@Ster posted:That can be an emotional and mental challenge. Just about every D1 player that arrives on a college campus have tasted nothing but success their entire career. I can see their being some mental scar tissue forming when they find themselves in John's position of not getting any playing time. However, there is nothing that changes a coaches mind about a player as fast as seeing success in a game situation. If John can get on the field and make the most of his outings, then the coach will put him back out there again.
If you have read this entire thread you know it’s my belief that John and his parents made a bad decision. He is not ready today for the demands of a ranked D1 program. I believe that he will be ready in a couple of years, but not today. John was a late bloomer that really only experienced great success in his senior year of HS - and that was partly because he transferred to a school that was one classification down. All signs are that John is in for a very difficult freshman year that will test his confidence and his dedication to his craft. I also have concerns about what that will do to his mental state of mind. But that’s really the point of this thread - the unintended consequences of decisions. I could see this coming a mile away and warned John and his father about this particular school. But they didn’t listen to me. And this was after I spent over 3 years developing John as his private pitching instructor - for no money btw. Like you, I hope John can overcome his circumstances. Time will tell.