AN EXAMPLE

I agree TR...thanks sharing that...and much success to each of those young men you mentioned.

Good point TRhit. There is life after baseball and it can be more rewarding than baseball.
Fungo

FUNGO

That is so true and I think the parents just getting into the process should know about this facet of the process and its results---not every kid gets to go pro but college prepares them for life

It also felt kind of funny when he would not allow me to pay for breakfast---he grabbed the check and said "Thanx for everything, Coach we have to do this again. You can buy next time."---

Good post and congrats to PJ and Brian.

So far my son wouldn't change a thing (except for getting injured).

He is asking himself "what next" if he can't come back.

I'd like to think because of his education/baseball/life lessons, etc... he will land on his feet.

As everyone knows whether they acknowledge it or not, at some point playing baseball will end.

Frank

I am sure there are many more examples out there with regard to the choices the young men make.

I think it important for the newbie parents to be aware of what happens, and it is all for the good

quote:

TRhit quote:
I think for the parents concerned about the end result of all this this serves to show that the road can be varied and still successful in that the players go on to do what they want in their lives.

TR,

That is a great point that should be brought up more often on this site. Too often players and parents get caught up in a baseball pipe dream and loose track of the "life will go on" realities. I know my son who has part of that baseball dream already realized, has dreams about what he wants to do later in life. It sounds so "un-baseball", but I personally feel it's a healthy sub-conscious to have. I would recommend that parents of youngsters frequently remind their kids that there is more to life than baseball. You never know when that glove stays in the closet and if there is a plan, it will usually involve success.

rz1


Amen to that, my friend!

quote:

Originally posted by rz1:

quote:

TRhit quote:
I think for the parents concerned about the end result of all this this serves to show that the road can be varied and still successful in that the players go on to do what they want in their lives.

TR,

That is a great point that should be brought up more often on this site. Too often players and parents get caught up in a baseball pipe dream and loose track of the "life will go on" realities. I know my son who has part of that baseball dream already realized, has dreams about what he wants to do later in life. It sounds so "un-baseball", but I personally feel it's a healthy sub-conscious to have. I would recommend that parents of youngsters frequently remind their kids that there is more to life than baseball. You never know when that glove stays in the closet and if there is a plan, it will usually involve success.

Good posts TR and rz,

I think as players get older and begin to mature, there is realization that there is life after baseball. Reality hits when you finally reach the pro level, take alook around and realize there are hundreds who are trying ot get to the same place, with only a few spots. It makes one work harder, but also gets them thinking about alternatives. It's not giving up the dream, it's realization of reality.

My daughters boyfriend, a former World Cup, national champion, not making Olympic finals professional swimmer has just recently given up his sport. It took him a while to make that adjustment, but as a business major from USC, he has a very good job and in a year saved enough to buy a house. He is a very hard dedicated worker moving his way up the ladder in a very large private corporation. He is very grateful to have his degree. Life goes on.
A very good friend of my sons, a former UM player who required TJS after two years and gave up baseball due to being dropped fom his scholarship,
today, at 25, is a senior account executive for the same company, making well over 6 figures. He also runs a men's league, along with my daughters boyfriend. (couldn't give up baseball). This is one of many examples I could give of former college players that I know. Many successful young men who are very happy with the direction they have taken in life, without baseball or sports as their careers.
But I do beleive that involvement in sports has helped them to make business contacts, taught them to be responsible and successful.

Athletes and military people make good businessmen because the concept of losing is beyond their comprehension. Getting knocked down only means it's time to get up and keep fighting until victory occurs.

And the purpose of your post---does it relate to what we are talking about/

Good subject TR, it is actually a timely subject for us as our son has been talking alot about this the past year. He's been making plans for the future...preparing and doing all he CAN to make the odds more in his favor that pro-ball is in the equation, BUT also being VERY realistic and planning as if it isn't. I'm very proud that he has thought out the different scenarios and planned accordingly for each. I find great satisfaction in hearing the success stories you relayed TR both on and off the field....as Fungo said, there is life after baseball and we are counting on it being rewarding.

quote:

Originally posted by TRhit:
And the purpose of your post---does it relate to what we are talking about/

I agree, see "About the Draft" thread.

quote:

I had the pleasure of having breakfast this morning with one of our players,PJ Moynihan, University of Columbia, who is now in the video production business---he already has done his first project, a 10 part series that was on Fox and the Sports Net work here in the Northeast and up for major distribution and will be out on DVD in the fall.

TR...is it possible to share the name and topic of the series that was on Fox here in the Northeast? Is it sports related?

TR,

Your mention of video production made me think of my son's teammate. They played both HS and college baseball together, with the teammate (Drew) 1 year ahead of my son. This past spring would have been Drew's senior year of college baseball. He wasn't a starter and only received occasional playing time, but he was an important part of the team because of his energy and great attitude.

Drew had to miss out on playing his senior season though ... because he beat out hundreds of candidates for a video production job with the Minnesota Twins! What a dream, to have a job with an MLB team right out of college! He actually had not graduated yet when he started, but the college allowed him to finish his last few classes long distance so that he could accept this great job.

The series was entitled EYE ON THE DREAM and focused on the NECBL Summer College League specifically, the Keene, NH team

This topic crosses a lot of boundries. The one that jumps to my mind relates to the recruiting process and college choices. So often we get caught up in the best baseball school and place academic interests as a lower priority. It's nice to see/hear about players positive use of their academics and achievements.

quote:

The series was entitled EYE ON THE DREAM and focused on the NECBL Summer College League specifically, the Keene, NH team

Thanks TR...I'll keep my eyes open for when it is released.

quote:

So often we get caught up in the best baseball school and place academic interests as a lower priority. It's nice to see/hear about players positive use of their academics and achievements.

From a personal standpoint, I couldn't agree more. The reality is for "most" of our kids, it is their education that is going to get them further in life than their athletic achievements.

Cool story MNmom!

TR,
I think that I saw some of that, specifically because I knew a player on the team?

MNmom,
Now that is way too cool.

This is an awesome thread. TR you are the man. I have always thought of baseball as a way to teach about life. What makes you sucessfull on the baseball field will ultimately make you sucessfull in life. Be on time. Work harder than everyone else. Have a passion for the game. Have a passion for whatever you do in life. Be a great team mate. Be a team player. Be a leader or be willing to follow the leader. ETC ETC ETC. Everyone will eventually put down the glove. Some just sooner than others. But the lessons learned through the sport are the things that help you in the biggest game of all. The game of life.

Coach May

In addition many kids go into coaching which is something we need---at our last showcase we had two colleges represented by young men who attended our events and played college ball---upon graduation they went into coaching


The point is that if you love the sport you can stay involved to some degree after you have stopped playing and at the same time have your college degree in hand

quote:

Originally posted by TRhit:

In addition many kids go into coaching which is something we need---at our last showcase we had two colleges represented by young men who attended our events and played college ball---upon graduation they went into coaching.

Equally very cool. Thanks for sharing it.

TR ...

I like this thread and am glad you started it. Too often, I believe, it may be more the parents who have trouble realizing that some day the cleats will be put away with the glove as the boys/men go on to other things, other careers, other priorities. It is something that I have come to grips with this year, even tho ours is still on the mound (at least for now). He, like Frank F said, wouldn't change it for the world but realizes there will come a time when he puts his energy into some other aspect of his life. It has become much easier for me to listen to his games now, realizing that there is so much more to life than this game that we all love. And our children's future happiness and joy are what is most important.

Best wishes to all who are just starting out, who are halfway there, who have already arrived, and even to those who have also already left 'the next level'. It is a joyous journey most of the time but there is definitely a life off the field.