This post comes at an opportune time for me. In exactly 2 months my 2017 will be leaving for college. I have talked to him some about the academic challenges he will be facing. Frankly, he's been on cruise control for the past year and that's not going to cut it. He's going to have to get a whole new attitude, and then some, to survive where he's headed. I think he knows that. I hope so!
As for baseball, right now the kid is struggling. I can honestly say that I have never seen him go through a batting slump at any level as protracted as the one he's battling through right now. It's been tough to watch, and it's been very tough on him, but I'm starting to think that it's the best thing that could happen at the best possible time. Nobody's watching and there's really nothing at stake, so he can learn from the experience without any cost, except to his confidence and his ego.
For a couple weeks I think he assumed he'd get through it if he just kept hacking. He'd see faster pitchers, or get better pitches to hit, or the odds would even out. But he kept working on it, trying to tweak his swing and his approach. He'd go to the cage with a friend or two. But as he continues to struggle, that is changing. Yesterday he had a day off from work and went to the cage, alone, just him and his tee and his bucket, stayed for a long time, came home for lunch, then went back to the cage, and then had a game and played well. I think it's sinking in that it's 100% all on him, he's the only one (not counting family) who really cares about his success, and he's the only one who can work it out . I think that's a pretty good idea for him to latch onto as he heads off to college.