Freshman Year Adjustments

catchersdad08,
What your son is experienceing is not unusual for first year players.
Former Observer's statement is so very true, and this is essentially what baseball is about on any level. The young players do have much to learn, so in the beginning the natural assumption is that the older players will get the positions first. However a very interesting thing happens mid season to end, the coach begins to rely on those who he feels will be the teams future, and sometimes the older players that have struggled a bit or injured begin to get phased out, it is a fascinating experience and part of the process.

The important thing for freshman, work hard, learn the system, do whatevwer the coach wants you to do with no questions asked. Lots of players find themselves into the lineup by way of another players injury. Then they (the injured player) has to work even harder to find their way back into the lineup.

I can't beleive that your sons first semester are halfway over. Time flies. Start getting ready for spring!

TPM, the quote in my previous post was actually taken from catchersdad08 post, so I don't want to take credit for it by remaining silent.

It was not my statement, but I quoted it to emphasize how important the concept is and it had not been previously presented in this thread.

In my opinion, it is the single most difficult freshman year adjustment to be made.

FO,
I meant your statement after the quote.

Like I mentioned earlier, Bum Jr. took a small break before college fall ball and looked a bit "Rusty" in his first outing. But what an adjustment! Finished the fall with nine consecutive scoreless innings and 10k's with no walks.. clocked in at 90 for the first time. Next stop, 2009.

Thanks, Kbat.. but at his size to get 1st round he better be 94+.

FormerObserver and TPM,

Great feedback and advice. Thank You!!

No one on this topic has mentioned that when they do come home for the 1st time they are more interested in seeing their friends then sitting on the couch watchings games and spending time with their family all day...?(he never seemed to mind in the past??) We did get a couple of family meals and good conversation between visits....

I enjoyed hearing about all the different personalities of the players and coaches. His observations on the team, his place within the team and what likes and dislikes. Happy to hear very few dislikes. Many new friends from all walks of life!

As we were talking about his classes and politics, I could see the son I left at school in July had changed. Not anything that most people would notice but in a way only mom or dad notices. A good change!!

Got a call today saying "thanks for everything" and that he wished he would have spent more time at home this weekend. Thanksgiving isn't that far away..!

He also said that he was surprised with another start in today's inter-squad. They have 6 catchers(4 juniors, 2 freshman) and he is the only one with multiple starts behind the plate with another start in right field. He loves calling his own game and he threw a game speed 1.84 to 2nd(told to him by the coach)and the player was safe! I couldn't stop laughing as he went over the details of his story. Another welcome to college ball!!!

Catchersdad08,


"No one on this topic has mentioned that when they do come home for the 1st time they are more interested in seeing their friends then sitting on the couch watchings games and spending time with their family all day...?(he never seemed to mind in the past??) We did get a couple of family meals and good conversation between visits...."

Now this is a subject I can relate to as a mom of a sophomore! My son is going out of state and had not been at home at all when he flew home last year for Thanksgiving. I was really, really excited and imagined this wonderful - family filled week. Didn't happen.

First off - he asked if one of his friends could pick him up at the airport. We were picking him up and taking him to one of his favorite restaurants for a family meal. He wanted to go to Whataburger. We did pick him up and went to the favorite restaurant. He also wanted to spend the night with his friends the very first night he was home. Late nights,arguments, etc. We couldn't wait to drop him off at the airport for his trip back and get our peaceful home back.

After that experience - we set up some ground rules for Christmas and I definitely lowered my expectations. Spend some time with us - eat dinner with us early in the evenings and meet up with your friends 8:30 - 9:00. We also told him we had to have some curfew rules that were flexible due to what was going on. (Okay - we definitely echoed what our parents had told us) Texting worked great for communicating late at night. Christmas was much better. And I did let his friend pick him up at the airport when he came home for Christmas!

It seems all the "newness" of seeing the old friends wears off after the first week of being home at Christmas. It is a very exciting time of life for these kids as they swap their stories of the first year of college. I loved having the house full of his high school friends and seeing how they were doing.

Good luck!

I lowered my expectations about "face time" before son came home for Columbus Day weekend. We did get to spend a couple of dinners together. I have noticed that he treats his younger sisters much better.

I still find it hard not watching the progress on the field. I did get one call of frustration after a practice -- but mostly I am told "I'm fine". They have not had any formal scrimmages as I've heard about at other schools, so it is just perfomance at practices/workouts and bullpens.

This weekend is "family weekend". The parents of the senior baseball players are hosting a bbq at the football game. I am very excited to meet the "baseball family". I just wish they'd play a little ball when we are up there.

I am sure this will ring a bell to most if not all of you Old Timers.

During fall ball Younggun practiced daily, had intersquad games, conditioned lightly with the team, etc.

Fall ball officially ended last week and the players were told they would begin with weights and more detailed conditioning this week.

Apparently on monday the coaches had them duck walking and lunging for like 2 miles (younggun's guess!) and he ran a total of 7 miles (3 on his own earlier in the day, 4 with the team). When he sits down in his desk during class he said he wants to cry from the pain! LOL. Going to the bathroom is a HUGE dread!

I laughed so hard I couldn't stop! He didn't find it too amusing! LOL

Very good story YoungGunDad!!

I have one from my son this year.

Team was condictioning by running bases to finish up the last 15 minutes of practice. For the 2nd time in that week the same Freshman missed a base. The coaches stopped practice went to the dugout and walked back with two chairs, gatorade, cold towel and h2o. They placed the chairs on the mound area requiring the poor baserunning Freshman to sit in one and put his feet up on the other. They placed the towel around his neck and handed him the gatorade and h2o from the cooler. He was required to sit and watch his 48 teammates run for 1 hour around the bases due to his mistake.(It was 95 degrees in the early evening while they were running!!!)

Not to surprising there were some unhappy Upperclassman at the end!! My son said that a few went and had a talk with the Freshman when it was done..... It's been a couple of weeks since that happened and my son said that Freshman hasn't missed another base!!!

In my opinion that is the worst kind of coaching.

My son's coach punished the team like that and he was finally fired after running the team into the ground. Hardly the way to build team spirit.

Fall Break came and went and got to have my son at home for 5 days and it was great. He didn't really spend too much time away from the house as most of his friends weren't on their break. Was pretty cool as 2 of them drove home for the weekend because they hadn't seen him since July. He was pretty excited and they were also, happily most of all their time was spend at the house with me and we played halo until all hours of the night. (any other dad's out there into HALO 3, boys got me into it and now we all play on xbox live every couple of days together)

Was just really cool to get to spend a little time just hanging out and talking and catching up on his time at school.

Said his head coach told him he had the worst pick off move in the history of baseball, so he has been working on that. Also, he has known the team manager for awhile before he got to school and he was kind enough to give my son the tighest practice pants in the history of baseball. I think it has something to do with the fact that they have now bestowed upon him the title of biggest butt on the team.

Used more groceries in those 5 days than we had in the whole month previously! But, the great thing was that all his favorite foods are also mine, and mommy cooked everything he wanted during his time at home. I think for a second he actually let it show that he missed his little sister too!

I have gotten to see all their world series games so far, and he has done fairly well. 2nd outing was a little rough with 4BB on 2 innings, but only 1 hit and 1 K.

My God, as I read the experiences from this forum I have to say to myself. "I thought this just happened to us"...First year is almost over, school is finally finished but we are in the NCAA regional playoffs and team is doing well. My son had one offer from NAIA in Tennesse, five offers from DIII and possibility of making one DII squad. We went with the best DIII program probably in NC. At this point not sure if it was the correct move.

Coach recruited my son from his baseball showcase, where my son was only pitcher asked to stay behind and coach expressed sincere interest. We were almost sold on mid level DIII program in VA, when my son changed his mind and decided to go to NC program.

My son was runner up player of the year, so I was surprised he did not receive more looks from DII school. I knew his grades were not great, but baseball talent was there.

During the Fall, pitching coach was "absent landlord", pitchers were left to fend for themselves and sort of run their own program, which I thought was ridiculous. Some long toss and lots of running but what about "learning to pitch at the College level???"....Nothing...My son was doing reasonably well at scrimages and then we played a DI program and he was told to go 3 iinings....really check. First time ever against another team and he played badly. got 0-2 on first 4 batters and gave up hits to 3 of them, due to inexperienced of knowing where to place pitch in that situation...much different than blowing it by batters in HS. During their 3 game World Series he pitched well....

Going into Spring, head coach tells him his role will be middle relief...so far has seen 6 total innings in 4 appearances, only when team has been well behind...a lot of trouble adjusting to being number one pitcher on team to pitching one inning every 4 weeks...timing is off, fastball is 2-3 miles an hour slower and location is not as crisp...still no pitching coaching help...He is at the point where he just wants season to be over to come home and play summer ball, get stronger, and get some innings in his belt and go back in the fall and challenge for a job...TOUGH is not even the word for how this year has gone.

quote:

.He is at the point where he just wants season to be over to come home and play summer ball, get stronger, and get some innings in his belt and go back in the fall and challenge for a job...TOUGH is not even the word for how this year has gone.

Your son's team starts Regional playoff competition tomorrow? This seems like a very unusual post to be making today.
One thing that gets repeated so many times on this site is the difference between high school and college baseball.
Since you had indicated you felt your son could play DII, what did you expect for him this year at a DIII?
I will tell you it seems "odd" to read a post so critical of a coach/program/season that has been so successful, for many, many years. It seems odd to be reading a post that your son will be happy the season will be over but to know his teammates are competing for a chance to get to play in Wisconsin.
Do you think there is any chance that maybe you are only providing one side of a two sided story?
How could a coach and program be so successful for such a long period and coach, or not coach, at the level you are describing?

What is so odd about being truthful ? Are there no unhappy freshmen out there ?

BHD,
Probably a lot of unhappy freshman.
How many of their parents are posting it the night before the "Team" plays in a Regional?? What is that saying..."there is no I in TEAM?"
How does the TEAM enter into this for you, if at all?
How many unhappy freshman parents are laying that "unhappiness" at the doorstep of the coaching staff which got their team to a Regional and which also gets their team there almost every year, and happened to "stumble" on a DIII National Championship?
Are you willing to accept the coaching staff is "so inept" but yet successful year in and year out, including this year?

I would agree with you if he named the college. He is venting a bit and may be off base but I don't see anything wrong with what he said if true.
Maybe they weren't prepared for what they faced.

I wondered if he was accurate about being in the regionals at this time of year ? I also must have missed the part about successful program.

The name of the school was included in numerous past posts by RLSCosta.

Help me here:"may be off base but I don't see anything wrong if what he said is true??"
What does that mean?
Does it mean "I" is more important than "team."
Would you want his son showing up for a Regional Championship tomorrow with those thoughts running through his head?
BHD, he said his son plays at a DIII. The DIII regionals start tomorrow. His son and his team are in the South Regional

You are right if that is his attitude but it is his dad talking.
It is easy to understand how you might think it is selfish nut I would think lots of players would feel like he does if he felt left out. To think every player doesn't have selfish thoughts is unrealistic and doesn't mean he won't show up to do his best.
Have you ever seen a selfish player at all levels. Egos are part of the game and obviously this player is upset with the realities of college ball for many if not most freshmen.

quote:

It is easy to understand how you might think it is selfish nut I would think lots of players would feel like he does if he felt left out.

It is his parent...I don't know if it is the Dad, talking/posting about how his son is feeling.
He says his "son" wants the season to be "OVER."
The team is in a Regional.

The team has been in the Regionals before,
The staff has won a National Championship.
Do you accept they "left out" pitchers who can help them win. Do you accept they coached the other pitchers well enough to get to post-season play but happened to miss/leave out this one?