BishopLeftiesDad posted:I can tell you that was my son when he first started HS. However we all knew the potential was there, however things just did not click. Until we took him to Kent States baseball Camp thanksgiving of his Freshman year. Then Kent State Coach, Scott Stricklin, sat all the young men down before the camp started and in no uncertain words, explained how important grades were. He talked about it for a half an hour or so.
After that it clicked for my son. His grades improved. He wanted to play in college and he knew there would be more options open to him if he was a good student. He also started taking a challenging schedule, instead of an easy one. He actually enjoyed school more and met some new friends, with a more academic bent.
I suggest if you have concerns, that you continue to try and motivate him and find what makes it click for him, so he does not become the kid in this thread.
I know this is easier said than done.
A HS teammate of my son's who had a cavalier attitude towards schoolwork happened to share a plane ride, and conversation, with the RC from LSU, which was one of his dream schools for playing BB at. The (15yo at the time) had to hear that school marks were important from someone like that, rather than his parents, counsellors, or teachers. The kid, while not brilliant, devoted himself to school as he now understood that it was as important to his BB success as off season workouts were.
He is now pitching in D1 ball, for a prestigious (academically) program. Not a genius, but he pulled up his academic socks high enough so as to allow him to be admitted in to most D1 schools.