After playing in showcase level tournaments and traveling all over I was thinking, "Oh, God! Another summer of this next year." Be careful what you wish for.
in the first weekend of summer ball after junior year my son tore his MCL and PCL. After three months on crutches he started rehab. He stumbled, fell on his shoulder and suffered a separation and had surgery. He missed his senior year of soccer and the opportunity to do baseball showcases in the fall and winter.
His surgeon told him he wouldn't be able to throw until May. My son looked him in the eye and said, "I'm going to be in the opening day lineup March 15th. You're going to help." He DHed opening day. He played left in two weeks. He was back in center in another two.
But we didn't have to travel for showcases after junior year. He finished his senior year of baseball without any offers. The only question was, has he recovered? The plan was to rehab in summer, play Legion and showcase in the fall while taking two JuCo courses to start college but not start the eligibility clock! and hopefully start college in he spring even if he wouldn't be fostered that year. The following is why he right showcase team is so important. Late August my son received an offer from a previously interested program based solely on the word of his former travel coach. His former travel coach initiated the contact. My son was off to college on three days notice. He had to sit out a year since there weren't any roster spots available that year.
There are two lessons in this story. 1) Be careful what you wish for. It would have been much less stressful to spend his post junior year traveling all summer rather than stressing over his injuries and recovery. 2) Don't get stressed out. If a kid has talent it will all work out.