You have a pm.
equipman ~
You have a pm.
You have a pm.
We are starting to learn more. 
I've learned enough.
Midlo and Coach May,
While I have very, very serious questions about whether equipman is being realistic in the DI aspirations, I take at face value the feelings.
For those of us who were "convinced" our son's were DI players but did not have the "proof," I can feel for this parent.
When I look back to all of the emotions I felt for our son, and myself, when DI coaches impliedly stated "he can't play at this level," I have a sense of the "desperation" of this parent.
Unless and until you have a coach at any college level who really believes in your son, a place where your son "fits," and a college base for him to prove his ability, I am not sure the parents of nationally ranked players who are choosing between top programs can relate.
Personally, I have no problem with the post trying to give Equipman a "reality" check. In my view, the last two posts really are pretty unnecessary, since you are not walking in the shoes of that parent.
While I have very, very serious questions about whether equipman is being realistic in the DI aspirations, I take at face value the feelings.
For those of us who were "convinced" our son's were DI players but did not have the "proof," I can feel for this parent.
When I look back to all of the emotions I felt for our son, and myself, when DI coaches impliedly stated "he can't play at this level," I have a sense of the "desperation" of this parent.
Unless and until you have a coach at any college level who really believes in your son, a place where your son "fits," and a college base for him to prove his ability, I am not sure the parents of nationally ranked players who are choosing between top programs can relate.
Personally, I have no problem with the post trying to give Equipman a "reality" check. In my view, the last two posts really are pretty unnecessary, since you are not walking in the shoes of that parent.
My best advice for anyone is next time you need to have someone fill out the questionaire, have the one closest to your son and who knows him the best fill it out also. You can make copies and give each coach he has played with a copy to fill out with self addressed stamped envelope and send in your own. Then they can fill out what they want and the coach can do his homework if interested.
There is no harm in fillig out a questionaire, you seem to be realistic in your approach, you won't be the first or the last that has done this. Let the college coach determine if your son is worth pursuing. BTW, the coaches at UT are former coaches from Western Carolina, and may have seen your son play somewhere. One never knows.
If your sons HS coach truely did tell him to stop dreaming he needs some lessons on how to deal with and speak to young players.
JMO.
There is no harm in fillig out a questionaire, you seem to be realistic in your approach, you won't be the first or the last that has done this. Let the college coach determine if your son is worth pursuing. BTW, the coaches at UT are former coaches from Western Carolina, and may have seen your son play somewhere. One never knows.
If your sons HS coach truely did tell him to stop dreaming he needs some lessons on how to deal with and speak to young players.
JMO.
if your son really wants to play baseball in college,i believe there is a place for him. it may not be in your top choice list but it's there.
keep in mind it won't get any easier as he climbs the ladder. athleticly and academicly.
keep in mind it won't get any easier as he climbs the ladder. athleticly and academicly.
What some of you fail to understand is that I don't think that he will ever make it in a D1 program unless something changes drastically. But, why should I limit his dreams. If you don't dream big and set a higher goal, you will never climb the ladder of success. Enough said.
It's not that we fail to understand it. It's that some of us don't think that approach is appropriate at your son's age. He is at the fork in the road NOW.
There's a scene in the movie, "A Beautiful Mind", where the guy played by Russell Crowe makes his breakthrough in choice theory. He's with a group of young men being approached by a group of young women in a bar. There is one woman at the front who is drop-dead gorgeous. All the guys immediately fix their eyes on her. But Crowe's character explains that their happiness would be greater if they opted for Bachelorette # 2, because they would face a more open path, and once you got past # 1 you could realize that # 2 was pretty darned good-looking, too.
The point: Sometimes you miss a perfectly good opportunity by fixating on something you can't have.
Ask yourself this: If a kid came to you with a 3.2 GPA and 1,000 on his SAT's, would you tell him to shoot for Harvard? Suppose he got in to Michigan, or Michigan State ... would you tell him to pass them up because he hadn't heard from Harvard yet?
It's OK to have those dreams when you're 12, but when you're a senior in HS, you have to start making adult decisions based on the choices you actually have. There are still other dreams he can have in life, dreams he has time and opportunity to achieve, but this particular one has to be adjusted to meet the realities.
There's a scene in the movie, "A Beautiful Mind", where the guy played by Russell Crowe makes his breakthrough in choice theory. He's with a group of young men being approached by a group of young women in a bar. There is one woman at the front who is drop-dead gorgeous. All the guys immediately fix their eyes on her. But Crowe's character explains that their happiness would be greater if they opted for Bachelorette # 2, because they would face a more open path, and once you got past # 1 you could realize that # 2 was pretty darned good-looking, too.
The point: Sometimes you miss a perfectly good opportunity by fixating on something you can't have.
Ask yourself this: If a kid came to you with a 3.2 GPA and 1,000 on his SAT's, would you tell him to shoot for Harvard? Suppose he got in to Michigan, or Michigan State ... would you tell him to pass them up because he hadn't heard from Harvard yet?
It's OK to have those dreams when you're 12, but when you're a senior in HS, you have to start making adult decisions based on the choices you actually have. There are still other dreams he can have in life, dreams he has time and opportunity to achieve, but this particular one has to be adjusted to meet the realities.
A very smart man I know gave me great advice for my son. This guy has put 3 sons through college playing ball, one now pitching in the majors. He said that there are a lot of ways to get where you need to be. If you really want to play ball at the next level, don't close any doors. A junior college player still is playing ball, while the kid waiting for that one D1 team he's dreaming about to call is still at home going to community college.
DO NOT send your son to Cuthbert out of shape!!! And with expectations that because it is a small JUCO that it is somehow easier or less competitive. I KNOW that the days are long and hard, the mornings are early, classes are difficult and demanding, and almost all the boys are fighting like hell for a roster spot. Once inside the program, the time commitment, and competition for playing time/making the team (they will keep only the best performers for the spring team) is no different than any other college any where, from the top 40 D1's to the smallest NAIA schools playing college baseball is hard, and especially hard for the "grinder" type of player. Kid must love the game, or he will have a difficult time. That said, he's got 11 months to get in tip-top shape, and 5 months to his senior spring, focus on those things (plus grades) and the rest will fall into place. Feel free to PM me about Andrew.
Midlo, I think that you haven't read all of my posts,
1: My son will 99% be going the JUCO route
2: He will aspire to get better so that after JUCO, he can be picked up by either a D3, D2 or maybe a /D1. But I guarantee you that he is working hard and will continue to work hard for the next 5 months until his Senior HS season so that he can prove to his coach that he is better than the coach thinks he is. Not that he is good enough to go D1 next year but good enough to be his go to guy for the HS team. That is his driving force right now in addition to getting his grades and ACT scores to the highest point that they can be by the end of the school year. But, the whole thing that began this thread was the coach telling a kid to quit dreaming. A teacher should inspire kids to become great. My son had the pleasure of working with the handicapped "Challenger" program this past spring. Imagine how many of those kids years ago would have been told that they couldn't play baseball and not had the dream fulfilledof hitting a ball and running the bases. My son got so much pleasure showing these kids and adults how to play ball. This is what I was trying to get accross. Not that my son should play D1 ball or even D2, but, that no one should ever tell a kid to stop dreaming of who he can become if he works hard. Thanks for all of the advise. We will keep all of you informed of which school he ends up going to.
1: My son will 99% be going the JUCO route
2: He will aspire to get better so that after JUCO, he can be picked up by either a D3, D2 or maybe a /D1. But I guarantee you that he is working hard and will continue to work hard for the next 5 months until his Senior HS season so that he can prove to his coach that he is better than the coach thinks he is. Not that he is good enough to go D1 next year but good enough to be his go to guy for the HS team. That is his driving force right now in addition to getting his grades and ACT scores to the highest point that they can be by the end of the school year. But, the whole thing that began this thread was the coach telling a kid to quit dreaming. A teacher should inspire kids to become great. My son had the pleasure of working with the handicapped "Challenger" program this past spring. Imagine how many of those kids years ago would have been told that they couldn't play baseball and not had the dream fulfilledof hitting a ball and running the bases. My son got so much pleasure showing these kids and adults how to play ball. This is what I was trying to get accross. Not that my son should play D1 ball or even D2, but, that no one should ever tell a kid to stop dreaming of who he can become if he works hard. Thanks for all of the advise. We will keep all of you informed of which school he ends up going to.
equipman,
Good luck, hope he does well, also don't forget about NAIA schools.
Good luck, hope he does well, also don't forget about NAIA schools.
equipman,
I hear ya too, as I mentioned you are being realistic, the whole point of your post and about the coach and his comments.
There are about a dozen folks here who felt that their sons were D1 prospects. More than half had D1 offers and are now either playing or heading off next year.
Good luck.
I hear ya too, as I mentioned you are being realistic, the whole point of your post and about the coach and his comments.
There are about a dozen folks here who felt that their sons were D1 prospects. More than half had D1 offers and are now either playing or heading off next year.
Good luck.
Lots of really useful info here. My son, a junior, just started receiving the first I guess of many recruiting letters. Is the D1 schools that start first after the Sept 1 date? or all? We are already overwhelmed by the letters (10) this week. Should we fill them all out? I say we because he's playing varsity football now and travel fall ball. So we see him about 5 mins a day usually. If he hasn't taken the SAT or ACT yet we leave blank? Do they get upset with lots of missing information? He has a new high school coach that does not know him and no contack with old high school coach. Should we just ask his fall ball coach for the coach info?
They also ask if we in NCAA clearing house? We have posted his grade there is that what they mean?
Thanks ahead of time real novice here and not sure who to ask? Guidance did not have a clue.
They also ask if we in NCAA clearing house? We have posted his grade there is that what they mean?
Thanks ahead of time real novice here and not sure who to ask? Guidance did not have a clue.
BBmom34, my suggestions is to complete all questionnaires that you receive, most people don't know where their player will land and you don't want to close any doors, with that said, if you are confident that your son has absolute no interest in the school for various reasons, you may want to be selective.
As for leaving information blank, if he has not taken the SAT or ACT, you can leave it blank or include when you expect him to take them, but to leave information such as GPA, height, weight, etc blank may draw questions as to why they are blank.
If you have a new high school coach, you can put your new coach down and they will sort that out, if it is asking for ratings from the coach, your fall coach or better yet a summer coach if you have one will be a good source, I am not sure how much weight those answers are, given the source of information unless the coach has a previous background or credibility with the college coach.
The Clearinghouse question pertains to if he has been registered with the NCAA Clearinghouse, now called the NCAA Eligibility Center. It is an online system if your son wants to play NCAA D1 or D2 athletics.
NCAA Eligibility Center
As for leaving information blank, if he has not taken the SAT or ACT, you can leave it blank or include when you expect him to take them, but to leave information such as GPA, height, weight, etc blank may draw questions as to why they are blank.
If you have a new high school coach, you can put your new coach down and they will sort that out, if it is asking for ratings from the coach, your fall coach or better yet a summer coach if you have one will be a good source, I am not sure how much weight those answers are, given the source of information unless the coach has a previous background or credibility with the college coach.
The Clearinghouse question pertains to if he has been registered with the NCAA Clearinghouse, now called the NCAA Eligibility Center. It is an online system if your son wants to play NCAA D1 or D2 athletics.
NCAA Eligibility Center
Its just me but I always felt that it was very important to send in every questionaire regardless of who sent it to you. Regardless of the fact you may have no interest in that school or have ever heard of them. You have no idea when push comes to shove what your real options are going to be. It very well may be that the school you snubbed by throwing that questionaire in the trash can could have been the best place for your kid. If that coach or whoever spent the time to send it to you the least you can do is send it back. Thats just my opinion.
Also make a copy of the all the questionaires you send back. You may get a second one from the same school and you want to make sure there are no issues. Also be truthfull when sending information back. Dont fudge. Also its helpful in not having to look up phone numbers etc if you keep copies of the other ones you have filled out. As far as not having a hs coach or a new one just get the summer coach or fall coach to do it. Or have an opposing coach to do it for you that has seen you play and knows you.
Good Luck
Also make a copy of the all the questionaires you send back. You may get a second one from the same school and you want to make sure there are no issues. Also be truthfull when sending information back. Dont fudge. Also its helpful in not having to look up phone numbers etc if you keep copies of the other ones you have filled out. As far as not having a hs coach or a new one just get the summer coach or fall coach to do it. Or have an opposing coach to do it for you that has seen you play and knows you.
Good Luck
Another important reason to fill out ALL the questionaires is because of the "coaching carosel". If you're on here long enough you'll see how frequently college coaches change schools. If you fill out the info and are on their recruiting list they'll take that list with them if they change jobs(and it might be a school your son is really interested in).
equipman,
I feel your pain in regard to the support of your high school coach. My son has also had to deal with an unsupportive coach. We were also at the YH showcase. My son Pitched well on day one in the bullpen with consistent fastballs of 88 (second highest of all) but didn't have as good of a day on Sunday. A little tired and pitch very late after about 8 hours at the ballpark. Keeping our heads up though, because he has received calls from JC's, DIII-DI. Suggest you keep heads up also. I'm sure we'll be seeing each other at the ballfields.
I feel your pain in regard to the support of your high school coach. My son has also had to deal with an unsupportive coach. We were also at the YH showcase. My son Pitched well on day one in the bullpen with consistent fastballs of 88 (second highest of all) but didn't have as good of a day on Sunday. A little tired and pitch very late after about 8 hours at the ballpark. Keeping our heads up though, because he has received calls from JC's, DIII-DI. Suggest you keep heads up also. I'm sure we'll be seeing each other at the ballfields.
One of the questions was, should he complain to the coach. A coach is entitled to his/her opinion when it comes to talent/skill. It is clear that the coach could have been more diplomatic/sensitive, but you asked for his written opinion. While there are some instances where a high school coach can make a difference in recruiting, college coaches, even at JUCO, DIII need to win, and therefore, they decide based on what they see with their own eyes.
As usual very good information on this subject. Make sure your son works extra hard on keeping those grades up, it will pay off in the end. The more I read these posts the more the JUCO looks to be the way to go. I know your son will be playing somewhere, he has a very supportive dad to help him
Thanks pop up, I have always tried to give my sons every option or tool to be successful. It is still up to them to use what they are given. Which they do for the most part. My youngest, the one in question, is working hard for his goals. One thing that I was very impressed with in the coach at the JUCO, was that he wanted us to explore several school choices so that if we made the decision to come to his, we would have looked at other options and would not regret our decision. We are going on a visit in Oct to Adrian College, meet with the coach, tour the campus and meet with admissions. He has been in close contact with my son by email since he saw him at a showcase. He wants to discuss the baseball program with us. For a D3, they have a very strong program, so we will see after that.
Making an informative decison is key.
Thats why its good to check out all leads and compare them to one another. Your decision has to be about the right fit for your son. Sounds like that's exactly what you guys are doing. The very best to you! It will be nice to hear what you all decide.
Thats why its good to check out all leads and compare them to one another. Your decision has to be about the right fit for your son. Sounds like that's exactly what you guys are doing. The very best to you! It will be nice to hear what you all decide.
Another baseball story-Son had to deal with varsity coaches' son same age as him. So we always tried to be independent of school if possible. Played on top notch travel summer teams. As of today son is freshman on mid-major D1 program-he's practicing and listed on 2009 roster. If we had believed opinion of varsity coach he would not be playing in college as all. Always get a second opinion.
I feel your sons pain Equip
Going through the same thing,and Im still drawing some mid major d1 interest.No offer as of yet,but its still interest
Going through the same thing,and Im still drawing some mid major d1 interest.No offer as of yet,but its still interest
Fielder, are we on the same page or what, exact situation on my son's high school team. Coach tries hard via the paper to get the word out on how good his son pitched even though the kid walked a ton. Does not mention my son's contribution to his son's win. Many parents on the HS team know this and are frustrated.
We too decided early on to go our own path after, all it really isn't his job to promote nor do they have time to.
We too decided early on to go our own path after, all it really isn't his job to promote nor do they have time to.
When my son was thirteen one of his travel baseball teammates was high school varsity volunteer assistant coach's son. Another parent asked the dad what kind of basketball player my son is. The said "He's an athlete who thinks he's a basketball player. He'll never be a high school basketball player." This is despite my son overwhelms his kid in practice.quote:Originally posted by fielder:
Another baseball story-Son had to deal with varsity coaches' son same age as him. So we always tried to be independent of school if possible. Played on top notch travel summer teams. As of today son is freshman on mid-major D1 program-he's practicing and listed on 2009 roster. If we had believed opinion of varsity coach he would not be playing in college as all. Always get a second opinion.
The other dad told me. I laughed because my son beat the JV coach's son out for starting point guard in 7th grade. He did it again in 8th grade and freshman year.
This same coach took over the travel team the two boys were on after 8th grade. He benched my son to three minutes a game and started his son. Then he told the varsity coach not to invite my son for the JV summer prep team. He told the coach my son was giving up basketball to focus on football and baseball which was a lie. At the same time, my son's middle school coach who was a former North Carolina captain, told me my son should be playing AAU because he has so much basketball potential.
Now comes the day of reckoning. My son is a soph. He's started for three straight years over the other kid. The other kid's dad is now the JV head coach.
My son expressed concern about bothering to continue to play basketball. He cried when the guy got the JV head coaching job. I told my son to express his concern with the varsity coach. The varsity coach told him he requires the JV coach to play his "varsity prospects" equally. He added, "Do you know how many times I was watching from the balcony when your freshman team scrimmaged the JV team last year? I saw who could play."
Just an update on our progress. My son is being recruited by a very good DIII in Michigan that made it to the College World Series last year and ended up being 4th in the nation. He is also being recruited by a JUCO in Georgia and was offered a pretty decent scholarship to come play 1B for them. We are in the process of going to the dept scholarship day at the DIII in a few weeks to see how much more academic money he can qualify for. Their tuition w/room/board is just below $31k per year, so this will be a stretch unless he gets some more scholarships from the college and outside sources. The private JUCO offered what amounts to be about 28% of the tuition. We'll keep you posted as we make our decision
Really appreciate the update equipman. Congrats on the offers!!! 
I know you have alot to sort out, but its really great of you to let the rest of us learn with you as you go through this process.
....thank you and still wishing you the best of luck!!
I know you have alot to sort out, but its really great of you to let the rest of us learn with you as you go through this process.
....thank you and still wishing you the best of luck!!
Thanks for the Congrats. As I stated, the DIII has a scholly day on the 22nd, but, the JUCO is not until Feb 28th. Unfortunately for my son, that night is our last game for the HS hockey Season, so he would have to miss that. He is the senior goalie. Our summer team is trying to set something up to go to Georgia the week before for some games. So I'll have to see if the college could accommodate us and let him do the scholarship thing a week early. We'll see and I'll let you know. Thanks for the support.
Equipman-
My son is a HS sophomore. Also in Michigan. Have you considered any JUCO's in Michigan?
Brian
My son is a HS sophomore. Also in Michigan. Have you considered any JUCO's in Michigan?
Brian