Football or Baseball?

Why not try to find a school where he could do both? It's not easy, but possible. He should try to find a school where the coaches are agreeable to two sport athletes. He could always settle on one sport later if he can't handle both.

D2 baseball has very little scholarship money...

Congratulations to your son! Options are good. It basically boils down to make your pick and don’t look back. While no two sports are alike, no one sport is “better” than another. My son was a much better baseball player than football player but he was still an all-state football player and could have played college football. We talked about which sport (or both) he wanted to pursue in college. I use the term “we” loosely here because it was his choice but “we” talked about it because he wanted my input. We decided early on that it would not be practical to play two sports in college although I did suggest he take some footballs to college – he never did. Other than the obvious personal preference these are some of the pros and cons we talked about.

Injury: We felt the football players were more injury prone. Don’t know that to be true because my son had two operations playing college baseball. I’m all for making sacrifices but to what extremes does one go?

Teammates: We always felt he fit in with the “baseball crowd” better than the “football crowd”. I think this became more obvious when he actually played in college. College football players get bigger, meaner, and nastier in college. His athletic body and “mindset” were more geared to baseball.

Scholarship: We felt as if the scholarship edge went to football but we were satisfied with the baseball scholarships he was offered. I mention scholarships but personally wouldn't use to determine a sport.

Actual playing time: While the football games are very intense, they are few in numbers when compared to baseball. The three game series plus a mid week game makes for more overall playing time when compared to one Friday night game. We also felt as if football grossly over recruits and many football players get lost in the masses. I think the movie “Rudy” illustrates the sacrifices a football player must make and not even play a game.

Hype and campus popularity (glory): Football by a large margin. Football is a blood sport and the fans are mesmerized by the gladiator like action of the players. The fans are more involved in the hype. Baseball on the other hand is more of a thinking/skills game. Fans are more subtle in their admiration of the players. They don't mob you --- they smile and talk to you.

If it is an even tossup between football and baseball I think baseball would be the wiser choice. During my son’s college years NO baseball players left the baseball program for football however two football players left football for baseball. Hmmmm.

With early signing already passed with interest but no offer, I wouldn’t expect any “really good offers” as an unsigned senior.
Fungo

Thanks for the responses. It helps so much to hear from people who have already been through the process.

quote:

With early signing already passed with interest but no offer, I wouldn’t expect any “really good offers” as an unsigned senior

I agree with most of Fungo's comments but not this one. Lots of great scholarship pakages given out in the spring and summer of senior year.
The D11s also can give great scholarships. A D11 offer was our largest package offered.

My son was a 6'3 lefty who play high level Basketball. We and he knew that his potential was BB and although he loved hoops there wasn't a great potential after HS. He actuially stayed back an extra year in HS to play BKT Ball.
You should be able to judge your son's potential in each sport. A BB coach at college may judge his commitment to BB as low if he doesn't pick BB as his only sport. They tend to be funny about that commitment thing. Multi sport looks good on the ressume but a college coach only cares about BB.
You say he played in a small HS. How do you think he will stack up to guys from large HSs in each sport ?
There is no doubt that some colleg foot ball and Bskt Ball situations are extremely tough but so can BB be. Over recruiting and fall cuts, no scholarship money etc can be devastating to a young college freshman.
Personally I would pick the sport your son has the best chance of sticking around after the fall in college. The size of scholarship may play a big role in that.

Texan

I do not know where you got that info regarding Division II baseball but it is totally incorrect

Just as an interesting piece of information on this subject, here in SC Richard Mounce of Blythewood H.S. was just named the state's Mr. Football for 2007, and was South Carolina's MVP in the Shrine Bowl (All star football game between seniors from SC and NC). He will attend Clemson on a baseball scholarship.

I read an article in BA last year, college baseball coaches like kids who played football. They know they're mentally tough and can play through getting banged up.

quote:

Originally posted by TRhit:
Texan

I do not know where you got that info regarding Division II baseball but it is totally incorrect

You call 9 'ships a lot of money?

But perhaps I should have said, compared to football D2 baseball has very little scholarship money (only one fourth as much). That would have been more clear.

Texan
We have had and have players at Division II schools and they are very comfortable---they can be very inventive when it comes to money as can Division III schools


9 is more than most Division I programs have

It is also more than a fair number of D2 programs have...

If you think baseball is more favorable than football in terms of 'ships, I'll leave it with you.

Thanks again for the info. Just to clarify a little - Son will also qualify for academic money ( 4.0 GPA, 25 ACT), so the amount of any possible athletic money will be in addition to that. We have told him to decide which sport he wants to play and where he would like to play it, and we will work out the money. It's just a tough decision for a 17 year old to make. I agree with the points made by Fungo. I don't want him to try both sports in college even if the coaches allow it. He has been very successful against his level of competition in both sports, but I'm ready to see how much he can improve by only concentrating on one. For the present time, he is meeting with a few football coaches and attending some Christmas baseball camps in our area. I guess we will find out soon enough what the future holds.

quote:

Originally posted by TRhit:

9 is more than most Division I programs have

Is that accurate, that over 50% of D1 schools are not fully funded for baseball? Is there a source for that data?

CPLZ

I am sure there is way to find that info but I have not got the patience to do that exercise

I would say pursue both and see what options he has at the end of it all. That might make your decision for you. Also, is it clear that he is better in one sport than in the other??

I was a two sport athlete in a top D2 university, i played football and baseball. It was hard but and i lacked a little behind some, but being a good athlete i held my own. It was also the time of my life because it says alot about him if he can do both. Also i was a linebacker in football P/OF in baseball, your son is a QB which makes for more demanding, do you see him playing Qb in college or another position? Taking aside all professional aspects it is not a bad thing playing both the coaches help in academics so don't worry to much about that, it already seems like your son has a good head on his shoulders. So ultimately i say play both and let him enjoy college and go from there, my junior year of college i blew out my arm pitching and was still able to play football although my baseball career was over.

Fan 7:

My son was a 3 sport athlete in a small school in WestVirginia. He also had good grades [4.0 class valedictorian] and good SATs [28 cumulative]. He received several letters from various colleges regarding football, many from ivy league schools. He wanted to play baseball in college so we did not pursue the football dream. But we did have a conversation about this time of year one year ago. The gist of that conversation went something like this. "You know son, if you would be willing to play football at Yale, or Brown or Columbia they would pay for your entire education there. You probably won't get a baseball offer from any of those schools with a full ride."

With your son's grades and test scores, you might want to have a similar conversation with him. It may be that the opportunity to go to a great school might tip the balance as to which sport he might choose.

Good Luck.

TW344

Fan7,
I am also in the same boat as your son. I've been a 3 sport athlete all my life as well. I was an all-league outfielder my soph. and junior year and was recently an All-State defensive back. I've received interest in both sports from NAIA to Division II schools and am STILL not sure what to do. Some people tell me that I need to just make up my mind on what I want to play and go with it. Others tell me to keep interest in both sports, and it will come to me. It's a very tough decision for a 17 year old to make.

baseballplayer31,
I have also told my son to pray and ask God to lead him in the right direction. Good luck with your decision and with baseball season this year.

f7, that is the wisest thing you could possibly do. And when led, you know things will work out for the best in the long run.

A friend of our's son is playing both football and baseball at a D3 school in the area (Freshman). He is a pitcher and receiver. If I see him over the holidays I will ask him how it is going and if he has any advice for someone in the same situation.