Now what do you do?

Pay it forward on HS Baseball Web!

For now you relax and just enjoy baseball. You rest up for worrying about next year. Did he make the right choice? Is it working out? Is he going to get on the field? Is he getting to class? Is he spending enough time studying? The real “what do I do now” comes when he’s done playing.

I stopped coaching after his 15yo season in 16u. It seemed like I had a lot of free time. So I became a bench coach on hsbaseballweb.

Phase two was the recruiting process. Phase three was not jumping off a ledge when he got injured and had surgery. Phase four was the above mentioned entering college ball. Phase five was no more tuition bills, having my own life back, the kid got a job and insists on picking up the check. 

Alcohol and women of questionable character.....

SomeBaseballDad posted:

Alcohol and women of questionable character.....

After that I might waste some time.

Although baseball is not over for keewartson, watching baseball 3-5 times a week in-season and traveling several times and going to Atlanta for a week during the summer is over.   I work only part time during the school year so I have will have a lot more time this spring...more free time than I want.

I hope to get all all the baseball scrap books done....from age 10 to 22.   Organize the high school and college newspaper articles of his friends that continued to play.  Frame his college jersey in the shadowbox frame that has already been purchased.  We have a ring box waiting for the conference championship ring that he will receive during spring training.  

I love to cook, but I find it frustrating for cook for 2.  I find it more rewarding when keewartson in home and I am cooking for 6, but only 3 people!

I continue to plan and research our baseball vacations.  Last summer was Vancouver and Seattle.  This year may not be as exciting a venue, but I will find something fun and rewarding to do during the days and go to the games at night.  I am anxiously waiting for our 10-day trip in March to spring training.  My suggestion is to look at last year's college schedule (or from 2 years ago) and start planning which away games or home games to attend.  Book cancelable hotels when the schedule is published and don't book flights until you know he is playing (get a reward credit card for hotels and/or flights).

I may try something new.   I loved the vertical garden  in the first link in this post:

http://community.hsbaseballweb...biesinterests?page=1

My son is getting ready to start the spring of junior year.  He Just accepted an invite to national showcase, and realize this is last “summer” as he should sign the NLI next year and summer school at college the next summer. Any of you guys that wanna pay it forward have any words of wisdom for living this final high school seasons and summer before college? I’m guessing since commitment is there, he tries to stay healthy, continue to develop and improve, and do limited number of invite events and see what’s next? Any wisdom is appreciated!

Are you seriously complaining about being done with the recruiting process? Be thankful he’s playing at the next level and get on with YOUR life!

Just a heads up.....the next 4 years are going to fly by.  College baseball was a new chapter for us, and we dove in head first.    Supporting your son and his team will take on new meaning in college.  You are going to enjoy this once in a life time experience.  If they are fortunate to win a conference title and get to the post season it will be an unbelievable experience.   Enjoy it while you can!

Twoboys suggestion of paying it forward is a must.  Many people are still paying it forward to HSBBWeb!

Since our oldest son graduated college in 2014, we've sailed around the British Virgin Islands (BVI) for our 25th Wedding Anniversary, hiked the Portugal coast, visited her family in Maine and hiked the Maine coast, took my middle son to Mexico for his 2017 college graduation.   We're planning a hiking trip to Slovenia this Spring and a trip to Ireland when my youngest son graduates in 2019.    My oldest son since graduating in 2014 has gone to Iceland, Dubai,  London, and South Africa on safari with his girlfriend/fiancée.  There is so much to do for parents and players alike.   See the world while you can!

Iowamom — as a father that is just on the other side (freshman in college now) — best advice I can give you is totally and completely enjoy this last season.  Sending your kid off to college (even if only semi-short drive away) is going to be one of the biggest moments in your life, second only to maybe seeing him born.  So relish in the moment.  Now, you don’t need to hold your breath anymore if he has a bad outing.  If he walks two kids in a row, you don’t need to fear it's going to tank his chances to play in college.  Just sit back and enjoy.   

Fenway is right — the college time is going to fly by, can’t believe my son is already done with his first semester.  Once the season starts, its going to be hard to watch it over the web vs being at every game — that is going to suck.  I can tell you this — I’m gonna make the effort to attend the spring break trip in Florida (we live in CA) and to catch at least one more series during the college season.  Hoping to also catch one or two weekends this summer when he’s playing in Ohio.  Still not the same as pulling into the HS parking lot after racing to his school from work to watch every HS game.  Baseball will be over before I can turn around.

Rest and relax this year because once he gets to college you have absolutely no control over his process, productivity or playing time. And when he is playing, it can be stressful...especially when he struggles. Then again, there's always Bunco? 

Just had a discussion about this last night. Had some parents of my daughter's friends over before this kids went to a school dance. One couple has a feisty 7 year old who seems to be on his way to becoming a good ball player. My son, a junior and on his way this morning to another unofficial visit, is his "brother from another mother" as this little guy has two older sisters (he is gonna be tough!). So he kinda looks up to my son without worrying about the daily abuse little brothers get from big brothers.

Anyhow, his Dad is a very successful attorney, extremely busy, but does his best to attend all games and school functions. Makes about 75% of them which for a guy in his position is quite remarkable. The dad looked at me and asked me what I was going to do with all my free time when my son goes off to college. It sort of hit me right there.  But then I looked over at his son riding on my son's back and I said to him, "I think I have about 10 more years of baseball to watch."

IowaMom, I still have a year to go so I have no idea what it's like yet, but my husband and I were just talking about this a couple of weeks ago.  Here's my list: (some with husband, some on my own) watch shows about travel and plan trips even if we can't go right away; take French lessons together, spend time with friends who I haven't had time to see and invest in the way I would like to, spend at least a little time volunteering for a non-profit (that is not a school) that could use my skills and go to more of our college athletic events (since we're not far from our alma mater and get to quite a few, but not enough).  I doubt we'll be able to do all of this until we retire, but having a list at least helps me not feel quite so freaked out about the thought of him being away.

You will probably be helping me 18 months from now when I'm curled in a ball in the corner of my couch sobbing like a baby when he's gone...

Iowamom23 posted:

This is a bit of a pathetic post, but. . .

Just beginning to realize how time consuming the recruiting process was. 2018 has school chosen, he's admitted, knows his major and we're just waiting to start chosing dates for orientation, etc.

Meanwhile, he's busy with lifting, throwing and getting ready for his senior season.

But I'm finding time on my hands now that I'm not researching schools and camps, lining up travel schedules and visits and all the stuff that kept our lives crazy busy for the last almost two years.

So how do you parents fill your time once the search is over?

In our case we still  were quite busy.   Coming out of HS son had committed to a D2 JuCo 250 miles away - didn't commit until June of his senior year.   Spent the next month or so communicating with prospective roommate's parents in lining up a suitable apartment (No on campus housing).  Made one major trip to move most of his stuff (furniture, etc) prior to him having to report and register.  Brought the rest when it was time.

In the meantime, son was also participating in Legion ball with his HS buddies so we were buy most of June and July.  Legion team missed winning their district by a few runs.

As mentioned, enjoy the college baseball seasons.   They will go by just as fast as HS even though there are for more games.

Appreciate baseball for what it is, a game.  Watch it through the eyes of a child, appreciate what every player out there has to offer.  It has been a very long time that I watched my son play with "nothing on the line".   Talk to him not as a parent whose main objective was college but as a fan of HIS game, there is a difference.  He of course still wants to win but pressure is now off to do well for a scholarship.  In 8 months you can once again become the parent of a player, with all the nervousness, frustrations, and uncertainties for the next 4 years.  You definitely deserve to take it easy now.

My son is a 2020 so we still have the entire recruiting process to go, but we took our first "next" step last week.  We took our first umpiring class together.  

As time allows, he will be able to get involved in the other side of the game and earn a pretty good paycheck for a teenager.  For me, I'll still be able to go to the ballpark every weekend to fill the inevitable void that I know is coming.