play in the leagues where he was doing well?

Maybe not a direct comparison, but my daughter is a fairly talented dancer and one of the best dancers in her dance school. Sounds similar to your son in that she had a lot of recognition for her dance talents.

She wanted to try out for the Jr. High dance class for experienced dancers, and she didn't make it. So she was put in the class that included girls with zero dance experience. This dance teacher had never seen her dance before, and honestly, my daughter tightens up a bit during tryouts.

We knew that it wasn't a good fit for my daughter, but she took the class. It was funny to watch her dance recitals because she obviously had more experience than the girls she was dancing with and she was doing dance routines that were more similar to ones she did when she was much younger- they were so simple.

It didn't take long for the teacher to recognize she was more advanced. The next year she was put in the class she belonged in.

He just needs to stick with it and the cream will rise to the top.