12 year old son in slump

Question
My son is very intense and at 12 years old is a perfectionist. He plays on a very good team and is the 3rd baseman as well as pitcher. He has always loved baseball and wanted to do well at it. He's a strong boy.. heavy set and has power. Anyway, he has pitched very well before and even was the first player to pitch the entire game this season. He got 13 strike outs in that game. He pitched once after that ok. The last 2 times he has pitched have been really terrible. He pitches in the dirt or high and just can't seem to get the ball in the zone. That has been very frustrating for him and the team. Then, his hitting. The same game he pitched well he went 5 for 5. Since then, he hits out (mostly) although has managed a double in one game. Last game he struck out and hit out (although moving a runner up.) He has been really wanting to get a home run and he has the power. We keep telling him he will. He has gotten to the point of really getting annoyed when we tell him to practice more. He now says that he's no good... he tries and tries...and nothing. He gets really upset and I try to convince him that everyone has slumps, even very highly paid major leaguers and he shouldn't take this on as if it's forever. But, I think he now has this whole negative energy around him and I am at a loss to get him through it. Can you give any advice?
Also, re pitching.. just wondering how much practice they should actually have before being put in to pitch.


Answer
Zita,

Thanks for the question.  I have seen this too often.  It sounds like your son is actually thinking too much. There is one thing for certain in baseball...failure.  Baseball is a game of failure if you think about it.  Look at Alex Rodriguez of the NY Yankees.  He is one of the best hitters all time.  He will probably have a batting avg of about .325 this year.  That means that of every 100 at bats, he will get a hit 32 or 33 times.  That means that the other 67 times he will get out.  So Alex Rodriguez will fail 67 out of 100 times at bat.  That is a lot of failing. BUT, he knows that is how baseball goes and he will succeed 33 times at bat and for that, he will get paid about $25 million this year. Not a bad job.  

The key is that Alex Rodriguez and the other major leaguers do not measure themselves on their outcome.  They measure themselves on their performance.  I tell my players, your goal is to have a quality, successful at bat.  You don't necessarily have to hit a home run, or a single to have a quality at bat. You can hit a hard ground ball right to the SS and he throws you out at first.  That was still a good, quality at bat because you swang at a good pitch and hit a hard ball.  The other team just happened to make a good play and get you out.  

The problem is when you go up to bat trying to "hit a homerun" and you take bad, unbalanced swings at bad pitches and therefore get yourself out.  That is a bad at bat.  

Failure is part of baseball.  It doesn't mean you are a bad player, it just means that the other team make the play they should have made.  If a player of mine goes 0 for 3, but has 3 good at bats and has a good mental approach, he has had a good game.

The problem with a 12 year old boy is that he doesn't have a mental approach.  It is all bad because he thinks he should get a hit everytime and make every play and throw a strike every time.  As a 12 year old pitcher, he should be throwing about 55-60% strikes.  That is the goal.  Work on control of his pitching and control of his emotions.

As for being frustrated, that is normal.  But he cannot compound it by over-doing (over-swinging, over-throwing, being too aggressive or not aggressive enough).  These actions lead to disaster.  He has to stay within his ability and allow things to happen.  He can't make them happen.

You cannot as a hitter go up trying to hit a homerun.  It will never work.  A hitter has to take a good balanced swing and then he might by chance hit one out of the park.  I didn't hit a homerun until I was in college!!!!   I never did in little league or high school.  Big deal, it didn't mean I wasn't a good hitter.  

He is full of negative energy right now and you cannot have success on the field with negativity in your mind.  He needs to quit thinking so much and follow these instruction in the batter's box:  RELAX,  SEE THE BALL, HIT THE BALL!!!

As for pitching, he is doing something mechanically wrong to be wild. He is probably over-throwing.  Just stay within himself and he should be OK.  The past is gone.  It is great to remember, but a pitcher is only as good as his next pitch.  Remember that!!!

I always warm my pitchers, starters and relievers, for at least 20 pitches.  This avoids injury and gets them into a rhythym.  Some pitchers need more, some less, but that is a good benchmark.

Have fun and good luck and remember, he is still a kid.  He doesn't have any scouts looking at him.  He needs to just relax and have fun.

Coach Boss