@Francis7 posted:Anyone willing to answer some or all of the following questions?
How long ago was your son a college freshman baseball player? 2020-21 season. Soph now academically.
What level was he playing? Juco, D3, D2 or D1? Something else? D3
Did he stay at that school through graduation? If not, how many different colleges did he attend? N/A
If he switched schools, why did he switch? N/A
How much did your son play as a freshman? If he did not play, was he redshirted? If he was redshirted, when was he told about it? Son pitched 7 total innings out of the pen, then lost a good chunk of the season to a positive COVID test. He was filling a role, closing whenever it wasn’t a save situation. He is a COVID redshirt, so he has 4 more years of eligibility.
What were the biggest surprises and challenges for your son freshman year? What happened in HS didn’t matter. Son pitched in 3 varsity games in 4 years of HS, won them all. HS coach was a terrible coach and an even worse person. He was fired and will never coach again. Son to this day will not bad mouth him, still says he learned from him. College coach is night and day compared to HS coach. He is honest, upfront and doesn’t promise anything. Does what he says he is going to do. Big surprise for my son was the level of defensive play. In HS and especially travel, if he didn’t have 12+ strikeouts, they would lose. Ground balls and fly balls were an adventure. Son went from primarily a SO pitcher to a GO pitcher between HS and freshman year. He can relax more on the bump knowing the D has his back. Challenges have been academics, making sure he devotes the time needed to succeed in the classroom and keeping the old man informed on what’s happening at practice and coaches meetings. (This is probably my biggest “challenge” 😜)
Overall, how was your son's experience as a freshman baseball player? Did it meet, surpass or miss his expectations? How about in regard to your expectations as a parent? He didn’t know what to expect. This might sound harsh, but my son’s greatest attributes are that he doesn’t care what anyone thinks of him and that he never grasped just how bad of a baseball player he was 14 and younger. Most players that stunk as bad as he did would have quit. He loved the game too much. So to be playing post HS for a very good team in a very good conference, once he stepped on the field during fall ball freshman season, FAR exceeded his expectations. As a parent, I wasn’t expecting a coach to have the impact on my son as his college coach has. He is a x-MLB pitcher that has taken my son to a whole new level mentally. It’s been a beautiful thing to see. I also wasn’t expecting my son to contribute right from jump street. I thought he would see a couple years of pine time then start making an impact JR year. My son thought something was different after his first bullpen session fall season freshman year, when the upperclassman catcher took him aside and told him he must be a Head Coach recruit because of the time he was spending with him.
Based on your son's experience as a freshman baseball player and your's as the parent, what advice would you have for the freshman player and his parent? Be honest with yourself and your player about their ability. Know where they fit in. Two many parents are more concerned with water cooler talk about “ my son got an offer from such and such school” than finding a place that fits academically and athletically. Most importantly, academic money far outweighs athletic money and it doesn’t stop after ACT’s or SAT’s. Grades are important.
Did your son complete 4 years of college baseball eligibility? If not, why?I hope he will.
