When we launched the "Tom Hanson Needs Your Help" poll, we really weren't sure what to expect. The first pleasant surprise was that people were far more willing to vote knowing an individual needed help. But also, the amount of great personal insights received was overwhelming. As youknow we are sharing these comments with Tom himself so he can do the right thing for his 6 y.o. son. But we are sharing them here so that many more can consider if their approach to baseball for youngsters is the best.

After presenting the best of the voter comments received, we will wrap up with a few brief thoughts of our own. But this is a community page, so your ideas come first and count most.

Note: We have identifiers (names, IP addresses, etc.) for those who commented, but we have decided to keep all suggestions anonymous ....Tom can judge on merit rather than source.

October 4, 2009 at 10:25:43 AM
As long as the kid plays one season in the year, I would not worry about him falling behind. If the kid asks to play in a 2nd season, then go for it. He will improve. 2. Don't worry about overuse injuries. I would only worry if he is mentally drained. 3. If getting instruction, it must be used in a game to see the carry over. As for the instructor, it is always good to get many instructors through your sons career. Use advise that works, throw out what does not. (But never do professional instruction/clinics the day before a game if pitching). 4. The most important factor - the father. Play long toss with him, run with him i.e. soccer/basketball/running football patterns, buy whiffle balls and throw BP to him. In other words, let your son use you as his practice friend. .... I played professionally for 4 years. I owe it to my dad for all the catch that we played. I was the one that wanted to play catch every day with him. My goal was to throw for distance on a line and "airing" the fastball out 10-15 throws to wrap it up. I look back on those days and the time I spent with my dad were the best.

October 7, 2009 at 05:52:38 AM 
Tom, I have coached High School, LL BR travel soccer for more than 30 years have seen alot of good and bad. I always had my 3 kids ( 2boys, 1 girl ) play diff. sports during diff. times of the year we live in SW FL. It made them better players in all. Parents over the last 10 + years are looking for more and it has taken the fun out of kids playing the games and coaches coaching.   

October 7, 2009 at 03:27:13 AM
At age 6 all Tom should be concerned about is that his son has FUN and be allowed to develop at his own rate. Tom's son will learn so much quicker if he is having fun and enjoying the game. Children these days have way too much pressure put on them to preform by their parents,coaches and the like. Just let them be children for as long as they can be, they grow up so quick and before you know it they are adults and we wonder what ever happened to our little boy.   

October 6, 2009 at 08:10:11 AM
I have a 15 year-old son. He started playing T-ball when he was about Tom's son's age. Early on THE most important factor was having friends on the team and having fun. My son didn't develop an absolute passion for the game until he was about 9 when he was allowed to pitch. As his passion and ability increased so did my willingness to find better teams and coaches. I felt strongly that there is no one right way to go and the child's ability and devlopment will help guide decisions on the amount of ball played and the importance of the quality of coaching. Playing other sports in the off season has helped him enjoy baseball season more I think. He has never been sick of baseball but that might be because he has always had some down time every year.   

October 5, 2009 at 09:12:59 AM
Worry about quality instruction, I'm into coaching because I had too! I love it now but at 1st it was the lack of competent instructor/ coaches the pushed me into coaching.   

October 5, 2009 at 08:16:12 AM
At 6yr's old I don't think a lot of this applies. He could probably teach him more on his own at this age.   

October 5, 2009 at 06:32:41 AM
At 6 years old it should be about having fun. Find him a coach that will instill good basic fundamentals. And I stress basic. At 6 years old their focus is probably about 20-30 seconds max. You can't get too fine or you will lose them. Let him love the game before he really starts to learn the game. Other sports will help his overall athletcism. 

October 5, 2009 at 05:21:17 AM
Personally, I reccomend a team, a coach, a team culture, that the emphasis is on the kids. You can teach a lot about life through baseball. I believe in sturcture, discipline, character, and teaching the kids that it is a privilage to put on the team jersey and privilege comes with responsibility. Many coaches, parents, the other team, umpires, the list goes on and on, work hard and sacrifice for JR. to have the opportunity to play and he should honor them with effort. I love an environment where the kids and parents are challenged to be a class act, compete every pitch, and as long as effort is there and attitude is good, turn them lose, let them play and make it fun. No screaming at kids for errors, pros make errors, no misbehaving on field or in the stands. It has to be fun and the kids need time to be kids. We are bad about planning every single moment of their days for them. I much prefer one team with good, fast, hard working practices, learning something new all the time vs. innings on several teams. I found it impossible to take care of my pitchers when kids are allowed to play on different teams. For many coaches all that matters is winning. I have personally seen some horror stories of young kids pitch counts at tournaments.Many of my kids were not wanted by the select teams, but after a couple of years we took home our share of trophies and went toe to toe with nat'l champs in four divisions. Didn't beat any of them, but worst lose was 4 runs. I took great pride in their attitude, love for each other and the way they competed, even though not stacked with talent compared to others. The whole program was just a joy to be involved with, but it takes time and great effort. One mistake, I believe is not building select teams with the guys who will play HS ball together. You end up with one or two well trained kids and the rest playing at a much lower level which is frustarating as well as a step backwards for the couple who are advanced. Hope my rambling made a little sense. And most of all, it is your son's glove, not yours. If he is not all that interested, buy a camper and spend time with each other. Thanks for the opportunity to share a little.

October 6, 2009 at 05:33:50 AM
I think the most important thing here is how dedicated Tom's son is to baseball. If he is dedicated, the next important thing is to find an instructor who teaches the right mechanics and can teach the mental aspect of the game. A good instructor will know how to prevent injuries from overuse.   

October 5, 2009 at 09:48:55 PM 
At age 6 it should only be about fun, learning to be ON a team and making friends. Communicating, grapsing concepts. At age 9-10 the more competitive angle can be considered

October 8, 2009 at 11:58:48 AM
I had a problem with some of the questions because they did not give me the answer that I wanted to give. Are you kidding me? 6-years old. When does he sign his contract? Put the kid in with a team that allows other sports, provides a teaching and nurturing environment. I don't mean coddling, I mean a coach who sincerely cares about all the kids on the team more than the win-loss record of the team. How much work did the major leaguers put into the game at 6? Probably not much. But at some point, a good athlete makes a decision that they want to be good or great. Until they make that decision (on their own) you can throw all the money in the world at instructors and teams and all you end up with is an empty wallet and a kid who can't wait to get to his Game Boy. Here is what my 9-yr does. We play in a competitive Soccer Academy with the local club (practices 2 nights per week and games every other weekend). He also plays Little League in the Spring and continues with All Stars through July. After LL wraps up we start our Travel League baseball Team (practice 2 nights a week and a tournament every other weekend) until Thanksgiving (We have to go to the beach to end the year). Fortunately, we take the month of December off. In January, our club team gets together for fundamentals in January to get ready for LL tryouts in February. We have done this for 2+ years now. Has he improved? Yes. Is he one of the better kids in our LL? Yes. But he was before the Travel Ball started. My 15-yr old ran the same gammeit as the 8-yr old. He did not play HS his Freshman year because he was burned out. He did play soccer. This year he is playing Soccer and Football and is considering trying out for baseball (coaches are asking this year). I'm sure this isn;t what you were looking for, but from a dad/coaches perspective I think that playing multiple sports is important. I think that it is important to develop a healthy passion or love for the game. At the end of the day, most kids want to play with their friends and are not as concerned about playing time as the parents are.... You never know when that scout will be watching. Best Wishes.

October 13, 2009 at 03:21:35 PM
Tom - Coach your son's team if you can. You will never get this time back with your son and he will get good instruction. I have been coaching my 6 yo since he was 3 and my 8 yo since he was 5. Eventually I will have to let go of coaching them. My plan is to keep them in baseball year round until age 7, with basketball in between Fall and Spring. My 8 yo only plays Spring ball now (all stars if he makes it) and other sports the rest of the year. My amateur theory is that you build the baseball skills early and then let them try other things - after all it is all cross-training for baseball!

October 4, 2009 at 08:21:04 AM
Coach Todd, In the coaching section of your site, Tom needs to select Coaches Corner and then select (Six Again). I can't say enough about this perspective. I personally feel that some of the questions above should be geared more towards an 8 or 9 year old age level. This of course depends greatly on the child. I'm not suggesting that I believe 6 years old is too young to play baseball,only that parents need to make this a fun time and take advantage of this in early development. Our travel baseball program's entry age was 9 years old. They decided to have a 2 week baseball camp this fall for 6-8 year olds. I attended 2 or 3 days at the camp just to observe. It was wonderful! The camp was structured and there were as many parents on the field as players. Kids at this age may have an attention span, if your lucky of 2 minutes.(Keep this in mind)! There were 21 kids that participated in the camp and I counted 18 dirt piles on the field after the practice. The most important factor at this age is not the coaches, private instructors,how many games played,if the coaches are volunteer or how much does it cost. It is about the love of a father and a son sharing time together. My son is now a freshman in high school. Looking back in the beginning with my son and baseball, I cherish the memories. The days and evenings spent in the backyard together playing catch, taking him to the local ballfield and hitting him ground balls and pop flys. Making it fun. And guess what, I had fun too!! I am not discrediting the questions above, because they are a reality and very good questions. What Tom needs to understand,(which I'm sure he does) it is not the coaches,the practices or games. Tom himself is the key factor. Don't let your dreams of tomorrow cloud the importance of today. I almost made this mistake, which I'm sure many of us have. This was a lesson that my son taught me.

October 4, 2009 at 05:51:53 AM
Always listen to your child. he will let you know how much he or she wants to play and if they are having fun. Give them options and seek out good people or organization to be part of for their development. Develop as an athlete is most improtant so have them play multiple sports during the year. Not necesarrily at the same time. Don'e over tax your kid or yourself 7 days a week. It is those who are in it for the long run and not just in it for Little League glory(winning isn't everything)that will eventual stay in the sport(s) they love if not pressured at such an early age. 

October 3, 2009 at 03:54:19 PM
Six is very young for most of these questions. At that age it should be all about fun and learning to be part of a team. Travel and all star teams should not be considered before 9 year olds and then only if the child is interested. Take cues from the kid. See if he likes playing, then encourage him. By all means try other sports. Find out what he's good at and then support that. Don't drive him into something he doesn't want to do or you will develop a very angry, resentful kid. Try this survey when he is 8 or 9

October 4, 2009 at 01:27:13 AM
Tom ... only you know your son ... no matter what we all tell you. Read your son's communications with you, and listen to what he says about what he is doing. Keep it fun for as long as you can. Kids seem to quit when it is not fun. Good luck and listen. Remember ... it's a game ... and it's your son.   

October 3, 2009 at 10:50:33 PM
Carefully monitor your 6 YO for fatigue and burnout if you will be playing more than one season over several years. Travel teams can accelerate learning if they are in the proper environment but they can cause burnout and drive players away from the game. Don't be afraid to let him take year off, at age 6, not a problem. If he loves the game, it will bring him back without too much parential intervention. Once he makes the commitment, and he must make it not you, then there is a strong possibility he will be able to handle 9-12 months of baseball during the year as he gets closer to age 10+. At age 6, he (and you) does not have enough knowledge to know if baseball is his life; football or basketball or hockey may be his life. Keep all options open in the early years and let a natural course develop. I've experienced much of the above with my own boys (2 of them) one left the game completely, the other is now being recruited at D1 and D2 schools in CA and AZ. We're all different, enjoy those differences.        

October 4, 2009 at 07:39:25 PM
Let him play as many sports as he desires. Having fun and developing athletic competence (coordination, core muscles, balance, etc) by playing multiple sports (and playing other kid stuff outside) is very important. Only playing one season of baseball (assuming he gets good instruction) at that age will not hinder his future development as a baseball player. "Great" baseball talents who are outstanding all round athletes should play multiple sports through high school. Good athletes who want to play at the college level would benefit from more year round concentration on baseball (because they need well above average baseball skills/competence to compete with the great athletes). Baseball must be balanced though with strength/conditioning/cross training and without burning the youngster out.

October 3, 2009 at 09:45:22 PM
At age 6, instructors and teachers of skills and the game of baseball are more important. Finding these people may be more expensive. Playing other sports throughout the year are important and the 6 year old could train with an instructor during this time. Over working any athlete can lead to injuries, so watching closely and down time are important as well. Varying experiences are very good for a younger player and parent to be exposed to and learn what all parties are liking . It is important for FUN to be a major emphasis at an early age, or the burnout rate will increase drastically. Playing other sports helps with this. As a parent/coach, reading the cues from your son is vital for success for all involved. Trust me, if you want it more than your son, both will suffer drastically!! Enjoy the time with your son. It goes by way way to fast!! The last comment I will give you, is make sure you understand if you are coaching your son, there will always be comments from other parents and players about you and your son! This can be very difficult on both of you, and other family members!   

October 3, 2009 at 08:27:31 PM
Fun with a bit of instruction up to age 10 If the child enjoys sports than reasonable different sport year round play - fun. 10 11 12 fun but if the child seems interested then careful instruction - lots of coaches don't understand kids and how they develop. 13 14 if child is interested then find more competitive play - but only if child interested and is at same developmental level. Every kid grows at different rates. Most early talent is really only age and growth related. See book "Outliers" by Gladwell Also "Let the Kids Play" by Bigelow. Be sure you understand why you want your child to be involved with athletics.

October 3, 2009 at 05:55:57 PM
A 6 yr old should play many sports and look for a coach that stresses "fun"damentals. I am a high school coach and baseball basics are sorely lacking in myan of the young men that want to play HS baseball. Let him have fun and choose his sport teams with his friends. As he gets older, he will decide if he wants to invest the time and effort to become competitive. This is where a parent needs to put his resources.

October 4, 2009 at 06:02:46 PM
At age 6 it is important to try a wide range of sports so that he can find what he likes and is good at. To many parents push their children into playing the sports that they like instead of the sports that the child likes. I am a High School Football and Baseball Coach. I can say from experience that just being athletic is not enough. A love for the sport is also very important.

October 4, 2009 at 05:56:18 PM
6 years old is too early for serious, competitive, year-round baseball. It should be just for fun with some learning made fun. It's too easy to burn out a kid by pushing too much on him too early. (My son started at 6 in a fun in-town coach pitch team, and later (11-12-13) started with travel ball. He later (13-14) played Fall Ball also. He is now a Junior in HS and loves baseball with a passion--we are currently involved with travel ball and college showcases). I think keeping it low key and fun at first helped him develop the love for the game which has developed into a a passion. Good Luck Tom, you have a lot of fun times ahead of you!

October 4, 2009 at 04:49:51 PM 
23 years with spring & summer (9 & 10 year olds). Highly successful, some gone on to high school varsity teams. A different coach every 2 years. However, one's who know what and how to teach for their age group. Perhaps 2 or 3 weekend tournaments for play against better teams to build confidence. Good Luck.

October 4, 2009 at 03:07:39 PM
Age six is way too early to do more than ensure his son has fun and stays safe. In a few years (age 10-11 or so) follow the kid's desires if he wants to go all out for one sport; before age 10 it should be all about fun. that's why I didn't answer about summer ball--depends on what is available and what the kid wants; although I do feel strongly that summer ball at age 6 is probably too much and that "all-star" shouldn't start until age 9 or 10. If summer ball is played before this age it should be a fun league where all are included. Don't know why question 7 is mandatory, as well as being ambiguous. At age 6, the number of teams a kid plays on thru the year depends on the kid--are we talking 4 or more baseball teams or one or two different sports in season? If different sports and "fun with friends", one or two teams is probably appropriate for a 6-year-old. If we're talking multiple teams in the same sport, I have reservations. Also question 6 has no room for no opinion--depends on the kid and the family.

October 8, 2009 at 07:44:36 AM
When I started playing baseball I was 8 yrs. old. I really think that is the best age to expose a child to competive sports. The reason for saying this is that I worry about burn-out when the player reaches 12 yrs or older. Having said that, my grandson has been playing organized baseball since he was 5 yrs. old. He is now 12 and we made the decision at age 9 to get away fom rec./ park ball because of the politics, etc. involved with that type of play. We formed a travel team and my grandson was always the youngest on the team. It was the best decision we could have made for him because when the rest of my team moved up to the big field he still was able to stay down. I also made the decision not to coach him anymore after Cooperstown. He was getting to that age when what we were telling him was kind of like going in one ear and out the other, so I found a travel team acadamy to put him on. The coaches are excellent (one is a former all-american and head international scout for the Angles and the other is a 10 yr. high school coach from the Atlanta area) My focus is now just on my grandson and not 12 other players. Another plus is the exposure and contacts these two coaches have with colleges and professional teams. Sorry for rambling but even with having said all of that, it is still my personal belief that kids today start playing sports in general at too early an age. My background is a former college player and high school coach so I can recognize what good instruction is all about.

October 7, 2009 at 08:01:48 PM   
Increase the level and amount of play as they get older. don't spend all your time playing baseball year round. enjoy some weekends and go fishing. My son is now in high school and we always played a lot and played competitive. What i see now is several boys that were not as competitive but kept after it and worked out, worked with a good coach is now in the mix. My son was never the most talented but has not had any problems moving up because he works harder. Keep it fun and don't wear the arm out to early.

October 7, 2009 at 06:36:12 PM   
My son plays about 8 months out of the yeat between rec ball all stars and our travel ball team. During the fall he plays football from Aug-Oct, and we take Dec and half of Jan off and only work on things if he ask to. Most of our team does the same thing, about the second week of Jan we start getting the team together one night a week for two weeks and will play in a tourney. By the end of Jan. By doing things this way we have found the boys are rejuvenated and ready to go. His should be worried about his so getting left behind as we all know that happens usually if your coach is new. The injury and over use is a concern if his son is one of the better players and the team is new. Volunteer coaches vs. paid coaches: i have been a volunteer coach for the past 9 yrs and have seen realy good volunteer coaches /paid coaches but their are just as many bad ones out their on both sides all of my sons coaches are volunteer coaches and all three of our teams are pretty successful but we have had the same players for about 4yrs and are moving up to 12 and under this yr. Cost is a factor that all parents should take into considerations, I have seen it too many times were the child really is not into it but they will have all of the best equipment and the parents will throw a lot of money down the drain. I personally tell all new parents not to spend a  lot of money on equipment until they know that the child is really into baseball and is progressing where that $100.00 Plus glove and bat are really needed. Best of luck Tom

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