I feel bad for me 4 years ago

[Flasch186]

Just venting a bit. Aiden's turned it on since the decision although the hot start has drifted back to average which TBF I'll take. He's been hitting the ball and he's actually done a good job pitching although sans Velo. He has not gotten aggressive in the OF yet. He is nerous when charging sharp grounders/liners because (I'm assuming some PTSD from 11u when) a few in the same game went under his glove to the fence. Anywho, he's on the MS team which overlaps with the Club team, the one he chose to slide to the B team for spring to build confidence. The MS team is comprised of 8th graders who miss games if JV games conflict, 7th graders inc, Aiden and a handful of 6th graders. At the begging of the season the coaches were still clearly figuring out which Aiden was here. Well he's done really well: he's the top 7th grader when it comes to OBP and he's batting .360 which is the 2nd highest 7th grader (8/8/8/7/Aiden).

On the B club team he's been equally good: He's 2nd in avg (.375). He's been a leader and his pitching has been a surprise: WHIP 1.615, 7W, 5K, P/IP 15.2, <3% 58.46, and a S% of 54.82. For a kid that has not gotten into serious pitching I'm impressed. HE is going to work the next few years adding size, muscle and velo but I digress.

Here's the problem and rub (for me anyways). He's given up 11R but only 3 have been earned. It's just such bad baseball behind him when he's on the mound. We're talking error fest '97. its crazy. Yesterday he was staring at an 8 pitch inning and it ended up being 23 with a bunch of runs scoring. He keeps his chin up and I know that there's a lesson in there about not piling on, not getting down no your boys, etc. He's done a great job of leading, laughing and not pointing fingers. I do NOT think that that could've happened without moving teams and schools. He's so much more confident (gotten a GF of all things) that it's affecting everything.

Here's what ticks me off. They've been leaking the potential of a change in roster with Aiden coming up, the kudos and proud of yous are happening a lot. So Aiden's been floating awaiting a chance to play with the A team. Another kid on the B team has always been a med. player for advanced baseball in the area however he's immobile. He can only pitch and play first and at both he's a liability in the field. That being said, getting to know the dad for a few weeks I grew to learn that think that their son is tremendous! He only left his last advanced team because they wanted to make him a PO (duh) and he didn't want to be a PO so here they are, I guess insulted being on the B Team. So he doesn't show for the last few practices or games. I'm thinking he quit or something. Well come to find out... he's on the A team because the dad brought in bullying sensitivities from school, the coach not understanding (but also not knowing) this, the parents not liking the coaching style and then between you and me they want to be on the "A Team." Well I wanted Aiden to get some reps there as well but I want him to earn it. You wonder why the kid is overweight and lazy (IMO).

I truly hope that the coaches can keep the momentum of building Aiden's confidence and thus in turn play. I'm afraid that if he languishes for too long he'll begin to doubt himself again.

So here we are, Aiden's got MS playoffs this week and hopefully he continues with the confidence so the coaches think he warrants a call up.

[Flasch186]

DH'd last night for MS and went 1-2 (ROE) with a BB against a terrible team. I think they didn't play him the field because he pitched 25 pitches Saturday and about 50 Sunday so no throwing today and likely none tonight either although they may stick him in the OF. Big game tonight against a rival in the Semis. I was told the MS has never made it to the championship so that would be nice if they win tonight and then go against our big time rival Bolles (where Chipper went)

[Flasch186]

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[tarcone]

Dude I just posted a thread looking for you. PM me

[Flasch186]

Sent


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[Flasch186]

Aiden continues to do great on the b team while a call up seems elusive during this season. It just sends that the stars aren’t aligning. The one kings parents complained and got their kid “called up” taking potential reps from Aiden and conflicts between even the two teams play seem to happen a lot AND the B team can’t afford to lose him (see picture).

We are not doing this again though. The Rukab kid is the one who’s parents complained and he got removed and the top kid stats wise just guest played and apparently his parents refuse to pay for baseball anywhere so he just jumps around from team to team that’s willing to let him play for free.




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[Flasch186]

Aiden’s been called up to pitch Friday night for the A team as they’re looking for a soft lefty. Aiden has not developed velocity yet but hopefully soon. Anyways he’s also going to stay The weekend as a part of the team and if there’s a role spot for him to get involved he will but no promises. The coach admitted that he didn’t want to tick off any parents who’s kids are currently there and I can understand that. Here’s to hoping he can fill it up Friday night.


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[Flasch186]

Aiden pitcher against the number one ranked team and I thought it was going to go amazing after the first inning. He threw 14 pitches total in inning 1. He went 2-2 but hit batter one. Then he picked him off at first except when he threw over the kid went. The first baseman threw it to the shortstop to lay down the tag but the ball came out. Then he got some weak pop outs before the catcher threw out the kid trying to steal 3rd👍 great inning.

But, plot twist. We’re kind of being quiet that Aiden hurt his back this past week. I’m talking ice, tens unit, ibuprofen, stretching all week to be able to go. So perhaps in the break between innings it tightened up even more. When he went out in inning two he couldn’t really bend over to grab the ball off of the turf. Anywho he isn’t here to throw hard but just throw strikes. He did not accomplish that in inning two.

He walked some batters and hit one and next thing you know it’s bases loaded with only 1 out. In with a relief pitcher and he didn’t fare any better. We ended up losing and I’d say Aiden ended up doing medium if you average them out. With the back I think he did great. Not sure what happens when they find out today or tomorrow that he’s injured. Hopefully he gets kudos for bailing but sometimes it goes the other way where they’re not as happy about that and would’ve wanted to know so they could’ve made a change. We’ll see

I just know Aiden was pitching as long as he could stand up and he could.


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[Flasch186]

Aiden attended a Florida Gators baseball camp this past weekend which comes in the middle of a summer weight lifting program at his school. At the beginning of the summer lifting he started to show the coaches that he is a grinder/hard worker. He can lift with the best of them and always shows up consistently. Coaches have singled him out positively.

He continues to also hit with his coach after lifting a few times per week. And the coach, while speaking with assistant coaches or peers, has been vocal about Aiden’s work and hitting (with a few dayum moments) with the other coaches thus lifting Aiden’s confidence. He has said occasionally that when Aiden first came to the school he had doubts baseball wise but Aiden’s starting to give the coach confidence again.

This is good and bad but all Aiden’s own making. Aiden, of course, in his first full year showed some of his emotional and self defeating tendencies. Surely less than in the past but occasional nonetheless. Those moments seem to far out last positive moments in their heads so it’s like he has to overcome his own poor mentality moments all of the time.

Even now, with assurances that he’ll be on the A team this fall, they’re couched against, “unless someone showed up and completely outplays him.” I’m certain this is the equivalent of a coach saying, “No spot is guaranteed,” which is what I preach to Aiden but it stinks that his positives and determination and growth always seem to now be under an umbrella of, “who’s the real Aiden?” He did it to himself though.

We asked the coach if we should try it for multiple teams or if we were ok leaving all our eggs in one basket, the basket Aiden wants to be in and he replied that he didn’t see any reason that Aiden wouldn’t be with him this fall. But he left the caveat to protect the over promise. It’s hard though because Aiden’s given me such trepidation this time of year.

This was a new team with about 1/3 that have played together and he needed to come in and show them that he belonged and he didn’t make that crystal clear. Statistically he should but it’s more than that. It’s mental, it’s confidence, it’s grit and determination and while that’s showing up now it’s later than it needed to be to have a smooth glide path.

The path to reaching his goals are always harder the way he chooses to go about it. That being said he has recognized that all of the warnings I gave him about his bullshit would make things harder some day and here we are a few years later and they are. He’s said it out loud that he can see it now but it seems, for the time being, to have lit a fire under his ass.

Anyways he’ll just keep grinding and I tell him don’t let yourself get out worked.


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[Flasch186]

Glad I only vented here. Today after lifting, Aiden had a lesson with his coach again. At this session, the head of the program showed up, and said to Aiden hey Aiden, I’ve heard about you. Then he said something along the lines of I’ve heard you’re starting to blow up in a good way. After the head of the program left, his coach said to him do you know who’s been talking about you right? And Aiden said no, sir and the coach said me. And then that coach said keep grinding son. I heard later that my son has earned the nickname Nastyboy for his work effort. I think that’s a good thing.


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[Flasch186]

And suddenly things seem to be looking up

This is from his coach




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[Flasch186]

This from his coach today in addition to Aiden telling me the head of the program was there today ‘watching’ him (he felt like)…




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[Flasch186]

Fun little story:

On an invite, Aiden and I went to the local field to hit live off of a kid Aiden used to be teammates with when he was in his slump.

This was great for me because I haven’t seen him hit in months and especially since hearing all of this feedback.

Aiden comes to the plate and Holy crab. Aiden destroyed the ball and I mean everything: fastballs, curveballs, changes, all of them.

I couldn’t believe it. Line drive after live drive. It was great to see and it was great to see it for myself and not in the cage.


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[PilotMan]

You have every reason to be proud to see all that work paying off on the field.

[Flasch186]

Aiden has his tryouts this morning and he was very good. He took what he learned from the Florida gators camp and brought it to the tryouts. He hustled everywhere, he was the second fastest kid in the 60, he hit tanks, he fielded well and he hustled and hustled.

The head of the program said something to Aiden along the lines of

“I see you Aiden”

He left the tryouts feeling really good about it


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[Flasch186]

He got the call and made the A team

Also in weights today apparently he impressed by squatting 225 which the coach said was insane for his age and size. I dunno

Regardless he’s seen the hard work paying off

The coach simply said he’s proof but he absolutely does not want to see him playing scared at all


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[Flasch186]

An incredible summer of work has led to the narrative changing…. They’re now looking at him wondering what the F they have here. He’s first one at the field and the one giving it his all. Today I overheard an assistant coach telling an upper chessmen that that kid (Aiden) worked so hard this summer it’s like he’s on steroids (he’s not). He followed it up with, “outfielders are going to come in on him and he’s going to launch it over their heads.”

Additionally I heard from another assistant the other day that Aiden threw a bullpen in front of the head of the program and the head told the assistant that Aiden was impressive, ball movement and location were great!

He’s hitting the ball hard and incorporating adjustments from coaches fast and one called him a sponge.

His confidence is off the charts and they all love it right now and I think they’re confused as to what they have here considering the first impression Aiden gave them.

[flere-imsaho]

Good stuff!

[Flasch186]

Aiden said that the coach let him know that he’ll be starting for the high school jv team on Thursdays game. It’s been so long since we actually played a game so I said, “that’s cool, do you know what position?”







Pitcher


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[PilotMan]

oh........

[Flasch186]

Then this craziness happened today at practice and I’m learning of it from this text I just got from the assistant coach on varsity.




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[Flasch186]

First game

He did pretty well:

1ip
1h
1bb
0r

A ground ball back to Aiden and he hit the ss at second for the start of a double play

He threw a kid out coming home from second. Aiden threw him out at home from CF.

But

He froze at the plate and struck out twice while looking like a deer in headlights. Hopefully he thaws out again for games. It wasn’t what we would’ve liked to have seen at the plate in games.


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[Flasch186]

At Dodgers practice today Aiden did well but one thing that was cool is that on PFP and pick offs aiden was at first base and he was not doing things correctly. Eventually, the coach said, "I forget you haven't played here much" and went out and showed him what he needed to do, and Aiden got it down (the flip).

Then it was Aiden's turn on the mound and his head coach (whos the assistant coach to the Varsity school team) said, "Aiden you did this really well during the game, it was very impressive."

Just hope he doesn't feel the nerves at the plate and freeze... that kills him.

[PilotMan]

Sounds like maybe he's doubting himself at the plate but not in the field with the new oppo. Feels pretty normal for now.

[Flasch186]

Aiden told me a story that earlier this week the Head Coach of the Varsity, of the program, told Aiden after ractice or near the end of practice that he had his eye on him.... Aiden, being 13.5 didnt know if that was good or bad. The next day however that coach told Aiden that when he has his eye on someone it means he sees something great in them. That was pretty cool. Still need better mental approach at the plate. Aiden has his first Sports performance Therapy appointment on the 28th... The guy says that in 4-5 sessions Aiden will be equipped to handle that section of his game. We shall see.

[Flasch186]

Aiden had a hitting lesson with his coach today before a practice that was ultimately canceled due to rain and Aiden told him that he was feeling all of the nerves at the plate. The coach said he wasn't worried about that and that it would go away. He said he saw that Aiden was late to swing though, very late so he threw him gas and Aiden eventually caught up to it and that's where they want to focus on things with him. Getting him on time.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Flasch186

He said he saw that Aiden was late to swing though, very late so he threw him gas and Aiden eventually caught up to it and that's where they want to focus on things with him. Getting him on time.

Sounds like some pretty solid coaching work right there.

[Flasch186]

The program and coaching has been life changing as has the school itself. Got this email from the head of the middle school yesterday:




With examples above him in every class and on the field he is learning so much. The other day he said that he loves the grind, the lifting, and the sweat.

SMH this kid just has to let himself unlock and the skies the limit.


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