One of the most common things I hear from parents who are just starting lessons with me is, "Is it too late to start pitching?" or "I wish we had started hitting lessons sooner!"

Of course it's always better to get the best possible instruction at the youngest age that it makes sense, but it is NEVER too late to learn a new position or to learn new skills.

I speak from personal experience...

In the seasons leading up to High School, I played SS every game. Little League, Summer Ball, Middle School. Always a SS.

I played SS every game of my freshman year on the JV. But at the end of the season, the Varsity coach approached me and told me I was going to be the starting CATCHER on Varsity next season.

I had literally never put on catcher's gear in my life.

But with his help, I worked tirelessly from June until the following March (while still playing Varsity Soccer in the Fall and Varsity Basketball in the Winter - NO sports specialization for me!) and was the Opening Day starting Catcher on Varsity.

I caught every game my Sophomore, Junior, and Senior year until our #1 pitcher blew out his elbow and needed Tommy John Surgery (that's a subject for another blog). I volunteered to pitch the final 3 games of my last season of High School Baseball (the first time I had ever pitched in my life!), and went to Brown the next fall as a Catcher.

After a few weeks of Fall Ball at Brown, it was apparent that the team was going to stick with their catcher from the previous season behind the plate, and they asked me if I could play 2nd base - which I had never played before, but told them I would play anywhere they put me. I worked my tail off on my defense since I hadn't played the infield since I was a Freshman in High School, and that became my new position.

Sophomore year, they asked me to play 3rd Base. It was, again, a ton of work to learn another new position, but no problem, I told them. At the end of that season, after seeing me throw across the diamond from 3rd Base, a pro scout told me if I wanted a shot to play past college it would have to be on the mound.

I discussed this potential with my coach and he told me to go for it.

To learn how to pitch I hooked up with a wood bat team in Santa Barbara the summer before my Junior year. I flew to California with a baseball glove, and nowhere to live, but a spot on the team. I worked with the pitching coach every single day that summer...and got to pitch 3 innings TOTAL in 3 months.

When the Brown Baseball season started in February of my Junior year, for the first time in life at age 21, I was a pitcher.

I was drafted by the Tigers as a pitcher 16 months later.

The moral of the story?

1) It's NEVER too late to learn a new skill!

If learned to pitch at 21 and it wasn't "too late," your son learning to pitch at 11 is DEFINITELY not too late!

2) Learn to play every position!

You have no idea how your son's career is going to turn out, other than to say that it probably won't go exactly like you or he planned - so be prepared, and learn as much about every position as you can!