GOOD: The JUCOs I have experience with have student housing. Most with apartment style living. The cost is low for classes, housing/meals can be high. There are cafeterias in all but 1 that we visited. They are more like baseball/softball/basketball academys disguised as schools.
BAD: Food is a huge issue when you are talking about athletes leaving home and fending for themselves. Even with a full meal plan, my boys lost significant weight in the first year. Adequate calorie intake is difficult.
Smashing guys into a shortbus and staying in rough hotels happens. D1s have the major advantage here and in travel, nutrition and overall comfort.
GOOD: The players arrive in the fall, most are scholarshiped a least a little. 50-60 is a normal number of guys. 25% or so are not from the USA. Canada, Australia, and all of Latin America are represented heavily. Players play with and against good talent
Their day starts at 6am with weights, breakfast, then class, then lunch, team practice, individual practices, study hall then bed around 10:00. Weekends are spent either traveling and playing double headers or fundraising (many contract with Universities to provide security for games etc). Didn't see any of them for more than 24 hours until Winter Break.
GOOD: Not a lot of off time to get into mischief.
GREAT: Fall scout days are huge.
UGLY: Winter Break. They return to campus and there or 5-10 new transfers and several who decided not to come back. Buddies are gone. Most don’t tell they are leaving until they do it. Transfers didn't fit at other schools and guys from out of the country. The replacements may have just arrived.
Not everyone will travel. Midweek games might include players who don't travel on the weekend. As a parent this part can suck.
GOOD: There are MLB and college scouts at most games at the top tier schools.
Grades were not a determining factor for most of the starters. They chose JUCO. Path to the draft is in their eyes
The AA's transferred well when they graduated. Multiple offers/interest.
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