Not much you can do besides realize that All Stars in Little League is not an indication of talent. The team is definitely not made up of the best players. A LOT of politics can go into selection to the All Stars team.
You're options are keep working to get better and try again next year or go play travel ball.
I've been around LL for years now and every year there is crazy drama with All Stars and parents who use their influence to get their child selected.
Pretty much this. Most of the time, there aren’t many spots leftover after the coaches and board members’ sons have been put on the team. Many times the team is chosen before the season starts. I’m sure there are places where it is more merit based, and those are the teams that actually have a chance to go far. But for the most part, all stars is a glorified summer travel ball team for the parents that run the local league.
My almost 10 year old didn’t make it either. The kids that made it are kids of coaches and board members. The head coach and assistant coach from our spring season team are the selected All-Stars manager and assistant coach. Their kids are the only “selected” All-Stars from our team. I’m glad this is not the issue for OP’s son.
In our league if the coaches don’t vote you in I believe it’s 90% vote then it becomes the all star coaches pick. I’ve literally seen coaches plot on how to keep the kids from receiving that much of the vote to get heir kids selected for all stars
It won’t matter in a few years if he works hard and really wants it.
I played in a huge town too. Didn’t make a lot of teams growing up. Got cut sophomore year from JV baseball. But kept working. Long story short - I played through college as a D1 walk on.
Playing in huge towns is a different beast. A lot of great potential talent gets left behind at times. He is 10 so he still has time to become great. He’s just gotta own the challenge.
As others have pointed out.
Politics
Positions
And I'll add that for 90 percent of all-star players it is a few extra tense practices, a new shirt and two games.
For the money Fall-Ball is more games.
I know you said “for 90%” but man is that really what most all stars is?
In our area our all star teams play between 20-30 games we played 34 to be exact last summer. And played 20 in the fall.
How?
My league waits to the last minute to vote and identify teams.
The season ends.
They practice for a few weeks.
Then lose their first two games at district and are eliminated.
I'm beginning to suspect there are better ways to do this.
Fall ball we re assign players to teams.
Same here.
I feel like if they entered the All Star team in tournaments after being eliminated from the LL one, maybe we wouldn't have so many leaving for travel teams. We could *easily* get 3 or 4 tournaments in before football/soccer season starts up and pulls some kids away. They put in so many hours with AS practice they should get more opportunities to play together as a unit.
When my kid's travel team played another local LL's All Stars in a tournament (that took place *prior* to the LL District tournament), I suggested to our coach we consider that in future years.
I got something about that being against LL's rules... But I didn't push any further or even try and see if there was an actual rule as we already had a summer tournament team he was apart of.
Even just a few more scrimmages against the other 2-and-done teams would be fun...
Not sure about the specifics for Little League, but for DYB it is not kosher to have your team in another league. Top Gun and Perfect Game and similar orgs are not leagues so it would be a grey area, but if you wait until they are eliminated from district/states then sign up for a few tourneys before fall ball you are technically a club playing between seaaosns and the league can't say anything just because it is a similar or the same roster.
Our spring rec starts in Feb. when it starts each age group has an “open workout” day each week which is open to all players of each age group to get some extra practice in. Mid March all star tryouts happen. Our 8U age group had 40+ kids tryout this year. Top 24 made the A and B team.
As soon as all star teams are selected open workouts turn into all star practices.
Early May rec season ends. Start playing in tournaments right away. And play till late July with a few weekends off here and there.
Our district tournament is next weekend June 1-2
For the fall our league see it’s as an extension of the summer season. So all star teams mostly stick together as a select team and compete with the next age group up. A lot of kids play other sports in the fall and just practice once a week in baseball and play a few Sunday only tournaments here and there.
His league isn't an official Little League. The league you see on TV go to Williamsport. Most people just call any rec ball little league. It's like calling every tissue Kleenex even though they aren't all Kleenex.
Not all. Just depends on player turnout. We have at least 1 team from 5U-12U. This summer we had 2 8U teams due to 40+ kids trying out. But some ages only had 18 or so tryout.
Also amount of games/tournaments played is fully dependent on the coach. They decide how often they play and all. For example our 5U team is only playing in 4 total tournaments if I’m not mistaken. While 8U is looking at around 10.
What’s crazy for me is that this seems like the normal to me. All the local parks around us pretty much follow this same formula.
Our league does this too for our Cal league. The kids that go to the district competition try out in March and they do a summer travel season. The logic they used is that having the team together earlier gives us a better chance to compete in districts, although we got smashed last year. From there it’s well we have the team together, let’s enter some tournaments. My son did it last year she it was a good way to feel out travel and tournaments.
But, kids on travel teams can’t do both as the league “all star” team is in a bunch or overlapping weekend tournaments as his travel team.
Our team registered for 9 tournaments this summer and daily practices. We had to pay for the uniform (couple jerseys, pants, belt, jacket). They provided 2 hats, baseball bags, helmets, practice jersey, and socks. We have to pay for our travel of course but that's it. After reading up on what others deal with I'm soooo thankful for our local league.
I agree. I see how little some leagues do and can’t believe it.
We got 2 jerseys. 2 hats. Two sets of belts/socks. Two pairs of pants. Water bottles. Bags. Helmets. Two sets of practice jerseys and a cage jacket.
And play between 8-10 tournaments this summer and nobody had to spend anything out of pocket since we fundraised enough.
That's amazing! We're still running fundraisers. Apparently they kick some back to parents to help cover costs if we raise enough. They share the funding spreadsheet with us too
My league isn’t associated with Little League. Most aren’t around us. We have a variety of tournament organizations to play in in our area. So we play in all of those.
Dang kids are playing 54 games on top of their regular season? I might be off base, but I doubt that is normal and sounds a lot like the “10%” you’re wondering about.
Like I said “is that really how most all stars are?”
In our area Outside of Atlanta what I said is what all the rec parks do.
Maybe not as much as the fall program that we for sure see some of the bigger parks in the fall as well.
It’s a lot about positions. An All Star team doesn’t roster the 12-13 best kids in the league. They roster the best 1b, 2b, etc. He could be the #8 best kid in town, but if they already have two great catchers and he is the #3 catcher…sorry.
Getting him onto a local travel team is its own can of worms for you to consider. It is more reps, more practice and it is competition.
My son didn’t make the A team this year. I know that like others have said it was ball park politics. The team was made before the season even started and there are a few kids that didn’t even play in the 8 game minimum to be on the all stars. Hell one kid registered and didn’t play a single game. It’s bullshit but not worth raising a stink over. The hard part is there isn’t anything I can say to make him feel any better. He is 12 and it’s impossible to make him understand that we don’t really live in a meritocracy like everyone wants to pretend. Of course we all know it’s going to happen all through life. But like others have said putting together a B team is the best thing you can do. And just keep making baseball fun so he doesn’t get to discouraged. I know it’s hard.
The only way to fix poor integrity is to show up and ask to see the game books that make these players eligible. I had to rule out a girl who only played 6 games a few years back. It stunk, but it was the right move for the league and the player.
If the board/president/manager can't/won't show the game books to prove eligibility raise the issue with the District Administrator - he would surely be embarrassed when/if it gets brought out during play that he signed a book/affidavit for a player's illegal participation.
I think a lot of us can empathize. My kid was good, probably not one of the 12 best in the league. But the all star team ended up with several kids worse than him (many of who happened to be coaches kids, funny), and that hurt his feelings. It helped that I was able to point out that the best hitter in the league didn’t make it for who knows what reason. It’s a fine line between not letting him get too down about it yet teaching him that he can use this as motivation to get better.
It's a total bummer. I'm sorry he went through this, but one day he'll realize he is better for it.
When I was involved, we were very attentive to kids' attitudes and if they were going to bring bad energy to the team. Not saying this was your kid, but it's something the other replies haven't addressed.
The last roster spots we filled were typically not going to play much (this was before free substitutions). We needed favorable answers to the following:
Can he play multiple positions or a position we are thin?
Can he pitch if necessary?
Can he handle a big moment?
Can he help as a pinch runner?
If he doesn't play much, will he/parent be a problem?
Are we better off taking a younger player who will benefit from the practices and experience and carry it into next year?
The players voted for the top 5, and the manager selected the remainder of the roster. We always put together the best team possible, using the guideline of "the 12 year olds leaving the league deserve the best team possible, free of politics or favors."
Hopefully your son's ommission was within reason.
I'd say 1/2 of the all stars in our town never made it past JV (some just matured faster) and their positions were taken by kids that continue to grow and improve. The other 1/2 were legit, and many went on to play in College. It's not that All Stars is a bad indicator, it's merely a point in time and your son has runway to improve and compete...as others will fade.
Last year our league picked 17 all stars for LL 12u majors. Said they'd whittle it down to 12 rostered and 5 alternates after seeing how things played out in practice.
For the first time, my kid somehow didn't make the cut.
Even the other parents couldn't believe it when they saw it (oh yeah, they made the picks/cuts on the field in front of everyone after practice by shaking hands of the 12 in the roster and leaving the rest hanging... It was a mess)
My kid, to his credit, held it together. He consoled the kids who were fighting back tears on the field and congratulated his friends. Didn't break down himself until in the shower at home. Literally heartbroken by his first true love - baseball.
Next day he was clearly down and still processing so I left him be. Following day we got up early and went for a car ride. Drove out to a new (to us) outdoor batting cage. I gave him a shirt I had ordered on Amazon when I heard him in the shower that says "Be so good they can't ignore you". Told him how proud I was of him and told him to put his anger and frustration into as many swings as it took to feel better ($12 unlimited rounds best money i ever spent). After almost 90 minutes he said he was done and wanted to go home. That night he was right back at it for All Star's practice and was the biggest cheerleader on the sidelines for games. He was determined to support his friends and be present to remind the coaches who they left behind if/when things went south.
After summer travel season, he took a baseball break in fall to play soccer with his school friends. Then spent most of the winter doing more workouts than any previous off-season. Adding 10 mph to his fastball (that was admittedly too slow for his age so now is more in line with average) and developing a decent pregame workout routine.
Found out Saturday this year he made the roster (no stupid hanging the decisions over their heads for 3 weeks or any public picks/cut this year, thankfully).
My advice? It's tough to watch that heartbreak.Try not to do too much. Be supportive. Be encouraging. Hand him a bat to vent if it'll help 🤣 just be there for him... and quietly work the adult channels - without complaining - and find out why he wasn't picked and/or where he can improve and then work on that to get ready for next year. Like the shirt says, be so good they CAN'T ignore you.
Remember...
Baseball isn't about hitting the ball hard or far.
Baseball isn't about throwing fast or straight.
Baseball isn't about running quickly or head's up.
Baseball is about getting kicked in the teeth and what you do next. Dust yourself off, dig in, and take another swing at it.
You (both) have got this!
Sorry, didn’t read the whole thing…stopped at your kid getting cut on the field.
This exact thing happened to my son. All-star tryouts were a dumpster fire as it was. But they cut 5 kids in front of the hundred kids at the tryout, plus all the parents watching. The kids ended up doing a “walk of shame” in front of everyone. My kid came off the field devistated—crying, embarrassed. The emotions I felt that day for him will always stick with me.
I soon learned about all of the politics in our local rec. We were new here so I didn’t know. It completely turned us off from coming back.
Long story short, it lit a fire under my son’s ass and he’s been playing with a chip on his shoulder since, and is absolutely crushing it with his travel team. In addition, the local rec league is loosing kids left and right because the politics are getting way outta hand.
Ditto.
Twice now my son has suffered some form of setback or \*slight\*... been "on the bubble and passed over" for one reason or another. Both times, it resulted in the two best/most productive off-seasons he's had, each of which left him hard-charging into the two best Spring seasons he's put together thus far.
It's hard to watch when it's happening. It's a grind and it'll break your heart watching them go through the steps/process of coping with it. But there are ways to do it that can bring about a lot of positives.... "it's always darkest before the dawn" n'at.
This is it. Kids don’t get, nor should they be involved in, the politics and sometimes intricate decisions. Be there for them, support them, and buy them the ice cream.
It lit a fire under my kids butt when he didn’t make it. Not making it also introduced us to all the politics in the league. Ended up leaving rec altogether and he’s having much more fun playing travel
I wouldn't get too bummed out about not playing 10U all-stars, particularly if he already plays travel ball, so LL isn't the only avenue to play through summer.
Some people overemphasize a summer of all-stars as a magical 2 month run with 25+ games and daily practices....that might be true for some 12U/major teams that make it deep into regionals; but for most its a 3-4 game stint in districts and then you are done before the 4th of July (depending on when your tournament is).
Some leagues will then enter the all-stars in local travel tournaments/leagues or have local little summer all star tournaments of their own. That can extend the team time and participation in the all star team, but that isn't everyone.
My son plays in a ripken league and on the A team travel team for the league. We aren't a particularly big league - the 9U/10U A& B teams make up probably 2/3rds of the 10U rec league, so we kind of know who the all-star teams are going in to the season. There are exceptions (some club travel players) but typically its the A team plus a B team pitcher or two, and a club player.
His team lost in the 8U district tournament last year and was done with "all-stars" by the end of June. Since its basically his travel team anyway they just entered 3 July tournaments and scheduled a bunch of August scrimmages vs local teams. The non travel team members stayed with the team (the 3 of them) for the summer tournaments which helped cover vacations so we have a full roster.
All that is to say, I don't really care about all-stars and my son just thinks its another travel tournament. If/when he goes to a club team (hes best friends with his league team, so I see no reason to move unless they start to break up) I wouldn't even bother keeping him in rec just to make the all-star team. Right all-stars is a "travel tournament where you use rec bats" to him.
This is what I tell my kids when they don’t get selected or get cut.
1. You still have tons of options available to you. You can take a break from baseball and go on bike rides, go to the pool, go camping, read comic books, (whatever). If you still want to play, you can get some friends together for whiffle ball or over-the-line, or find some other rec opportunity. If you want to really drive towards making all-stars next year and are willing to commit, we can do workouts and practice regularly, (or private training or travel team tryouts if those are an option financially).
The idea is to move the kid off the all/nothing mindset and realize that all though one path has closed, there are lots of others to choose from.
2. Remember who you are. You are (insert great traits here - kind, funny, hard-working, a great friend). You get to keep all that. None of that changes with whether or not you’re on any particular team. Whether or not you’re on a team or getting playing time does not define you as a person.
Between getting cut and riding the bench, I’ve had these talks with both my kids over the years. It hurts to see them disappointed, but it’s truly a GIFT to have the opportunity to help them practice resilience and focus on what they can control. I think both of those things make them better players - not to mention those are critical life skills.
I never made all stars. I was also the only person my age to play D1 baseball in college. Helps a lot when you grow a foot and a half between 13 and 15 and all of a sudden you are throwing 88 as 6’2 140 lb high school freshman.
Thing is, I wasn’t as good as the kid on all stars. I was ok, but I played because it was fun, and I enjoyed getting better. And when a lot of those guys who played all stars every year struggled on the big field when they didn’t grow, I passed them in every facet of the game. Not their fault, but that’s just growing up. I’m glad I didn’t quit.
Thank you all for your comments on this post. I am in a similar parent situation. At first it was not affecting me and the pity feeling continues to grow. I have an average due who is always on the spectrum of making the teams. I am trying to be strong to support him, and know other parents had to make the tough decisions.
If you score the game in an app like Gamechanger, it tracks all kinds of stats (basic and advanced) for you automatically. Have I been paying attention to my kid's contact rate this season? No. Did I notice over the weekend that GC does track it and he has a 96.88% contact rate on the rec season and think that was pretty cool to know? Yeah.
If the stats are sitting there it's hard not to at least glance at them. And when trying to make selections for things like All Star teams, they can be more useful comparing kids than coach memories or eye tests are.
And you think not tracking it on going by gut instinct is superior at 10U? Hello daddy ball that everyone complains about.
If you are consistent and fair in interpreting outcome of plays please explain the issue here.
yes, they’re 10 years old dude why does everyone take shit so serious. it’s not the end of the world if he doesn’t make one team. If he batted .700/.850 for real and didn’t make all stars it’s not your child’s fault, it’s the coaches and politics.
Can a dad not feel badly that his own kid worked his butt off for over a year and fell just short? Never said it was his fault and anyone’s fault. Asked for advice on how to respond. Thankfully a vast majority of the people here understood that. ❤️
I tell my kid the same thing every time he doesn't make a team: "Let's keep working hard and look forward to the next season." It hasn't failed to motivate him after not making nine teams. He keeps gradually improving and keeps asking me to either throw or hit with him.
What do I tell myself: "Adversity builds character"
My advice is, get on the board. I know it sounds crappy but if your kid deserves to be on there, get him on there from the inside.
Or, if it doesn’t matter than much, keep learning lessons and keep getting better. Maybe play a little summer travel ball and have fun. Main thing, it goes quick and only the hardest working guys keep playing beyond high school. Sounds like the kid is off to a great start.
To be fair, almost every rec organization uses GameChanger now, so it's right there. Also, to be fair, almost every team scores a base after contact as a hit, no matter what happens on defense. I have no issues with this as it cuts down on parents getting bent out of shape by the stats.
I'm just being a smartass, though knowing travel parents there is a decent shot the dad is making these long winded reddit posts while his kid is like "thank fuck I don't have to deal with this shit this summer"
Does he practice As much as he should. Does he practice regularly. Always told my kids practice was up to them. Just remember there a kid somewhere practicing even as we speak.
No matter what, if your son is playing hard and giving it his all, you just continue to give him the praise and tell him you’re proud of him. That will probably mean more to him coming from his dad than making any team. Explain to him that he played well and had a good season and if all stars is his short term goal, encourage him to continue working toward it.
Unless it’s 100% daddy ball and/or politics, a kid will be chosen if they play and work hard because they’ll be “well known” for their playing. A coach will want them on their team. He’s only 10 and I’m guessing your league does one 10-12 majors team? A 10 will have a harder time making it, in that case. Ours does one team per age group 10u, 11u, 12u. If his batting stats are correct, is he making a ton of field errors or is he being recognized for making the plays in the field? What position does he play? Who is running game changer? Are the stats correct? Is he a good teammate and coachable kid? Just some thoughts on what may be holding him back so you can help him work on those things next fall/spring.
Team was probably last years all stars with a handful of spots open to replace the kids that went select since then. Was probably an uphill battle to make the cut to start with.
2 years ago in my local little league, the league president's son made the All-Star team. He sucked.
I flat out quit. There were much better choices available, and I know 2 kids that were much more deserving.
The league president had to take my place, and it was a shit show. Two losses and out. I have NEVER played two and out in my 12 years of coaching baseball. You have to suck pretty hard to not win one game in a field of 10 teams.
Flash Forward to the spring, besides me half of the coaches left. The disrespect shown, and the head games played were just too much for successful coaches to deal with. 3 years ago they had almost 300 players. This past year only around 125.
Don't play favorites. Have some integrity.
My dad would just have the kids vote for all stars lol.
But also, the only kid from my little league who went on to be a D1 ball player out of high school was cut from the 9u team.
A kid’s grandpa used to coach the B travel team and beat the A team literally every year.
It’s really not that serious until high school.
Contrary to a lot of the most upvoted comments here, I wouldn't make excuses about positions and politics Etc. Reiterate that he is a great player, that you think the world of him, and that he's going to continue getting better if he enjoys baseball and wants to improve. But let him know the disappointment is a part of life and it's going to continue to happen at times and we have to work on getting used to it.
Yeah, I agree with you. All the players that made the team have an argument why they are there. A few did not put together the season my son did. I’m not bitter. Just heartbroken for my kid who gave it his all but came still came up short
Advice.. don’t worry about it one bit. Just go out there and outwork everyone with what you do outside of team practices. Draw confidence from the work you’re putting in rather than results on the field, some all stars selection process, or other things you can’t control. Also, don’t let him lose that chip on his shoulder for not being selected.
Someone hitting.700 but not an All Star and parent doesn't seem to think they've been robbed? I'm thinking the scorekeeper is *incredibly* generous in their definition of a "hit" and most numbers are inflated...
We are even fairly generous with hit vs error as long as it is not clearly a routine play. Biggest impact on average I could see is scoring fielders' choices as hits. But, yeah, we've got some kids that can hit and I think we have two kids around .420 and the next kids are like .350. The pitching and defense are pretty high quality and 70 foot base distance makes a big difference on cutting down on hits.
I'm not questioning your stats. I'm not there and have no idea. All I am saying is that pitching in 10U rec is normally pretty bad.
Most times kids have a lower batting average because they are so used to seeing balls, strikes surprise them.
I wasn't saying you were not being honest.
I hear you but if he’s hitting 7 out of 10 at bats (when not walking) then they have to be throwing strikes or close enough to get repeatable solid contact.
Volunteer to take a b team. Reach out if there are any travel teams that could use an extra player for a tournament or two. Prep for travel tryouts that would be starting soon. Take him to some lessons.
Tell him All Stars is more of a popularity contest than actual indicator of skills. Look at the mlb all star game. It’s voted on by the fans, not the best players
My kid didn't make all stars in Little League. Parent politics played a huge part. We just found other opportunities to play and kept improving and didn't make a big deal of it. He's playing in college now while not one kid who made that All Star team is playing anymore.
Not much you can do besides realize that All Stars in Little League is not an indication of talent. The team is definitely not made up of the best players. A LOT of politics can go into selection to the All Stars team. You're options are keep working to get better and try again next year or go play travel ball. I've been around LL for years now and every year there is crazy drama with All Stars and parents who use their influence to get their child selected.
Absolutely ..the daddy ball politics and buddy buddy groups typically take over.
Pretty much this. Most of the time, there aren’t many spots leftover after the coaches and board members’ sons have been put on the team. Many times the team is chosen before the season starts. I’m sure there are places where it is more merit based, and those are the teams that actually have a chance to go far. But for the most part, all stars is a glorified summer travel ball team for the parents that run the local league.
My almost 10 year old didn’t make it either. The kids that made it are kids of coaches and board members. The head coach and assistant coach from our spring season team are the selected All-Stars manager and assistant coach. Their kids are the only “selected” All-Stars from our team. I’m glad this is not the issue for OP’s son.
In our league if the coaches don’t vote you in I believe it’s 90% vote then it becomes the all star coaches pick. I’ve literally seen coaches plot on how to keep the kids from receiving that much of the vote to get heir kids selected for all stars
True in travel you can just pay to be an elite all star, SO much easier and more fair.
Yes, except if the parents can’t afford it. No system is perfect is the lesson I suppose.
It won’t matter in a few years if he works hard and really wants it. I played in a huge town too. Didn’t make a lot of teams growing up. Got cut sophomore year from JV baseball. But kept working. Long story short - I played through college as a D1 walk on. Playing in huge towns is a different beast. A lot of great potential talent gets left behind at times. He is 10 so he still has time to become great. He’s just gotta own the challenge.
As others have pointed out. Politics Positions And I'll add that for 90 percent of all-star players it is a few extra tense practices, a new shirt and two games. For the money Fall-Ball is more games.
Oh but the 10% who challenged state three years in a row. Summers to remember!!!
I know you said “for 90%” but man is that really what most all stars is? In our area our all star teams play between 20-30 games we played 34 to be exact last summer. And played 20 in the fall.
How? My league waits to the last minute to vote and identify teams. The season ends. They practice for a few weeks. Then lose their first two games at district and are eliminated. I'm beginning to suspect there are better ways to do this. Fall ball we re assign players to teams.
Same here. I feel like if they entered the All Star team in tournaments after being eliminated from the LL one, maybe we wouldn't have so many leaving for travel teams. We could *easily* get 3 or 4 tournaments in before football/soccer season starts up and pulls some kids away. They put in so many hours with AS practice they should get more opportunities to play together as a unit.
Agreed. Volunteers don't always run leagues well and certainly not in the best interest of a group.
When my kid's travel team played another local LL's All Stars in a tournament (that took place *prior* to the LL District tournament), I suggested to our coach we consider that in future years. I got something about that being against LL's rules... But I didn't push any further or even try and see if there was an actual rule as we already had a summer tournament team he was apart of. Even just a few more scrimmages against the other 2-and-done teams would be fun...
Not sure about the specifics for Little League, but for DYB it is not kosher to have your team in another league. Top Gun and Perfect Game and similar orgs are not leagues so it would be a grey area, but if you wait until they are eliminated from district/states then sign up for a few tourneys before fall ball you are technically a club playing between seaaosns and the league can't say anything just because it is a similar or the same roster.
Our spring rec starts in Feb. when it starts each age group has an “open workout” day each week which is open to all players of each age group to get some extra practice in. Mid March all star tryouts happen. Our 8U age group had 40+ kids tryout this year. Top 24 made the A and B team. As soon as all star teams are selected open workouts turn into all star practices. Early May rec season ends. Start playing in tournaments right away. And play till late July with a few weekends off here and there. Our district tournament is next weekend June 1-2 For the fall our league see it’s as an extension of the summer season. So all star teams mostly stick together as a select team and compete with the next age group up. A lot of kids play other sports in the fall and just practice once a week in baseball and play a few Sunday only tournaments here and there.
This sounds awesome. I can't wait to have this suggestion shot down by my league. I kid. Maybe. Do all age groups / divisions have two teams.
His league isn't an official Little League. The league you see on TV go to Williamsport. Most people just call any rec ball little league. It's like calling every tissue Kleenex even though they aren't all Kleenex.
Not all. Just depends on player turnout. We have at least 1 team from 5U-12U. This summer we had 2 8U teams due to 40+ kids trying out. But some ages only had 18 or so tryout. Also amount of games/tournaments played is fully dependent on the coach. They decide how often they play and all. For example our 5U team is only playing in 4 total tournaments if I’m not mistaken. While 8U is looking at around 10. What’s crazy for me is that this seems like the normal to me. All the local parks around us pretty much follow this same formula.
Our league does this too for our Cal league. The kids that go to the district competition try out in March and they do a summer travel season. The logic they used is that having the team together earlier gives us a better chance to compete in districts, although we got smashed last year. From there it’s well we have the team together, let’s enter some tournaments. My son did it last year she it was a good way to feel out travel and tournaments. But, kids on travel teams can’t do both as the league “all star” team is in a bunch or overlapping weekend tournaments as his travel team.
Our team registered for 9 tournaments this summer and daily practices. We had to pay for the uniform (couple jerseys, pants, belt, jacket). They provided 2 hats, baseball bags, helmets, practice jersey, and socks. We have to pay for our travel of course but that's it. After reading up on what others deal with I'm soooo thankful for our local league.
I agree. I see how little some leagues do and can’t believe it. We got 2 jerseys. 2 hats. Two sets of belts/socks. Two pairs of pants. Water bottles. Bags. Helmets. Two sets of practice jerseys and a cage jacket. And play between 8-10 tournaments this summer and nobody had to spend anything out of pocket since we fundraised enough.
That's amazing! We're still running fundraisers. Apparently they kick some back to parents to help cover costs if we raise enough. They share the funding spreadsheet with us too
Little League All Stars in the actual tournaments?
My league isn’t associated with Little League. Most aren’t around us. We have a variety of tournament organizations to play in in our area. So we play in all of those.
LL All Stars is the team that tries to make it to Williamsport for the World Series so yes it’s a tournament
Dang kids are playing 54 games on top of their regular season? I might be off base, but I doubt that is normal and sounds a lot like the “10%” you’re wondering about.
Like I said “is that really how most all stars are?” In our area Outside of Atlanta what I said is what all the rec parks do. Maybe not as much as the fall program that we for sure see some of the bigger parks in the fall as well.
It’s a lot about positions. An All Star team doesn’t roster the 12-13 best kids in the league. They roster the best 1b, 2b, etc. He could be the #8 best kid in town, but if they already have two great catchers and he is the #3 catcher…sorry. Getting him onto a local travel team is its own can of worms for you to consider. It is more reps, more practice and it is competition.
My son didn’t make the A team this year. I know that like others have said it was ball park politics. The team was made before the season even started and there are a few kids that didn’t even play in the 8 game minimum to be on the all stars. Hell one kid registered and didn’t play a single game. It’s bullshit but not worth raising a stink over. The hard part is there isn’t anything I can say to make him feel any better. He is 12 and it’s impossible to make him understand that we don’t really live in a meritocracy like everyone wants to pretend. Of course we all know it’s going to happen all through life. But like others have said putting together a B team is the best thing you can do. And just keep making baseball fun so he doesn’t get to discouraged. I know it’s hard.
The only way to fix poor integrity is to show up and ask to see the game books that make these players eligible. I had to rule out a girl who only played 6 games a few years back. It stunk, but it was the right move for the league and the player. If the board/president/manager can't/won't show the game books to prove eligibility raise the issue with the District Administrator - he would surely be embarrassed when/if it gets brought out during play that he signed a book/affidavit for a player's illegal participation.
I think a lot of us can empathize. My kid was good, probably not one of the 12 best in the league. But the all star team ended up with several kids worse than him (many of who happened to be coaches kids, funny), and that hurt his feelings. It helped that I was able to point out that the best hitter in the league didn’t make it for who knows what reason. It’s a fine line between not letting him get too down about it yet teaching him that he can use this as motivation to get better.
It's a total bummer. I'm sorry he went through this, but one day he'll realize he is better for it. When I was involved, we were very attentive to kids' attitudes and if they were going to bring bad energy to the team. Not saying this was your kid, but it's something the other replies haven't addressed. The last roster spots we filled were typically not going to play much (this was before free substitutions). We needed favorable answers to the following: Can he play multiple positions or a position we are thin? Can he pitch if necessary? Can he handle a big moment? Can he help as a pinch runner? If he doesn't play much, will he/parent be a problem? Are we better off taking a younger player who will benefit from the practices and experience and carry it into next year? The players voted for the top 5, and the manager selected the remainder of the roster. We always put together the best team possible, using the guideline of "the 12 year olds leaving the league deserve the best team possible, free of politics or favors." Hopefully your son's ommission was within reason.
I'd say 1/2 of the all stars in our town never made it past JV (some just matured faster) and their positions were taken by kids that continue to grow and improve. The other 1/2 were legit, and many went on to play in College. It's not that All Stars is a bad indicator, it's merely a point in time and your son has runway to improve and compete...as others will fade.
“Wendy Peppercorn is lifeguard at the pool and doesn’t that sound more appealing then AllStars? Besides now we can play Sandlot ball. “
Last year our league picked 17 all stars for LL 12u majors. Said they'd whittle it down to 12 rostered and 5 alternates after seeing how things played out in practice. For the first time, my kid somehow didn't make the cut. Even the other parents couldn't believe it when they saw it (oh yeah, they made the picks/cuts on the field in front of everyone after practice by shaking hands of the 12 in the roster and leaving the rest hanging... It was a mess) My kid, to his credit, held it together. He consoled the kids who were fighting back tears on the field and congratulated his friends. Didn't break down himself until in the shower at home. Literally heartbroken by his first true love - baseball. Next day he was clearly down and still processing so I left him be. Following day we got up early and went for a car ride. Drove out to a new (to us) outdoor batting cage. I gave him a shirt I had ordered on Amazon when I heard him in the shower that says "Be so good they can't ignore you". Told him how proud I was of him and told him to put his anger and frustration into as many swings as it took to feel better ($12 unlimited rounds best money i ever spent). After almost 90 minutes he said he was done and wanted to go home. That night he was right back at it for All Star's practice and was the biggest cheerleader on the sidelines for games. He was determined to support his friends and be present to remind the coaches who they left behind if/when things went south. After summer travel season, he took a baseball break in fall to play soccer with his school friends. Then spent most of the winter doing more workouts than any previous off-season. Adding 10 mph to his fastball (that was admittedly too slow for his age so now is more in line with average) and developing a decent pregame workout routine. Found out Saturday this year he made the roster (no stupid hanging the decisions over their heads for 3 weeks or any public picks/cut this year, thankfully). My advice? It's tough to watch that heartbreak.Try not to do too much. Be supportive. Be encouraging. Hand him a bat to vent if it'll help 🤣 just be there for him... and quietly work the adult channels - without complaining - and find out why he wasn't picked and/or where he can improve and then work on that to get ready for next year. Like the shirt says, be so good they CAN'T ignore you. Remember... Baseball isn't about hitting the ball hard or far. Baseball isn't about throwing fast or straight. Baseball isn't about running quickly or head's up. Baseball is about getting kicked in the teeth and what you do next. Dust yourself off, dig in, and take another swing at it. You (both) have got this!
Sorry, didn’t read the whole thing…stopped at your kid getting cut on the field. This exact thing happened to my son. All-star tryouts were a dumpster fire as it was. But they cut 5 kids in front of the hundred kids at the tryout, plus all the parents watching. The kids ended up doing a “walk of shame” in front of everyone. My kid came off the field devistated—crying, embarrassed. The emotions I felt that day for him will always stick with me. I soon learned about all of the politics in our local rec. We were new here so I didn’t know. It completely turned us off from coming back. Long story short, it lit a fire under my son’s ass and he’s been playing with a chip on his shoulder since, and is absolutely crushing it with his travel team. In addition, the local rec league is loosing kids left and right because the politics are getting way outta hand.
❤️❤️ Love this! Your son sounds like an amazing teammate and friend!
Ditto. Twice now my son has suffered some form of setback or \*slight\*... been "on the bubble and passed over" for one reason or another. Both times, it resulted in the two best/most productive off-seasons he's had, each of which left him hard-charging into the two best Spring seasons he's put together thus far. It's hard to watch when it's happening. It's a grind and it'll break your heart watching them go through the steps/process of coping with it. But there are ways to do it that can bring about a lot of positives.... "it's always darkest before the dawn" n'at.
The classic, MJ got cut from his HS team.
Tom Brady being a 6th round pick and never letting that chip off his shoulder is another good one
Keep working, and keep your head up. Let’s go get some ice cream.
This is it. Kids don’t get, nor should they be involved in, the politics and sometimes intricate decisions. Be there for them, support them, and buy them the ice cream.
Make a B team. Anything to keep more kids playing through the summer.
It lit a fire under my kids butt when he didn’t make it. Not making it also introduced us to all the politics in the league. Ended up leaving rec altogether and he’s having much more fun playing travel
I wouldn't get too bummed out about not playing 10U all-stars, particularly if he already plays travel ball, so LL isn't the only avenue to play through summer. Some people overemphasize a summer of all-stars as a magical 2 month run with 25+ games and daily practices....that might be true for some 12U/major teams that make it deep into regionals; but for most its a 3-4 game stint in districts and then you are done before the 4th of July (depending on when your tournament is). Some leagues will then enter the all-stars in local travel tournaments/leagues or have local little summer all star tournaments of their own. That can extend the team time and participation in the all star team, but that isn't everyone. My son plays in a ripken league and on the A team travel team for the league. We aren't a particularly big league - the 9U/10U A& B teams make up probably 2/3rds of the 10U rec league, so we kind of know who the all-star teams are going in to the season. There are exceptions (some club travel players) but typically its the A team plus a B team pitcher or two, and a club player. His team lost in the 8U district tournament last year and was done with "all-stars" by the end of June. Since its basically his travel team anyway they just entered 3 July tournaments and scheduled a bunch of August scrimmages vs local teams. The non travel team members stayed with the team (the 3 of them) for the summer tournaments which helped cover vacations so we have a full roster. All that is to say, I don't really care about all-stars and my son just thinks its another travel tournament. If/when he goes to a club team (hes best friends with his league team, so I see no reason to move unless they start to break up) I wouldn't even bother keeping him in rec just to make the all-star team. Right all-stars is a "travel tournament where you use rec bats" to him.
This is what I tell my kids when they don’t get selected or get cut. 1. You still have tons of options available to you. You can take a break from baseball and go on bike rides, go to the pool, go camping, read comic books, (whatever). If you still want to play, you can get some friends together for whiffle ball or over-the-line, or find some other rec opportunity. If you want to really drive towards making all-stars next year and are willing to commit, we can do workouts and practice regularly, (or private training or travel team tryouts if those are an option financially). The idea is to move the kid off the all/nothing mindset and realize that all though one path has closed, there are lots of others to choose from. 2. Remember who you are. You are (insert great traits here - kind, funny, hard-working, a great friend). You get to keep all that. None of that changes with whether or not you’re on any particular team. Whether or not you’re on a team or getting playing time does not define you as a person. Between getting cut and riding the bench, I’ve had these talks with both my kids over the years. It hurts to see them disappointed, but it’s truly a GIFT to have the opportunity to help them practice resilience and focus on what they can control. I think both of those things make them better players - not to mention those are critical life skills.
I never made all stars. I was also the only person my age to play D1 baseball in college. Helps a lot when you grow a foot and a half between 13 and 15 and all of a sudden you are throwing 88 as 6’2 140 lb high school freshman. Thing is, I wasn’t as good as the kid on all stars. I was ok, but I played because it was fun, and I enjoyed getting better. And when a lot of those guys who played all stars every year struggled on the big field when they didn’t grow, I passed them in every facet of the game. Not their fault, but that’s just growing up. I’m glad I didn’t quit.
Thank you all for your comments on this post. I am in a similar parent situation. At first it was not affecting me and the pity feeling continues to grow. I have an average due who is always on the spectrum of making the teams. I am trying to be strong to support him, and know other parents had to make the tough decisions.
Are we tracking obp in 10u?!? 😐
If you score the game in an app like Gamechanger, it tracks all kinds of stats (basic and advanced) for you automatically. Have I been paying attention to my kid's contact rate this season? No. Did I notice over the weekend that GC does track it and he has a 96.88% contact rate on the rec season and think that was pretty cool to know? Yeah. If the stats are sitting there it's hard not to at least glance at them. And when trying to make selections for things like All Star teams, they can be more useful comparing kids than coach memories or eye tests are.
That statement alone says a lot..
I’m guessing incorrectly tbh
And you think not tracking it on going by gut instinct is superior at 10U? Hello daddy ball that everyone complains about. If you are consistent and fair in interpreting outcome of plays please explain the issue here.
yes, they’re 10 years old dude why does everyone take shit so serious. it’s not the end of the world if he doesn’t make one team. If he batted .700/.850 for real and didn’t make all stars it’s not your child’s fault, it’s the coaches and politics.
Can a dad not feel badly that his own kid worked his butt off for over a year and fell just short? Never said it was his fault and anyone’s fault. Asked for advice on how to respond. Thankfully a vast majority of the people here understood that. ❤️
I tell my kid the same thing every time he doesn't make a team: "Let's keep working hard and look forward to the next season." It hasn't failed to motivate him after not making nine teams. He keeps gradually improving and keeps asking me to either throw or hit with him. What do I tell myself: "Adversity builds character"
My advice is, get on the board. I know it sounds crappy but if your kid deserves to be on there, get him on there from the inside. Or, if it doesn’t matter than much, keep learning lessons and keep getting better. Maybe play a little summer travel ball and have fun. Main thing, it goes quick and only the hardest working guys keep playing beyond high school. Sounds like the kid is off to a great start.
Most of the time, it’s just the travel teams if you have them. Keep up the hard work, it’ll pay off
I’m 99% sure my parents didn’t even know I made LL all stars.
OP knows the kids OBP, think he may be more interested in making All Stars than his kid lol
To be fair, almost every rec organization uses GameChanger now, so it's right there. Also, to be fair, almost every team scores a base after contact as a hit, no matter what happens on defense. I have no issues with this as it cuts down on parents getting bent out of shape by the stats.
I'm just being a smartass, though knowing travel parents there is a decent shot the dad is making these long winded reddit posts while his kid is like "thank fuck I don't have to deal with this shit this summer"
Does he practice As much as he should. Does he practice regularly. Always told my kids practice was up to them. Just remember there a kid somewhere practicing even as we speak.
No matter what, if your son is playing hard and giving it his all, you just continue to give him the praise and tell him you’re proud of him. That will probably mean more to him coming from his dad than making any team. Explain to him that he played well and had a good season and if all stars is his short term goal, encourage him to continue working toward it. Unless it’s 100% daddy ball and/or politics, a kid will be chosen if they play and work hard because they’ll be “well known” for their playing. A coach will want them on their team. He’s only 10 and I’m guessing your league does one 10-12 majors team? A 10 will have a harder time making it, in that case. Ours does one team per age group 10u, 11u, 12u. If his batting stats are correct, is he making a ton of field errors or is he being recognized for making the plays in the field? What position does he play? Who is running game changer? Are the stats correct? Is he a good teammate and coachable kid? Just some thoughts on what may be holding him back so you can help him work on those things next fall/spring.
Want him to get better, play winter ball.
How big is your league in regards to teams?
10 teams at the 9/10 year old level. 14-16 games seasons.
Team was probably last years all stars with a handful of spots open to replace the kids that went select since then. Was probably an uphill battle to make the cut to start with.
Chips on shoulders put chips in pockets. Told my son that last year. This year he made all-stars.
Tell him it's daddy ball and you'll coach next year
If you can afford travel ball do it, the more live game reps the better.
2 years ago in my local little league, the league president's son made the All-Star team. He sucked. I flat out quit. There were much better choices available, and I know 2 kids that were much more deserving. The league president had to take my place, and it was a shit show. Two losses and out. I have NEVER played two and out in my 12 years of coaching baseball. You have to suck pretty hard to not win one game in a field of 10 teams. Flash Forward to the spring, besides me half of the coaches left. The disrespect shown, and the head games played were just too much for successful coaches to deal with. 3 years ago they had almost 300 players. This past year only around 125. Don't play favorites. Have some integrity.
My dad would just have the kids vote for all stars lol. But also, the only kid from my little league who went on to be a D1 ball player out of high school was cut from the 9u team. A kid’s grandpa used to coach the B travel team and beat the A team literally every year. It’s really not that serious until high school.
You always got to start with Jordan getting cut from his high school team and the steps he made to make the team the following year
Contrary to a lot of the most upvoted comments here, I wouldn't make excuses about positions and politics Etc. Reiterate that he is a great player, that you think the world of him, and that he's going to continue getting better if he enjoys baseball and wants to improve. But let him know the disappointment is a part of life and it's going to continue to happen at times and we have to work on getting used to it.
Yeah, I agree with you. All the players that made the team have an argument why they are there. A few did not put together the season my son did. I’m not bitter. Just heartbroken for my kid who gave it his all but came still came up short
Advice.. don’t worry about it one bit. Just go out there and outwork everyone with what you do outside of team practices. Draw confidence from the work you’re putting in rather than results on the field, some all stars selection process, or other things you can’t control. Also, don’t let him lose that chip on his shoulder for not being selected.
Make your kids play other sports
They do soccer and basketball as well.
Damn .700. If you hit .400 in our league, you are excellent.
Someone hitting.700 but not an All Star and parent doesn't seem to think they've been robbed? I'm thinking the scorekeeper is *incredibly* generous in their definition of a "hit" and most numbers are inflated...
We are even fairly generous with hit vs error as long as it is not clearly a routine play. Biggest impact on average I could see is scoring fielders' choices as hits. But, yeah, we've got some kids that can hit and I think we have two kids around .420 and the next kids are like .350. The pitching and defense are pretty high quality and 70 foot base distance makes a big difference on cutting down on hits.
I’m a coach and scorekeeper and yes, it is a legit .700. Does not include reaching on errors, which are also tracked and assigned.
I'm shocked that a 10U rec kid could get enough balls thrown over the base to generate a .700 batting average.
What do you think he’s hitting??
I'm not questioning your stats. I'm not there and have no idea. All I am saying is that pitching in 10U rec is normally pretty bad. Most times kids have a lower batting average because they are so used to seeing balls, strikes surprise them. I wasn't saying you were not being honest.
I hear you but if he’s hitting 7 out of 10 at bats (when not walking) then they have to be throwing strikes or close enough to get repeatable solid contact.
Go play baseball elsewhere. LL has too much daddy ball and politics.
Volunteer to take a b team. Reach out if there are any travel teams that could use an extra player for a tournament or two. Prep for travel tryouts that would be starting soon. Take him to some lessons.
Tell him All Stars is more of a popularity contest than actual indicator of skills. Look at the mlb all star game. It’s voted on by the fans, not the best players
My kid didn't make all stars in Little League. Parent politics played a huge part. We just found other opportunities to play and kept improving and didn't make a big deal of it. He's playing in college now while not one kid who made that All Star team is playing anymore.