College Summer Leagues-The Times They Are a Changing

I would say that playing in a good summer league IS a perk that other athletes don't have. You get to work on and play the game you love, while being watched by fans who want to see you play, and provided with food and housing.  (of course doesn't apply to leagues where you have to pay)  Surely you don't only have to dream of the MLB to be able to view this as an internship for a range of careers, from coaching to the entertainment business.

Hokieone's original post was not about college players who choose not to play summer ball. Certainly that is understandable, and, for starting college pitchers or students with defined career goals or rising seniors who realize that professional baseball isn't in the picture, it makes perfect sense.

His post was about players who sign to play in summer ball, and then don't like it and leave. And yes, I've known some like that, too. Sometimes they are not playing as well as they hoped - maybe they don't want to look bad for their college coaches. Maybe they see no consequences to leaving, since they aren't being paid. Maybe they have family situations that they don't share.

But I'm guessing that summer league managers are also having to deal with the fallout from the college season. With all the transfers, I'd guess that anxiety is through the roof.  Players who didn't get much PT in the college season are probably not feeling the love for baseball or the hope of the draft, especially if they have injuries or don't play very well in the summer.

Bob - I understand the situation, as I very closely read Hokieones post as well as all the others.  Exactly as you've written it above is the problem....players are not 100% for the experience and so the numbers are down.   The ones that elect to play are 100% focused on themselves.   Many players are leaving these college summer leagues, and this is a problem for the business and most likely for the college baseball ecosystem.   Let's call that the "what" in this little problem that hokieone has brought forward.   

The discussion since the original post is verifying the "what" but also opening up the "who" and "why" issues tied to this.   Is there any thing you want to share from that perspecitve?

Once again, no one is forcing anyone to go play. There are plenty of players out there who put in significant time on the field, want some time off or take classes to lighten the load for next semester.

If you haven't played much, go play. If  you don't want to, don't be surprised if you are not part of the team in the fall. If your heart isn't in it anymore, move on. There are plenty of players waiting to take your place.

To avoid any issues, have this discussion prior to committing to any program.

Before there’s any misperception of what I’m about to post I understand pitchers hitting their pitching limit and injuries happen. If a player is returning to college in the fall to compete for a position he wants his injuries/dings to be healed.

Otherwise, the first time a person does something it can be hard. The more they do it the easier it gets. It applies to improving in anything. It also applies to quitting. Once a person has quit once it gets easier and easier each time.

If a player quits his summer league team it’s just practice for quitting on his college team if the fall doesn’t go well. Almost everyone on a college roster is capable of starting. The studs at the top of the roster are a given. After the it becomes about who is mentally tougher. It’s about those who are physically ready and mentally tougher than the rest. They’re the players who are all in when opportunity knocks.

Sports experiences often carry over to adult life post baseball. Learning how to quit in baseball can carry over to a person’s professional life.

This said, I give a pass to those who have hit the wall baseball talent wise but recognize they’re at the right school academically. It’s more likely to occur with D3 players. There isn’t another level to move down. There are also some HA D1’s that would be an exception.

If my son was at Harvard or similar and baseball wasn’t working out he wouldn’t be leaving. If he considered it my response would be, “Are you out of your bleep’n mind? You can still go play in a semi pro or MABL summer league.”

Personally, I was tired of the summer Sunday doubleheaders by the end of the season. I looked forward to a couple of weeks without baseball. But after those two weeks I couldn’t wait to get started with fall ball.

I was the kid growing up if there wasn’t anyone to play with a was throwing a rubber ball against the garage. Or I was playing Start O Matic by myself. I couldn’t get enough baseball.

I had great memories this week watching the last two games of the ‘67 season (Sox against the Twins). The regular season ended with Jim Lomborg carried off the field on his teammates shoulders. I was twelve.

After college other than going to a few Dodgers and Angels games I was more into becoming a competitive beach volleyball player. It’s a sport where you’re short at 6’1”.

Remember when fans stormed the field in celebration?

https://youtu.be/uUQQj5Q-fy0

Who - is the opposing team, my team, the Host family,  the COACHES.

What I can learn from this experience for the future. THE summer team is like a College class.

Actually it became a "term paper" for my Grad Psychology CLASS.

Why - Why am I playing? To improve, to gain baseball knowledge, to explore new areas of USA and Canada and to live independent.

When I batted off Bob Gibson, I asked myself "what am I doing here"? Watertown, SD in the College "Basin" League.

Bad lights, no helmet and ball looking like an aspirin tablet!

Bob

@old_school posted:

I think you hit the nail on the head here, realistically maybe 25% should have pro aspirations or some number way below 99%

I also think the season isn't 2 months. The season starts 6 to 7 days a week in January for these guys and basically is a year round gig with a few breaks. Add in the class time, the fact that they aren't professionals yet and maturity is a bog part of that. Academics are a way bigger part of the picture for baseball players then some other sports...the list goes on.

I think baseball as an entity asks for a tremendous commitment while not providing many of the perks that football and basketball provide.

They also play a 60 game season that rolls right into summer ball. If you're in the NW league where they're playing 70 game seasons you're playing 130 games while going to school and doing whatever else. A+ plays a 130 game season and they have over a month left.

I'm not anti summer ball, but I am anti blind dedication. I understand why players get annoyed when the only time they have off they're being told they have to go somewhere they don't really want to be and what they're competing for is not nearly as significant in their college season.

If you need reps, innings absolutely. If you want to increase draft status sure. But there are a lot of kids who don't fit those two categories that would probably prefer to be somewhere else and I don't really blame them. There are alternate routes to summer ball that can be valuable in their own way

@TPM posted:

Once again, no one is forcing anyone to go play.

The coaching staff is forcing them. I'm sure there could be some dialogue but the theme definitely seems to be here is where you're going, don't make this difficult.

I'm not pro or anti summer ball I'm just pointing out the general attitude of the players I've been around watching different leagues with my own eyes and what I read on social media. Is summer ball a necessary experience? Maybe. Do players enjoy their summer season significantly less than their college season? I think the answer would be overwhelmingly yes, especially as you move away from the Cape and other top leagues.

I have to say this is kind of discouraging.  I know my son as a late blooming kid who had very little experience on the mound when he got an offer to play in college (all potential, effective but no polish), would love to put in a year or two of summer league.  He'd be fortunate to be given that opportunity and it would all be just to be a better college pitcher.  It would be a shame to have that attitude all around him.

I think leagues should know who they are, and the kids in them should know why they are in that league.  A "collegiate" league is for college athletes to get more reps if they need them,  leagues like the cape are for showcasing potential pro talent.  One should not try to be the other and players should not think the league is supposed to be more than it is.  If you are there for the right reason and are in the right league for that reason, I can't find a logical reason for any kid to bail on that outside of injury, etc.

Now horrible host families and the like are an issue the leagues need to deal with and players should speak up about it.  Is there a probation period for host families with oversight.  Exit interviews with players and host families, etc.

I get the impression that good host families are getting harder and harder to find/replace.  Heard the Hamptons league had some teams dissolve as all the homes were becoming second home vacation houses and some of the older hosts were moving on (cashing out).  I think the team owners ending up stuffing as many players as they could in their own homes.  Looks like some of the newer leagues have a completely different housing model (motels to go along with pay to play). 

I do think the social media discussed earlier has something to do with it - seeing everyone else's summer fun when you perhaps get shipped off to some rural outpost (although some of the locations do seem more like vacation spots).  I think social media has now been around long enough that 95% of these kids are very active users and some find it hard to embellish Kokomo Indiana nightlife.

@PABaseball posted:

The coaching staff is forcing them. I'm sure there could be some dialogue but the theme definitely seems to be here is where you're going, don't make this difficult.

If the coach is doing nothing to help the player develop in fall or spring and the coaching staff is forcing them, sounds like a bunch of coaches who need to find another profession.

JMO

TPM;

College Coaches should always prepare for their next level. They can educate themselves.

Take the opportunity to evaluate, investigate all the Summer Leagues and Summer Team coaches before they match a player to a team.

Ask the questions of the Team Owners;

What is the resume of the team Coaches, what is the "host family" situation, do they evaluate the host family? What baseball and cultural development can our players expect? Do they have available the MLB playbook? How do the players travel to away games? How are pitcher's -pitch count controlled? What is your history of players departing before season is completed.

Final question: do I receive a % of the gate.

Bob

@Consultant

Most college coaches, especially at the D1 level, are familiar with many of the organizations GMs that they send their players to year after year.

But coaching staffs do change summer to summer and perhaps that may be part of the problem.

I can't speak for other divisions.

JMO

@old_school posted:

I also think the season isn't 2 months. The season starts 6 to 7 days a week in January for these guys and basically is a year round gig with a few breaks. Add in the class time, the fact that they aren't professionals yet and maturity is a bog part of that. Academics are a way bigger part of the picture for baseball players then some other sports...the list goes on.

I think baseball as an entity asks for a tremendous commitment while not providing many of the perks that football and basketball provide.

For most of the guys this is so true. So the “season is about 90+ games for most D1. There are certainly schools in certain conferences that do have some pretty nice perks. But for the majority, not many perks outside of getting the opportunity to play a child’s game, as an adult. When the opportunity to play gets taken from you, for whatever reason, I bet most guys aren’t complaining then, just saying’

Mike Gillespies USC summer baseball rules

@HSDad22 posted:

Mike Gillespies USC summer baseball rules

Does "think this out in advance" mean if you aren't sure then don't go?

TPM

most definitely    Mike had a few more comments “face to face” with each player.

Bob

@Consultant posted:

Fenway, it is Summer Leagues like Hokie's that survive each year relying on the "commitment" of the player who is invited.

The question: Why are you playing?

If the player is not 100% for the experience, then HE should not join the TEAM. His future employer will ask that question.

Bob

I believe that for a large percentage of players the why is because i am told, from that point they if they want to stay relevant in the program they have no choice. Baseball already proudly proclaimed there is no loyalty, you can and will be replaced in a moment at any level. There really is little choice if you want to stay in the program you currently reside at. It may be a choice but it is a choice staring down the barrel of the gun as they say.

As far as his future employer will ask, well outside of baseball you are incorrect. The vast majority of these kids won't play pro and I promise you their future employer won't give a damn. As a side note, they aren't joining teams they are being placed on them...big difference. But none of that seems to matter because everyone want to believe manage and operate as if we are MLB training ground...it is supposed to be college baseball not Milb.

Why is the concept of loyalty so hard to figure out? When organizations show none or little, they will receive none or very little back. Baseball is actually quite proud of it being survival of the fittest and that nobody is safe....the narcaissism in mind blowing.

@old_school posted:

I believe that for a large percentage of players the why is because i am told, from that point they if they want to stay relevant in the program they have no choice. Baseball already proudly proclaimed there is no loyalty, you can and will be replaced in a moment at any level. There really is little choice if you want to stay in the program you currently reside at. It may be a choice but it is a choice staring down the barrel of the gun as they say.

As far as his future employer will ask, well outside of baseball you are incorrect. The vast majority of these kids won't play pro and I promise you their future employer won't give a damn. As a side note, they aren't joining teams they are being placed on them...big difference. But none of that seems to matter because everyone want to believe manage and operate as if we are MLB training ground...it is supposed to be college baseball not Milb.

Why is the concept of loyalty so hard to figure out? When organizations show none or little, they will receive none or very little back. Baseball is actually quite proud of it being survival of the fittest and that nobody is safe....the narcaissism in mind blowing.

I agree with this 100%.  I think most kids (and parents) go in with rose colored glasses and buy in to what they've been sold.  In many cases, they quickly learn that the coach doesn't much care much about trying to develop them, and is constantly looking for their replacement.  

What about this? The great "equalizer"!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trouble_with_the_Curve

Bob

I feel like I can add a little perspective here...

My son is a 2019 HS grad who has played at two different schools and now in three different collegiate summer leagues.

The summer after his freshman season (Covid year 2020), he played in the SCBL for the full season. He started just a few days after school ended, and played until about a week before going back to school. He was able to live for this summer with his aunt who was about 30 minutes from the home field. It was also close enough that he could come home on a few of the off days.

Last summer, he played a partial season in the VBL (with some much appreciated placement assistance from some great folks here on this forum - he was in the transfer portal so his previous coach didn't help.)  He had a few weeks home before moving up there, and maybe a week or two at end of season. Had a great host family, with 2 players sharing a large private space in the basement.

This current summer, he played a full season in the Coastal Plain League. Had 1 day at home after spring school season ended, and 6 days at home after summer season before he reports back to school this weekend. Again, he had a great host family, even though the conditions were cramped with 3 players sharing a very small house with the family. Team provided a gym membership where he spent much of his free time, but there were also afternoons at the lake and a few rounds of golf.  (Proud dad  - He also took 4 summer classes and made 4 As this summer.)

In each of these three different experiences, he has made new friends and extended his circle of baseball connections. Players and coaches and team officials and host families and members of the communities he will remember forever...

In each season, he has gotten opportunities to pitch in meaningful games and played in front of enthusiastic fans and tried hard to win championships and help grow the community involvement with the teams.

He's had the opportunity to learn different things from diverse groups of teammates and coaches, and see the world from several vastly different perspectives. On MLB Draft night, he traded texts with previous teammates who had gotten the call. He was proud to tell me how he had gotten outs against several of the guys who had been popped early - and I reminded him of one or two who had gotten hits or walks against him :-)

Yeah, there were several times when it was hard, and maybe a few times when he wanted to be somewhere else, but the value of these experiences is so much greater than having a few more weeks of idle time. I mean, he told me last night that he was really tired in the last few weeks, but that the experience of making the championship series and pitching in Bananaland was something he'll never forget.

And, I never got the sense that there was an overall feeling of going-through-the-motions among his teammates. In all the games we were able to see (in person and streaming,) the team chemistry and enthusiasm seemed incredible.

Who knows what the future will bring, but he sure expects to play as many more summer seasons as possible, and he hopes to be able to get into leagues and situations where he can keep learning and keep getting seen by the folks who can help him go farther in the game.

I'd like to publicly thank @hokieone (and all the others here) who helped him get these opportunities. The contacts he made in the VBL when he was in the portal led directly to transferring to his new school.

So, I guess the point of all this is just to say that for some kids, especially mine, that the summer ball experiences can be some of the best and most influential they will ever have. They will learn much that would not be possible otherwise, and it will benefit them in everything they'll do later.

It's a small sample size, but from my perspective, leagues like the VBL and the CPL don't have too much to worry about - they're providing a great service to their players and their communities.

I remember one year of college summer ball my coach promised fourteen position players starting positions. Two got pissed and walked away. It made life a little easier.

The next season I changed teams to an honest coach. He told me I was his center fielder. The previous coach told me, “But you were going to be an every game starter this year.” Sure I was! He just didn’t want me playing against his team. A lot of players didn’t return the following year. He pulled the same BS on a new round of recruits.

Looking back I did something not so mature in BP the first game against my old team. The previous coach was standing down the right field line chatting with someone. I lined every pitch down the right field line. I was trying to hit him. I did keep him alert. He had me drilled in my first at bat. Then, given this was baseball in the 70’s I knocked his shortstop into next week breaking up a double play.

T_Thomas;

Outstanding! He has a good future with these experiences.

Now reading "Cloudbuster Nine" by Anne Keene. Story of the Navy pilots training at Chapel Hill during WW2. One of the pilots was Ted Williams.

Johnny Pesky, Johnny Sain were also Cadets.

Bob

@Consultant posted:

T_Thomas;

...Now reading "Cloudbuster Nine" by Anne Keene. Story of the Navy pilots training at Chapel Hill during WW2. One of the pilots was Ted Williams....

Bob

Thanks Bob.  I ordered it yesterday after you mentioned it.  I've always been a big fan of Ted Williams. Amazing what he was able to accomplish on the ball field and battle field...

T_Thomas;

Please notice the "vision" of Ted as he utilize the teaching of the Navy to refine his hitting. As a pilot, he learned the weather conditions and later applied to hitting a baseball. "Spin rate" in 1943.

When you finished the book, please send me a report.

Bob Williams

I am surprised coaches still need to remind players of "f"

Fascinating discussion here..   I think everyone is correct in many aspects.
IMO- Summer Ball is about Growth- personally and baseball wise...

it's about Perserverance..

my 2019 RHP has been put through many challenges/schools/portals etc..  very difficult but after awhile it makes you stronger.

last year , while he was in the portal, during the summer he went to Driveline for a week and he worked out with our local PC and played for PC's local team.  He thought that was the best fit for growth at that time.

this summer- His current D1 didn't really want him to play Summer but he insisted and they placed him in the WCL-
not the whole season but about 5 weeks.  exact and limited pitch counts..

within 24 hours of him being there - we get the phone call:

"host family is 30 min away from field, I don't have a car, there is no pitching coach and no body works out here- I think it would be more beneficial to come home to work out with home PC "

so how do you handle that?   

on one hand he kind of has some valid point's.

but on the other hand it is about personal Growth and perserverance.. as well as grinding it out and being a good teammate and dependable person

so we rented him a car from afar. he got back some freedom and found a gym.   He weathered another  "mini storm" along with some crazy bus trips and had a good time.  Pitched well too.. made friends and memories that he won't ever forget.

It was a good decision.

@hokieone posted:

My Valley League team just completed our 10th year, and in talking with other teams' officials, and folks from other summer leagues, everyone is noticing changes, and whether those changes are good, bad, or indifferent I guess is in the eye of the beholder.  First and foremost, and I really don't like this one, there are a lot of players 100% focused on themselves, first, last, and always. We had a player from a big time D-1 program tell his host family that he was here to put up numbers so he could transfer; he couldn't care less whether the team won or lost, didn't really care about the town or all of the volunteers, he was in the portal and needed numbers. And when he got an offer mid-summer from another D-1, away he went. Some other players just packed and left, with no word to their host family or our coaches until they arrived at their home. 'It's all about me" seems to be the operative expression. Thankfully we also had a lot of really good kids that worked their butts off, improved their game, and were a delight for the fans and the host families...but the "all about me" crowd seems to be growing.    This seems to be happening across the country as I know some kids signed late by the Cape that would have never gotten a sniff from the Cape a few years ago, which tells me that even the Cape is seeing a lot of turnover. From our original 35 man roster, 22 were gone by the end of the summer-some innings limits, some injuries, some girl friends, some just flaked out...but as scouts will tell you, if a kid can't hack a 42 game summer schedule, how with they handle a MiLB schedule?         Another team ended up with 5 of their original 35 players.  2 teams couldn't complete the playoffs because they ran out of either position players, pitchers, or both.     And our league is a very old and respected league, not just a "come lately".    The portal is now huge-we had quite a few college coaches come to a lot of games to scout guys that were in the transfer portal. Our GM got a number of calls asking what "portal kids" we had.  We had 5 former players drafted in the MLB draft this summer, the highest was in round 4. 2 more guys signed as free agents. Next year, we will have a former player probably go in the top 10 picks. So if we can't keep kids, what about less established teams in less established leagues?      I don't know the answers-our league's board will be having a lot of discussions, but I suspect some summer leagues will just fold and some teams will just fold.   The "good kids" make it worthwhile and praise the Lord our league seemed to have a bunch of them...but the "Me First" numbers are growing.     

Well why didn't you post something on here? It was decided that the kid could go back later in the season. He and his coaches looked and looked. A simple post here would have picked up a kid grateful to play. Yes, one could point out that we should have posted on here looking, my bad, but this is a resource you choose not to use then come here complaining.

@SomeBaseballDad posted:

Well why didn't you post something on here? It was decided that the kid could go back later in the season. He and his coaches looked and looked. A simple post here would have picked up a kid grateful to play. Yes, one could point out that we should have posted on here looking, my bad, but this is a resource you choose not to use then come here complaining.

I am sure there are NCAA guidelines regarding summer leagues. I would imagine that leagues cannot recruit, but rather be contacted by a player or a coach.

Would appreciate hokieone commenting.

I’m never short on opinions and usually not shy about expressing them. So why change now?
I don’t believe the NCAA has any jurisdiction over college summer leagues. Only definitions about what can destroy an amateur status as defined by the NCAA. Not 100% sure but I would bet on it. Also, many leagues actively recruit players. I have done it myself.
Therefore I don’t think there would have been a legal problem if HokieOne had posted about wanting a player or two.          My experience on this board has been that HSBBW are more than happy to help another member any way they can. With no expectations of anything in return. HSBBW is a platform that many use to give back to the game and/or stay involved in the game. That’s one of my very favorite things about it.

In case anyone is interested I Googled, “ What makes a college summer league NCAA approved?

https://studylib.net/doc/85208...-baseball-guidelines

Leagues and teams recruit at least below the top leagues. For example ACBL added teams this years, they had to recruit.

I think those guidelines are outdated.  MLB grant money is paid directly to the MLB-approved leagues (meaning the league and all teams must be 501(c)(3), and must submit financial and other info to MLB as requested). Some players get part-time jobs but I have never heard of anyone reporting those jobs to the NCAA. Summer leagues do have be be wary of NCAA eligibility rules to make sure a player doesn't inadvertently become ineligible; for example if the team has a D 1 or D 2 coach, the team cannot sign JUCO players.   As for recruiting, teams can recruit pretty much however they please. I have even seen summer teams use Twitter looking for prospective players. Our team recruits by our GM contacting the college coaches that he routinely has worked with over the years.   And it goes both ways-colleges often contact us to determine if we have interest in and room for players.     During our season, replacing players  can get a bit hectic-travel plans, getting unis from departing players, updating the roster, coordinating with the host family about their "new" player (we tell our hosts not to fall in love with their players, but they often still do..our veteran hosts have seen that players can come and go and handle changes very well).   Our league has increased the allowed roster size to 35, and most teams that fill their limit have at least 20 pitchers. That sounds like a lot, and it is, but with innings limits, pitch count limits, college guys needing more rest between outings than pros, etc., and with weather sometimes playing havoc with schedules,  a lot of arms are needed and by the end of the summer, all of the pitchers have gotten plenty of work.    We had a stretch this summer playing 11 days in a row, and another stretch with 5 games in 3 days.  Our league plays a 42 game schedule and we try very hard to be finished by early August, if not late July, so players can have some "home time" before going back to school.     And we are truly nonprofit. Our coaches and trainer are paid. Everyone else is a volunteer.  And a lot of people put in a lot of time with fund-raising, caring for the field, coordinating host families, etc. simply out of a desire to provide a good experience for our players, and provide a place where locals can go and watch good baseball during the summer at a cheap price (admission has been $5 forever, and most kids get in free).  There is no local economic benefit except for players' families visiting and using local hotels and eateries.  Our fans socialize with their friends as they  watch the games and its a good warm atmosphere.   Some players appreciate what's done for them  and some don't, and that's all perfectly fine.  Lots of relationships have formed through the years between players and their hosts that continue long after the player's career ends-weddings, birth announcements, Mother's Day cards, graduations, visits-all of this happens, and it's the coolest part of summer ball-relationships.  

@hokieone Thank you, I had done a search but didn't come up with what I was looking for.

I didn't see your original post as complaining, but explaining how things have changed.

Hokie

Would you consider having the players and parents signing a contract to accept your “rules of conduct”.

Bob

Signing "contracts" is somewhat of a wasted effort. If a player breaches the contract, our remedy is to sue the player (and I am a recovering/retiring attorney), but that's really extreme. If a kid wants to leave for whatever reason, you might as well just move on. We try to talk to players leaving for less than obvious reasons (such as injuries, pitch counts, academic obligations), and some have stayed, but at times you just wish them well and be thankful you get the unis back.   It comes with the territory. It's a truism of summer ball that the team you start with is not the one you finish with.  This is weird: we started our team in the Valley League 11 years ago. We won 10 games, out of 44, our first summer. Not a single player left early. And we didn't have a  single game rained out.   The odds of either of those two things are huge.

Would it make sense to shorten the summer season a bit? Or perhaps have a few players start early and leave and have a few that arrive late and finish the season? They could have a week or two of overlap in the middle to give a couple kids a couple days off.

I'll share one personal experience and hopefully it's helpful for someone in our community.

My HA D3 rising sophomore spent all summer as a PO on a NW team - one he initially targeted since only a few hours from home/GF, thinking he'd be able to visit on "off days" or from being pitched out.  I was really worried about the long summer commitment but looked at it as a kind of "study abroad" experience imagining it would culturally be different on many levels.  He'd only pitched around 15 innings in the spring and his goals were to get innings and immerse himself in a competitive environment.  He arrived Memorial Day weekend as one of the younger, greener players on the team having just been moved to a new host family a half hour's drive from the ballpark.  Well, he only made it back once during the all star break and just now wrapped 70+ games, arriving home with a newly formed mustache, a thick gold chain and some really entertaining stories from what we all believe will end up being one of the most unique and valuable summers of his life.

There were many highs and lows, especially performance-wise, with some really tough outings all which we frame as good experiences along with the times he stood on the mound with his teammates after earning a W. 

On the plus side, he ended up with a wonderful host family and a great roommate to share a finished basement set up along with the commute/gas money.  He also raved about his HC who he revered in many ways and I believe set the tone for such a close-knit team. 

And there were definitely hardships throughout the summer.  Some host families and players had issues, a coach "left", one of the teams had their gear stolen off the bus along with the typical challenges of sharing hotel beds, long and late bus rides, perceived lack of playing time, player injuries, etc. 

Regarding the OP, there were some "me" centered players and they didn't last long on this team and, my understanding is, that was communicated to their college coaches. 

But overall, my kid had such a rich experience living and playing with new found brothers with bonds built throughout a summer of winning, losing, prevailing, struggling and a lot of time shooting the sh*t out in the bullpen.  He says this team had some of the best chemistry of any of the teams he's played on with a make up of  NAIA, JuCo, D1-3 players from all over the country. 

I made it up to watch his last game and witness my stoic and rather undemonstrative kid hug it out with his teammates, hearing "love you, man" as they said goodbye.  I had to quickly look since there's no crying in baseball. 

My nostalgic mood didn't last long as it sounds like the stache is here to stay...oy.

@tribefangirl

Sounds like an awesome summer ball experience and one that he will always remember!

Tribefan girl,

a great story of a team forming. His College team will benefit from your son’s experience. A great example of Social Psychology.

Bob

@TerribleBPthrower posted:

Would it make sense to shorten the summer season a bit? Or perhaps have a few players start early and leave and have a few that arrive late and finish the season? They could have a week or two of overlap in the middle to give a couple kids a couple days off.

Yes, I agree.  I understand the schedule in comparison to trying to mimic a minor league schedule, but we are painting a wide brush with a lot of these young men and times have changed.  We talk a lot about kids going into the transfer portal and the summer is a hot time for them in regards to recruiting so they are now trying to play baseball in a new town with new teammates and living with strangers while trying to find a new home to play in the fall (some by choice, some by no choice of their own.)  They are trying to find time to visit a new school, meet with a new coach, and eventually make a new commitment.  This wasn't as big of an issue a few years ago because the transfer portal wasn't as crazy as it has been the last couple of years so these boys just played all summer and then went back to where they were.  There are boys playing up until just days before they need to move into a new school and some are thousands of miles away from home yet!

My son's teammate was an outfielder who was in this exact same situation.  He finally committed to a new school, needed to start a class for admission and find housing for the fall so was given permission to leave early.  He was called back to play because he was told that the team was short players (complete lie, they actually had extra kids sitting on the bench) but he was a great outfielder and hitter and the coaches wanted to win in games that meant nothing.  In his first game back he slid into 3rd and tore his ACL..DONE for the season at his brand new school!  To say that him, his parents, and his new college coach are extremely angry is putting it mildly.  I can't blame them.

I love the summer leagues for these boys for so many reasons and love the community involvement that rallies around these programs, but if the transfer situation doesn't change then maybe it does need to be looked at for shortening these summer seasons.  Because as others have said multiple times on this site, are we looking for a 4-year or 40-year plan??