I read this entire thread.... man have I learned a lot ... I wonder how many of these young players really care if they play in college or beyond and how much they are trying to gain the acceptance of dad?
Playing D1 baseball is not easy to do. Many many just do not have the body to be able to develop the skills needed to play at this level. I wonder why is seems all the younger players parents that come to this board are so hell bent on D1 baseball.
It is very very difficult even with the body and skill set. As most of you know I have 4 pitchers, and all will play college baseball...I used to be so caught up in it all I am sure I was ruining the time they had in high school... fighting with coaches, going to camps, talking to coaches ... let me tell you , you can add velo to an extent, you can get better control, but will it be enough for D1 and pro ball, probably not..... So where does that leave the player that has done all he could , dad has spent every nickel and then it does not work out , the dream is not achieved..... Does the player then feel like a failure? Does he resent the fact that he was pressured into all this baseball and lessons, camps, tryouts etc....
When 2014 was a soph he was 86... I thought hey we can work on this and he will get to 90 , he will get D1 offers, he will get drafted.... this kid worked his tail off and for whatever reason he did not get to 90.... Now as a soph in college at a Juco, he does throw 90+ but it took years and years.....
Conversely, 2018 has hit 90 a few times.... and the colleges like i drat... but will he be 95 as a sr.... will he get drafted ...I have no freaking idea... maybe , maybe not... maybe he decides he wants to go fishing.... I will say that while I have learned that you can develop velo to a certain extent, I have learned from 2018 that really you either have it or you don't..... so why ruin the best years of a players life, putting so more pressure on them to improve to chase something that most of the time they do not have the god given ability in the first place.