Go to college for baseball or academics?

I would submit that plenty of decisions are made with the baseball "fit" the primary determining factor. Successful decisions also correctly blend the academic side of the equation. jmo

Would I want to go to this school if I got hurt and I never played baseball again. That would be a good question to answer before making a decision on a school.

You know...we keep counseling academics first...and son sits, listens, smiles, nods in agreement....but what goes unsaid is that his life's passion continues to be baseball...how can that not influence his decision in a major way? It is very difficult to put an old head on young shoulders....

Fungo

Different strokes for different folks, I suppose.

Some kids go to school TO play baseball. Others go to school AND play baseball. If they wind up with a degree, either way is fine. If not, well, that we can debate (and probably will).

There are so many factors that go into the decision as to where to go to school (and when/if to leave one). Some kids don't get it right, some schools/teams don't get it right, some parents don't get it right ... and sometimes it's nobody's fault it isn't right.

Would seem the best thing for any parent/player looking for advice/counsel here is to lay out some details first. That way when they get responses, there is some context.

P.S. - My kid would tell you he is going to college TO play baseball. And as long as his GPA stays at 3.something, I'm happy for him to go on thinking that way. If it slips, then perhaps I'll try to change his mind.

Agree with Coach May.

My son based his decision on exactly that kind of scenario.

Ideally I agree with Coach May too. But I know that for most kids the "baseball" thoughts come up in their mind more than the academic thoughts during the recruiting process.

On a related note, I am a believer that you can get a great education at most colleges...big state school or small private school. A lot depends on what the student puts into it. I personally went to a big state school for undergraduate and an elite private school for graduate school. Got great educations at both...but would rate the classroom instruction as better at the big state school. Have talked to many others with similar experiences as me.

This is gonna be just like rotational and linear........................

Like Canis bleue poo poo all over the yard again.

Like the politicians have taught us its about ..........COMPROMISE...........


About a 2.54 PGA and a LOT of playing time is a pretty good COMPROMISE.

Just my humble opine.............

Baseball or academics? For us the answer was YES & YES. Son was very fortunate to have had some great choices, so as a family the options were narrowed to a small group of good academic schools. Then, son made the final selection from this group, picking the college he felt had the best position-specific development program that will help him reach his goal of MLB. So, we're both happy with the final choice.

I think it is based upon the kind of son you have. Ultimately it's their decision in what direction they want to pursue. Yes we can discuss options but they have to be self-motivated about their selections.

After looking at various opportunities my son chose to attend our local jc college even though he could have gone to a state university. He wanted to play ball with his buddies and now they are planning to transfer to a state college together in '06 to play ball at one of the state universites while renting a house and sharing the expenses. All of this has been his choices and the only thing he has done is spoken to me for about five minutes to ask what I thought. I simply asked him what he thought about it and he stated his reasons. I asked him if he was comfortable with it and he said yes. Sounds good enough to me...and he's has decided to major in Marine-Biology. So there you have it.

I really don't think there is anything wrong with a kid choosing a school based on baseball. If it is the vehicle that gets him to class---so be it. I feel as though once he is there and knows that he is expected to hold a 3.0 (in Fla. that is what is required to hold on to the Bright Futures Scholarship)then he will be fine. Bottom line---he MUST be happy. If that means that he loves the baseball program and is willing to deal with the academic side--so be it. JMO

I am a strong believer that the value of your education has less to do with the institution than it has to do with your own desire to learn

Put a kid who won't study, who skips classes, who hates school in the finest school and he still won't get a great education.

Put a hard working kid who enjoys learning and strives to excel in his school work in most any school and he will still get a great education.

With that in mind, why not let baseball have a strong influence. After all, if that is his passion it may be enough to turn the tables on how hard he is willing to work to get that education.

Lets put it this way--if it weren't for baseball my son would not have gone to college--baseball was the "carrot" that got him his degree while he played major Division I baseball.

The baseball program/coaches is playing an important role in making a college decision for my son. Since baseball is his passion and is what is going to help pay for school, I think it should be a major consideration for us. Obviously, there needs to be a major/program your child is interested in and can choose for a career. There's those variables like distance, location, etc. However, if the baseball program isn't a fit, I don't see my son being successful. Right or wrong, it's driven him in high school and I think it'll be what drives him in higher ed.

I agree a kid can get a great education just about anywhere. You get out of it what you put into it. But if a kid goes to a school solely based on the coach and the facilities or better put baseball in general what happens when baseball goes south. If he hates the school and baseball is going good he will suck it up and deal with it because baseball is the reason he went there in the first place. But if baseball goes south and he really doesnt like the school either then hes going to leave. And the problem with that is more than likely he will not go back to school. Some do but most do not. I feel that most kids that are really into baseball go to school to extend their careers because they love the game. A by product of that is that they get a degree. Thats the part we parents love. But the kids are there by and large because they love the game and want to play. If thats what gets them in the door who cares as long as they get that degree before they leave.

Coach May-Very good points. I may be wrong but in my opinion most of the "above average"
baseball players in high school are above average because they have a passion for the game
and basically eat,sleep and breathe baseball. There are some who also like to study and excell academically, but I would venture to say they are in the minority(especially after
going to showcases and seeing the average SAT/ACT scores). I think the college baseball
player, for the most part, is there to play baseball and academics are a necessary evil for
them to participate. Hopefully, down the road they will realize the importance of a higher
education but after 12 straight years of school(k-12) a lot of kids would love to just take a break.

If a student athlete is motivated, he/she will get a good education no matter where they go
to school.

Good topic. But I think the answer follows the oldVaman's cliche "different strokes for different folks". In our case it came down to the best baseball fit and out of pocket costs.

* All 4 school choices had high academic standards.

* As a HS senior he felt more comfortable 160 miles from home versus 1500 miles away.

* He melded with the coaches better at the school he chose.

Bottom line, he chose the school that was the best baseball fit and secondly gave him the best educational opportunity. He is not going to be a doctor, lawyer, or an engineer, his long range plan is to teach secondary ed when he gets done with his dream of playing baseball. In order to realize that dream he had to rate the baseball factor higher on the school choice list. I think we're all on the same page. However, some of our kids have the smarts and desire to pursue loftier career goals and that affects the school decision.

Academics should ALWAYS outweigh baseball...period. How many kids will make a living that will support them for the rest of their lives playing baseball? Maybe one in a million? Baseball is the greatest game in the world, and as a former minor-leaguer I would never say it isn't important, but let's keep the big picture in mind, shall we?
Baseball MUST be a factor in determining a school, as that will be a major part of that young man's life. Anyone that has played the game collegiately knows the time commitment necessary to excel at that level. So it has to be a factor, and probably a big factor....but....
Education is the key to life. It is the reason colleges exist, and I would never steer a young man to college SOLELY to play baseball...but I've helped many in my years as an educator steer their lives in a successful direction using education as their means of transportation!
I love baseball as much as anyone...but keep perspective: it is a moment in time, not time itself.

Students should make their college selections based on what's important to them and within their family budget. If baseball is their top priority, that should guide their decision.

I personally don't believe students need to make decisions based on the "what ifs" ...ie. what if I'm hurt, what if my coach leaves, what if I don't like my degree plan, etc.

Make your selection based on what's important to you and within your budget. If things change and your college situation doesn't match your needs, you can transfer. Kids do it all the time.

My oldest son realized there would be no paychecks in his baseball future so he chose engineering at the school of his choice over several D-3 offers that were on the table. It may not be for everyone but he is very satisfied playing on the Club team. Now that there is the NCBA with 20 conferences and 97 teams currently (and growing) trying to reach the NCBA World Series in Florida, the quality of play is improving. For the young men that really love the game and the varsity team is just not an option at the academic school of their choice they should consider this option. There is no reason to hang up your cleats if you don't have to. There are alot more young men that try out and don't make the team than do so don't think that these guys aren't competitive.