Sorry if this topic has been discussed but I could not find it.
What are your thoughts on JUCO vs 4yr out of high school. Do you go to JC and increase your odds of play time or go 4yr and work your way up the play chart?
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That is a very interesting question and has been debated a lot.
A close friend of mine and I were discussing this very point earlier this week as my 2014 is having to look at all the options available.
There are baseball points to consider, but also non-baseball points.
Most people think about the baseball ones such as,
"will I get more playing time, and benefit from, going the JC route my first two years, then tranferring to a 4-year school after that?"
"Do the 4-year schools I am interested in recruit JC transfers or just players from HS?"
"Of the 4-year schools I am being recruited by, what is their depth at the positions I play, for the first two years I would be there?"
The major non-school point we talked about is that going to college has as much to do with getting involved in the school life as it does just studying. Coming in as a Junior can be more difficult to get into the mainstream than if you start with a whole bunch other freshman at the same time. I am not sure what the baseball programs rules are for fraternity involvement but that is harder to get plugged into as an incoming Junior than a Freshman.
We all naturally think about college being about the education and the hope of playing baseball, but there are a lot of friendships and experiences you get from places other than the classroom or the ballfield, while in college.
It is a just a point to consider and does not mean the Junior College route is the wrong way. For many, it is the perfect route. The hard part is determining the right route for your individual experience.
A close friend of mine and I were discussing this very point earlier this week as my 2014 is having to look at all the options available.
There are baseball points to consider, but also non-baseball points.
Most people think about the baseball ones such as,
"will I get more playing time, and benefit from, going the JC route my first two years, then tranferring to a 4-year school after that?"
"Do the 4-year schools I am interested in recruit JC transfers or just players from HS?"
"Of the 4-year schools I am being recruited by, what is their depth at the positions I play, for the first two years I would be there?"
The major non-school point we talked about is that going to college has as much to do with getting involved in the school life as it does just studying. Coming in as a Junior can be more difficult to get into the mainstream than if you start with a whole bunch other freshman at the same time. I am not sure what the baseball programs rules are for fraternity involvement but that is harder to get plugged into as an incoming Junior than a Freshman.
We all naturally think about college being about the education and the hope of playing baseball, but there are a lot of friendships and experiences you get from places other than the classroom or the ballfield, while in college.
It is a just a point to consider and does not mean the Junior College route is the wrong way. For many, it is the perfect route. The hard part is determining the right route for your individual experience.
I definitely agree that coming in as a JR would make it a little harder to mesh. But, one thing I have learned over the years is that all the ball players seem to let other ball players in with open arms.
We have faced a similar situation, regarding play time, at high school this past year. My 2014, could have choiced to the school I work at, which has an outstanding baseball program, but is very deep on players. He wanted to go to his zone school, not much for a ball program, but lacking numbers of players. Academics were wash in the decision because he is a good student and will do great at either school.
He chose the zoned school and it payed dividends for his baseball. Several of the kids that choiced to my school struggled for play time, and a lot of it was not based on talent. My 2014 never sat on JV and was pulled up to V at spring break, for his defense, and sat very little there. He also got to pitch some and against some very good varsity squads, which I consider to be invaluable mound experience. Everyone knows there is nothing like game-time experience.
So the question is does this pattern of thought apply to the discussion at hand. I see the benefits of both and only want the best, total college experience for my kid.
2014 seems a long ways away yet just around the corner. Lots of homework and marketing to do!
We have faced a similar situation, regarding play time, at high school this past year. My 2014, could have choiced to the school I work at, which has an outstanding baseball program, but is very deep on players. He wanted to go to his zone school, not much for a ball program, but lacking numbers of players. Academics were wash in the decision because he is a good student and will do great at either school.
He chose the zoned school and it payed dividends for his baseball. Several of the kids that choiced to my school struggled for play time, and a lot of it was not based on talent. My 2014 never sat on JV and was pulled up to V at spring break, for his defense, and sat very little there. He also got to pitch some and against some very good varsity squads, which I consider to be invaluable mound experience. Everyone knows there is nothing like game-time experience.
So the question is does this pattern of thought apply to the discussion at hand. I see the benefits of both and only want the best, total college experience for my kid.
2014 seems a long ways away yet just around the corner. Lots of homework and marketing to do!
I'm not sure that I totally agree with the concern about "meshing" later versus sooner as a Freshman. For the most part; the school athletes become their fraternity (athletes cannot join a fraternity/sorority at sons College). There is very little time for anything other than academics and baseball to be concerned about anyway.
There is no right or wrong answer to this question. Every player/family must do their own "Ben Franklin" pros/cons and go from there. Very often what seemed the right thing to do as a graduating high school student, doesn't seem so good after their Freshman year or after four years of hindsight.
My 2010, now a Sophomore, was dead against the JUCO route even though I thought it would be perfect for my LATE maturer whose main goal was to play baseball in College first, undergraduate business degree second AND then move elsewhere to a school of choice to pursue his Master's. His mother, an Educator by trade, wasn't keen on the academic concentration at most baseball JUCO schools.
He went to a perennially ranked D2 school knowing he would sit one or two years (all position players were Junior or Seniors). The baseball part has been all he had hoped for and more. The core academics fantastic and he's done well.
The one regret, all that work and no playing experience in year one. He says, "wish I had gone the JUCO route and gotten playing time and experience." Playing this past Summer definitely helped and he's had a great fall but no guarantee he can crack the starting line-up this year either even though he's done everything he wanted to do and more this Fall season. Simply stated, the outfielders ahead of him last year, are still in front this year. Maybe he has shown enough, maybe an injury, who knows what the future spring will bring but I'm sure he will get his shot.
Once he graduates and looks back, then perhaps what he feels and or wished he had done may be different, and perhaps more relevant. I'm betting, he wouldn't have changed a thing once it's all said and done. And had he gone JUCO, perhaps he would come to the same conclusion about that decision being the right one for him?
There is no right or wrong answer to this question. Every player/family must do their own "Ben Franklin" pros/cons and go from there. Very often what seemed the right thing to do as a graduating high school student, doesn't seem so good after their Freshman year or after four years of hindsight.
My 2010, now a Sophomore, was dead against the JUCO route even though I thought it would be perfect for my LATE maturer whose main goal was to play baseball in College first, undergraduate business degree second AND then move elsewhere to a school of choice to pursue his Master's. His mother, an Educator by trade, wasn't keen on the academic concentration at most baseball JUCO schools.
He went to a perennially ranked D2 school knowing he would sit one or two years (all position players were Junior or Seniors). The baseball part has been all he had hoped for and more. The core academics fantastic and he's done well.
The one regret, all that work and no playing experience in year one. He says, "wish I had gone the JUCO route and gotten playing time and experience." Playing this past Summer definitely helped and he's had a great fall but no guarantee he can crack the starting line-up this year either even though he's done everything he wanted to do and more this Fall season. Simply stated, the outfielders ahead of him last year, are still in front this year. Maybe he has shown enough, maybe an injury, who knows what the future spring will bring but I'm sure he will get his shot.
Once he graduates and looks back, then perhaps what he feels and or wished he had done may be different, and perhaps more relevant. I'm betting, he wouldn't have changed a thing once it's all said and done. And had he gone JUCO, perhaps he would come to the same conclusion about that decision being the right one for him?
hey "hook" and welcome to the site. What I saw in my area for "why" kids choose JUCO was a couple of things;
playtime, grades were not there to get to 4-yr school, wanted to show MLB scouts they were interested in draft not going to 4 yr school, did not get interest (offer) from 4 yr and want to keep playing, juco closer to home.
As to increasing play time; that is the hope. But in many cases the JUCO has a group of second year players that the coach wants help move on to the next level. So don't expect to play a lot the first year if the JUCO has a large number of 2nd year playres on the roster. Talent can get you play time the first year in either case (juco or 4yr). At a 4 yr school; if you can hit they will find you a spot in the line up, or can pitch 90+ coming in the first year with good command?
The school (baseball, academic, and social) experience is going to be very different at the two different type schools. My son would say the experience and consistant coaching approach was the best part of his 4 yr school experience. He would not do anything different if given the chnace to do so. The 4 yr school players usually do not have time or not allowed to try to join a frat, the baseball team is their frat! I saw mixed outcomes for juco transfers into program my son played with. Some did not fit in well and moved on before graduating and others fit right in. Hard to say what caused this from my perspective.
playtime, grades were not there to get to 4-yr school, wanted to show MLB scouts they were interested in draft not going to 4 yr school, did not get interest (offer) from 4 yr and want to keep playing, juco closer to home.
As to increasing play time; that is the hope. But in many cases the JUCO has a group of second year players that the coach wants help move on to the next level. So don't expect to play a lot the first year if the JUCO has a large number of 2nd year playres on the roster. Talent can get you play time the first year in either case (juco or 4yr). At a 4 yr school; if you can hit they will find you a spot in the line up, or can pitch 90+ coming in the first year with good command?
The school (baseball, academic, and social) experience is going to be very different at the two different type schools. My son would say the experience and consistant coaching approach was the best part of his 4 yr school experience. He would not do anything different if given the chnace to do so. The 4 yr school players usually do not have time or not allowed to try to join a frat, the baseball team is their frat! I saw mixed outcomes for juco transfers into program my son played with. Some did not fit in well and moved on before graduating and others fit right in. Hard to say what caused this from my perspective.
Looking from the rearview mirror as the father of a 2008 graduate that chose the JUCO route, I can say with confidence that my son is very happy with the route he has taken. Of course we do not know what would have occurred should he have accepted the offers he received from both D1 and D2 programs that recruited him.
What he did experience was ample playing time as a starter and hitting in the 3 hole since his freshman year. I can count the number of innings he has sat over 3 years on one hand. I do not know that would have been his experience at 4 year programs. But going JUCO does not assure being in the line up, every position is competitive in college.
Regarding the "experience", my son's experience has been fairly well confined to the baseball field and workout rooms. The team is it's own fraternity for all intent and purpose.
My son played at 2 JUCO's and then moved on to a "local" D2, where this will be his senior year. The only team other than his collegiate summer team wher he will have been a player returning to the same program he left the previous year. Both JUCO situations were in state but 100 miles from home, not local.
Looking back I believe the only change he would have made would have been choosing the first JUCO more carefully.
What he did experience was ample playing time as a starter and hitting in the 3 hole since his freshman year. I can count the number of innings he has sat over 3 years on one hand. I do not know that would have been his experience at 4 year programs. But going JUCO does not assure being in the line up, every position is competitive in college.
Regarding the "experience", my son's experience has been fairly well confined to the baseball field and workout rooms. The team is it's own fraternity for all intent and purpose.
My son played at 2 JUCO's and then moved on to a "local" D2, where this will be his senior year. The only team other than his collegiate summer team wher he will have been a player returning to the same program he left the previous year. Both JUCO situations were in state but 100 miles from home, not local.
Looking back I believe the only change he would have made would have been choosing the first JUCO more carefully.
quote:Coming in as a Junior can be more difficult to get into the mainstream than if you start with a whole bunch other freshman at the same time. I am not sure what the baseball programs rules are for fraternity involvement but that is harder to get plugged into as an incoming Junior than a Freshman.
I'd would generally disagree with that thought. My son's experience was "no problemo". Fitting in or finding your spot really depends upon the attitude of the player and not their transfer status. In fact my son's coach liked certain JC transfers:
quote:"A lot of the time on the west coast, they don't want to leave in high school," Hughes said. "When you get them in the junior college, they've been humbled a little bit by the recruiting process, and they're like, 'I don't care where I'm going, I just want to go to play at the highest level and reach my potential and go to a good school'."
The real issue is which direction do you go to maximize your potential to play D1/D2/D3 etc.. and there is no easy answer unless nobody except the JC coach is serioulsy calling to talk to your son. I would not recomend trying to walk on D1/D2 if your son wants to keep playing.
As the parent of a JUCO kid, I can only say,it has worked out for my kid. It is a very tough decision. His JUCO had 11 kids sign today to play at a D1 for next year and there will be a few more before the spring season is over.
Difficult decision at best to wrangle with. Something my 2010 kid and I dealt with a few years ago. He decided that he wanted to have the chance to play more and in a wood bat league and felt an AZ JUCO fit the bill best. Found out today from HC that after fall ball he is considered the starting SS. He was pretty excited to say the least because although he is academically a soph, athletically he is a freshman due to medically red-shirteding his freshman year. He has beeen very happy with his choice so far.
Now we are in the struggle of what to do next year as he will still have three years of eligibility left and completed all requirements for his AA degree. Fortunately for him his academics are great. Figuring out where he would like to play next and meet his academic interests is daunting. Any suggestions would certainly be welcome.....
J23
Now we are in the struggle of what to do next year as he will still have three years of eligibility left and completed all requirements for his AA degree. Fortunately for him his academics are great. Figuring out where he would like to play next and meet his academic interests is daunting. Any suggestions would certainly be welcome.....
J23
J23, any chance of getting drafted?