quote:
Originally posted by The Beast:
Dillon, yes I'm glad. This s**t is funny. Some of the guys are in for a rude awakening if their son's do get a chance to compete at the next level.These high school kids don't have clue on hard they are going to workout in college. You can talk about it all you want, but until you get there and go thru some of the drills you just don't realize how hard it's going to be. And we haven't even talked about going to class. I feel sorry for some of these college coaches for having to listen to some of these dads and their garbage. Especially when they go in and ask why little Johnny isn't hitting 4th and playing ss every inning during the first scrimmage of the fall. Heck almost every position player on Junior's team hit in the 4 hole on their high school team and almost all the pitchers were the ace on their team. These dad's need to just sit back and enjoy watching their son's finish out their high school career and be quiet and enjoy it. Because once it's over it's over and their ain't no going back. If a kid is good enough to play college ball the coaches will find him. The recruiting will last well into next summer. Don't panic, if your kid wants to play he will find a spot. If your kid doesn't like to compete for playing time though he better just stick to playing for daddy.
And like I said before having gone thru this I still believe the MSL is the way to go.
Regards
TB
This is a fantastic post that I hope everyone reads. I am not a parent but this resonates with me from a player perspective.
I remember playing at a big D1 school and thinking, "that player is better than me, why isn't he getting the opportunities"? Those thoughts then transformed into me wondering why the team wasn't good enough, why I wasn't being used a certain way until finally I transferred to a CWS contender, even though the team I was on was a top program.
- Looking back it amazes me how selfish and confused I could be.
I then remember playing at the new D1 school as the big transfer. Had opportunities early and did well and then broke my hand. Those opportunities were gone now even when I became healthy. I didn't realize that at my previous school I was at a place the truly wanted me there and was invested in me and now I was at a place that was using me as a final piece to their puzzle. Big difference. Went to the CWS but it didn't feel right and I wasn't a part of their plan anymore.
- Looking back I wish I didn't have the regrets but I learned a lot.
Then I went to pro ball and I was a number. I wasn't a bonus baby and I reverted back to the why's? And I became miserable early on.
A few years into pro ball I had a conversation with my dad on the phone and he asked me why I play. I told him because I love the game and I went into detail as to the emotion it brings out of me and other stuff such as it is the only place where my troubles can go away for a few hours while I step between the lines. He then said something that changed my life with baseball, he told me that everything I said wasn't true anymore, that I wasn't having fun playing, that I was bringing troubles between the lines and that I wasn't being a kid anymore. After that phone call my career turned around from a statistical standpoint but also a happiness standpoint.
I think that parents need to enjoy the ride as much as the kids need to enjoy the ride. The more pressure the less they get to truly enjoy what is actually happening to them. I also think parents forget how special it is to even be in a position to play in a showcase league or even to be looked at to play in a showcase league - most kids wish they had close to those talents. The bar gets raised because these kids play at such a high level for so long so everyone forgets how lucky everyone actually is, step back and enjoy the fact that many of you parents have kids on the lucky end of the athletic bell curve.
)