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Kids who do “travel” sports all kill selves in their 20s now
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Date: April 1st, 2026 9:34 AM Author: clothmo plan accordingly gibberish and dupa
https://x.com/drantbradley/status/2039306657566474462?s=46 |
Date: April 1st, 2026 9:40 AM Author: dupa “Elite” youth sports is a deranged culture. It’s terrible for kids mental health and families overall.
Last year I moved my older kids to a club with a strong team but a culture that understands that kids have lives outside of soccer. The message I try to send them is that soccer is a fun activity and that’s it. I don’t want them to feel any pressure to perform well on the field out of obligation to someone else or that their value as a person is in any way tied to their athletic achievements. |
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Date: April 1st, 2026 10:11 AM Author: George Jetson My son does travel soccer and he enjoys it, but some of the parents act like their kid is going to the world cup.
Example of this-our travel club breaks down into three levels- ECNL, Challenge, Classic. Within Challenge and classic, there are red and blue teams, with blue being the better of the two. My son isn't a world beater, but is ok, so he was ok being placed on classic. Within the classic, he missed the day they evaluated for blue vs. red, so he was placed on red. Little disappointed, but it's 12 year old soccer, so we told him to suck it up life isn't always fair. Coach realizes he should've been on blue, so he ends up playing in both red and blue games, which means that we've gone to a lot of soccer games since January.
The parents of some of the kids on blue are absolutely insane. For some reason, they like my kid because he's decent, but if any other red kid plays in a blue game, they get irate. Once, for a tournament, the club mixed red and blue together and had like half and half for two teams in a tournament and both teams lost a game and some of these parents refuse to have their kid even play on a mixed team any so little timmy doesn't have to play with kids who aren't good. Even if a blue player makes a mistake, they get pissed and throw their hands up like wtf is this kid doing.
Blue and red players are in same "pool" so we're all on a single group chat to coordinate games. Parents of blue and red are arguing about why the club seems to focus on blue team and not red etc. One time, a substitute coach had to coach a game and that coach sat on his phone the entire time during the game. Parents complained like you would not believe and one kid's parents didn't let him play in the next game to "punish" the club for the substitute coach's behavior. Like dude, who gives a shit. |
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Date: April 1st, 2026 10:22 AM Author: dupa Spoiler alert: you have your kid playing at a toxic club. You have the right values but I wholeheartedly agree with your assessment of the lunacy of the parents. I left the “academy” scam. Current club also has 3 levels at every age and in both genders. But they don’t have an elite league badge like ECNL, GA or MLS Next. My kids are on their top teams which sound like a similar level as the team your son is on. I’d just much rather they be on the top teams at a club rather than the 2nd or 3rd team with delusional striver parents and a club that sees you just as revenue. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5852294&forum_id=2\u0026show=week#49785643) |
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Date: April 2nd, 2026 5:36 AM Author: Long PlayroomPoon Clown Conniption ( ) this (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5852294&forum_id=2\u0026show=week#49788415) |
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Date: April 1st, 2026 10:27 AM Author: Richard Ames These people are just losers. They probably just want some way to brag to their "friends" and are using their kids for this purpose. Very sick world. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5852294&forum_id=2\u0026show=week#49785658) |
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Date: April 1st, 2026 5:29 PM Author: dupa 100%. it's not even living vicariously through the kids. it's broadcasting your child's athletic feats as an indicator of how great a parent you are.
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Date: April 1st, 2026 11:30 PM Author: George Jetson Yeah it’s sort of sad. Most of those who are this invested are retired military where the dad is retired and the wife works at some menial job. They more wealthy ones seem more grounded, but it’s probably bc they realize grades matter more than sports long term (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5852294&forum_id=2\u0026show=week#49788234) |
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Date: April 2nd, 2026 5:32 AM Author: computer online (🧐) nyuug is right about american wypipo. We deserve to die and I hope we burn in hell (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5852294&forum_id=2\u0026show=week#49788414) |
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Date: April 2nd, 2026 8:41 AM Author: George Jetson the craziest ones are all black. They've formed their own black group who sit together, etc. My wife and I are increasingly the only bridge between the white folk and black folk because we're the main ones that talk to them now. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5852294&forum_id=2\u0026show=week#49788549) |
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Date: April 1st, 2026 9:43 AM Author: where do we draw the line there are so few routes left to maek it, what else do you want them to do? (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5852294&forum_id=2\u0026show=week#49785530) |
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Date: April 1st, 2026 9:51 AM Author: .,.,...,..,.,..:,,:,......,;:.,.:..:.,:,::,. Sports, gambling on sports, and slutting it up on Onlyfans are the only career paths for kids these days (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5852294&forum_id=2\u0026show=week#49785548) |
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Date: April 1st, 2026 9:52 AM Author: where do we draw the line dont forget becoming a streamer (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5852294&forum_id=2\u0026show=week#49785552) |
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Date: April 1st, 2026 10:23 AM Author: .,.,...,..,.,..:,,:,......,;:.,.:..:.,:,::,. A damn fine career (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5852294&forum_id=2\u0026show=week#49785650) |
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Date: April 1st, 2026 5:31 PM Author: ""''"'"'"'". dang (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5852294&forum_id=2\u0026show=week#49787020) |
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Date: April 1st, 2026 11:57 PM Author: .,.,,...,...,..,....,...,...,... In all seriousness, if you have too much money for financial aid, your only hope of getting a scholarship for college is to be good at sports. Or if you are dead set on the Ivy tier of schools, it is far easier to be admitted if you are an athlete. So, there are strong incentives for parents to take it extremely seriously. Especially for boys, when there are so few scholarships available for any sport other than football. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5852294&forum_id=2\u0026show=week#49788285) |
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Date: April 2nd, 2026 12:11 AM Author: ........,,,,,,......,.,.,.,,,,,,,,,, I don't get the level of.delusion and idiocy where people think putting 10k per year into a sport for a 3% chance your kid is good enough and not.injured enough to get a scholarship is anything but delusions of grandeur.
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Date: April 2nd, 2026 6:57 AM Author: dupa (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5852294&forum_id=2\u0026show=week#49788450) |
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Date: April 2nd, 2026 4:13 AM Author: H-Value Do merit scholarships not exist anymore? I had SPS GPA but a baller SAT score and copped a full ride at a decent college. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5852294&forum_id=2\u0026show=week#49788407) |
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Date: April 1st, 2026 5:35 PM Author: sealclubber huh, there's a direct correlation between all of these suicides and children who were fucked by shitlib covid policies, too (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5852294&forum_id=2\u0026show=week#49787027) |
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Date: April 1st, 2026 5:37 PM Author: Ricky Pitino less goyim who cares (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5852294&forum_id=2\u0026show=week#49787032) |
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Date: April 1st, 2026 5:38 PM Author: AIDS dicknigger Dude was probably vaxxed (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5852294&forum_id=2\u0026show=week#49787036) |
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Date: April 1st, 2026 11:31 PM Author: Peter Tealbook Their dads fuck them. That's why (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5852294&forum_id=2\u0026show=week#49788237) |
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Date: April 1st, 2026 11:49 PM Author: Fyre festival founder Is it true the parents of travel sports kids are all having affairs with each other? That’s what the streets are saying (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5852294&forum_id=2\u0026show=week#49788271) |
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Date: April 2nd, 2026 12:26 AM Author: ........,,,,,,......,.,.,.,,,,,,,,,, Its crazy how competitive this stuff is now. My kid is 7 and does other sports during the year, but I put him in rec league soccer.in the spring.
There are two more serious leagues above him, and even still, all these kids have way better soccer skills then him.
He can play because he's probably 95% in speed and effort, but if my younger son was doing it he'd probably have to sit on the bench most of.the game - as a 7 year old - playing rec soccer....
Its kind of wild because I feel like when I grew up even fat and autistic kids could play until like 8th grade and now there are no non serious games starting at age 8. |
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Date: April 2nd, 2026 7:02 AM Author: dupa It is truly insane. Every year tryouts go the next year start in February/march and it’s a musical chairs of rosters. There are no consistent teams anymore. The days of playing with the same group building friendships and memories etc are gone. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5852294&forum_id=2\u0026show=week#49788454) |
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Date: April 2nd, 2026 8:24 AM Author: George Jetson It’s crazy how much better travel kids are than casuals. You almost have to do travel if you want your kid to make a school team now (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5852294&forum_id=2\u0026show=week#49788526) |
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Date: April 2nd, 2026 9:47 AM Author: gibberish (?) For a sport like baseball, if a kids goes the little league route exclusively he's eg only going to see 10-15 actual practice pitches a week for batting practice. Once the season starts some teams don't practice at all. A kid could be amazingly gifted, but you'd never know because he'll never get enough reps to be proficient at hitting the ball. Zero chance this kid makes the highschool team. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5852294&forum_id=2\u0026show=week#49788671) |
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Date: April 2nd, 2026 10:19 AM Author: dupa cr. my son does exclusively rec baseball. there are like 3 practices and then it's just games where each kid gets a couple ABs and is involved in a handful of defensive plays.
Even travel ball, it seems like it's 2 practices per week and then tournaments every weekend. Wouldn't that time be better spent with more training and reps? |
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Date: April 2nd, 2026 10:39 AM Author: gibberish (?) The lack of reps is what led us to a travel ball team. I had no idea what I was getting into (I didn't like baseball as a kid). I just wanted more reps for the little league season. First week was Wtf did I walk into...
For select we only do batting once a week and it's mostly live at bats. I have two kids playing ball, so when one is at practice I'll bring the off-day kid and get 2-3 buckets of balls off of the machine at the facility. That helps dramatically. I should also add that in a place like the pnw an indoor facility is essential, and justifies some of the costs. I see lots of highschool kids there even late on a Friday night. That type of culture is what I'm really going for. I'm not trying to get my kid to MLB. I want him to learn how to handle stress and see that hard work does pay off. |
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Date: April 2nd, 2026 9:51 AM Author: .,.,.,.,.,...,.,,.,,.....,.,..,.,,...,.,.,,...,. if your kid is playing high school & college soccer, they are never going pro. The pipeline to professional athlete for soccer doesn't take the traditional route that football, basketball, and baseball do (e.g. high school --> college --> pro or minor league) (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5852294&forum_id=2\u0026show=week#49788681) |
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Date: April 2nd, 2026 10:16 AM Author: dupa Cr. Even for MLS, kids are signed at 15 years old. It's becoming more and more rare for American kids to play professionally coming out of college. In the most recent MLS draft, only 6 total American players were drafted to MLS teams.
That said, for most, playing D1 is the pipe dream and not necessarily being a pro. Even that is becoming increasingly challenging because the rosters are packed with players who went through top European youth academies but didn't make the pro squad. There are now tons of top level academy players who forego playing for their high schools just to end up playing D3 soccer. It's insanely competitive now.
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Date: April 2nd, 2026 10:17 AM Author: AIDS dicknigger So why can't America put together a competitive international mens team? (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5852294&forum_id=2\u0026show=week#49788731) |
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Date: April 2nd, 2026 10:22 AM Author: dupa because you need special players and a cohesive soccer culture. Pulisic is borderline special and the rest of our team are basically serviceable players on top club teams. Our country doesn't have a soccer culture. We have completely ignorant parents whose kids only know soccer from playing in a structured environment for coaches/trainers who don't give a shit about them.
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Date: April 2nd, 2026 10:24 AM Author: AIDS dicknigger I guess to your point or whoever's point above, it's better to just be out in the field every day after school playing with your buds and getting reps in than traveling around? (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5852294&forum_id=2\u0026show=week#49788746) |
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Date: April 2nd, 2026 9:54 AM Author: the indian justin bieber (Dad who took out life insurance policies on his kids) (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5852294&forum_id=2\u0026show=week#49788690) |
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Date: April 2nd, 2026 1:22 AM Author: gibberish (?) I doubt any of my kids will be that good. They're safe. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5852294&forum_id=2\u0026show=week#49788357) |
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Date: April 2nd, 2026 7:42 AM Author: stand by me (definite and ineradicable gauge of its upward moving) It’s all so tiresome. Kind of crazy that you can be that depressed at 25 to be honest. You have so much life ahead of you! There’s no way the dude could have walked a mile in my shoes. Good riddance. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5852294&forum_id=2\u0026show=week#49788490) |
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Date: April 2nd, 2026 7:48 AM Author: AIDS dicknigger I doubt you could even walk a mile in your shoes (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5852294&forum_id=2\u0026show=week#49788495) |
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Date: April 2nd, 2026 8:37 AM Author: stand by me (definite and ineradicable gauge of its upward moving) I walked home yesterday and it was like 3.5 miles. Some of those neighborhoods are sketchy too. It go progressively nicer as I meandered my way back home. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5852294&forum_id=2\u0026show=week#49788544) |
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Date: April 2nd, 2026 9:30 AM Author: Big Clique Energy (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5852294&forum_id=2\u0026show=week#49788632) |
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Date: April 2nd, 2026 10:19 AM Author: .,.,...,..,.,.,:,,:,.,.,:::,...,:,...:..:.,:.::,. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5852294&forum_id=2\u0026show=week#49788733) |
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Date: April 2nd, 2026 11:25 AM Author: sealclubber to be fair, the so much life that remains sucks compared to the life you've had to that point (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5852294&forum_id=2\u0026show=week#49788835) |
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Date: April 2nd, 2026 7:45 AM Author: Buses dupa does this with girls lmao. oh wow great pace brenda (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5852294&forum_id=2\u0026show=week#49788493) |
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Date: April 2nd, 2026 8:07 AM Author: dupa No one is named Brenda anymore. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5852294&forum_id=2\u0026show=week#49788507) |
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Date: April 2nd, 2026 8:50 AM Author: Kenneth Play (emotional girth) the link has nothing to do with travel sports and does not support any claim against travel sports (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5852294&forum_id=2\u0026show=week#49788560) |
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Date: April 2nd, 2026 9:17 AM Author: the indian justin bieber What link are you looking at my man (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5852294&forum_id=2\u0026show=week#49788607) |
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Date: April 2nd, 2026 9:40 AM Author: t.rick o'treat panama for basketball travel aau is a money racket and 100% unnecessary, at least up to 8th grade. i can't speak past that / college recruiting, but for sure when your kid is in middle school you don't have to stay at a motel 6 in florida to do some stupid 'national' event.
my kid got his invite to visit lalu based off their staff being at a game to watch a kid on the other team. it was school ball, not even local aau. |
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Date: April 2nd, 2026 9:55 AM Author: Richie Moon #youngrichiemoon Baseball is the most unnecessary. Before a certain age. Common misconception is that you can be small and still succeed. Yeah there are 1 or 2 freaks like Altuve. Look at Altuve with his shirt off. He’s compact and has freak genetics. Your 5’9 son is not going to be Altuve.
Baseball some kid who grows to 5’9 at age 13 (me) is going to dominate. Then when he stops growing (me) and is 5’9 in college and the guy who grew to be 6’7 is throwing 94 with movement and looks like he’s half way to the plate when the ball leaves his hand and you can barely think long enough to square the ball up you’re fucked.
Makes it laughable having your 8 year old play in some elite travel league.
That shit is fine once you get on the big field at 13 or 14 but lmaooo at age 8. Kids who want to succeed at baseball should be outside all day hitting into the net with their dads, eating, trying to get as big and strong as possible.
Parents are retarded. “My 8 year old plays in an elite travel team and we spend all day for him to get 4 at bats and 3 swings! He’s great!” |
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Date: April 2nd, 2026 9:58 AM Author: gibberish (?) Our team doesn't even really bother evaluating kids for colleges until they're 15. Lol at some 9u dad asking about scouts (and I've heard this).
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Date: April 2nd, 2026 10:00 AM Author: Richie Moon #youngrichiemoon And I don’t disagree at all. 13/14/15 I just mean they have to be in the high school big field mix before even thinking about “elite” travel teams. It’s good to expose kids to the fact that talent goes beyond your school district boundaries for perspective but lmao at doing that at 8. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5852294&forum_id=2\u0026show=week#49788702) |
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Date: April 2nd, 2026 10:31 AM Author: gibberish (?) Most baseball travel teams start at around 9-10 with a limited schedule. But even at that age it's still not uncommon to see kids playing in the dirt. And travel teams come on various forms and sizes. You're seeing more little league districts putting together all star teams and registering them for tournaments. I think that's a good mix. Little leagues that accommodate travel ball schedules are also more common.
But then you get select teams with indoor basketball courts and weight room staff. The team I posted below has everything. They charge $7k a year and the kid has to sign a contract stating that not only will they NOT play little league but no other sports period. For 11 year olds??? That extreme specialization at such an early age is nuts. Of course that's no comparison to competitive dance which solves the conflict problem by leaving the girls zero free time.
https://newlevel360.com/about_us/new-level-puyallup?view=facilities |
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Date: April 2nd, 2026 9:58 AM Author: .,.,.,.,.,...,.,,.,,.....,.,..,.,,...,.,.,,...,. cr. Batting is the most important thing for these kids little league teams. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5852294&forum_id=2\u0026show=week#49788698) |
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Date: April 2nd, 2026 10:21 AM Author: gibberish (?) Dad who's kids is playing for an Arizona school said if your kid can hit a team will always find a place for him. That said, it's incredibly frustrating to see basic fielding errors ruin games for kids. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5852294&forum_id=2\u0026show=week#49788739) |
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Date: April 2nd, 2026 9:58 AM Author: Judas Jones Now you can just get AI Mustard App analysis of your throwing and hitting mechanics and leg lengthening surgery and you don't need these fatass "coaches" (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5852294&forum_id=2\u0026show=week#49788699) |
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Date: April 2nd, 2026 10:02 AM Author: Richie Moon #youngrichiemoon 100%. Instagram has made me a better hitter now at 40 not flame than I was at 20. I rarely had video of myself hitting as a kid. Now you can use your phone to analyze. “Swing down on the ball!” Now you see it’s more of a flick of the wrist and allow your body to do the talking. It’s insane.
Teacherman has great shit on Instagram. |
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Date: April 2nd, 2026 10:32 AM Author: gibberish (?) I was going to say teacherman! Of course team coaches still call him controversial. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5852294&forum_id=2\u0026show=week#49788759) |
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Date: April 2nd, 2026 10:37 AM Author: Richie Moon #youngrichiemoon My theory is they just want all kids to be the same bc it makes their lives easier. No one good truly swings down on the ball. I was one of those guys who never struck out and always hit in high average. I had a year in college where I was like “I’m going to the fuckin bigs.” And scouts looked at me like “hey man you were third in the conference in batting average but all of those seeing eye singles doubles in the gap are getting caught by players of caliber. Keep swinging down on the ball bro!”
That’s the reality. Scouts want guys with pop. Sometimes “stats” don’t tell the whole story. Chicks dig the long ball. |
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Date: April 2nd, 2026 10:44 AM Author: gibberish (?) Bat knob for all good hitters, no matter the stance starting out, always points at the catchers foot when they load. That little tidbit is huge. The flick is something coaches hate too.
I know a dad who's kid was an amazing pitcher. They took a team to the little league world series and his kid was their best pitcher. He got a full ride but not a whiff from scouts. They were far more interested in their 3rd pitcher that had a flamethrower arm but also a ton of walks. When I found out his kid was now selling real estate that put things in perspective. |
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Date: April 2nd, 2026 11:27 AM Author: sealclubber being on teams is fun, memorable, and meaningful in how kids turn out (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5852294&forum_id=2\u0026show=week#49788836) |