Hey Y'all, I just graduated high school and am currently preparing for my freshman year of college. I'll be playing at D3 school in TX. If y'all have any advice for me about adapting to the college environment or really anything to do with college, please share!!
Thank in advance!
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Get to all your classes other than ones you miss due to baseball. Do all your homework and reading on schedule. Most majors aren't that hard if you keep up. It can be a bear if you fall behind.
BLUD15 posted:Hey Y'all, I just graduated high school and am currently preparing for my freshman year of college. I'll be playing at D3 school in TX. If y'all have any advice for me about adapting to the college environment or really anything to do with college, please share!!
Thank in advance!
Arrive on campus in the fall in the best shape of your life.
If your coach hasn't done so already, prepare a workout plan for the summer. You'll want to be in the best physical shape when you arrive on campus. The fall practices are basically the tryouts for the spring squad.
And as mentioned, keep up on your school work. Once you fall behind it is difficult to catch up.
Be ready for long days. My son's days started at 5 am for a 5:30 am work out, classes until 2 pm, then practice from 3-6 pm (sometimes later). Then dinner and any homework. In bed by 8-9 pm (10 pm at the latest). And that was just in the fall. Once the spring schedule it starts it gets worse. Weekend home series are pretty spent at the ball field all day. They had to be at the field by 8 or 9 am for a doubleheader that began at noon - field prep, BP, then warm ups. Then 6 hours of ball (20 minute break between games), then another hour or so of clean up. Then do it again on Sunday. If traveling, you might be leaving on a Friday evening or early Saturday. Mid week travel is probably the worst. You'll no doubt miss some afternoon classes (you're still responsible for the assignments) and it will probably be late getting back to campus. You'll still be expected to be in class the next morning.
Good luck and have fun!
If you are like most, there will be a lot of "firsts" when it comes to making your own decisions. You decide whether to go to class or not, whether to wake up or not, whether to party or not, whether to put the extra work in, whether to study sufficiently, whether to have a positive approach to things, whether to make right choices, etc., etc. Often, given the option for the first time, young men make a lot of the wrong choices. My advice would be to go into this determined to make the right choices and put yourself in a great position to succeed from the beginning and for the rest of your life.
There are usually very good resources at D3's to help assure your success. But you have to choose to use them. Again, make that choice.
And, along the way, you can still have all the fun you could hope for.
Here is some advice based on my college track career. Admittedly it was 25+ years ago, but I think it probably still holds true.
Class, class, class. Make sure you are attending class and keeping up with assignments. Its so easy in college to start to blow off class and assignments. I know right now your saying, yea no problem, but its tough to get to that 7pm class after having practice and weight room until 6pm. This needs to be you number 1 priority. Many schools will have athletic/academic staff and may require you to attend study tables until you can prove you are able to survive and pass classes on your own.
As others have said, come into it in the best shape of your life. For the most part this has now gone from being a game and is now a job. The coaches expect you to come in in shape, as do the older teammates. They are not going to waste time waiting for you to catch up with the rest of the team. You are now an adult and they expect you to be responsible and ready to go.
Nothing is optional. If its an optional practice or an optional meeting you must attend. The only exception to the rule is if it conflicts with a class. If it does, you will need to get with the coaching staff/academic advisors and let them know.
Make sure you find out when practice is and schedule your classes around practice. Its seems like a simple thing, but the coaches expect you at practice. As you progress through the years you may find that an upper level class conflicts. The coaches will work with you on that, but at the lower level there is usually enough classes that you can schedule around practice. Yes that means you may be in an 8am class or a 6p-10p class, but you need to do what needs to be done to be a student athlete.
Realize that everyone on the team is competition. The upper class-man will view you as that. They will initially see you as attempting to take their positions. You will need to be ready for that. At the same time they are your teammates and will become some of your closest friends. Its a touch balance but you will figure it out.
Finally have fun. The 4/5 years will go by real quick. Its over before you know it.
You cannot assume that you will show up in the Fall and have a spot on the roster. As other have said , you need to show up in the best shape of your life, prepared to battle for a roster spot and battle for playing time. Many D3's will have 50-75 players in the Fall, with just 35 roster spots available.
And keep in mind that the coaches are out scouting this entire summer, looking for players to replace you in your Sophomore season.
3and2Fastball posted:You cannot assume that you will show up in the Fall and have a spot on the roster. As other have said , you need to show up in the best shape of your life, prepared to battle for a roster spot and battle for playing time. Many D3's will have 50-75 players in the Fall, with just 35 roster spots available.
Yep - son's first day at practice had 53 players show up (D2 JuCo). They eventually self cut to 35 (grades, medical-health, disillusionment) by the spring season.
I want to add to the above comments on being in the best shape of your life. Talk to your trainer or a nutritionist and find out the proper things to eat. It's easy to slack off a bit now since just graduated, a few months until college begins, you want to sleep in, relax, etc. Now is the time to develop good habits thus when college starts you can step right in and feel comfortable knowing your body and mind is where it is supposed to be. Proper nutrition and sleep will help build body mass and muscle easier. Good luck
Be VERY proactive in reaching out to your professors about you being an athlete. Learn which teachers are willing to work with you and which ones are more difficult.
BLUD15 posted:Hey Y'all, I just graduated high school and am currently preparing for my freshman year of college. I'll be playing at D3 school in TX. If y'all have any advice for me about adapting to the college environment or really anything to do with college, please share!!
Thank in advance!
1. Stay with your laundry, unless you bring it home to wash. Can't tell you how many people had shirts go missing.
2. Bring a microwave, I spent many nights in the student lounge studying and being able to make a bowl of soup or popcorn was a life saver.
3. Bring Shower Shoes, foot fungus is no joke!
4. Block out your study time. You may only have Monday night to study for your test on Friday. I would spend most of Monday making up half note cards with a key sentence on one side with a key word missing, answer on back of you flip the card over. Go over them multiple times, then on Friday on the way to class go over them again.
5. Know your limits...how much sleep do you need to function? For me it was 6 hours a night, if I had one weekend day where I could sleep 12 hours. If you need 8 a night then you better get 8 or you won't be any good to anyone.
6. Your professors aren't like High School teachers, many will say "Call me by my first name". Talk to them, joke with them, learn from them. They have office hours and email, use them!
7. get a study buddy in each class. Only having to do half the note cards helps greatly!
8. Your meal plan will allow you to take food out of the cafeteria, go ahead and do that, you may need it later.
9. Find the cheapest pizza place that makes their own pizza....you will need it.
10. Find the nearest all night dinner, you will need it.
You've seen tremendous advice thus far on the academic and athletic side. Don't forget about the social side, which has derailed more athletic careers than anything. Make good decisions, have fun but always stay in complete control of your actions. Earn respect by taking care of business in the classroom and on the field, not by being the life of the party. Align yourself with the upperclassmen that have taken this route and follow suit. Good luck.
your ready you even have the lingo down. good luck
