Little League All Stars can be an extremely enjoyable experience to rally a town around a team. The best 12 or 13 players coming together at the end of the season to represent their league and their town - with the dream of trying to win district, section, state or maybe even a shot at going to Williamsport.
That said, the selection of the All Star Team and the playing time can be one of the most polarizing events in the Little League Season. Is it really the best 12 or 13 players or did so and so's kid get selected because his mom is on the board.
Truthfully having participated in and observed All Star selections over the last 20 years, it is not always clear cut who the top 13 players are - particularly when you get down to players 8-13 on the list. With a 4-5 player grey area - politics will always come into play when you have players that are related to coaches and board members.
As soon as you accept the fact that politics will come into play (as it does at all levels of baseball and other aspects of life), you can get back to enjoying the All Star experience.
Little League All Stars is a great experience for boys to come together at the end of the season and represent their league. We tell the players that train at Hard 90 if you want to have that experience - train to be the best player in your league. If you take that mentality, dedicate yourself to the training and practice and play hard - you will not be left off the All Star team.
So - if you have been selected to the All Star Team - Congratulations! Now is the time to up your game. The best players practice hitting 5 days a week. Practice at this level and be a demonstrably better hitter to ensure that you are in the lineup.
One of the players in our program was on the wrong side of the All Star politics. He hit 5 days a week leading up to All Stars. He did not get to start the first game - but when he got his one at bat - he was ready. He hit a home run in that at bat and by the time the All Star run came to an end he was batting 3rd and starting in centerfield.
So what are you waiting for - check out Power Hitting and Power Pitching to start your All Star training!