quote:I can only go by what I see, (Belichick's line) In the last 10 yrs our smallish school has had 3 baseball players go D1. All 3 were what most would consider players with average physical gifts and only played baseball. We've had a good number of players who seemed to be more athletically gifted that played football AND baseball. None of those players went on to play D1 in football or baseball. It all depends on what your kid wants from his experience.
Sure, desire is one component but the overall health and fitness of the player will affect the desire to a great extent. That's why I see something different happening in your scenario than you do. The overall strength and fitness level of high school age players and for that matter all americans is pathetic compared to even a generation or two ago. We are developing a country full of weaklings that are kept healthy through medicine and drugs. Dare I say not only that but they are anesthetized! We have managed to create a longer lifespan despite our poor habits due to the intervention of a more modern medicine. Healthcare because it is such a money maker, features chemical intervention. We will always be overusing our players and risking injury because they are not fit enough to endure the sport. The biggest drug problem comes not from importation of illicit street drugs, but from our own pharmaceutic system.
We have interfered with the concept of survival of the fittest. This is where we find ourselves. With each superior feat we witness in sport our first thought is whether the athlete is cheating with artificial performance enhancing drugs.
We are over training in baseball......but we are working on a weakened platform.