College Summer Ball and Family Vacation Question

Just my opinion but I'd think if he told his new coaching staff that he would be gone for a month of summer ball after his first year that he might be looking for a new school to play at.  Big jumps occur from Freshman to Sophomore year.

Agree with Master P.  I think the coach would see it as a major red flag.  Maybe not so much if he was a returning junior or senior who was already established, but I would think it wouldn't be looked at favorably the summer after his freshman season.

atinon;

Has he previously traveled this journey? Jet lag takes 2 days each way to recover.

Is he a pitcher or hitter?

30 days off is "no good" for a hitter timing.

What are his baseball goals? How strong is the Summer Team?

Bob

I wouldn’t plan on missing playing time. Missing a couple of days for a wedding isn’t a big deal. Missing a significant amount of time for a family trip will be a red flag on his priorities and motivation to develop and improve. Unless a player is a top shelf, pro prospect stud there are hundreds of players available who could replace him.

Agree with the above.

However, there is always a need for players toward the end of summer...but if he hasn't been playing, it may be a deal breaker.   

@Consultant posted:

atinon;

Has he previously traveled this journey? Jet lag takes 2 days each way to recover.

Is he a pitcher or hitter?

30 days off is "no good" for a hitter timing.

What are his baseball goals? How strong is the Summer Team?

Bob

He's a catcher/hitter.  Yes, very familiar with jet lag, hence why we go for at least 3 weeks at a time.  We haven't made the trip for 5 years now (given Covid).

His lives and breath baseball right now.  He still have dreams of going pro, but he's realistic that it's a long shot.  He wants to continue being involved in baseball if the pro-route doesn't happen (coaching, front office work, etc), or become a large animal vet.  He may take pre-vet as his minor to sport management to keep that door open.

He doesn't have a summer team yet as I don't think he will be assigned a summer team till next spring, right?  One option he does have is that one of his HS coach is the head coach of a local travel team (playing in Sunbelt league).  This coach loves my son and I assume he will have a place in that team anytime he wants.  But not sure if (1) college coach will give the option to my son to join whatever summer team he wants; and (2) even if he has a summer team to play on in July, college coach would still not be happy with my son missing all of June.

This really stinks as we have not seen our family for 5 years, and my family is throwing a big wedding reception for my daughter back home to celebrate her wedding.  I need to think about this some more....

Son was in a similar position in his first summer. A team in need of pitching toward the end of the summer reached out to his college coach asking when his existing contract was up could he come and pitch with them down the stretch. We were planning to go to a family wedding out in CA. We had to play it day by day up to a week before the wedding to see how far that new team made it in their playoffs. Ended up not being able to go. His college coach didn't insist he play but it was strongly advised.

With your trip being in Asia I realize you can't do that. A lot can happen in that time frame. If it were me I wouldn't say anything now, and if it worked out, would try and get a flight for my kid if/when things became more clear.

Atinon;

Is the Country, Japan, Korea or China. He could "work out" with a local Pro or College team. Our American teams have traveled to Japan, Korea, Australia and China for 25 years and this opportunity was available.

Bob

It all comes down to how valuable he is to his program which you obviously don't know yet. And how seriously they take their summer assignments. Hell he may even be assigned to some local league where nobody really cares and they have a hard time finding umpires.

In the long run, family is more important and summer baseball is pretty irrelevant.

Send him to the wedding and take the first leg of the Asia trip. Two weeks is a non issue. A month is half the season. He goes and just deals with the jet lag. He's 18-20 he'll be tired for a day and get over it.

Worst case scenario you play the dying uncle card. If they don't budge it shows you what type of people they are.

@Consultant posted:

Atinon;

Is the Country, Japan, Korea or China. He could "work out" with a local Pro or College team. Our American teams have traveled to Japan, Korea, Australia and China for 25 years and this opportunity was available.

Bob

Unfortunately not.  Our family is in the Philippines and baseball is not big there.  Not sure if I can find a place for my son to hit.  When we went there back when he below 12 yr old, I would bring a quick stick with those small balls so he can practice some.

@PABaseball posted:

It all comes down to how valuable he is to his program which you obviously don't know yet. And how seriously they take their summer assignments. Hell he may even be assigned to some local league where nobody really cares and they have a hard time finding umpires.

In the long run, family is more important and summer baseball is pretty irrelevant.

Send him to the wedding and take the first leg of the Asia trip. Two weeks is a non issue. A month is half the season. He goes and just deals with the jet lag. He's 18-20 he'll be tired for a day and get over it.

Worst case scenario you play the dying uncle card. If they don't budge it shows you what type of people they are.

We can definitely do 3 weeks as opposed to 4.  Maybe we can shorten it more to 2.5 weeks.  I'll need to have a serious chat with my son.

So is the wedding overseas too?  Why might you have to buy tickets in two weeks for something 11 months off? 

If you waited 'til Fall, he would have a much better idea of the environment in the program, the coaches would have much more familiarity with him and there would be a better opportunity to explore options without any negative impact.   Summer assignments often come late Fall thru the Holidays.  Once he's been immersed in the program for a month or two, it will be a much more comfortable discussion to ask what the protocol is for summer ball with that particular school.

If the wedding is in the states, it is obviously much more feasible for him to just miss a few days rather than 3-4 weeks.  I think 2-3 days for "Sister wedding" is a much more palatable ask for most.

College baseball is a COMMITMENT that usually dictates you take your time off when the program is taking time off.  It is also a COMMITMENT in the sense that the expectations are you are working hard to improve over the summers, especially the first two.  Many colleges make a big COMMITMENT by working on having players assigned to summer college programs.  There is often a developed relationship where the summer program expects committed players and the college expects reasonable playing time for those players.

Also, I'm admittedly pretty cynical these days, but last summer when my son had to go in the portal and find a new school that would not have been possible if he was away.

If for some reason your son finds himself in the portal for any reason, he's may have a difficult time if he's not in the country for 3 weeks. Not trying to be completely negative but with the current state of things it's very tough to plan that far ahead IMO.

Summer contracts can be assigned in the fall, or in the spring. It depends on what the coach is willing and able to do. Which may in part depend on how enthusiastic your son is about summer ball.  

On the one hand it shows enthusiasm for a player to go to the coach in the fall and ask about summer placement. But on the other hand  it is not necessarily a bad thing for him to wait for the coach to say something. But he will have to have his answer ready.

Since my son was in high school, we have planned trips back to the ancestral country around baseball, which in college means August, after summer ball is done.  Ever since our kids have had busy schedules, we haven't gone all together in years. Nothing you can do about a wedding, but maybe you can send him to visit the family in August, by himself? It might even be a good experience for him.

College Baseball players have to dedicate themselves year round to the game, or they get replaced

College Baseball players play where the coaches tell them (including summer league assignments) or they get replaced.

This is the reality your son signed up for.

agree with what everyone else has said...

with the current state of College baseball - I hope that your son received some athletic money.
Some Freshman leave their college teams after fall ball  when "things didn't go as expected"

More will leave after end of the 1st season .. if he received $$ then the odds are better for him..

In any case .. I hope it works out for your son..
But I wouldn't factor him going to the Phillipines in any scenario... for 3-5 years- if he stays in college ball.

we have been playing musical schools with my son.  he missed 2 europe vacays.. etc..
our only vacations-that he can go with us- happen around xmas /new years (when prices are $$$$)
that is the price of doing biz..

@atlnon

You have been given great advice from several members.

My very best friend's son played for your son's future coach many years ago.

With what I know about him, I would definetly put this aside until your son feels comfortable in establishing a player/coach relationship in the fall.

JMO

@fishnsail posted:

we have been playing musical schools with my son.  he missed 2 europe vacays.. etc..
our only vacations-that he can go with us- happen around xmas /new years (when prices are $$$$)
that is the price of doing biz..

yep.  Winter break is a good time for family vacations for a College Baseball player.  There is also a short 1-2 week window in between when Summer Ball ends and Fall semester begins (allowing for a week or two to work out prior to reporting back to campus)

My oldest is getting married next year.  Both he and his bride to be played D1 baseball/softball.

Youngest will be playing his sophomore year at a midwest JUCO next spring.

They asked me "is there a weekend after regular season and before summer ball ".  I gave him 2 weekends that "could potentially work". Guess when they scheduled the wedding.

I realize that not everyone can/would do that and I know that "sports" are not that important to everyone...........AND they both realize that if the team finds a way to play to go to the WS that he probably won't be there (and I'll be sitting at the family table with a laptop tuned into a game).

Good luck, I hope it all works out.

@cabbagedad posted:

So is the wedding overseas too?  Why might you have to buy tickets in two weeks for something 11 months off?

If you waited 'til Fall, he would have a much better idea of the environment in the program, the coaches would have much more familiarity with him and there would be a better opportunity to explore options without any negative impact.   Summer assignments often come late Fall thru the Holidays.  Once he's been immersed in the program for a month or two, it will be a much more comfortable discussion to ask what the protocol is for summer ball with that particular school.

If the wedding is in the states, it is obviously much more feasible for him to just miss a few days rather than 3-4 weeks.  I think 2-3 days for "Sister wedding" is a much more palatable ask for most.

College baseball is a COMMITMENT that usually dictates you take your time off when the program is taking time off.  It is also a COMMITMENT in the sense that the expectations are you are working hard to improve over the summers, especially the first two.  Many colleges make a big COMMITMENT by working on having players assigned to summer college programs.  There is often a developed relationship where the summer program expects committed players and the college expects reasonable playing time for those players.

Wedding is in the US end of May.  That should not be an issue for my son (unless they make a deep run in the conference tournament, in which case he already told my daughter that he would miss the wedding for that).  My immediate family are all going to Asia after the wedding and my family back home is throwing a big wedding reception.  Reason for planning to get the tickets this early is that the earliest the tickets goes on sale is 330 days before travel, and there's a sale going on till July 4.  We are talking about $2,500 round trip per person regular price vs. $1,500 per person.  We are also looking to use some miles and we need to book those as early as possible as there are limited seats allocated for miles redemption.  There are going to be at least 10 (and counting) in the traveling party between my immediate family, the new in laws and some close friends that are going to Asia for the first time.  It's a significant amount of money and planning for the travel.

I'll talk to my son.  We can either buy his ticket now and pay the penalty to change his return to come back earlier if need be, or we wait until after fall and just be prepared to pay regular price for his ticket.

My concern is less about him being able to attend the event (reception), but more about being able to meet and get to know his grandparents, uncles/aunts, and cousins that he hasn't seen in 5 years, and meet family he hasn't seen yet.

So when does summer ball typically start and end?  First week of June to end of July?

In hindsight, maybe I should just have asked my daughter to elope.... 

Depends on the league.  The Summer League that my D3 kid is in goes from the 1st weekend in June to the last day of July.

The Northwoods League goes from late May to mid August

Not sure about the rest…

@atlnon, does your son want to go on the trip? It sounds like a pretty big deal for your family, but the timing is lousy for him.

@MidAtlanticDad posted:

@atlnon, does your son want to go on the trip? It sounds like a pretty big deal for your family, but the timing is lousy for him.

He actually does (much to my and my wife's pleasure and surprise).  He also missed the cousins back home after not seeing them for more than 5 years.  Trips to a seclude island beach with the extended family and scuba diving helps.  I just bought the ticket last night (last day of sale) and decided that we will only be gone 3 weeks of June (as opposed to 4 weeks).  I told him to not stress about it.  Just feel out the coaching staff in the fall, and if he really can't go, or he can't be gone for 3 weeks in June, I'll just pay the penalyt to have his flight changed.

I have very little perspective on this as my son didn't play summer ball all the way through college. He just trained on his own to be ready for fall (he's a pitcher, so there's a difference). Did your son's new coach arrange or ask for details on his summer ball team? If so, that would imply importance.

My son received pretty much a full ride at Arkansas as a closer out of Juco. He came into fall ball self-prepared and was made Saturday and eventually the Friday night starter. His brother's wedding was scheduled before he received the scholarship and he pitched at Auburn while his brother was wed (He didn't pitch well, worst start of the season). Much to his mother's and brother's (not sports people) consternation he never mentioned the wedding to Johnson or Van Horn. Baseball was very important to my son, he made the right choice for him and his improbable future career.

I'd ask your son what his choice would be if he only considered what he truly wants (no guilt)? It might be a little harder to know now that the tickets have been purchased.

Good luck next year and enjoy the journey!

@JucoDad posted:

I have very little perspective on this as my son didn't play summer ball all the way through college. He just trained on his own to be ready for fall (he's a pitcher, so there's a difference). Did your son's new coach arrange or ask for details on his summer ball team? If so, that would imply importance.

My son received pretty much a full ride at Arkansas as a closer out of Juco. He came into fall ball self-prepared and was made Saturday and eventually the Friday night starter. His brother's wedding was scheduled before he received the scholarship and he pitched at Auburn while his brother was wed (He didn't pitch well, worst start of the season). Much to his mother's and brother's (not sports people) consternation he never mentioned the wedding to Johnson or Van Horn. Baseball was very important to my son, he made the right choice for him and his improbable future career.

I'd ask your son what his choice would be if he only considered what he truly wants (no guilt)? It might be a little harder to know now that the tickets have been purchased.

Good luck next year and enjoy the journey!

The existing coaching staff actually didn't provide any input or ask for info on his existing summer team right now other than to say "we just want you to play and stay sharp, we don't care where".  Not sure if this means they don't put as much importance, or they had their hands full as they are new and need to focus on the season.

If what happened to your son happens also to mine (if his team goes deep into the conference post season), he already said he's missing my daughter's wedding.  I think the debate in our family is if missing 1/3 to 1/2 of summer ball season is a big absolute no-no.  If the goal is to stay sharp and get at-bats, then it seems like 5 to 6 weeks of summer ball is sufficient.  But coaches perception if you miss part of summer ball can be a different matter altogether.

Not to veer off topic, but HS coach was in the area of one of the kids summer road trips with his team and decided to stop by and see a few games and have lunch (they both are about 700 miles from here).  Surprised the hell out of the boy.

Not sure who was happier to see who.  Good to see smiles like this.  Baseball bonds you for life. 

I think you can't begin to know what will happen next summer. Your son might be injured. He might be a starter and not need so much playing time in the summer.  He might be a bench player and really need reps. He might need/want to leave the school and need summer play for exposure. You can read examples of all of these things on here. So it's good you have the tickets, and after that you just have to play it by ear.