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@Francis7 posted:

99 days until 11/10/21. But who is counting?

Just curious.  I sense that through your many topics, you seem to have a lot of anxiety about your son actually getting his NLI, or maybe actually setting foot on campus.

Do you have second thoughts of his decision?  If so, why would he have committed so early?   Was he pressured?   

Just wondering.  There is too much negativity here, maybe that's it.

Don't listen to the noise. move forward and enjoy your son's last HS year and season.

@TPM

Absolutely ZERO second thoughts.  It’s actually, the opposite.  He committed 9 months ago and with each passing month, there’s been more and more instances of validation that he made the right choice.  From both an academic and baseball perspective, it’s the right fit for him.  Was he pressured?  From us, the school and the coach, there was zero pressure.  To be candid, while they never came out and said it, I think his travel organization was a little disappointed (for lack of a better word) and tried to get him to wait more, think longer, etc. because he went D2 and not D1.  There’s a part of me that thinks MAYBE (?) they wanted him to go D1 because it’s better advertising for them.  But, again, being honest, while the D1 schools he was talking to were all fine and an honor for those who attend them, his choice was just a better fit for him in so many other ways – again, in terms of the school AND the baseball program.  The only concern will be the adjustment to college.  His elementary school and middle school are next two each other and less than a mile from our house.  He walked there in minutes.  The High School is less than 3 miles away and is a seven minute drive from the house.  The college is 160 miles and 3 hours away.  He’s never been out on his own and that far away from home for an extended time.  That’s going to be the adjustment.  But, that was going to happen with any school and it’s an adjustment that A LOT of kids have to make going into college.  My only real fear now is making sure that he looks up and smiles when he signs.  I don’t need a picture of the top of his baseball cap where you can’t see his face.

@Francis7 posted:

To be candid, while they never came out and said it, I think his travel organization was a little disappointed (for lack of a better word) and tried to get him to wait more, think longer, etc. because he went D2 and not D1.  There’s a part of me that thinks MAYBE (?) they wanted him to go D1 because it’s better advertising for them.  

It could be they want the best for your son, they truly believe he could have played at a higher level and that offers may have eventually started rolling in.

What you said may also very likely be the case. Either way it ended up being a good choice from what it sounds like. Regardless of what people think and say, they're not the ones who have to pay for it. So if his travel coaches wanted him to hold out for "better" offers they better be ready to write a tuition check if those offers never end up coming.

@PABaseball

It's basically a math equation.

Would you go to a D1 school with a baseball program that barely cracks the Top 200 and costs $60K a year if they were willing to give you a 50% scholarship for baseball?

Would you go to a D2 school with a baseball program that's always on the Top 20 and is an annual contender for a championship and costs $30k a year and they were willing to give you considerable money for them?

Is going D1 worth paying more for school and playing with little chance for a championship experience?

@Francis7 posted:

@PABaseball

It's basically a math equation.

Would you go to a D1 school with a baseball program that barely cracks the Top 200 and costs $60K a year if they were willing to give you a 50% scholarship for baseball?

Would you go to a D2 school with a baseball program that's always on the Top 20 and is an annual contender for a championship and costs $30k a year and they were willing to give you considerable money for them?

Is going D1 worth paying more for school and playing with little chance for a championship experience?

That is a personal decision, neither is necessarily right or wrong. Only the player and the check writer are in a position to make that decision. That being said, a 50% offer is still very good, the coaches don't have any say over the tuition unfortunately.

Some would rather play D1. I personally don't care too much to be honest. I sat them down and told them to narrow it down to 3-5 schools regardless of level, scholarship amount, and cost because I'd rather it cost more than them attend a school they don't really like.

I then said this is when you're probably going to get on the field, this is how much it's going to cost. This is how much you're going to owe when it's over. This is how far away it is from home. And this is who you're going to be playing. I then listed the pros and cons of each and let them make their own decision from there.

@Francis7 posted:

@TPM

Absolutely ZERO second thoughts.  It’s actually, the opposite.  He committed 9 months ago and with each passing month, there’s been more and more instances of validation that he made the right choice.  From both an academic and baseball perspective, it’s the right fit for him.  Was he pressured?  From us, the school and the coach, there was zero pressure.  To be candid, while they never came out and said it, I think his travel organization was a little disappointed (for lack of a better word) and tried to get him to wait more, think longer, etc. because he went D2 and not D1.  There’s a part of me that thinks MAYBE (?) they wanted him to go D1 because it’s better advertising for them.  But, again, being honest, while the D1 schools he was talking to were all fine and an honor for those who attend them, his choice was just a better fit for him in so many other ways – again, in terms of the school AND the baseball program.  The only concern will be the adjustment to college.  His elementary school and middle school are next two each other and less than a mile from our house.  He walked there in minutes.  The High School is less than 3 miles away and is a seven minute drive from the house.  The college is 160 miles and 3 hours away.  He’s never been out on his own and that far away from home for an extended time.  That’s going to be the adjustment.  But, that was going to happen with any school and it’s an adjustment that A LOT of kids have to make going into college.  My only real fear now is making sure that he looks up and smiles when he signs.  I don’t need a picture of the top of his baseball cap where you can’t see his face.

I'm sure he'll be ok.  It's not like he'll be doing this "alone". @Francis7 will be with him in spirit, worrying about anything and everything 100% of the time. It's a joke, don't take it seriously...........

@Francis7 posted:


The college is 160 miles and 3 hours away.  He’s never been out on his own and that far away from home for an extended time.  That’s going to be the adjustment.

I know this is not a competition but my son's school is 162 miles away and I can do it in 2 hours 40 minutes..... HA!!!  Because your son is on a team he has a built-in group already.  He's gonna love it. The challenge might be partying vs studying.   Wish I could go back to college.....

I'm sure he'll be ok.  It's not like he'll be doing this "alone". @Francis7 will be with him in spirit, worrying about anything and everything 100% of the time. It's a joke, don't take it seriously...........

The kid will be fine. It’s Francis you need to worry about when the kid constantly tells him there’s nothing to worry about. It will drive Francis crazy.

@Francis7 posted:

@PABaseball

It's basically a math equation.

Would you go to a D1 school with a baseball program that barely cracks the Top 200 and costs $60K a year if they were willing to give you a 50% scholarship for baseball?

Would you go to a D2 school with a baseball program that's always on the Top 20 and is an annual contender for a championship and costs $30k a year and they were willing to give you considerable money for them?

Is going D1 worth paying more for school and playing with little chance for a championship experience?

If baseball is the priority  there is usually lots of disappointment.

You never mentioned academics.  That's important.

JMO

First kid 8.5 hours away at 18. Second kid almost 10 hours away at 18. Third kids almost 24 ours away at 18. So far only one "can you come visit" and it was last year because the boyfriend was being silly not because she was homesick.

You got this Francis! And I agree with the statement above. The team gives them a built in support group and the structure they need to really set them up for success.

Last edited by PTWood
@PTWood posted:

First kid 8.5 hours away at 18. Second kid almost 10 hours away at 18. Third kids almost 24 ours away at 18. So far only one "can you come visit" and it was last year because the boy was being silly not because she was homesick.

You got this Francis! And I agree with the statement above. The team gives them a built in support group and the structure they need to really set them up for success.

Drive to Clemson was 12 hours, by plane with car rental and drive from Atlanta about half.  Lots of the team was from different parts of the country, that's how it was done back then.  My friend catchersdad is from Washington State.

Sully and Jack told us it was a family, and it was.  Only once did he want to come home, after a really bad game.  I think it prepared him well for his future travels in his professional life.

The oldest went 1000 miles away. The youngest went 700 miles away. Both said they didn’t miss the drama at home. In fact, I was so tired of the drama as soon as the youngest headed for college I put the house up for sale and moved 300 miles away. The oldest graduated and returned home until her job started in DC. Moving put me 1000 miles from the youngest while he was away.

Fortunately I had flown so much over my business career I had over 200K in frequent flier miles. I only purchased tickets when they were very discounted. By the time both graduated I had depleted my miles.

sitting at my desk i have one 25 miles in one direction and one 23 miles in another direction. You know how many times they came home? The first one several times ultimately transferred, wasn't the right place. the 2nd...well i am still waiting he spends half the summer there as well as the school year. it is about being in the right fit, location has little to do with it.

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