Junior Day/Early Offer

Welcome to the board. Hopefully some of the resources will help in the process. Any big decision obviously requires thought. If the "dream school" has offered something you can live with, it is certainly worth strong consideration. Make sure you understand the deadlines for each offer. Each school is obviously different but there can be money, lots of money, available up until the summer before school starts. That said, money falls way down the list for me, after coaching, academics, climate, etc. Good luck, but if he is being offered at Junior Days, your family has already been blessed with talent.

The big question you have to ask is, is your son sure of where he wants to be? And are you confident that he is mature enough to make his final decision now?

If the answer to those questions is yes, then make the deal!

But if it's no, then take your time.

The liberating thing about having an offer in hand is, you only have to look at schools/teams that could conceivably be preferable to the offer you are holding. That will narrow your focus and help your decision making, instead of making you sift through all sorts of schools and programs and a sea of information. That's what most players do, because most players are just trying to make sure they get AN offer SOMEWHERE.

When you get to the point that NOBODY seems preferable, then you know you're at the end of your search.

I do think that if you wait much beyond July, you risk having someone impose a deadline on you. Kids are committing earlier and earlier, and while the team may well want your kid, at some point they need to make sure their full 11.7 is working for them with the best kids they can sign. I do know of offers that have been retracted in late July and August because the team just wouldn't wait forever while the stud guy played the field. They don't want to get to November and find out the player is going to dash their hopes and they've missed out on Plan B while they held a spot for your boy.

But you probably do have 5-6 more months to think over your options. One thing about the offer is that they gave it to you to make sure you kept them foremost in your minds. Being wanted is a good thing! Most people wish they were in your shoes. Still, you have plenty of time to think it over.

If you do your homework, you can know by July everything you could conceivably know by November. With all this now being foremost in your mind, I guarantee you'll be ready to decide by July, and probably sooner.

Thanks to both Dad04 and Midlo Dad for your respective insights.

Dad04 and Midlo Dad:

Following up our last coversation I wanted you both to know that my son has decided to accept an offer from Vanderbilt University where he will be enrolling Fall of 2008.

While too much went into his decision to detail here, I wanted you both to know that your comments were quite helpful in the process. Thank you

Spartan,
Congratulations to your son!

HC Tim Corbin is awesome and has turned Vandy into a contender!

Congrats to your son Spartan! May he enjoy the journey!!

Thank you both Tiger Paw Mom and lafmom. Appreciate your congratulations. My wife and I also fell in love with Tim and Erik during the process. Feel as though our kid made a super choice.

spartan:

Congratulations. That's a great choice, although I am sure a tough one. Thanks for sharing.

spartan-
Congrats to your son! An outstnding academic school, with a baseball program that is looking real solid!!!!