"Go where you are loved" observations

Great post, thanks. What is your take on the other most common piece of advice here - go where you would want to be even if you couldn't play?

Hardgame, good posts with lots of truths. I agree with your take that the "love" really only lasts if you produce. I don't think coaches are malicious or liars. They have an incredibly difficult job balancing trying to get the best talent possible, at the same time judging if they can get that talent on campus after the draft. It must be frustrating to sit there on draft day and watch one or several of the building blocks you were counting on to sign and never show up to campus. 

Injuries are also something that you can't predict. This is exactly what me son is dealing with. He was pretty heavily recruited, got to go to his dream school and has yet o throw a single pitch. A new wave of recruits have now come in and have a fall under their belt. He will have to work even harder to get innings. 

In the end, I can only hope it will make him stronger. Only time will tell. I can tell you that spending a year and a half in the training room and away from your team is VERY tough. I don't wish that on any other player. But he is getting closer. Has thrown 5 or 6 bullpens over the last 6 weeks. He isn't completely back, but just being back on the mound has really boosted his spirits. I'm not sure who is more excited for spring, me or him. One thing is certain, I have gained even more respect for student athletes. I heard what it was like but until you walk that walk, you truly can't understand the level of difficulty. My hat goes off to all student athletes. 

younggun posted:

I heard what it was like but until you walk that walk, you truly can't understand the level of difficulty. My hat goes off to all student athletes. 

Likewise. . . in my son's freshman year, I was blown away by the difficulty and for those in a school with really high academic standards. . . WOW!   

You've really gotta be a special kind of person to manage it well.

JCG, I would recommend going where you would want to go even if baseball went away, but the challenge is for the kid to be willing to give up baseball. In my son's case, he wanted to go to the biggest school he could, one that was a national name in all sports. That way, if baseball didn't work out, he could get his degree and be a life-long fan of the school, go to tailgates/games and follow them 30-40 years from now. He was just fortunate that baseball worked out, so if your son has a "dream school" and is willing to walk from baseball if it doesn't work out, that isn't the worst thing in the world.

For many kids, I think dream schools are like dream girls - you don't know what she is like until you meet her.   It wasn't his dream school to start, but yes, my player is very, very confident that he would be happy at his chosen school even if an injury or anything else prevented him from playing baseball.

Going where you are loved provides the opportunity to play. Once on the field it's on the player to earn the right to stay there. If a player goes where he isn't loved he down the ladder for receiving the opportunity to prove himself. Some players never get a legitimate shot. Then the next year another set of recruits come in and he's further down the ladder. If a kid goes where he isn't loved he better make it happen right away IF he gets the opportunity. 

A loved recruit will receive multiple opportunities to succeed. Some loved recruits get their entire freshman season to prove themselves. The NOT loved recruit might have to make it happen in one appearance just to get a second chance, then a third chance.

Truman posted:

younggun posted:

I heard what it was like but until you walk that walk, you truly can't understand the level of difficulty. My hat goes off to all student athletes. 

Likewise. . . in my son's freshman year, I was blown away by the difficulty and for those in a school with really high academic standards. . . WOW!   

You've really gotta be a special kind of person to manage it well.

This.

RJM posted:

Going where you are loved provides the opportunity to play. Once on the field it's on the player to earn the right to stay there. If a player goes where he isn't loved he down the ladder for receiving the opportunity to prove himself. Some players never get a legitimate shot. Then the next year another set of recruits come in and he's further down the ladder. If a kid goes where he isn't loved he better make it happen right away IF he gets the opportunity. 

A loved recruit will receive multiple opportunities to succeed. Some loved recruits get their entire freshman season to prove themselves. The NOT loved recruit might have to make it happen in one appearance just to get a second chance, then a third chance.

HARDGAME Makes a damn fine argument here and clearly brings plenty of insight based on his experience.

However, I'm a 'Go where they love you ' Guy and I stand by that. RJM breaks down a few of those points here in his post.

My son is currently in his freshman year at a D1 program in the South. He's hurt. Just had surgery 3 weeks ago and he's out for the season . He'll redshirt , Rehab then hit it hard late next summer early fall.

During the recruiting process , He had serious interest at several top notch Universities. He eventually went with the school " That loved him"

Really glad he did! With this injury, surgery , rehab , missing the season he'll need every bit of equity he built with the baseball department moving forward.

I firmly believe if he was a secondary or fringe recruit of this recruiting class....Well, there might be problems.

Just my opinion based on my experience

Good point, Strained! The injury situation adds a whole new set of factors to weigh and you are right, he is likely to be nursed through the injury by being at a school that loves him.

One factor I did not equate, and I think this is definitely true, is if you are a pitcher and the coach/program has followed you for several years, that makes a huge difference too. Then I agree with the "go where you are loved" because injuries can happen so frequently to pitchers. I should have qualified my experience by stating my son is a position player and this has been my observation for position players...particularly those that hit, or prove they can hit at that level quicker than someone they loved or was ranked higher coming into the recruiting class.

Also, RJM you are right about getting opportunities. At least at my son's school, it seems like the opportunities that kids get during the season are largely based on what they did in the fall. They have 20+ inter-squad scrimmages at my son's school and everyone gets ample opportunities to produce and show themselves. They are actual games with umpires and stats recorded, etc. That is one reason the highly recruited or loved recruits find themselves on a level playing field with all the other kids and no favoritism going into the season, just raw production from the fall.

I give my son's coaches credit, they have always identified the best freshmen coming out of fall ball when you listen to their interviews or read articles. They mention them by name and sure enough, the following spring those kids play a lot and more often than not, produced a ton. That is the part I have seen about not mattering how much they loved you before you got on campus. But for pitcher's, it is a different story.

I agree with hardgame for the most part, I have been telling my son that you need to have the intent of landing at a school you want to attend if baseball was not in the equation. It may be D1 or D3, just understand that if the baseball variable leaves the equation, you need to think long and hard about transferring to continue to play ball because in reality not all credits may transfer, then you will delay your graduation.

I think another important factor to consider is coaching staff turnover. These guys are paying their mortgages and feeding their families based on their ability to make the AD happy, boosters happy, etc. How much value is there is going to a program with a history of a revolving door in the program versus one with a long-tenured staffs. I sleep better at night knowing the staff isn't too worried about one bad season. The competitive environment athletically may not be any different, but not having to worry about a coaching change once or more during your collegiate career is a good thing.

I tell my son every time we talk about his future that he has to perform consistently at a high level. If he does that, everything else should take care of itself.