hard time adjusting to lower caliber college ball

probably his two choices are to transfer or just learn to live with it and work "on his own" to get better.

Is "transfer" is key word of this generation and their parents?

What happened to there being NO CHOICE ? You either fought your way thru it or it was determined that you better move on

TR: I didn't advise either one....just said transfer or make the best of it.

Did I say you did/

The point is that bring up the transfer aspect

WHY ???

This is an interesting dilemma. I wouldn't go so far as saying that transferring would be an advisable option right now. Lots can happen for the remainder of the year.

If your son feels this way and would like to speak to the coach, then by all means, speak to him. But don't approach the conversation as a means to be detrimental to his program. Ie: Don't say "I want better competition and your team isn't good enough". Go into the office and say "Coach I feel as if I could be doing more things to maximize my effort to make the team better. Is there anything you can do to help me do the little bit extra to push me over the hump?" Saying things like this do several things. 1) It puts the ball in his court. You enable him to make a decision based on what he knows about his players, you and his team. 2) It puts the team above yourself. Coaches love players that want to sacrifice themselves for the betterment of the team. If your son genuinely says this to his coach, chances are he will respond in a positive light.

See how things pan out. You never know how things will change in the spring. Work very hard until then, do all you can do to be the best you can be. Give it a shot. The uncertainties always occur in the early parts of collegiate experience. While transferring is and always should be an option, I advise against it at this current time based on the information you have provided. To me it just seems like it might be jumping the gun a little bit on the entire process.

quote:

Originally posted by hsbbwebfan:
freshman son is having a hard time adjusting to a lower caliber ball playing for a D3 school that he chose over D1 because of the high end academics. He's used to hitting off much faster pitching and receiving excellent instruction from a competitive high school program and summer travel ball. During fall ball, the college program hasn't provided specific instruction just game play scenarios....so he's trying to make the adjustments himself. He likes the coach personally, especially during the recruiting process. He just wasn't really aware of how he ran the program....He says that he came for the academics anyway, not the baseball, but I can tell he's disappointed. He's the type of kid who strives for excellence both in the classroom and on the field and is concerned that the program won't enable him to improve as a player. He has no illusions about making it to the big leagues he just wants to be the best ballplayer he can be. Any suggestions to help him mentally adapt and/or improve outside of the program so he can still enjoy the game he's always loved. At this point, he doesn't feel comfortable talking to the coach.

I would like to point something out here. This young man chose his college with academics first and baseball second like many advise here. Now the baseball has gone south, and the young man is unhappy. This is how it almost always goes. For those that offer the advice to "pick the school as if baseball did not exist," (which it appears he did here) please explain why this young man is unhappy? (rhetorical question not requiring an answer)

For the young man in question, I think JH's advice is sound. You picked the school for its high-end academics now make something happen with the baseball team. Maybe that means coaching yourself. Maybe it means turning a losing program into a winner. Maybe it means becoming a leader and transcending the shortcomings of the coach. Either way, there is an opportunity here and the idea is not to use the coach as an excuse even though he may not be what was hoped for.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by ClevelandDad:

I would like to point something out here. This young man chose his college with academics first and baseball second like many advise here. Now the baseball has gone south, and the young man is unhappy. This is how it almost always goes. For those that offer the advice to "pick the school as if baseball did not exist," (which it appears he did here) please explain why this young man is unhappy? (rhetorical question not requiring an answer)

QUOTE]

The OP said "He says that he came for the academics anyway, not the baseball".

Had he called home and said the Professor's were just not teaching like he had hoped or they were dumber than a bag full of hammers THEN I'd be concerned. Afterall, he's there for academics first.

I think ClevelandDad's question pretty much sums up the entire original post.

The fact is when baseball is very important to a young man it will determine to a great degree how unhappy or happy he is. No matter how good the academic side may be going. When your a serious baseball player and your out there looking for a fit its not just look for the academics or look for the best baseball fit. Its a combo of both.

JH excellent advice. Outstanding advice you gave imo. You don't want to come across as putting down the program or the coaching staff. See how the baseball plays out in the spring and give it a year to see how things work out. Things can change pretty quickly one way or the other. Then you can make what ever decisions you feel you need to make.

thanks for the responses everyone. Transferring is not an option. Loves the school, location and the classes, albeit the academics have been very tough. If the problem was with the academics, which we're glad it's not, than transferring would be an option, but not for baseball. I appreciate the advice JH. My son knew that he was compromising baseball for academics and if he had to do it over again, he would make the same decision. I'm just trying to help him adjust to a different mindset and, as cleveland dad suggested, using the opportunity to make lemonade out of lemons. Understanding it intellectually and than going through it are two different things. It was difficult to find the right fit where all the pieces fit together. There were other opportunities that would have provided a stronger baseball program, but than the school was too small...or not a good location... or he wouldn't have had the opportunity to start as a freshman...or the coach was a real jerk - but the overriding decision maker was the academics. There are other very talented ball players on the team who also compromised for the academics so I'm sure they are having to adjust, as well. It would probably be helpful for my son to see how they have adapted. It's early yet. I'm sure over time he'll feel more comfortable with the coach and the environment and will end up rising to the occasion. The coach is a good guy with lots of integrity. There is alot to be said for that. When my son does approach him the way JH recommended,I'm sure he will want to help my son for not only the betterment of the team, but for him personally.

We make a decision based on information..... as your son did. He "did good" in my opinion .... Congratulations!

The motto of the frontiersman Davy Crockett might apply when selecting a college --- "Be sure you're right then go ahead".
Fungo

I don't know if this helps any, but there are lots of parents worrying about their freshman kids at this point of the fall, and I don't just mean just baseball parents. We want the college experience to be so wonderful for our kids, and no college experience is perfect. They tell us their disappointments, and we want to make it better for them.

Sounds like your son made a very well-reasoned decision. He will work it out.

My guess is there exist many club / amateur teams in the surrounding area to scratch his itch.

quote:

Originally posted by twotex:
I don't know if this helps any, but there are lots of parents worrying about their freshman kids at this point of the fall, and I don't just mean just baseball parents. We want the college experience to be so wonderful for our kids, and no college experience is perfect. They tell us their disappointments, and we want to make it better for them.

Sounds like your son made a very well-reasoned decision. He will work it out.

this is spot on!!!

almost every kid fall term freshman year has feelings of insecurity and doubt... regardless of whether a sport was a major part of their college decision or not. As others have said ... if the feeling persists after spring semester is over reevaluate at that point.

quote:

Originally posted by ClevelandDad:
This is how it almost always goes. For those that offer the advice to "pick the school as if baseball did not exist," (which it appears he did here) please explain why this young man is unhappy? (rhetorical question not requiring an answer)

That's patently false, without merit and single example does not make a rule.

"See, I told you so". Is that really the message you're sending here?

For someone who says they don't think it has to be a black and white decision, you sure seem he11 bent on promoting the prioritization one side.

Offering the advice, "try to pick somewhere you would want to be even if baseball weren't part of the equation", isn't prioritizing baseball lower. It's advice to get some balance in the decision making process. It's much more likely that the baseball player will take a, "yeah, whatever" stance with academics and ancillary concerns than baseball, which naturally means that baseball will have a more direct effect on attitude. We all expect that.

The advice is given for a reason. Not all baseball players that go to college will flourish at the sport, be eventual starters or stars. The OP's concerns are that his son isn't doing as well as he'd hoped and the coaches don't seem to be helping that. I fail to see where your advice of choosing a baseball school over an academic choice would help the OP's son, no matter where he went. Are you trying to say that if he went D1 and faced pitchers with more velocity he'd be flourishing?

Lets face it. A lot of players that go to college are not going to be stars, or even get a chance to be a meaningful on field contributor. It's just the way it is. Offering advice to have other factors weigh in on the decisions of prospects shouldn't be vilified as a bad thing.

In a given year, there are 8 position players, a DH, 4 starters, and usually 3 prominent relievers on a team. That's 16 of 35 roster spots, meaning there are more players on the team not playing, than contributing on the field. Some may be eventual players, but many, will never contribute substantially.

quote:

Offering the advice, "try to pick somewhere you would want to be even if baseball weren't part of the equation", isn't prioritizing baseball lower. It's advice to get some balance in the decision making process. It's much more likely that the baseball player will take a, "yeah, whatever" stance with academics and ancillary concerns than baseball, which naturally means that baseball will have a more direct effect on attitude. We all expect that.

If your advice is to give balance to the decision, then give that advice which is sound. If your advice is to use baseball to leverage the best possible education then give that advice because it is sound. To say "pick a school as if baseball was not part of the equation" (or other similar expression) is silly/bad advice and I am not backing down from that.

This thread is not an isolated example but does demonstrate the "general" rule. It is in a long line of threads here where the baseball is affecting the athlete's mental well-being i.e., desirability for a given situation. There are a plethora of high-end D3 schools. Rather than pick the one high end academic D3 school that fits academically (as if baseball did not exist), why not pick the one where the baseball is also the best fit? Not arguing he should have chosen the D1. In many cases, I am arguing that guys who chose a high-academic D1 and are rotting on the bench could have found the same academic fit at a D3 and been a baseball star in college. This ain't rocket science. I agree whole-heartedly this is about balance. That should be the argument.

First off....Congratulations on getting to the next level...many do not.

My second thought would be to wait until the spring season is over to formulate an opinion. In order to improve one must have good competition. Wait until you see what the competition has to offer.

Have fun. Hit the books hard during the winter "off season".....get used to the academic load and how to manage time as it only gets more difficult as you progress thru the years. If you ever want to transfer it is much easier with good grades.

Best of luck

CD,
So, it is your considered opinion, that people who prioritize academics and fail to reach their self expressed expectations at that school, could be stars on their teams at other schools?

And you called my advice silly?

hsbbwebfan

I’m sorry your son’s college baseball experience has not gotten off to the start you both hoped for. First I will say that in some D3 programs the fall seems to be deliberately a sink or swim proposition where the staff evaluates kids, especially new comers and there may not be a lot of instruction. Things may change quite a bit once the time is selected.

My son came from a large school in AZ that plays at a very high level and he is playing at a high academic D3 in New England. My son had some opportunities to play DI baseball but to do so would have meant compromising on academics or waiting to play. We visited many of the top academic and baseball D3’s and he had a very good idea of what to expect. His school plays at a very competitive level and plays against the best D3 teams they can schedule. The one thing he’s noticed is that the pitching staffs do not have the depth of hard throwers he was use to seeing in HS, scout ball or summer ball. One of the weekend starters may get it up there or a teams’ closer will be a hard thrower but there are not many of them to face. The position players are very good but you may find they are one dimensional, really good hitters getting by in the field or decent fielders without a lot of pop at the plate. The better teams will have more depth; weaker teams may be a player or two short. Overall the level of play is very good.

What my son discovered before he chose his school was that the players on his team took their baseball as seriously as the kids he talked to at the DIs. They worked out just as hard, they took as many swings, and they took care of themselves off the field just as well. They did it with the added challenge of keeping up with very rigorous academic demands. The key to all of this in his program was a group of returning players that set the example of what was expected. If you were not lifting year round you were falling behind. If you were not getting your cuts in the cage in the winter you were falling behind. If you were not on top of your studies you were falling behind. If you were not doing everything in your power to contribute to the team no matter how good you were you were quickly corrected. From the moment he stepped on campus he had 34 friends. It was easy for my son to jump in and be part of the core that was moving the program forward.

If this attitude does not exist at your son’s school perhaps he can be an example that gets it started. If he is one of the better players on the team and he is out working everyone it can’t help but affect the others. It seems compatible with your son’s desire to be the best ballplayer he can be. He can only be his best in the context of making the largest contribution to the program.

Good luck to your son I hope he has a great four years.

"My second thought would be to wait until the spring season is over to formulate an opinion. In order to improve one must have good competition. Wait until you see what the competition has to offer."

As my husband points out to me often, it's hard for an 18 year old athlete's body to compete with the 22 year old athlete's bodies. Freshman have a lot of work to do to do in the offseason no matter what level of college ball they are playing.

I also like what 3rd generation says above!

My son is at a high academic D2 school - it's a blessing to be on a team where everybody has the same hard classes to get through - they are all working hard both on the field and off. When you listen to the players talk after the games/practices - talk immediately goes to classes, tests, professors, etc. (His coach does work them hard - no complaints there.)

Also, with the pitching being at the lower speeds, hitting and defense are the name of the game. With the new bats to get used too - there is a lot of work to be done in the batting cages. Even though the fast balls may be coming in at lower speeds, many of the pitchers will have outstanding offspeed stuff. Did you attend any games last year?

I have a freshman college son also (in addition to a senior playing ball) - all of his friends at different schools playing different sports are all questioning their choices - did they make the right decision on the school? Hang in there.

quote:

Originally posted by 3rdgenerationnation:
hsbbwebfan

I’m sorry your son’s college baseball experience has not gotten off to the start you both hoped for. First I will say that in some D3 programs the fall seems to be deliberately a sink or swim proposition where the staff evaluates kids, especially new comers and there may not be a lot of instruction. Things may change quite a bit once the time is selected.

My son came from a large school in AZ that plays at a very high level and he is playing at a high academic D3 in New England. My son had some opportunities to play DI baseball but to do so would have meant compromising on academics or waiting to play. We visited many of the top academic and baseball D3’s and he had a very good idea of what to expect. His school plays at a very competitive level and plays against the best D3 teams they can schedule. The one thing he’s noticed is that the pitching staffs do not have the depth of hard throwers he was use to seeing in HS, scout ball or summer ball. One of the weekend starters may get it up there or a teams’ closer will be a hard thrower but there are not many of them to face. The position players are very good but you may find they are one dimensional, really good hitters getting by in the field or decent fielders without a lot of pop at the plate. The better teams will have more depth; weaker teams may be a player or two short. Overall the level of play is very good.

What my son discovered before he chose his school was that the players on his team took their baseball as seriously as the kids he talked to at the DIs. They worked out just as hard, they took as many swings, and they took care of themselves off the field just as well. They did it with the added challenge of keeping up with very rigorous academic demands. The key to all of this in his program was a group of returning players that set the example of what was expected. If you were not lifting year round you were falling behind. If you were not getting your cuts in the cage in the winter you were falling behind. If you were not on top of your studies you were falling behind. If you were not doing everything in your power to contribute to the team no matter how good you were you were quickly corrected. From the moment he stepped on campus he had 34 friends. It was easy for my son to jump in and be part of the core that was moving the program forward.

If this attitude does not exist at your son’s school perhaps he can be an example that gets it started. If he is one of the better players on the team and he is out working everyone it can’t help but affect the others. It seems compatible with your son’s desire to be the best ballplayer he can be. He can only be his best in the context of making the largest contribution to the program.

Good luck to your son I hope he has a great four years.

Outstanding post 3rdgenerationnation!!

quote:

CD,
So, it is your considered opinion, that people who prioritize academics and fail to reach their self expressed expectations at that school, could be stars on their teams at other schools?

Yes.

It happens all the time when they transfer.

quote:

Originally posted by ClevelandDad:

quote:

CD,
So, it is your considered opinion, that people who prioritize academics and fail to reach their self expressed expectations at that school, could be stars on their teams at other schools?

Yes.

It happens all the time when they transfer.

If it happens all the time, there must be many examples.

Opinions are points of view, not rules...

In this situation, the student/athlete chose a college based on academics and dad conveys that he would repeat the decision, even after discovering the level of baseball is not quite what he anticipated. He should be commended for making a decision that will benefit him for the rest of his life. Sounds like priorities are very much in order for him.

Pertaining to baseball, I see no reason for him to speak with the coach. He was running his program before this young man arrived and does what he does as a coach. The student/athlete should go to practice and work hard. In the off-season, he should continue to work hard. When the season starts, work hard again. He should continue his efforts to achieve excellence on the field, as he has done throughout his life.

Whether at the biggest Division I institution to the smallest JUCO, the goal of every player should be to become the best they can be. That is where the satisfaction in baseball truly is found. Every player's goal should be to look back on their playing days and say they did all they could individually to contribute to a team. No questions left unanswered and no regrets.

Good luck. I hope it works out.

I am truly humbled by everyone's advice and am glad that my son's situation helped fuel the debate when choosing academics over baseball. The answers are never black and white, but like anything in life it's a question of compromise and willing to give up something in return for another. Looks like my son had a similar circumstance to 3rd generation's and I'm optimistic that things will turn out as he proposes. As Fungo said, my son made the best decision with the information he had available at the time. I think right now he's frustrated that his hitting is not up to par and between adjusting to life as a tired freshman, the stringent academics, work study, long practices, he hasn't had spare time to work in the cages. I'm sure that will change once practices end and he's more settled. I agree that if he takes on more of a proactive, leadership role it will help him adjust to being on a team that's not the caliber that he's played on in the past. He just needs to redirect his vision on what he expected his college baseball experience to be like and appreciate the opportunity that most high school ball players never get: to play another four years of competitive baseball and bond with a team of players and enjoy the camaraderie that comes with that. Baseball dad1228, you've summed up my son's situation very well. He can only control his actions. By working to be the best ball player he can be so he can perform well and help his team, it will not only give him immense satisfaction as a college ball player but will also benefit him well way beyond his baseball playing days.

hsbbwebfan,
I am confused by what I perceive as seemingly differing pieces of information in your posts. The most illustrative is the comment about your son being frustrated with his hitting as contrasted with the comment made several times about playing on a lower caliber team, with seemingly a number of other talented student/athletes who also are compromising on the baseball side to be part of a lower caliber team, while taking advantage of excellent academics.
I don't know if those comments about lower caliber college ball are his views, your views or some combination.
Let me start by acknowledging that perhaps your son's college coaching staff and teammates are the exception to what we observed or experienced.
Our experience with better academic DIII's was that the vast majority were filled with highly competitive coaching staffs. They wanted players to get better, to win, and to achieve on the field in the same fashion those students were expected to succeed in the classroom.
In my opinion, if the comments about lower caliber college ball, and teammates who are compromising, are your son's views, I think he needs to talk to the coach and do it very quickly. If the coaches and other players on the team feel/hear what is being posted in this thread, I wonder how they might react, if things are being read or interpreted incorrectly.
Maybe it is because things are so early in your son's experience, but it would be hard to think views of this type will be well received, if expressed.
Maybe a comment by our son's former teammate and roommate will help. When talking about a number of teams and hitters, his view was that the top 30-40 DIII teams had players with DI talent often with some aspect, usually size, that impacted playing DI baseball.
The other thing I would suggest to your son is that beginning next February/March, the teams he will be competing against won't care where he played HS baseball or the caliber of his HS baseball. He will be competing against 9 guys who want to win and to compete and play at the highest level.
Again, I can only speak from our experience. The DIII coaches I knew/know coach to have their players realize their skill level and then when they get to that level, they coach and almost demand the players reach higher and achieve more.
Not all players at the DIII level do that just like not all at any other level do.
Our experience is DIII coaches don't expect their recruits to play "down." If I were to offer any advice, it would be for your son to get his views and expectations clarified with those of his coaching staff. If he was not recruited with views similar to the comments made about the level of skills and competition and playing down to a lower caliber, something is missing and needs a discussion.

Well said, infielddad............

Some of the more talented D3 players I'm familar with had their coaches get them into collegiate summer league filled with mostly D1 players.

To add to 3rd Gen's response his son got the opportunity to start as a freshman and took advantage of the situation.

infielddad,

Maybe I wasn't as clear as I thought I was. My son's frustration is that he has always been an excellent hitter, but hasn't been able to adjust his timing with the slower pitches. I initially posted to get feedback on how to help him adjust mentally to a less competitive team than what he's used to. My son has not expressed to his teammates or the coaches his feelings, just to us when we call him. It's a personal challenge he has to work through on his own. I'm sure my son isn't the only one who chose to settle on the college baseball front in exchange of a promising future. Not all highly academic D3 programs are as competitive as you have stated or play in the top competitive conferences. My posting on here was not to bash his program or D3s- as I mentioned I think very highly of his coach. One of the opportunities he turned down was a phenomenal D3 program which was even better than the D1 he was considering. But he would not have been happy attending school there. I thought by posting here and very candidly, without expressing specifics, I could in a "safe" environment get feedback on my son's situation. I got what I wanted which is the beauty of this website. thank you

hsbbwebfan;

A couple of things I’d like to mention. As RJM brought up my son did win the job at SS as a freshman but in the fall no one said much to him; they just ran him out there every inning of every fall game to see if he could perform. There was not a lot of coaching going on. I am hopeful that the amount of instruction will pick up in your son’s case.

The other thing you brought up was the speed of the pitching. My son struggled all year hitting the soft stuff. He often said that he was seeing one FB an at bat. His team charts electronically and posts the results of every at bat to a web site the kids can analyze. It bore out the fact that 4thGen hit for a much higher average and OPS against the FB. There are lots of reasons for this, but he just had to learn to adjust. It might be that you son is not facing a lower level of competition but rather a different type of pitcher. If so, he should be fine. If you have the bat speed to handle a hard thrower you can adjust to off speed stuff.

quote:

My son's frustration is that he has always been an excellent hitter, but hasn't been able to adjust his timing with the slower pitches.

Ahaaa!

Maybe this is where the talented pitchers who are overlooked by the guys with the radar guns wind up.

More seriously, I think everyone who enters college has a serious adjustment process of getting used to the competition. The guys who threw hard now throw harder. The guys who threw junk and spotted it now throw better junk and spot it better.

I'd just keep working at it. The second year in college sports usually is a lot different than the first.

What a great opportunity for your young student-athlete.

He can take his superior baseball skill and really teach the rest of the players and coaches for that matter how to play better, play smarter, throw harder, pitch better, run faster, player better defense. etc. How wonderful for your young student athlete to be so young and know so much more than everyone around him.

Sorry to be harsh here but from reading the op what I picked up what that your kid thinks he is too good and everyone around him just is a big dissapointment.

What I think is that he needs to show some respect for the sophomores, juniors, seniors, coaches and assistants. I am 100% sure that they all know more than he does on something and he should take the opportunity to learn from them while he is getting his higher education completed.

hsbbwebfan,
We all come here from different perspectives and backgrounds, which is why the HSBBW is such a wonderful melting pot of thoughts and ideas.
In terms of the mental aspects your son is expressing, that, to me, is a positive sign of his baseball maturity.
I have posted many, many times the belief that the mental adjustment of college baseball is at least as difficult as the baseball side, and probably more difficult.
Thank you for taking the time to clarify.
There are probably still two areas where I might question some early choices/decisions/conclusions that seem to have been reached. I preface these comments with my ready acknowledgment that you know your son's college/baseball and coaching experience better than I do and your son isn't mine. Take it or leave it, whichever you like but hopefully these thoughts come through in the spirit in which they are offered for both you as parents and your son as a student/athlete.
The first area I would "open" is whether a player with skills of the type you describe for your son
"needs to settle" on the college baseball front in exchange for a promising future. I think highly competitive student/athletes don't necessarily "settle" for anything but the very, very best they can give day in and day out.
If your son's mind set is he is "settling" for something rather than being challenged everyday to be the very best player/teammate he can become, each and every time he steps on a baseball field, I wonder how satisfying that will be.
I know it sounds corny, but Rudy does work in college sports. However, sometimes it is the players who rise up and their team becomes a Rudy.
If you would like a bit of history/recent example, please check on a player named Daniel Ward at Hendrix College. His first year, the team had 13 players, was in complete disarray, and went something like 3-37. By his senior year, they were playing in a DIII regional after winning the schools first conference baseball championship.
Student athletes like Daniel Ward can make a difference. Maybe your son is one like him.
The other opening I want to create is the option for you to support your son/encouraging him to develop and foster his coaching relationship, especially as it relates to these types of frustrations.
In another forum, there is thread about distance and how far away our son's went to college. The last game our son played within about 1,800 miles of home was his last HS/American Legion game.
He played for 8 years after that. The only games in those 8 years West of the Mississippi were in Texas, where he went to college.(Texas is West of the Mississippi, I think/hope. )
During that time, we continued our role as parents and baseball supporters. His coaches were the ones who saw him everyday. They saw what he did each AB, against each pitcher. His Fall ball was very much as you are describing, with mostly games, and any individual attention before and after practice. The player he became and the baseball and personal successes he achieved came from the mental and baseball coaching that took place elsewhere. The results could not have been better for him. To this day, he knows he did it on his own, in is way, making his choices.
Most DIII college coaches know and understand what physical and mental challenges and frustrations our son's experience, especially with demanding academics. DIII college coaches can truly make a difference when given that chance.
It is very, very clear how much you love your son and want to support him and help him.
While this was not easy when it was my turn some years back, my suggestion would be to support your son in going to his coaches to express his frustrations and to learn the adjustments, with his coaching staff.
He probably won't hear the same message he would get from his parents. But,hopefully, he will begin a process of communication which will help him identify what he needs to do to be more successful every day he competes in college baseball and to adjust to be able to do it.
Maybe your son will set an example, just like Daniel Ward, who would not compromise on anything and ended up with everything.

Having a son who pitches at the D3 level, I can assure you that if he saw a freshman struggling to adjust to slower pitching, he would make sure he saw a lot of it. Slow, slower, and even slower... he'd never see the same speed twice...

It's called pitching not throwing...

quote:

It's called pitching not throwing

YEP! And, he should not be dissapointed pitchers are pitching. And, he should not disrespect pitchers who pitch.

I would prefer a call home like, "man, these guys are killing me with craft and skill... I really have to come up to this level of play"

Hope things get better and your son ends up enjoying the baseball experience there.

I always thought the adjustment facing better competition was the tough one. I'll predict that if he is a good hitter he will end up hitting very well against lesser competition.

infielddad - what a great post. Great story about Daniel Ward!

hsbbwebfan - I could have written a post very similar to yours 5-years ago. My son had gone to a very high profile HS with a history of producing great ballplayers. His HS coaches included an ex-major leaguer and a former major league hitting instructor.

The reality is fall ball is not about teaching as much as beginning the process of competition. I suspect your son's team has better than 30 players with a good portion being new freshman.

What we learned is much of college baseball is about taking responsibility for your game. It is fundementally different than HS. You are there to compete and to help your team. If you want to get better; keep your mouth shut, do your work, and then compete to help the team and get better.

The college experience evolves. Once you demonstrate your ability, heart and willingness to compete more will be expected of you. With that you will likely see more investment by coaches, teammates and the player as they grow through the experience.

You will find that those that need intensive coaching that they are used to a the HS level may not survive. Development at the college level is about taking what you have learned, and growing it under the guidance of the college staff. It is a different experience and should not be compared to what they experienced a the HS or travel ball level.

By the time you get to spring the 30+ that are competing during the fall will evolve again to impact players, roll players, bench players and those who will need to develop futher to find any real playing time. This is the nature of college baseball.

RJM hit the nail on the head. Getting on a good competitive summer ball team will be very helpful.

I just wanted to update everyone here who was gracious enough to offer advice on my post here a year ago. Now looking back, I realise that the outcome ended up completely different than the concerns I wrote about. And if there's anything I can learn and hopefully others can, as well is to let the situation playout.. which many of you had suggested. My son loves his team but it is much more than just competing with them as ballplayers. He likes them as individuals and loves being part of this "fraternity." The academics are extremely difficult, but even though practice and games take him away from studying time, he finds playing baseball a welcome reprieve and it gives his life as a student another dimension. In the end his team was fairly competitive and many of the players are really good, despite how it may have looked to my son in the Fall. Interestingly enough, his hitting in the spring wasn't a problem, but his defense was and he attributed it to just trying too hard to win a starting job as a freshman instead of just playing the game like he always has. So, he was personally dissapointed, but is looking forward to competing this Spring. Bottom line is many of the players are focused on their academics and if they have to choose between the gym or library they will choose the library and the coaches seems to echo that perspective that they are there first and foremost to get a good education. Despite the talent on the team, my son has no illusions that theyre going to win a d3 championship anytime soon. But when they're out on the field they give it their all. I think the fact that my som always played on extremely competitive teams with very strong players from little league, travel and high school is what really threw him off when he first started working with the team last Fall. It took some adjustment in his attitude and ultimately accepting the experience for what it is. Would my son rather be playing in a more competitive program with more skilled coaching, perhaps technically from a baseball perspective but it wouldn't make up for what he loves: the school the education he's receving the location, enjoying his teammates on and off the field ds as well as his non-baseball playing friends and ultimately, a great foundation for his future.