tequila posted:Thanks Smitty for the thoughtful response and ideas! Every situation has it's own set of circumstances and nuances and ours is no different. One thing that has been big on my son's list of requirements is that he wants to go out of state. The interesting thing there is that I don't think he knows specifically why. Where we find ourselves is with him having a fantastic opportunity at a local D3 with the only real drawback being that it's local. If you picked the school up and put it in virtually any other state he'd have already committed and we'd have put down a deposit. So, his mother and I are encouraging him to look at what he will be getting out of the situation, the cost savings, programs available at the school, history of student success post-graduation, etc. etc. Our feeling at this point is that he should commit and give it a year (or even a semester if his injury returns or rehab doesn't progress) and transfer if he's unhappy. It's a D3 (no roster limits) and the coaches love him so it's unlikely that he'll get the boot from the team even if he doesn't return to form. He just wouldn't be playing and would likely make the decision himself that he's done. However, it's his decision but I will say that the other school in the mix that he's deciding between is very similar in academic make-up, size, cost (though about $5K/yr more), etc. but it's an eight hour drive from us (like we're going to be dropping in on him regularly anyway). Heck they're even in the same athletic conference but it just doesn't feel to me that he's using the highest level of maturity in evaluating the pros and cons. Time will tell but I've rambled on enough. Thanks again for all the input! Another testament to why this site is so great.
What's the hesitation with the D3 that's 8 hours from home? Is that the one with the stud sophomore? I understand the desire to get away from your hometown. I felt the same way when I started college. Fresh start away from the high school scene (and parents). With his injury situation, the baseball side is a complete unknown, and it sounds like he wouldn't want to be at the local school without baseball.
Talent is at a premium at every level. Particularly at D3, the best player at the position (whether recruited or not) is likely going to get the playing time. No guarantees anywhere. Always a freshman or transfer coming in to compete for your position.
I know that you know all of that... just trying to help.