6 or so games a week or more and really don't get to practice much. My older son played a low level of select ball last year and I seen zero improvement over the course of the year. This year he played a more rec schedule but still played roughly 25-30 games and made slight improvement. Thoughts?

Obviously I am not trying to create a select T-ball team, but I am thinking more for the future.

 

[T...Chafes]

How often do select teams practice during the season? 45-60 games in a season plus tourneys? To each their own and I honestly have no problem with select ball, but it seems practice is where kids truly get better. How many ground balls does an infielder take in a game? Maybe 6 at max on average? Fly balls to an outfielder is probably 3 on average I am guessing? My youngest turns 4 in the spring and I am thinking about coaching him and some of his friends and doing my best to keep a team together as they grow. Trying to figure what is best for them? Rec league you play 1 or 2 games a week but can practice 2 times also a week. Select you play 6 or so games a week or more and really don't get to practice much. My older son played a low level of select ball last year and I seen zero improvement over the course of the year. This year he played a more rec schedule but still played roughly 25-30 games and made slight improvement. Thoughts?

Obviously I am not trying to create a select T-ball team, but I am thinking more for the future.

To answer your question...A lot of the select teams don't practice very often, maybe once every 2 or so weeks (some much less) because they play so many games. In a perfect world, teams would practice twice for every one game. Unfortunately it is not done that way, probably to the detriment of everyone involved, because parents want to see Little Johnny play in games, not practices.

I'm currently coaching a 13U team, and also just formed a 8U team for next year (I'll be coaching both next year). Currently in the Omaha area alone, there were about 25 "select" (broad term ☺️) 8U teams this year, and about 45 teams at the 9U level. Crazy! So to answer your question, you could coach a bomb squad through age 7, then make the move to USSSA at 8U and be ready to roll with the big boys hopefully.

The thing I see on the kids that do play at the select level VS kids that play rec ball, is that the select level players see so much better pitching, especially at the higher levels (AAA/Majors). The better pitching that you'll see, the better you'll get!

Hope that helps!

 

[Jimmy Frank]

I haven't paid any attention to baseball since the last strike. At what age do they start juicing these days?

 

[Charlie Marlow]

What?!? You mean my kid playing in the 10u little league tourney in Blair isn't gonna make it D1!? I don't believe you.

Only because his 12u coach is gonna screw him over by playing that other kid instead. He would be MLB All-Star if only...