Hey guys. Long time no write. I’d like your thoughts on whether my 9-year-old son should play Fall Ball this fall (2011).
Some background first. He’s a talented, hard throwing lefty. At 8 he “played up” in Little League Minors with 9-12 year olds and did well. Last LL season (2011), at 9, he played LL Minors again (I was the Manager of his team) and he had a great season. He made the 9-10 LL All Stars team this summer (2011), one of only three 9-year-olds to do so (I ended up as an assistant coach of the All Stars team after his selection).
My concern is that he played Fall Ball in the fall of 2010, so he’s basically played baseball from September 2010 through the LL All Stars this summer, which ended at the end of June. So basically he’s played ball for almost 10 consecutive months, from September 2010 to June 2011, with a month-and-a-half off around Christmas.
He’s taken a complete break from baseball this summer. However, Fall Ball 2011 will start this September, and if he plays he will only have had about 3 months of rest since the end of All Stars in June; and, he will be embarking on another 10-month baseball “season”: Fall Ball 2011, LL Majors 2012, All Stars 2012.
When I ask him if he wants to play Fall Ball, he says yes. However, I know I’m a little mentally tired of baseball right now (having Managed in Fall Ball 2010, Managed in LL Minors 2011, and coached All Stars in Summer 2011), and I suspect he might be mentally tired too.
One benefit I see of him playing Fall Ball right now is that some of the LL Majors coaches will see him play and perhaps draft him in 2012. However, in all honesty, I don’t see how he won’t be drafted into Majors in 2012 (he’ll be 10).
On the other hand, if he doesn’t play Fall Ball and plays soccer this fall, he will have had a 6-month break from baseball (June to December - Spring Ball starts in January). That sounds good to me; or is that too long a break?
I’m inclined to let him have a nice 6-month break from baseball and play soccer. I mean, he’s still only 9! I can’t imagine that any of this will have any real impact on how far he goes in baseball!?
What do you guys think?
Thanks.