The Starting Lineup Dilemma

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Ever wonder why your son isn't in the starting lineup? The truth might surprise you. 

Baseball isn't just about who can hit the ball farthest or throw the fastest pitch. High school coaches make tough decisions every single day about who plays and who sits – decisions that go far beyond raw talent. From academic performance and classroom behavior to practice effort and being a supportive teammate, the factors that determine playing time are complex and often invisible to parents watching from the stands.

I'll never forget the parent who approached me during a team cookout at IMG Academy in Florida to boldly declare that I was "what's keeping us from winning a state championship." That uncomfortable moment sparked an important reflection on the relationship between coaches, players, and parents. While that particular season ended in a heartbreaking 1-0 loss in the 10th inning of the district finals, the lessons remain relevant for baseball families everywhere.

Here's the uncomfortable truth many parents don't want to hear: sometimes the best way to support your child isn't by fighting their battles, but by stepping back. When parents rush to protect their sons from difficulty – whether it's limited playing time, batting lower in the lineup, or facing criticism – they rob them of the opportunity to develop resilience. In baseball, a game where even elite hitters fail seven out of ten times, learning from setbacks isn't just helpful; it's essential.

Whether you're a coach navigating lineup decisions or a parent supporting a player through ups and downs, remember that success in baseball and in life is earned through facing challenges head-on. The players who become leaders are those who learn to handle adversity without breaking. Trust the process, back the coaching staff, and let failure be the powerful teacher it's meant to be.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Today on Baseball, coaches Unplugged the starting
lineup.
Who gets to play and whodoesn't?
More goes into it than youthink, and a high school coach
has to make tough decisionsevery single day.

Speaker 2 (00:16):
Welcome to Baseball Coaches Unplugged with Coach Ken
Carpenter, presented byAthleteOne.
Baseball Coaches Unplugged is apodcast for baseball coaches,
with 27 years of high schoolbaseball coaching under his belt
, here to bring you the insidescoop on all things baseball,
from game winning strategies andpitching secrets to hitting
drills and defensive drills.
We're covering it all.

(00:36):
Whether you're a high schoolcoach, college coach or just a
baseball enthusiast, we'll diveinto the tactics and techniques
that make the difference on andoff the field.
Discover how to build a winningmentality.
Inspire your players and getthem truly bought into your game
philosophy Plus, get the latestinsights on recruiting,
coaching, leadership andcrafting a team culture that

(00:56):
champions productivity andsuccess.
Join Coach every week as hebreaks down the game and shares
incredible behind-the-scenesstories.
Your competitive edge startshere, so check out the show
weekly and hear from the bestcoaches in the game.
On Baseball Coaches Unplugged.

Speaker 1 (01:12):
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I'm going to start off today'sshow with a story To start the
season.
One year, we took our team toIMG Academy in Florida.

(02:41):
Being from Ohio, we werelooking for great weather,
fantastic facilities andexcellent competition, and that
is what IMG Academy was able todo for us.
We decided to have a cookout atthe beach with the players and
parents before the season gotstarted and just get everybody

(03:03):
together.
While sitting down at a tablewith my coaching staff, a very
outspoken parent walked up to meand while we were eating a
burger fresh off the grill andmade the following statement
Well, I'm looking at what'skeeping us from winning a state
championship this year.
His son was a two-year starterand had high expectations for

(03:27):
the team.
We had a very good team and wealso, as a coaching staff and
team, wanted to make a deep runin the tournament at the end of
the season.
I still look back at that dayand appreciate the honesty.
Was he right?
Depends on who you talk to, Iguess.

(03:47):
Well, we lost in the districtfinals to a tough opponent on a
throwing error in the 10thinning.
One to nothing.
So that brings me to today'stopic.
Is the high school baseballcoach doing what's best for the
team and his players?
High school baseball coaches isfull go across the country.

(04:13):
Tough decisions are being madedaily by coaches which players
will get playing time, whichplayers are going to sit the
bench.
Before the season, everyone isexcited.
But once that regular seasonbegins, a starting lineup has to
be announced and it's tough forplayers, their parents and the

(04:36):
coaches who have to make thosedecisions.
Parents, I get it.
If you want what's best foryour son, you want him to
succeed, to thrive, to feelconfident in his abilities.
That's why you invest intraining, you attend his games
and support his journey inbaseball.
But sometimes the best thingyou can do for him isn't

(04:59):
stepping in, it's stepping back.
Let's talk about the coachingstaff and the importance of
letting failure be a teacher,not a roadblock.
A baseball team functions bestwhen players, parents and
coaches work together.
Coaches dedicate years to thegame, developing strategies,

(05:25):
teaching fundamentals and makingdecisions that serve the team
as a whole.
When players and parents secondguess those decisions, it
creates division instead ofunity.
Trust the process, trust theleadership and do your best to

(05:46):
back the coaches.
I'll be the first to tell youcoaches make mistakes and
they're not perfect.
They're human.
Your son might not always likethe coaches decisions.
Coaches make mistakes andthey're not perfect.
They're human.
Your son might not always likethe coach's decisions.
Maybe he's batting lower in thelineup than he expected.
Maybe he's not seeing as muchplaying time as he hoped for.

(06:07):
That's tough, but instead ofrunning to the coach or the
administration to demand answers, use it as a teaching moment.
Encourage him to put in theextra work, to have a mature
conversation with the coach, toseek feedback and to control

(06:27):
what he can control and failure.
It's essential.
Baseball is a game ofimperfection.
If a player gets a hit threeout of ten times, he's
considered to be a pretty goodplayer.
That means failure happens moreoften than success, and the

(06:49):
players who rise above are theones who learn not to fear it
but to embrace it.
Striking out teaches a hitterwhat adjustments need to be made
.
A tough loss teaches a teamwhere they need to improve.
Getting benched teaches aplayer about effort, attitude
and perseverance.
Failure is a lesson, not apunishment.

(07:10):
When parents interfere, whenthey rush to protect their son
from difficulty, they rob themof the opportunity to grow, to
face adversity, to becomeresilient and to learn.
Success is earned, not given.
So it might be tough at times,but the best thing you can do is

(07:34):
back the coaching staff.
Unlike travel baseball, highschool baseball coaches have to
consider the players' grades,behavior in school, are they on
time, how they perform inpractice and are they good
teammates, to name a few.
Teach your son that respect,hard work, accountability matter

(07:55):
.
Let him fail, let him struggle,let him figure it out, because
that's how he becomes acompetitor, a leader and a man
who doesn't break at the firstsign of adversity and, trust me,
he'll be much better for it.
That's all for today's show.
Please be sure to tune in everyWednesday for a new episode

(08:19):
here on Baseball CoachesUnplugged, where I sit down with
some of the best coaches aroundthe country.
Baseball Coaches Unplugged isproud to be partnered with the
netting professionals, improvingprograms.
One facility at a time, onefacility at a time.
Contact them today at844-620-2707, or visit them
online at wwwnettingproscom.

(08:42):
As always, I'm your host CoachKen Carpenter.
Thanks for joining me andthanks for listening to Baseball
Coaches Unplugged.