Hey guys,
Son got his info from his assigned summer team in the NECBL this week (we got a packet too). Anyway, reading through it, it mentions something about getting jobs for those that want to work...curious of anybody that has possibly participated in this league, and thus did or didn't work while playing summer ball...it just didn't elaborate much, other than that jobs were available.
Thanks! Opening day...6 days!!!! #Omaha
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My son played in the CPL and I can assure you he had no time for an additional job. Playing the game night after night was enough!
On home games he was at the field by 2:00 and home in bed by 1:00AM 6 days a week.
Not much time for Jon additional job!
Son played in 3 different leagues during the summer. There was no way he could have worked and played so many games. He worked out @ local gyms in the morning and was @ the field by early afternoon for night games. I guess if the jobs were really easy and the player really needed the money it would be doable. But......... It's a long summer playing lots of games after already playing 56 regular season games.
But, like every thing to do with college baseball, it's really up to the individual player and his team and family. Hope you can get to lots of games- summer ball is tons of fun! Enjoy.
Floridafan speaks to a good general point; that the more strung out a league's geography, the harder it is to commit to a job. The long bus rides really cut into time that might be spent working.
However, even on the Cape, where the two most distant teams are only about 40 miles apart, my sense is that the percentage of players accepting non-baseball related jobs has declined quite a bit over the years. While there, my son gave some private pitching lessons in the morning and joined a number of his teammates in serving as instructors at their team's clinics for youngsters; but, that was pretty much the extent of what was done to earn a little extra money.
A suggestion: Check your son's NECBL team's roster from the past couple of years and see if there's anyone there you might have met coming up or from your son's current college team. The parents of a recent player could fill you in in no time.
The NECBL is a terrific league; one I think your son will really enjoy. Best of luck to him!
My son played in the NECBL last year. Lots of travel and very little time to fit a job in. Lots of nights getting home in the early hours of the morning with games and similar travel the next day. Many 3 hour plus trips, plus back home the same night. Some 5 hour trips along with Boston and Cape traffic to deal with.
It would have to be a very understanding employer and very part-time at best...
Great summer league and fabulous competition. My son lucked out with his host family, absolutely great people. Your son should have a blast!
We had a few players work last summer, mostly farm work, baling hay, repairing fences, painting, mowing, etc. Although we play 6 nights a week, 80% of our trips are under 45 minutes so it's a little easier for guys to work...but most do not. The routine is pretty much sleep until late morning, workout (lifting, running ,etc.), lunch, at the ballpark by 3:30, games at 6:30, post game meals and field cleanup over by 9:45-10:00, relax, goof around, Play Station, X Box ,etc. until midnight, then to bed, then up again the next day to do it all over again.
So,2 questions for you. What kind of budget did you put your son on during the summer and during the school year? And second, for those who have sons who already graduated, how did that affect them in getting a job after graduation? Much as we'd like to think they'll all go pro, they really won't. What did their resumes look like??
Just my personal experience but both of my sons have good jobs in the business world, and both were helped immensely by having the fact that they played college baseball on their resume. Younger son was told by present employer that they don't hire recent college grads but the VP was a baseball fan, impressed that son had excellent grades while being successful on the field and was intrigued, so they interviewed him, hired him, and it's just a great situation. Older son also had interviewers mention the baseball and ask about it. There are a lot of folks out there that never played a sport beyond high school and when somebody makes it to the college level, it gets attention. It won't get you in med school, but it is noticed favorably.
During summer ball, most players just need gas money and some food money-they don't have much spare time to be doing much of anything except baseball.
Playing for a league that doesn't have overnight travel opens up some employment possibilities.
My son played in such a league last summer. His home field was five miles from our house. He lived at home and worked a job related to his intended major weekdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. He would get an afternoon nap before going to the ballpark and would head to the gym around midnight to do his lifting after his games. It worked well. He'll play for the same team this summer.
One rising senior on the team had an internship during the day. At least one player took summer classes. Another player had a job that exposed him to the heat of the day, but it affected his play.
I didn't put him on any budget for the summer. I paid his nominal league fee, which was much less than I ever paid for travel ball in high school. He ate at home and did weekend yard work for me for gas money, which was a better deal for him than for me. During the school year, his pocket money comes from what he saved during the summer, though I'm pretty sure his mom slips him some extra from time to time.
This forum is really helpful, my son is going to be playing his first season of summer ball in the South Florida Collegiate Baseball League. You should ask the team for any work. My son is going to be working for his team on days he is not throwing.
