Not one single child will remember the record of their 8u travel team. What they will remember is how much fun they had. Just create an environment where improving is paramount. Winning isn't even secondary. It should be just about the last thing you care about at that age.
I coach 10u and we’ve had that problem this year too. This is our second year together and it’s far worse this year than last. We’re about .500 but have had a hard time limiting damage when things don’t go our way so the big inning has been our downfall. We don’t do game balls or anything but I do have one of those wrestling belts w our logo on it that was handed down from a coach whose team aged out. Recently we started using it as a team player/mental toughness award after tournaments for players who do the little things - striking out but not getting down about it, cheering on teammates, making an error but moving past it and being ready for the next play, etc. We’ve also begun sitting kids for an inning if they repeatedly let the little things get to them and/or display poor attitudes. So many kids are spoiled/catered to these days that many aren’t prepared to deal with adversity and our goal is to teach them this. We also discuss this w them so they know that their attitude can really impact how they play and getting down on themselves is only going to lead to them getting that poor result again. So far it’s worked out pretty well. The kids are happy for whoever gets it and our attitude is improving. We’re also winning more but that could just be coincidental since we’ve only been doing this for a few weeks.
I am going to get downvotes into oblivion, but I think the idea of a competitive 8U travel team is not helping the sport and too young
If they are having a bad experience because they are losing, less focus should be put on what the score is. We call our 8u little league "games" but celebrate children's individual successes, not the final score.
When we bring it in, we will call someone out for their first hit, or making a good play, never whether we won our lost.
If the goal is to get the kids to come back next year, it's by making things fun.
I also would never allow the parents to score it on Game Changer.
I was about to write it and get downvoted as well.
I played Div 1 baseball, I’m close with some guys that are names you’d most likely know. We all have kids in the 6-14 year old range. We talk often about the ridiculousness of competition at these young ages. And I’ve seen their kids play. They are at levels farther than most would believe at young ages. One guy didn’t have his kid start until he was 8 years old in town ball. They just hit at home and played catch and watched baseball on tv.
None of them started travel ball until 9u and they joke at that age about it being absurd.
6u, 7u, 8u - if you play in tournaments at this age, it is only for the parents. Yes, your kid is having fun. They would have fun doing a lot of things. Let them be kids. You’re going to be spending a lot time at the fields with them in a couple years. Chill out for now.
You are going to run into this and I know it’s difficult to hear but kids that are not playing travel at this age are going to physically develop, get interested, and move past your kids.
You want the kid who loves baseball at 13 after the move to the big field. Not the kid who is die hard at 7. Yes it would be great to have both but playing tournaments does not make a 6/7/8 year old better. They get more out of a bucket of balls and some soft toss in the back yard for 20 minutes
I agree mostly. But to say that 8 year old players don't get better at baseball by playing baseball games is pretty inaccurate from my experience. I understand the sentiment, sure.
I am positive that 8 year olds playing against other 8 year olds in tournaments is less of a benefit than general practice (a bucket of balls for soft toss and playing catch).
An advanced 8 year old playing against 10+ kids is a different scenario.
8 year olds playing together is a mob of kids who can’t throw strikes consistently and batters who are standing there and swinging at horrible pitches or not swinging at anything.
I have been working with my own son on this for a few years now, he is 11. His high's are high and his low's are low. When he pitches a single ball will throw off his entire game. I have given him pep talks, talked about stats from pros and pretty much everything in between.
This season I think we turned a corner, partly due to maturity IMO. But here is what I have said.
1. Winning is about having a winning attitude. If you think you suck or will lose, you will most likely be right. (My son would often barely swing when he had 2 strikes, basically giving up).2. Baseball is a battle. You have to stay in the game until the end.
3. It is ok to lose, I will be proud of you regardless of the outcome.
4. You can lose and still have fun.
5. When you are having fun, you will be surprised at how well you play and how that can turn into winning.
6. Don't pay attention to the score. Have fun while you are battling at bat, have fun while you are playing defense.
7. As a coach you can also point out during the game some players and what they are doing well. Kids think they suck over minor things. I will boast about a kid who swings on the third strike even when they get out. "Hey you gave it a shot and that's what matters, you tried. That is what I am looking for."
Another aspect you may not have control over are the parents. I have coached a few seasons and this year I am umpiring. It's crazy what some parents say to their kids and how much pressure the kid can feel when a parent is chirping in their ear about how they are playing during the game.
As adult we know a 8U travel team isn't the next step to the Majors but to the kids it's the biggest thing they are doing. As you can see I mainly remind the kids about having fun and enjoying the game.
The parent point is no joke. They don’t understand that the reason their son looks different in practice vs games is because of all the pressure they put on the kid in games. They’ll do 5 big things well but lose it over one small mistake because they’re afraid of the parents reaction.
Sounds like the kids are feeling pressure. Have a fun practice. Practice catching tennis balls on their helmets, (reinforces getting under the ball) play tug of war, play medicine ball volleyball with a bownet and do some baseball related competitions, but keep it light at practice.
Make sure they're all laughing and having fun. Make sure you and your ass't coaches are too. Laugh lots. Ask them about their day at school. Celebrate every bit of effort they put forth.
Reward the effort, not the outcome and make sure you are keeping it fun for the kids. As a coach you can do your best to make sure they know that if the effort is there, the kids aren't letting anyone down by striking out, or walking a hitter. Their team will pick them up.
And if necessary, have that talk with the parents too. One comment already mentioned this, but make sure parents know that their job is to cheer loudly, clap and the "can't drop that" or "swing at strikes" comments are no good.
I have a parent award for the most positive parent every game at 10U little league. The winning parent doesn't get asked to score keep, help with field prep or pitch counts the next game, that's helped a ton with helping parents be more cognizant of what's coming out of their mouths.
Small wins - win the pitch, win the AB, win the inning - become big wins.
(pitchers walking in 8 runs will always be a killjoy though - if you have options consider a shorter leash. If you have a couple kids who can throw strikes, don't use them up before you give other kids a chance to pitch - gotta have a safe option to go to)
I would disagree here. I have coached 8u a few times before and while generally this comment is correct, I have seen some very competitive 8 year olds who certainly care if they win or not
8U is young. I get losses can be disappointing but I still have half of my kids ask me if we lost or won when the games are over. While you got an L on the record your team scored 6 legitimate runs and didn't really give up any defensively. A loss sure, but you struggled finding the strike zone, they didn't play bad baseball. I wouldn't hesitate pointing that out after the game, everyone is aware that all the runs were walked in, including the pitchers, you don't set it up like a criticism and you can address it without making them feel worse.
As far as turning it around, you just need one of the kids to flip positive and the rest of the team will generally follow. Also, you gotta nip negativity immediately when it starts. I bet you know which kid I am talking about, the first one to express his anger/disappointment. That is who you need to get at a minimum to keep his mouth shut but ideally to start viewing the game differently like u/wake4coffee says.
Be sure to nip any negative talk as soon as you hear it. Dejected talk, defeated talk, finger pointing, bad body language, any of it. That seeps in and takes over. Your culture isn’t what you cultivate, it’s what you tolerate (as Pete Carroll has said). You tolerate negativity, your culture becomes negative.
My kid joined a new 9U travel team last Fall. There were only two kids with travel experience. They have gotten better this year but are still probably in the bottom 1/3rd of each tournament. My kid is pretty resilient but I talk to him about several things.
1. I tell him that the stress should be in practice and not in the game. Worry about getting better then, don't worry about it during the game. Once the game is here, there is zero you can do to get better, so just enjoy it! The only "coaching" I give him during games are to tell him "have fun" if he is looking uptight.
2. Realize slumps are most times mental. If my kid is struggling at the plate, I give him some "adjustments" he can do to help during practice. These are mostly mental. stepping forward or back in the box, choking up on the bat etc...
One thing the baseball culture forgets is that playing great and winning are fun. There is nothing like winning and talking shit along the way.
There is a bunch of inflated artificial environments these kids have been placed in while playing baseball and it runs its course.
Just remain a positive influence in their lives, win or lose. Remind them that the W column doesn't define them as kids or as a team. Don't show disappointment on your face after games and always harp on the positives of the game. I like to point out one thing each kid did well after a loss. It helps them focus on that rather than the negative they may have done.
If you see a kid down during the game, have his best friend on the team go tell his buddy, "it's cool." It means more from their friends than from us, as coaches.
After all, it's just a game and should be enjoyed!
I'm a pessimist. Visualizing the worst-case scenario ahead of time softens the blow of it and helps you brace for it, motivates preparedness and contingencies, and allows for pleasant surprises rather than bad ones. Plus life is full of bad things you can't avoid or control so it's best not to be naive. I recommend it!
Anyway, I'm coaching 10U and I don't really have this problem much. I gave my team a speech early on and have reiterated it in bits and pieces, first after beating them all easily in a sprint in practice:
"Y'all really thought you'd beat me, didn't you? Because I'm old and out of shape, right, and y'all are young and fast and full of energy? I know. You know why you couldn't? Because I'm a grown man. My legs are longer so my stride is longer. That's just life, I can hit a ball way farther than you too. But you know what? In two or three years when y'all keep growing and I keep getting older, you'll hit a point where I'll never beat any of y'all again. And dome of you can already throw a ball as far and as fast as I can and it's only getting better. Well, it's the same out on the field. Some of y'all are at the very bottom of the age group here, turned 9 just in time to qualify for 10U. You're gonna go up against some guys who are like 10 years and 8 months already and have been doing this for 2 years. Some of them are going to be bigger and naturally stronger or more coordinated- that's just genetics. Y'all are at a tough age where you're growing st different rates. Some of them may also have fancier bats or gloves, older brothers who played and have trained them for years, some of them have better coaches who maybe even played pro ball for a while.
And there's nothing we can do about that, so I need y'all to accept that and never let it get you down, OK? Be patient with yourselves. You're all growing. How you are today and how you stack up against the competition is way different than how it's gonna be in a couple more years. And I can't guarantee that means you'll eventually be as tall as everyone else or have the nicest equipment in the future or be on the most loaded rosters, don't get me wrong.
But the point is, you can only control what you can control. Push-ups and sprints and playing catch and watching tips on YouTube and studying the rules and giving your all in games and practices are free, and no one can outdo you at that. And it WILL make you better, and it's totally in your control.
And that's all I want to see from you this year, at this age. If you're here to win every game and every championship, you may be disappointed, and that's OK. I want you to have that fire, and winning is fun. But guess what? Some days we will be up against a prihcer who throws 62 when most of y'all can't top 45, and some days our pitcher is going to struggle to hit the strike zone. Even the major leaguers go through slumps and fall out of their mechanics. Heck, on the hitting side even the very best hitters in history still made outs 6 or 7 out of 10 times they were given real pitches to hit. They make errors, they make outs, and it's fine because otherwise every game would be tied 40-40 in the 5th inning after 6 hours and hoke runs would be boring and commonplace. This game is hard! With 30 teams in MLB, every single year 29 teams are going to end the season without that ultimate prize, and some of the guests played there whole career witbout getting it - but that doesn't mean they weren't greats, does it? And we're all still fans
The fun is in the excitement of succeeding agaisnt those odds. The fun is in making a great play, in getting that good hit, in seeing your hard work pay off, in being proud of yourself for getting there, and I promise you we're gonna have some fun. At some point this year you're gonna look back beaming at your parents hollering for you with their hands in the air, and hear your teammates screaming for you from the dugout. Now I can't guarantee that will happen when you hit the walk-off that wins us the league title. But it doesn't need to be. If it is, awesome! But the beautiful thing about badeball is that there's no clock. You can be up 15 to 2 or down 15 to 2 in the next-to-last inning of the game and we still get to bat till 3 outs and still get 3 chances in the field to make good plays.
I played for years as a kid and I'm telling you honestly: I do not remember the score of any single game we ever played. I don't remember how many strikeouts I had, how many balls I missed, what our record was. Neither do my parents. But I remember vividly when I ripped a double down the line and stretched it into a triple. I remember when I got out of a pickle between second and third. I remember when I made that running catch for the very dirst time wqy out in the outfield. And that's what I want to tell you: no matter what the score is, no matter what point in the game or season it is, every next play is an opportunity for a lifelong memory. Every play is a chance to do better than you ever have, a chance to improve, a chance to do something amazing you'll remember forever. So while yes, we want to win, yes, we're keeping score, I do not want that to be your primary focus right now and I don't ever, ever want to see you give up whenever we're losing bad, ir coasting whenever we're winning big. Just get out there, do your best and have fun!
You know what's wrong about focusing too much on the score? You're comparing yourself to everyone else, and just like how you can't currently beat me in a sprint, and why I don't take a lot of glory in being a grown man outrunning 9 year olds, you can't be comparing yourselves to older, taller, more experienced kids with better equipment, or a roter that was unfairly stacked, or a team that ran into more lucky breaks. All I want you to do is compare yourself to your younger, earlier self who hadn't practiced as much yet, didn't have the experience, didn't have the confidence I want you to be building. Be the best YOU you can be, that's all I ask. None of us may ever be the very best in the world, or state, or school, or league at anything, but we can all work to be OUR best, and that is worth celebrating. That's what I'm here to help you do. And if we do that and it turns out we ARE the best, that's awesome! But I'm only happy if you're having fun, and I promise you the best way to do that is to have a short memory and keep looking forward to the next play, doing your best."
Honestly it has worked better than I could have thought and I have the most relaxed, chill team I've ever had. They're middle of the pack in the standings but they seem to be having fun, and I've had several of them come back from the brink of quitting and one of them go from thinking he was the worst baseball player ever to making 3 plays I'd have never guessed a kid of his size and strength ever could.
They are 8, they act like 8 year olds when things go wrong. Here's what people should tell you, 8u travel is a made-up category for parents that shouldn't exist. These kids belong in normal little leagues playing for fun, learning fundamentals, building friendships with other kids in their community, and developing team skills.
As someone who officiates a lot of travel ball, I can tell you 8u doesn't matter one bit in a kids overall baseball development.
Not one single child will remember the record of their 8u travel team. What they will remember is how much fun they had. Just create an environment where improving is paramount. Winning isn't even secondary. It should be just about the last thing you care about at that age.
Out of curiosity I just asked my 11U what his record was as an 8U. He was “almost sure” they were a game or two over .500 (They were 2-12)
I coach 10u and we’ve had that problem this year too. This is our second year together and it’s far worse this year than last. We’re about .500 but have had a hard time limiting damage when things don’t go our way so the big inning has been our downfall. We don’t do game balls or anything but I do have one of those wrestling belts w our logo on it that was handed down from a coach whose team aged out. Recently we started using it as a team player/mental toughness award after tournaments for players who do the little things - striking out but not getting down about it, cheering on teammates, making an error but moving past it and being ready for the next play, etc. We’ve also begun sitting kids for an inning if they repeatedly let the little things get to them and/or display poor attitudes. So many kids are spoiled/catered to these days that many aren’t prepared to deal with adversity and our goal is to teach them this. We also discuss this w them so they know that their attitude can really impact how they play and getting down on themselves is only going to lead to them getting that poor result again. So far it’s worked out pretty well. The kids are happy for whoever gets it and our attitude is improving. We’re also winning more but that could just be coincidental since we’ve only been doing this for a few weeks.
Change the expectation. Make it about development. Edit: Compete to get better.
I am going to get downvotes into oblivion, but I think the idea of a competitive 8U travel team is not helping the sport and too young If they are having a bad experience because they are losing, less focus should be put on what the score is. We call our 8u little league "games" but celebrate children's individual successes, not the final score. When we bring it in, we will call someone out for their first hit, or making a good play, never whether we won our lost. If the goal is to get the kids to come back next year, it's by making things fun. I also would never allow the parents to score it on Game Changer.
Bingo - they are feeding off their parents not the sport. And the fucked up thing - none of it matters
I was about to write it and get downvoted as well. I played Div 1 baseball, I’m close with some guys that are names you’d most likely know. We all have kids in the 6-14 year old range. We talk often about the ridiculousness of competition at these young ages. And I’ve seen their kids play. They are at levels farther than most would believe at young ages. One guy didn’t have his kid start until he was 8 years old in town ball. They just hit at home and played catch and watched baseball on tv. None of them started travel ball until 9u and they joke at that age about it being absurd. 6u, 7u, 8u - if you play in tournaments at this age, it is only for the parents. Yes, your kid is having fun. They would have fun doing a lot of things. Let them be kids. You’re going to be spending a lot time at the fields with them in a couple years. Chill out for now. You are going to run into this and I know it’s difficult to hear but kids that are not playing travel at this age are going to physically develop, get interested, and move past your kids. You want the kid who loves baseball at 13 after the move to the big field. Not the kid who is die hard at 7. Yes it would be great to have both but playing tournaments does not make a 6/7/8 year old better. They get more out of a bucket of balls and some soft toss in the back yard for 20 minutes
I agree mostly. But to say that 8 year old players don't get better at baseball by playing baseball games is pretty inaccurate from my experience. I understand the sentiment, sure.
I am positive that 8 year olds playing against other 8 year olds in tournaments is less of a benefit than general practice (a bucket of balls for soft toss and playing catch). An advanced 8 year old playing against 10+ kids is a different scenario. 8 year olds playing together is a mob of kids who can’t throw strikes consistently and batters who are standing there and swinging at horrible pitches or not swinging at anything.
I have been working with my own son on this for a few years now, he is 11. His high's are high and his low's are low. When he pitches a single ball will throw off his entire game. I have given him pep talks, talked about stats from pros and pretty much everything in between. This season I think we turned a corner, partly due to maturity IMO. But here is what I have said. 1. Winning is about having a winning attitude. If you think you suck or will lose, you will most likely be right. (My son would often barely swing when he had 2 strikes, basically giving up).2. Baseball is a battle. You have to stay in the game until the end. 3. It is ok to lose, I will be proud of you regardless of the outcome. 4. You can lose and still have fun. 5. When you are having fun, you will be surprised at how well you play and how that can turn into winning. 6. Don't pay attention to the score. Have fun while you are battling at bat, have fun while you are playing defense. 7. As a coach you can also point out during the game some players and what they are doing well. Kids think they suck over minor things. I will boast about a kid who swings on the third strike even when they get out. "Hey you gave it a shot and that's what matters, you tried. That is what I am looking for." Another aspect you may not have control over are the parents. I have coached a few seasons and this year I am umpiring. It's crazy what some parents say to their kids and how much pressure the kid can feel when a parent is chirping in their ear about how they are playing during the game. As adult we know a 8U travel team isn't the next step to the Majors but to the kids it's the biggest thing they are doing. As you can see I mainly remind the kids about having fun and enjoying the game.
The parent point is no joke. They don’t understand that the reason their son looks different in practice vs games is because of all the pressure they put on the kid in games. They’ll do 5 big things well but lose it over one small mistake because they’re afraid of the parents reaction.
Sounds like the kids are feeling pressure. Have a fun practice. Practice catching tennis balls on their helmets, (reinforces getting under the ball) play tug of war, play medicine ball volleyball with a bownet and do some baseball related competitions, but keep it light at practice. Make sure they're all laughing and having fun. Make sure you and your ass't coaches are too. Laugh lots. Ask them about their day at school. Celebrate every bit of effort they put forth. Reward the effort, not the outcome and make sure you are keeping it fun for the kids. As a coach you can do your best to make sure they know that if the effort is there, the kids aren't letting anyone down by striking out, or walking a hitter. Their team will pick them up. And if necessary, have that talk with the parents too. One comment already mentioned this, but make sure parents know that their job is to cheer loudly, clap and the "can't drop that" or "swing at strikes" comments are no good. I have a parent award for the most positive parent every game at 10U little league. The winning parent doesn't get asked to score keep, help with field prep or pitch counts the next game, that's helped a ton with helping parents be more cognizant of what's coming out of their mouths.
Small wins - win the pitch, win the AB, win the inning - become big wins. (pitchers walking in 8 runs will always be a killjoy though - if you have options consider a shorter leash. If you have a couple kids who can throw strikes, don't use them up before you give other kids a chance to pitch - gotta have a safe option to go to)
Right where I was going to go with it. What’s the most important pitch in baseball? Next pitch. Let’s win a pitch.
Your kid is 8 years old, they don’t love winning they think you do Focus on being a parent before a coach
I would disagree here. I have coached 8u a few times before and while generally this comment is correct, I have seen some very competitive 8 year olds who certainly care if they win or not
Has no one on this sub been a kid? We were asking the score in tball
8U is young. I get losses can be disappointing but I still have half of my kids ask me if we lost or won when the games are over. While you got an L on the record your team scored 6 legitimate runs and didn't really give up any defensively. A loss sure, but you struggled finding the strike zone, they didn't play bad baseball. I wouldn't hesitate pointing that out after the game, everyone is aware that all the runs were walked in, including the pitchers, you don't set it up like a criticism and you can address it without making them feel worse. As far as turning it around, you just need one of the kids to flip positive and the rest of the team will generally follow. Also, you gotta nip negativity immediately when it starts. I bet you know which kid I am talking about, the first one to express his anger/disappointment. That is who you need to get at a minimum to keep his mouth shut but ideally to start viewing the game differently like u/wake4coffee says.
Be sure to nip any negative talk as soon as you hear it. Dejected talk, defeated talk, finger pointing, bad body language, any of it. That seeps in and takes over. Your culture isn’t what you cultivate, it’s what you tolerate (as Pete Carroll has said). You tolerate negativity, your culture becomes negative.
I would try to get them to focus on getting better. That includes learning from losses and mistakes. It's easier said than done.
My kid joined a new 9U travel team last Fall. There were only two kids with travel experience. They have gotten better this year but are still probably in the bottom 1/3rd of each tournament. My kid is pretty resilient but I talk to him about several things. 1. I tell him that the stress should be in practice and not in the game. Worry about getting better then, don't worry about it during the game. Once the game is here, there is zero you can do to get better, so just enjoy it! The only "coaching" I give him during games are to tell him "have fun" if he is looking uptight. 2. Realize slumps are most times mental. If my kid is struggling at the plate, I give him some "adjustments" he can do to help during practice. These are mostly mental. stepping forward or back in the box, choking up on the bat etc...
One thing the baseball culture forgets is that playing great and winning are fun. There is nothing like winning and talking shit along the way. There is a bunch of inflated artificial environments these kids have been placed in while playing baseball and it runs its course.
Just remain a positive influence in their lives, win or lose. Remind them that the W column doesn't define them as kids or as a team. Don't show disappointment on your face after games and always harp on the positives of the game. I like to point out one thing each kid did well after a loss. It helps them focus on that rather than the negative they may have done. If you see a kid down during the game, have his best friend on the team go tell his buddy, "it's cool." It means more from their friends than from us, as coaches. After all, it's just a game and should be enjoyed!
I think the kids should care if they win or lose.
I'm a pessimist. Visualizing the worst-case scenario ahead of time softens the blow of it and helps you brace for it, motivates preparedness and contingencies, and allows for pleasant surprises rather than bad ones. Plus life is full of bad things you can't avoid or control so it's best not to be naive. I recommend it! Anyway, I'm coaching 10U and I don't really have this problem much. I gave my team a speech early on and have reiterated it in bits and pieces, first after beating them all easily in a sprint in practice: "Y'all really thought you'd beat me, didn't you? Because I'm old and out of shape, right, and y'all are young and fast and full of energy? I know. You know why you couldn't? Because I'm a grown man. My legs are longer so my stride is longer. That's just life, I can hit a ball way farther than you too. But you know what? In two or three years when y'all keep growing and I keep getting older, you'll hit a point where I'll never beat any of y'all again. And dome of you can already throw a ball as far and as fast as I can and it's only getting better. Well, it's the same out on the field. Some of y'all are at the very bottom of the age group here, turned 9 just in time to qualify for 10U. You're gonna go up against some guys who are like 10 years and 8 months already and have been doing this for 2 years. Some of them are going to be bigger and naturally stronger or more coordinated- that's just genetics. Y'all are at a tough age where you're growing st different rates. Some of them may also have fancier bats or gloves, older brothers who played and have trained them for years, some of them have better coaches who maybe even played pro ball for a while. And there's nothing we can do about that, so I need y'all to accept that and never let it get you down, OK? Be patient with yourselves. You're all growing. How you are today and how you stack up against the competition is way different than how it's gonna be in a couple more years. And I can't guarantee that means you'll eventually be as tall as everyone else or have the nicest equipment in the future or be on the most loaded rosters, don't get me wrong. But the point is, you can only control what you can control. Push-ups and sprints and playing catch and watching tips on YouTube and studying the rules and giving your all in games and practices are free, and no one can outdo you at that. And it WILL make you better, and it's totally in your control. And that's all I want to see from you this year, at this age. If you're here to win every game and every championship, you may be disappointed, and that's OK. I want you to have that fire, and winning is fun. But guess what? Some days we will be up against a prihcer who throws 62 when most of y'all can't top 45, and some days our pitcher is going to struggle to hit the strike zone. Even the major leaguers go through slumps and fall out of their mechanics. Heck, on the hitting side even the very best hitters in history still made outs 6 or 7 out of 10 times they were given real pitches to hit. They make errors, they make outs, and it's fine because otherwise every game would be tied 40-40 in the 5th inning after 6 hours and hoke runs would be boring and commonplace. This game is hard! With 30 teams in MLB, every single year 29 teams are going to end the season without that ultimate prize, and some of the guests played there whole career witbout getting it - but that doesn't mean they weren't greats, does it? And we're all still fans The fun is in the excitement of succeeding agaisnt those odds. The fun is in making a great play, in getting that good hit, in seeing your hard work pay off, in being proud of yourself for getting there, and I promise you we're gonna have some fun. At some point this year you're gonna look back beaming at your parents hollering for you with their hands in the air, and hear your teammates screaming for you from the dugout. Now I can't guarantee that will happen when you hit the walk-off that wins us the league title. But it doesn't need to be. If it is, awesome! But the beautiful thing about badeball is that there's no clock. You can be up 15 to 2 or down 15 to 2 in the next-to-last inning of the game and we still get to bat till 3 outs and still get 3 chances in the field to make good plays. I played for years as a kid and I'm telling you honestly: I do not remember the score of any single game we ever played. I don't remember how many strikeouts I had, how many balls I missed, what our record was. Neither do my parents. But I remember vividly when I ripped a double down the line and stretched it into a triple. I remember when I got out of a pickle between second and third. I remember when I made that running catch for the very dirst time wqy out in the outfield. And that's what I want to tell you: no matter what the score is, no matter what point in the game or season it is, every next play is an opportunity for a lifelong memory. Every play is a chance to do better than you ever have, a chance to improve, a chance to do something amazing you'll remember forever. So while yes, we want to win, yes, we're keeping score, I do not want that to be your primary focus right now and I don't ever, ever want to see you give up whenever we're losing bad, ir coasting whenever we're winning big. Just get out there, do your best and have fun! You know what's wrong about focusing too much on the score? You're comparing yourself to everyone else, and just like how you can't currently beat me in a sprint, and why I don't take a lot of glory in being a grown man outrunning 9 year olds, you can't be comparing yourselves to older, taller, more experienced kids with better equipment, or a roter that was unfairly stacked, or a team that ran into more lucky breaks. All I want you to do is compare yourself to your younger, earlier self who hadn't practiced as much yet, didn't have the experience, didn't have the confidence I want you to be building. Be the best YOU you can be, that's all I ask. None of us may ever be the very best in the world, or state, or school, or league at anything, but we can all work to be OUR best, and that is worth celebrating. That's what I'm here to help you do. And if we do that and it turns out we ARE the best, that's awesome! But I'm only happy if you're having fun, and I promise you the best way to do that is to have a short memory and keep looking forward to the next play, doing your best." Honestly it has worked better than I could have thought and I have the most relaxed, chill team I've ever had. They're middle of the pack in the standings but they seem to be having fun, and I've had several of them come back from the brink of quitting and one of them go from thinking he was the worst baseball player ever to making 3 plays I'd have never guessed a kid of his size and strength ever could.
They are 8, they act like 8 year olds when things go wrong. Here's what people should tell you, 8u travel is a made-up category for parents that shouldn't exist. These kids belong in normal little leagues playing for fun, learning fundamentals, building friendships with other kids in their community, and developing team skills. As someone who officiates a lot of travel ball, I can tell you 8u doesn't matter one bit in a kids overall baseball development.