Challenging yourself

It really depends on what "level" of a player your son is. There is some great baseball being played at the D-2 Level and also at the NAIA level. You just have to find the right program so that he is challenged consistently. Some areas of the country may have one great D-2 School and the rest be real mediocre. Also, the JUCO route offers plenty of "challenges" in playing at a high level and still getting started on a good education. Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, and Cali are well known for some high-caliber JUCO teams.

Aparent,

Great players want great challenges - no doubt.

However - D1 is definitely not - IMO - the only place to find great challenges.

I have seen some god awful D1 games.

I think if you are playing in the SEC, ACC, PAC 10 and a few others - thats one thing. They are all very very good.

But when you get into many of the other conferences - and there are about 30 of them - it is not what you would expect - IMO.

AParent,
Good question.
As suggested, D1 schools are not the only place to find great challenges. Even in the top conferences, there are some programs that are less challenging than some smaller schools in smaller conferences. And there are some great D2's that have better programs than some D1 schools. Parents and players have to shed the 'It's better at a D1" way of thinking.
The thinking here is the better the program, the more the challenge, not always so.
One HAS to be more creative in the challenge department. And one has to be realistic in how GREAT that player really is.

AParent,
To me, the greatest challenge for any player is to show the discipline to mentally focus and physically improve at every level whether they are at DI/DIII/NAIA or in the minor league system. There are several paths to success and the challenge of each is much different. Mine went the DIII route because that is what was available to him from high school. Supplemented that with summer leagues where, when playing against a lot of top DI players, he did very well. The scout from the B'jays summarized it best. Coming from a DIII created uncertainty that may not exist if he had excelled at a major DI. The challenge increases at every level a player encounters and it is those challenges which can make players excel.

AParent: There's a couple of ways of looking at the challenge that good players yearn.

One challenge would be to try and play on a top flight team at any level and be productive and contribute towards that team's winning a championship. If you are obviously a "stand out" then you can revel in your accomplishments and know that your effort made a difference.

Another challenge would be to become a member of a team that may not be terribly successful but through hard work it is hoped that its fortunes will be turned around. Again if you are a "stand out" and the fortunes did turn around then you should be equally pleased as the player in the first situation.

There's all sorts of opportunities out there with all sorts of rewards for hard, honest work that good players exert.