Baseball or Golf?

[clemsoncowboys]

My son is 12 years old....loves both sports. Can't play both for school.....when should he make the decision?

[Matt J]

Let him decide. Very different atmosphere. Is he intro or extroverted?

 

I'd probably say baseball as you can play golf your whole life and he can keep playing jr. tournaments even if he doesn't play for the school.

[Yanki01]

got to let him decide. i decided early on it was baseball for me. starting playing baseball at 5yrs (golf at 6yrs) and played baseball all the way until high school. in middle school i didn't get picked up by any select teams (other than league play in season) so i played golf for my middle school. played baseball in high school all 4yrs and only played some freshman year.

 

now that all of that is long gone, i love playing golf. still have somewhat of a baseball swing - can't keep my left foot down.

[heavy_hitter]

Depends.

 

Playing either sport in schools does not matter, especially middle school. For both sports, if he has a future in either, it is the travel ball teams and golf tournaments that matter the most outside of school.

[disco111]

Can't play both for school............Well a lot depends on several things. First, what are his/your outlook for the future? Looking perhaps for a college athletic scholarship? Either sport is very difficult for attaining one and with either one, when dealing with school athletics, it sometimes becomes a who the coach likes best, if he's not the outstanding player. At this stage though, still in middle school, I'd say play the one that gives him the most enjoyment. High school is when and where you can decide which venue is your best choice for the future. In truth, it's all a total crap shoot as lots of things can happen in the future (nothing bad I hope), but his priorities can change greatly and he may decide to go in a very different direction. Both my sons were very good athletes in high school and played some college golf. Both went different ways from what I thought / hoped they would do. One is now a police lieutenant and the other is a physical therapist. Both are happy and successful in their careers and that's all a father could ask for.

[JustinK23]

In high school, my sophomore year they changed golf into fall sports and kept baseball spring. This is when I decided to take up golf, as I had never played before and no one in my family had ever swung a club (we are a baseball family). I was lucky that I could play both and that I made the team for golf.

 

It wasn't until college that I had to decide what sport I wanted to focus more on, and I went to baseball. College baseball was an amazing experience and I'd never trade those memories for the world, but looking back, there's always the "I wonder if I'd be on a tour or something" thoughts if I had the proper coaching and played competitively for 4 years.

 

Let him choose, keep the pressure out of it and keep it fun for him. He will make the right choice.

[Texsport]

My son went through exactly this decision when he went to high school.

 

- All Star baseball player - SS and pitcher - started playing baseball at 5 - led every league in BA, HR, RBI, SB (.600 BA and 12 HR in 15 games as a 12 yr old Little Leaguer - team was undefeated champs))

 

- Local big city PGA Junior Golf & National AJGA winner

 

He wanted to play both in high school, and I found a private high school that said he could play both, but he decided to stay with his friends. Played both sports in 9th grade but forced to choose the next year.

 

He made the decision and even though he may have been even more talented at baseball, he chose golf.

 

Great high school and AJGA golf career - got full ride D-1 scholarship.(He had 10 offers)

 

Now Director of Golf at major resort - Head Pro since he was 27 - never tried Tour, though 2 of his college teammates did with some success.

 

My only advice is to let your son make the choice (that was tough, because I was a D-1 baseball player), but you might want to look at your son's physical abilities - especially his eye sight. Major league baseball hitters have an average 20/15 eye sight and elite hitters are at 20/10. If that isn't likely to be his eye sight, he may have difficulty making it to big leagues as a hitter.

 

If you're thinking ultimate opportunities -Major league opportunities greater - about 750 big league spots vs +/- 175 spots on PGA Tour.

 

Golf can however be a lifetime occupation as a club pro, and can certainly be played longer than baseball by everyone.

 

(BTW - my son played baseball one more summer as a 16 yr old - All Star - post season team progressed thru 2 post season national tournaments before being knocked out in the 3rd. During his senior year, after not playing for 2 years, he was called by the school's baseball coach. My son's old baseball buddies were about to start the Texas State baseball play offs. The coach wondered if he would rejoin the team as a relief pitcher for the play off run! My son declined, but one of his best buddies used his glove as the team won the Texas State high school highest class championship.)

 

Good luck!

 

Texsport

[Homerun2Birdie]

I played baseball for 22 years, at every level except for the Big Show. I will say that nearly all of my greatest memories were made either on the ball field, or the time I spent with the guys. I still have annual golf trips from guys I played with in college, and we all stay in touch regularly. I can't speak to the camaraderie had on a collegiate level golf team, but I do know sharing those 3 to 4 years with the guys in that locker room were some of the most memorable of my life.

[BrianMcG]

He can play golf all summer and not really miss much. Tons of tournaments that recruits are looking at.

 

Highschool would be the time to decide.

[LeoLeo99]

One of the jocks when I was in high school played on the basketball and baseball teams but quit baseball his senior year to join the golf team. It caused a little drama but he was happy playing golf. If it was my son, I'd let him decide but I'd steer him towards baseball. Playing team baseball was a great part of my youth.

[leezer99]

Not related to your question but how do you like the Combat bat? I just picked up the Louisville Slugger Prime 917 for my nine year old and it seems to have some really nice pop. Only hit 30 or so balls in the cage with it so it's not broken in yet.

[BigUnit68]

I'm going through this with my son also op. He is almost 16 and is very good at both. He is leaning hard towards golf and all I ever have done was be the voice of reason and let him carve his own path.

 

I will miss him on the mound as he is a helluva pitcher but he also has a helluva golf swing.

 

Best of luck to you and your boy but I almost think he can't make a bad decision here if he follows his own heart.

[caniac6]

I'm 62 years old, and I love golf. That being said, If I could still play baseball, I would give up golf in a heart beat!

[heavy_hitter]

Not related to your question but how do you like the Combat bat? I just picked up the Louisville Slugger Prime 917 for my nine year old and it seems to have some really nice pop. Only hit 30 or so balls in the cage with it so it's not broken in yet.

 

I am in this industry. The Louisville 917 is on of the best bats out there right now. My Wilson rep, Wilson owns Demarini and Louisville, tells me that the Louisville bats are better. Combat is going out of business as they are owned by the same company Easton is. Their technology will be put into an Easton bat.

[endurancechiro]

I'd say let him play both as long as possible, and let him decide. At 12, a lot of things can change in the high schools before he gets there. He may get there and realize the baseball team is awful and needs more than 1 player to excel, or his peer group may shift one way or the other. The good thing about golf is if he chooses baseball, you can always do off season lessons and continue to play and even do some summer and fall tournament play.

[clemsoncowboys]

Let him decide. Very different atmosphere. Is he intro or extroverted?

 

I'd probably say baseball as you can play golf your whole life and he can keep playing jr. tournaments even if he doesn't play for the school.

I agree thanks.

 

got to let him decide. i decided early on it was baseball for me. starting playing baseball at 5yrs (golf at 6yrs) and played baseball all the way until high school. in middle school i didn't get picked up by any select teams (other than league play in season) so i played golf for my middle school. played baseball in high school all 4yrs and only played some freshman year.

 

now that all of that is long gone, i love playing golf. still have somewhat of a baseball swing - can't keep my left foot down.

okay thanks!!!

 

I'd say let him play both as long as possible, and let him decide. At 12, a lot of things can change in the high schools before he gets there. He may get there and realize the baseball team is awful and needs more than 1 player to excel, or his peer group may shift one way or the other. The good thing about golf is if he chooses baseball, you can always do off season lessons and continue to play and even do some summer and fall tournament play.

thanks!

 

Not related to your question but how do you like the Combat bat? I just picked up the Louisville Slugger Prime 917 for my nine year old and it seems to have some really nice pop. Only hit 30 or so balls in the cage with it so it's not broken in yet.

 

I am in this industry. The Louisville 917 is on of the best bats out there right now. My Wilson rep, Wilson owns Demarini and Louisville, tells me that the Louisville bats are better. Combat is going out of business as they are owned by the same company Easton is. Their technology will be put into an Easton bat.

The Demarini is hot as well!!

 

I'm 62 years old, and I love golf. That being said, If I could still play baseball, I would give up golf in a heart beat!

IT's a very hard decision!!

 

I'm going through this with my son also op. He is almost 16 and is very good at both. He is leaning hard towards golf and all I ever have done was be the voice of reason and let him carve his own path.

 

I will miss him on the mound as he is a helluva pitcher but he also has a helluva golf swing.

 

Best of luck to you and your boy but I almost think he can't make a bad decision here if he follows his own heart.

I agree, thanks!

 

One of the jocks when I was in high school played on the basketball and baseball teams but quit baseball his senior year to join the golf team. It caused a little drama but he was happy playing golf. If it was my son, I'd let him decide but I'd steer him towards baseball. Playing team baseball was a great part of my youth.

My thoughts exactly, thanks!

 

He can play golf all summer and not really miss much. Tons of tournaments that recruits are looking at.

 

Highschool would be the time to decide.

I like the summer tourneys, this way he can play both.

 

I played baseball for 22 years, at every level except for the Big Show. I will say that nearly all of my greatest memories were made either on the ball field, or the time I spent with the guys. I still have annual golf trips from guys I played with in college, and we all stay in touch regularly. I can't speak to the camaraderie had on a collegiate level golf team, but I do know sharing those 3 to 4 years with the guys in that locker room were some of the most memorable of my life.

Great advice!!!

[clemsoncowboys]

My son went through exactly this decision when he went to high school.

 

- All Star baseball player - SS and pitcher - started playing baseball at 5 - led every league in BA, HR, RBI, SB (.600 BA and 12 HR in 15 games as a 12 yr old Little Leaguer)

 

- Local big city PGA Junior Golf & National AJGA winner

 

He wanted to play both in high school, and I found a private high school that said he could play both, but he decided to stay with his friends. Played both sports in 9th grade but forced to choose the next year.

 

He made the decision and even though he may have been even more talented at baseball, he chose golf.

 

Great high school golf career - got full ride D-1 scholarship.

 

Now Director of Golf at major resort - Head Pro since he was 27 - never tried Tour, though 2 of his college teammates did with some success.

 

My only advice is to let your son make the choice, but you might want look at your son's physical abilities - especially his eye sight. Major league baseball hitters have an average 20/15 eye sight and elite hitters are at 20/10. If that isn't likely to be his eye sight, he may have difficulty making it to big leagues as a hitter.

 

If you're thinking ultimate opportunities -Major league opportunities greater - about 750 big league spots vs +/- 175 spots on PGA Tour.

 

Golf can however be a lifetime occupation as a club pro, and can certainly be played longer than baseball by everyone.

 

(BTW - my son played baseball one more summer - All Star - progressed thru 2 post season national tournaments before being knocked out in the 3rd. During his senior year, after not playing for 2 years, he was called by the school's baseball coach. My son's old baseball buddies were about to start the Texas State baseball play offs. The coach wondered if he would rejoin the team as a relief pitcher for the play off run! My son declined, but one of his best buddies used his glove as the team won the Texas State high school highest class championship.)

 

Good luck!

 

Texsport

Wow, great info here! Never thought about the eyesight but makes sense!!! Thanks!

 

In high school, my sophomore year they changed golf into fall sports and kept baseball spring. This is when I decided to take up golf, as I had never played before and no one in my family had ever swung a club (we are a baseball family). I was lucky that I could play both and that I made the team for golf.

 

It wasn't until college that I had to decide what sport I wanted to focus more on, and I went to baseball. College baseball was an amazing experience and I'd never trade those memories for the world, but looking back, there's always the "I wonder if I'd be on a tour or something" thoughts if I had the proper coaching and played competitively for 4 years.

 

Let him choose, keep the pressure out of it and keep it fun for him. He will make the right choice.

Thanks!

 

Can't play both for school............Well a lot depends on several things. First, what are his/your outlook for the future? Looking perhaps for a college athletic scholarship? Either sport is very difficult for attaining one and with either one, when dealing with school athletics, it sometimes becomes a who the coach likes best, if he's not the outstanding player. At this stage though, still in middle school, I'd say play the one that gives him the most enjoyment. High school is when and where you can decide which venue is your best choice for the future. In truth, it's all a total crap shoot as lots of things can happen in the future (nothing bad I hope), but his priorities can change greatly and he may decide to go in a very different direction. Both my sons were very good athletes in high school and played some college golf. Both went different ways from what I thought / hoped they would do. One is now a police lieutenant and the other is a physical therapist. Both are happy and successful in their careers and that's all a father could ask for.

Thanks for your input!!

 

Depends.

 

Playing either sport in schools does not matter, especially middle school. For both sports, if he has a future in either, it is the travel ball teams and golf tournaments that matter the most outside of school.

Exactly, thanks!

[tiger1873]

I assuming you are asking the question because either he is having a hard time deciding or he perhaps better at golf then baseball but likes to play baseball?

 

How is he compared to other players his age? If his golf game is so good he is winning every tournament you put him in then you should make sure he keeps up golf. The same thing can said for baseball if he knocks it out of the park every time. If this was the case the decision should be easy.

 

If he average to good then just him decide and if he doesn't choose golf just play with him once in a while to keep him active in golf so he can play it later if he wants too.

[Shambles]

Go for Baseball. It's a team sport and the boy needs to learn how to get along even with unpleasant people. If he fails to get on the team, move him to golf. Golf is more solo than team but still needs social aspects. Nice thing about Golf is that you can practice by yourself and play with a crowd of friends or strangers.

 

 

 

Shambles

[heavy_hitter]

My son went through exactly this decision when he went to high school.

 

- All Star baseball player - SS and pitcher - started playing baseball at 5 - led every league in BA, HR, RBI, SB (.600 BA and 12 HR in 15 games as a 12 yr old Little Leaguer)

 

- Local big city PGA Junior Golf & National AJGA winner

 

He wanted to play both in high school, and I found a private high school that said he could play both, but he decided to stay with his friends. Played both sports in 9th grade but forced to choose the next year.

 

He made the decision and even though he may have been even more talented at baseball, he chose golf.

 

Great high school golf career - got full ride D-1 scholarship.

 

Now Director of Golf at major resort - Head Pro since he was 27 - never tried Tour, though 2 of his college teammates did with some success.

 

My only advice is to let your son make the choice, but you might want look at your son's physical abilities - especially his eye sight. Major league baseball hitters have an average 20/15 eye sight and elite hitters are at 20/10. If that isn't likely to be his eye sight, he may have difficulty making it to big leagues as a hitter.

 

If you're thinking ultimate opportunities -Major league opportunities greater - about 750 big league spots vs +/- 175 spots on PGA Tour.

 

Golf can however be a lifetime occupation as a club pro, and can certainly be played longer than baseball by everyone.

 

(BTW - my son played baseball one more summer - All Star - progressed thru 2 post season national tournaments before being knocked out in the 3rd. During his senior year, after not playing for 2 years, he was called by the school's baseball coach. My son's old baseball buddies were about to start the Texas State baseball play offs. The coach wondered if he would rejoin the team as a relief pitcher for the play off run! My son declined, but one of his best buddies used his glove as the team won the Texas State high school highest class championship.)

 

Good luck!

 

Texsport

Wow, great info here! Never thought about the eyesight but makes sense!!! Thanks!

 

In high school, my sophomore year they changed golf into fall sports and kept baseball spring. This is when I decided to take up golf, as I had never played before and no one in my family had ever swung a club (we are a baseball family). I was lucky that I could play both and that I made the team for golf.

 

It wasn't until college that I had to decide what sport I wanted to focus more on, and I went to baseball. College baseball was an amazing experience and I'd never trade those memories for the world, but looking back, there's always the "I wonder if I'd be on a tour or something" thoughts if I had the proper coaching and played competitively for 4 years.

 

Let him choose, keep the pressure out of it and keep it fun for him. He will make the right choice.

Thanks!

 

Can't play both for school............Well a lot depends on several things. First, what are his/your outlook for the future? Looking perhaps for a college athletic scholarship? Either sport is very difficult for attaining one and with either one, when dealing with school athletics, it sometimes becomes a who the coach likes best, if he's not the outstanding player. At this stage though, still in middle school, I'd say play the one that gives him the most enjoyment. High school is when and where you can decide which venue is your best choice for the future. In truth, it's all a total crap shoot as lots of things can happen in the future (nothing bad I hope), but his priorities can change greatly and he may decide to go in a very different direction. Both my sons were very good athletes in high school and played some college golf. Both went different ways from what I thought / hoped they would do. One is now a police lieutenant and the other is a physical therapist. Both are happy and successful in their careers and that's all a father could ask for.

Thanks for your input!!

 

Depends.

 

Playing either sport in schools does not matter, especially middle school. For both sports, if he has a future in either, it is the travel ball teams and golf tournaments that matter the most outside of school.

Exactly, thanks!

 

I wanted to say more, but got caught up at work.

 

Depending on where you live, I would say golf. Living in North Carolina, your son can play Baseball year round on travel teams anyway.

[Zaphod2319]

If my son were to develop with golf, the soccer season and the golf season are in the spring at the high school. He may just choose to skip both. Colleges are more interested in what level of private club you play soccer for than high school teams, as well as tournements. The leagues he plays in are both FIFA and NASL sanctioned leagues, which means they track his stats better than high school teams do. University recruiters spend more time at the large tournements and upper level league games than they do at high school games.

 

From what I have been told on this site as well as what I have read, it is a similar situation with golf.

 

So high school really becomes a fun league, if he is even interested.

[heavy_hitter]

If my son were to develop with golf, the soccer season and the golf season are in the spring at the high school. He may just choose to skip both. Colleges are more interested in what level of private club you play soccer for than high school teams, as well as tournements. The leagues he plays in are both FIFA and NASL sanctioned leagues, which means they track his stats better than high school teams do. University recruiters spend more time at the large tournements and upper level league games than they do at high school games.

 

From what I have been told on this site as well as what I have read, it is a similar situation with golf.

 

So high school really becomes a fun league, if he is even interested.

 

While true, there is also a sense of community pride playing for your local high school sports teams. I will be the first to tell you, and have said on here many times, recruiters do not care about high school golf. However, it is still a really fun thing to do and the kids get a lot out of it. The overall objective of sport is to have fun, be social, and learn to deal with others. If you get a scholarship out of it, great. If not, great.

 

I will add this as well. Do not go into thinking scholarship. There are no scholarships for Soccer or Golf. There is, but there is not very much money involved unless you are the best of the best. If a scholarship is what you seek, you will be financially better investing in tutors to get straight A's to receive an academic scholarship. Golf get 4.5 scholarships for a 10-12 man team. Unless you are ranked in the top 50 of high school players in your class, you will only get a partial scholarship. Soccer gets 9.9 for an average size of 29 kids per team. There is very little money for men in either sport.

[Texsport]

Back when my son was being recruited, I was talking to Oklahoma State's famous golf coach Mike Holder,at the old Ben Hogan Junior Invitational, that used to be held in the Dallas/Ft Worth area, He told me that there were lots of good junior players. It was impossible, with their budgets, to travel extensively to search them out.

 

He had to concentrate on the major national and regional junior tournaments to recruit the top players.

 

Holder and Oklahoma State was/is the apex of NCAA D-1 golf schools. To get a scholarship offer at one of those schools - you must perform at the national level.

 

For most NCAA programs, however, they rely more on local tournament play results and videos + resumes sent to them by interested players.(including foreign players)

 

So, high school golf does matter for most recruiters - 1st for the experience and development of playing under pressure - but very importantly for most players seeking a scholarship at most schools.

 

Kids and parents often believe that getting a chance at the top golf schools is the only way to go.

 

But, that's only for some. Go to a famous school and you'll have 10-15 players vying for 5 playing spots. Many good players never get a chance in those environments, and if you can't play, you can't develop!

 

No 18 year old isn't ready for the pro tour, and needs years of further growth. Sitting the bench won't get that.

 

Look at all the PGA Tour players who went to small schools, or, non-golfing power schools. Go there and you get to play a lot.

 

So, for player development, it's often best to go where you can play. In golf, it's not about team victories if you want to play on the Tour. It's about playing time and individual development.

 

My son has commented to me that he later thought that taking a scholarship to a place like Rice, where he was offered, would have had great benefits, because they only have 5 or 6 team players (read almost automatic playing time if on the team), and play a great schedule, plus that education cannot be denied.

 

There are some awesome opportunities in golf programs which may recruit mostly locally.

 

At big programs, lots of kids lose heart and interest because of limited playing opportunities.

 

For a kid thinking of splitting his time between 2 sports, obviously national events are important, but local high school play is important, because you must have a great resume of local tournament results to get into national events. You can't just sign up for a regional AJGA tournament - there's too much competition. Plus - many colleges do pay attention locally. This is especially true if you live in an area with many colleges near by. For a place like Houston, there are Houston, Rice, Houston Baptist, Lamar, and Texas A&M within 100 miles.

 

In my son's case - he played locally, regionally, and nationally. He got lots of travel experience traveling all over the country when he was 13-18. The cost of this was significant, but we're fortunate that he had those experiences.

 

Bottom line - as you advance in golf, there are fewer and fewer opportunities. Sometimes what seems appears to be the correct path must be changed in order to get enough opportunity.

 

Texsport

[Zaphod2319]

On the soccer side of things it is about better coaching and stronger competition rather than scholarship opportunity. The golf aspect is all new to me.

[clemsoncowboys]

If my son were to develop with golf, the soccer season and the golf season are in the spring at the high school. He may just choose to skip both. Colleges are more interested in what level of private club you play soccer for than high school teams, as well as tournements. The leagues he plays in are both FIFA and NASL sanctioned leagues, which means they track his stats better than high school teams do. University recruiters spend more time at the large tournements and upper level league games than they do at high school games.

 

From what I have been told on this site as well as what I have read, it is a similar situation with golf.

 

So high school really becomes a fun league, if he is even interested.

 

While true, there is also a sense of community pride playing for your local high school sports teams. I will be the first to tell you, and have said on here many times, recruiters do not care about high school golf. However, it is still a really fun thing to do and the kids get a lot out of it. The overall objective of sport is to have fun, be social, and learn to deal with others. If you get a scholarship out of it, great. If not, great.

 

I will add this as well. Do not go into thinking scholarship. There are no scholarships for Soccer or Golf. There is, but there is not very much money involved unless you are the best of the best. If a scholarship is what you seek, you will be financially better investing in tutors to get straight A's to receive an academic scholarship. Golf get 4.5 scholarships for a 10-12 man team. Unless you are ranked in the top 50 of high school players in your class, you will only get a partial scholarship. Soccer gets 9.9 for an average size of 29 kids per team. There is very little money for men in either sport.

Good points!

 

On the soccer side of things it is about better coaching and stronger competition rather than scholarship opportunity. The golf aspect is all new to me.

thanks!

[clemsoncowboys]

Back when my son was being recruited, I was talking to Oklahoma State's famous golf coach Mike Holder,at the old Ben Hogan Junior Invitational, that used to be held in the Dallas/Ft Worth area, He told me that there were lots of good junior players. It was impossible, but with their budgets, to travel extensively.

 

He had to concentrate on the major national and regional junior tournaments to recruit the top players.

 

Holder and Oklahoma State was/is the apex of NCAA D-1 golf schools. To get a scholarship offer at one of those schools - you must perform at the national level.

 

For most NCAA programs, however, they rely more on local tournament play results and videos + resumes sent to them by interested players.(including foreign players)

 

So, high school golf does matter for most recruiters - 1st for the experience and development of playing under pressure - but very importantly for most players seeking a scholarship at most schools.

 

Kids and parents often believe that getting a chance at the top golf schools is the only way to go.

 

But, that's only for some. Go to a famous school and you'll have 10-15 players vying for 5 playing spots. Many good players never get a chance in those environments, and if you can't play, you can't develop!

 

No 18 year old is ready for the pro tour, and needs years of further growth. Sitting the bench won't get that.

 

Look at all the PA Tour players who went to small schools, or, non-golfing power schools. Go there and you get to play a lot.

 

So, for player development, it's often best to go where you can play. In golf, it's not about team victories if you want to play on the Tour. It's about playing time and development.

 

My son has commented to me that he later thought that taking a scholarship to a place like Rice, where he was offered, would have had great benefits, because they only have 5 or 6 team players (read almost automatic playing time if on the team), and play a great schedule, plus that education cannot be denied.

 

There are some awesome opportunities in golf programs which may recruit mostly locally.

 

At big programs, lots of kids lose heart and interest because of limited playing opportunities.

 

For a kid thinking of splitting his time between 2 sports, obviously national events are important, but local high school play is important, because you must have a great resume of local tournament results to get into national events. You can't just sign up for a regional AJGA tournament - there's too much competition. Plus - many colleges do pay attention locally. This is especially true if you live in an area with many colleges near by. For a place like Houston, there are Houston, Rice, Houston Baptist, Lamar, and Texas A&M within 100 miles.

 

In my son's case - he played locally, regionally, and nationally. He got lots of travel experience traveling all over the country when he was 13-18. The cost of this was significant, but we're fortunate that he had those experiences.

 

Bottom line - as you advance in golf, there are fewer and fewer opportunities. Sometimes what seems appears to be the correct path must be changed in order to get enough opportunity.

 

Texsport

Thanks for taking the time!! good read!

 

If my son were to develop with golf, the soccer season and the golf season are in the spring at the high school. He may just choose to skip both. Colleges are more interested in what level of private club you play soccer for than high school teams, as well as tournements. The leagues he plays in are both FIFA and NASL sanctioned leagues, which means they track his stats better than high school teams do. University recruiters spend more time at the large tournements and upper level league games than they do at high school games.

 

From what I have been told on this site as well as what I have read, it is a similar situation with golf.

 

So high school really becomes a fun league, if he is even interested.

Thanks!

 

Go for Baseball. It's a team sport and the boy needs to learn how to get along even with unpleasant people. If he fails to get on the team, move him to golf. Golf is more solo than team but still needs social aspects. Nice thing about Golf is that you can practice by yourself and play with a crowd of friends or strangers.

 

 

 

Shambles

Thanks!

[Tigermatt31]

I had to make the same decision and chose golf. Do both for as long as he can and one day he will decide while at baseball "i wish i was golfing" of vis versa. Something will hit him and a decision will be made as to which he wants to do for school. Good luck in the process

[umassgolfer]

1st of all...like others have said, let him choose what he wants to do.

 

If you're looking to arm yourselves with opinions to make the decision, however, I have a couple thoughts on this...all leaning towards baseball.

 

- It is much easier to play golf casually (and even competitively - AJGA, etc.) than baseball. Once you get to the HS level, there's really no replacement on the baseball side. And I know every school is different but my HS golf coach was basically a babysitter; you can get great golf instruction on the side.

 

- This will be my first year not playing baseball. I'm 30, life is catching up to me and I can't commit to full weekends/Sunday away for most of my summer. Not to mention, my skill level and that of the team I played on is going down. I am glad I played baseball as long as I was "competitive" - but now I have golf for the rest of my life.

[mjriva45]

Both for now! I agree decision at HS

[blaird]

I am a high school coach that coaches girls golf but coached the boys my first 7 years or so and have faced this issue a bunch, but with girls its softball. I speak to the kids and let them know how much we practice, how many matches, and what they can expect and then let them make the decision. Some come to golf, some dont.

 

Its really up to the kid. I am not sure how their school does it but down here, boys can only take 5 to a match. Would he have a chance at making that 5? Do they have a jv team that he could play on and would they play enough matches to make it worthwhile? In the end, make sure that its his decision. As a coach, I can say there is nothing worse than a kid at the course that would rather be at baseball and vice versa. You just dont get the same work as someone who truly wants to be there. If he truly loves golf then it wont matter really whether he plays baseball or golf for the school, hes gonna work at both.

 

This is part of the reason I have been pushing to get golf moved from spring to fall. More softball and baseball players, better weather, better time since our first 6 weeks or so it gets dark at 530, and no snowbirds and courses are more willing to let the kids on. Would love to start practice first day back at school and run it til late Oct or so, but it has been shot down numerous times. Only bad thing about it is if it happened I would lose one of my top players to volleyball.