There may be other factors as well. Perhaps parent and child do not work well together when trying to get
in a little extra work. Or, the child may simply be at an age (i.e. teenagers) where he is not as receptive to
what a parent may be trying to work on him with, and they need an outside influence.
Baseball lessons may also be important when your player is getting ready to move up a level. The
transition can be a difficult time in any young player's life, especially if they have not tasted great success
at the previous one. Individualized work at this point can give them the boost they need and working oneon-one with someone who has been down that same path to help them through the ups and downs.
There is a definite time when baseball lessons are a bad idea, and parents and coaches need to be honest
with themselves about them. If a player finds himself in a prolonged period of struggle, private baseball
lessons may be just the ticket to help the player find their groove again. However, if those struggles are a
sign of burnout, or decreasing interest in playing baseball, those lessons are going to do nothing but
exacerbate their struggles. That is why parents need to approach these matters with an open mind. What
is your child telling you? Do they want the extra work, or are they just capitulating to you as a parent to
keep you happy? Is more always better? Quite often it is not and a focus in the opposite direction may be
just what is needed at that time.
Factors to Consider When Seeking Baseball Lessons
Once you decide to take the plunge in to individual baseball lessons, there are three important factors to
consider.
Financial commitment. Depending on what level your child is playing at, you may already have
made a huge financial commitment to your child's interest. In addition to league fees, there's
equipment, a uniform, etc. With baseball lessons always being the most costly program per time
spent, does it make sense to invest even more than you already are?
Time commitment. Even if you only commit your young athlete to a couple of hours of baseball
lessons per week, you have to consider it against how much time he already spends at practice. If
your child lives and breathes the sport, baseball lessons may be a good idea. If it is going to take
time away from other favorite activities, or more importantly come at an academic cost, they may
not.
Level of competition. Again, rarely does a 5-year-old need extra baseball lessons to stay
competitive. However, your teenage son may be right on the cusp of making the traveling team.
Then, one could say it makes more sense.
There is no easy answer when deciding if basebal