Does anyone have information on the Haverford program? I know it's a very good academic school.
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My son had quite a bit of contact with the Haverford head coach and seriously considered going there.
The coach is a fairly young guy, seemed extremely knowledgeable, upbeat, energetic and enthusiastic, looking to build a strong program. Any obstacles to that would seem to come from the fact that it is a pretty small school with very high admission standards.
You are certainly correct that it is an excellent school. I believe you also have the opportunity to take courses at Swarthmore and Bryn Mawr.
IMO the baseball team does not appear to be the strongest but does seem to have some/sufficient success. Its conference is typicallly dominated by Johns Hopkins.
The coach is very responsive through e-mail and can be reached fairly easily by phone.
When my son ultimately made his choice to go elsewhere (from among several schools) the Haverford coach was the only one to contact him and wish him luck. I thought that showed alot of class.
Regardless of how many games they might win, I think this school/program/coach is a winner!
The coach is a fairly young guy, seemed extremely knowledgeable, upbeat, energetic and enthusiastic, looking to build a strong program. Any obstacles to that would seem to come from the fact that it is a pretty small school with very high admission standards.
You are certainly correct that it is an excellent school. I believe you also have the opportunity to take courses at Swarthmore and Bryn Mawr.
IMO the baseball team does not appear to be the strongest but does seem to have some/sufficient success. Its conference is typicallly dominated by Johns Hopkins.
The coach is very responsive through e-mail and can be reached fairly easily by phone.
When my son ultimately made his choice to go elsewhere (from among several schools) the Haverford coach was the only one to contact him and wish him luck. I thought that showed alot of class.
Regardless of how many games they might win, I think this school/program/coach is a winner!
Ditto to what HeyBatter just said. Same scenario with my son when he was going through recruiting. CLASSY coach; great school. Son, too, is elsewhere (Haverford did not have his major).
Agreed with the above! One of the nicest coaches we ever met, and we met a lot of nice ones!
Thanks everyone! Others I have spoken to have said almost the same thing about the coach and program. I'm not sure if I'll pursue the school as it is a bit close to home.
I think that the impressions of those who have replied about Haverford College give a good general sense about the school and program. As an alum of the school ('98) and former baseball player, I just wanted to add a little bit to the discourse.
Head coach Dave Beccaria has done a wonderful job since taking over the program full-time four years ago. Dave is a Johns Hopkins graduate and has a formula for what needs to be done to build a competitive baseball program in a strong academic environment. We had competitive teams and talented individuals when I played at Haverford in the mid-90's, but Coach Beccaria has definitely raised the bar for what type of student-athlete is recruited and the result is a very talented group of young players that started to make some waves last season and will only continue to improve.
Coach Beccaria does a terrrific job teaching the game, and he is also a very good communicator. Kids know where they stand with him and what they have to do get a chance to prove themselves on the field. Hard work is valued above all else. The reply that termed Coach Beccaria as classy hit the nail right on the head. Not many coaches bring the whole package as he does.
Coach Beccaria is also working hard to make improvements to the program and its facilities, with a backstop and seating renovation planned for this fall.
The school is among the most competitive academically anywhere in the country. The liberal arts education allows for a wide-ranging educational experience and also provides the opportunity for students to consider entering any number of fields after school. In my opinion, the school's small size fosters a very close-knit alumni network and connection to the school that lasts for years after graduation.
The baseball team in particular has a very strong network between alumni and current players, including an active baseball alumni club that encourages current baseball players to receive internships through baseball alumni during their summer break.
While many Haverford alums go to law and medical school or become teachers and journalists, there is also an interesting professional baseball and professional sports network that exists there. Ron Shapiro and Arn Tellem are two high-powered sports agents who played baseball at Haverford. Josh Byrnes ('92) is the Asssistant General Manager for the Boston Red Sox and Thad Levine ('94) is the Colorado Rockies Director of Baseball Administration.
Head coach Dave Beccaria has done a wonderful job since taking over the program full-time four years ago. Dave is a Johns Hopkins graduate and has a formula for what needs to be done to build a competitive baseball program in a strong academic environment. We had competitive teams and talented individuals when I played at Haverford in the mid-90's, but Coach Beccaria has definitely raised the bar for what type of student-athlete is recruited and the result is a very talented group of young players that started to make some waves last season and will only continue to improve.
Coach Beccaria does a terrrific job teaching the game, and he is also a very good communicator. Kids know where they stand with him and what they have to do get a chance to prove themselves on the field. Hard work is valued above all else. The reply that termed Coach Beccaria as classy hit the nail right on the head. Not many coaches bring the whole package as he does.
Coach Beccaria is also working hard to make improvements to the program and its facilities, with a backstop and seating renovation planned for this fall.
The school is among the most competitive academically anywhere in the country. The liberal arts education allows for a wide-ranging educational experience and also provides the opportunity for students to consider entering any number of fields after school. In my opinion, the school's small size fosters a very close-knit alumni network and connection to the school that lasts for years after graduation.
The baseball team in particular has a very strong network between alumni and current players, including an active baseball alumni club that encourages current baseball players to receive internships through baseball alumni during their summer break.
While many Haverford alums go to law and medical school or become teachers and journalists, there is also an interesting professional baseball and professional sports network that exists there. Ron Shapiro and Arn Tellem are two high-powered sports agents who played baseball at Haverford. Josh Byrnes ('92) is the Asssistant General Manager for the Boston Red Sox and Thad Levine ('94) is the Colorado Rockies Director of Baseball Administration.
