Question

The grades should definetly be in the discussion, because in reality, college, any college program, isn't all about baseball.

You need to stop trying to motivate your son to improve in the classroom, this is something he needs to figure out for himself, asap.

If he wants to play college baseball, then he needs to turn it around and HE needs to help with the process, you sending emails or talking to coaches is his job (wiht your assistance). Perhaps if you give him some responsibility to own up, he will step up to the plate.
JMO.

You asked:

When I send emails or talk to JUCO coaches, should I mention the "grades" thing to them?

My thought is -----
NO no no. So much can change in the remaining 2 or 3 years of HS. Why sell your kid short before he even gets to the starting line? Sohpmore year and junior year can be amazing turning points.

Motivation is a peculiar thing. If budget allows, get him to do just one college camp this fall, and have him go to the admisisons info session while he is there. Do it as early in the fall as is possible. If he gets a taste of what college baseball might be like, and if he decides HE wants it, he'll listen to that coach adn that admission's officer. The motivation will be his.

Another thing to consider .... not every student's path is a stright upward trajectory. Some kids' brains mature later. Some never do (lol). It is possible that by senior year his mediocre profile will have become more solid. Or, maybe he will need a repeat year somewhere in HS, or a year or two at JUCO. And yes, maybe he will go on to tech school, some of which have housing and baseball.

Point is, you have no idea at this point, so don't sell him short.

TPM,
I'm not going to quit trying to motivate him. That would be a bad example by me. I agree though, that HE needs and is beginning to send the emails. Thanks for the reply though. He wants to play college baseball, but he's just having a tough time getting focused on school. Will he get it soon? Who knows. But I'm not a quitter.
Baseballmom,
He's a fairly intelligent kid. Just hasn't dealt with the "social" part of HS very well and that causes him to not be motivated while there. I'm concerned that he won't have the required classes to get in to the universities and will need to go to JUCO to either get them or learn something else. I agree about not selling him short. Just considering all options and what suits him best.
He's only a soph, so there's time for all of this. Just looking for advice

This is really for those more knowledgeable to answer but isn't sophomore year a bit early to be contacting JUCO coaches?

quote:

Originally posted by twotex:
This is really for those more knowledgeable to answer but isn't sophomore year a bit early to be contacting JUCO coaches?

I think so. Do as much ground work for all the schools. You just never know.

4 seamer,

I agree that you should not give up on the motivation. But make sure that you are using the proper motivation. Having him contact coaches this early, IMO is not motivation.

I also agree that it is early, are you doing this for him or for you? Maybe you should just lay back, let it take it's course, there is no sense in making him feel pressured and no sense in contacting anyone at this time until he settles in.

Just a suggestion.

Yeah, maybe I should just let him do whatever he wants? Maybe I should just act like he's 30 yrs old and let him make whatever choices he wants? WOW! I thought it was normal for a 16 yr old to need guidance? My kid must be REALLY behind the curve...

I NEVER SAID "I'VE SENT" EMAILS. I said WHEN I send them.
Am I doing this for me or him? He is a 16yr old kid. Of course I'm doing this groundwork for him. Isn't it MY job as a parent to help him make "informed" decisions? He wasn't born with this stuff programmed into his hard drive.
I came here for advice about how to approach a college coach and I'm getting advice that sounds like it's coming from a bunch of s****r mom's with kids who are 5.0 students who were rhodes scholars in highschool.
When I was his age, I didn't know this stuff either. I didn't have anybody to help me make informed decisions.
Why would I be contacting these coaches right now? Because my son has been asked to play with a bunch of seniors on a college showcase team. I thought I'd drop them an email and let them know we would be there next weekend to play against their team and would like for the coach to know who my son is. Of course they aren't going to offer him a deal right now... but does it hurt to let a coach know you are interested in his program? Geez... I thought while we were there, we could look around campus on an "unofficial" visit. I thought maybe the coach might like that.
I get the part about my son needs to send the email. I agree.

Does anybody have anything else to offer?

I don't really get why people come here to ask questions and then get angry when they don't get the responses they are looking for.
Seems like you are offended that moms responded to your question. Why? Do you think that dads know more than moms might in the recruiting process?

You need to go back and reread your post and take a step back to see if what all of what you posted really explained your situation. Sometimes it makes sense to you but not those reading.

FWIW, my son had no clue either what to do at 16 so we sat down and talked about it and he took care of much himself at 17. That included contacting, calling, and emailing.

It doesn't hurt to let a coach know you are interested, but my suggestion is don't do it unless he is ready to look good to any coach, and that means in the classroom as well as on the field.

Just a suggestion. Chill out dad.

quote:

Originally posted by 4 seamer:


Does anybody have anything else to offer?

Perhaps a nice soothing cup of hot tea?

Look, you presented a fairly odd situation.

You introduced your son with two pieces of information that simply cannot be known in the fall of a player's sophomore year: namely, that he projects as a low D1 or D2 player and that his best academic fit is likely to be a JUCO.

Then you asked for advice about what you can do to get the ball rolling in the direction you think best.

Predictably, you got answers that challenged your assumptions and questioned the wisdom of contacting a JUCO this early and having that contract originate from the parent.

It's now clear from your hostile reaction that all you really wanted was direct answers to your questions about whether your emails to JUCO coaches should mention your son's grades and whether the JUCO coach will be excited that your studly son might condescend to play for him.

The answer to the first question is it doesn't matter. Any email from the parent of a high school sophomore to a JUCO coach is going to look weird whether it mentions the boy's GPA or not.

The answer to the second question is that the JUCO coach's reaction will not be excitement.

It sure would be less stressful for everyone if people seeking affirmation would stop pretending they want advice.

Well said swampboy!

And that's coming from a DAD!

I just felt like I was being scolded. Scolded for trying to help my son. I'm trying to be informed myself and thought I could get that here. I felt like I got lectured about my sons attitude and selling him short. I guess to you all, it was such an odd situation that you missed the question.
I wanted a simple answer and maybe a "good luck" and feel free to ask some more questions".
Instead I got the "are you doing this for you or him?" How was that supposed to be helpful?
TPM, sorry if I rubbed you wrong about the "Mom" thing. You finally gave me an informative answer in your last post... " Don't do it until he's ready to look good to any coach". That's the "confirmation" I was looking for. Thank you.

Swampboy, your response although totally littered with sarcasm, actually is exactly what I was looking for. An answer. Not a lecture. I guess you're right. It may be a little out of the ordinary for a parent of a soph. to "contract" a juco coach so early.
Point well taken.
Btw, I prefer coffee with a shot of baileys instead of warm tea

4 seamer,
Your post was very confusing, I have to learn to try to ask the poster exactly what is it they are trying to get across, I do it myself often (not getting point across). I also take the high road often as well, I have my reasons.

I find it interesting that so many moms replied to your post. Something to think about. Swampboy eluded to somethings that some of the moms did, maybe it was easier for you to hear it from a dad. Just remember that once you go through this process and understand it being a mom or dad makes no difference.

You are at the beginnning of a very long journey, my suggestion is just not to rush it. You may see others doing that but that doesn't mean that is right for your son. Help him to understand the process, importance of success in the classroom (he doesn't have to be a Rhodes scholar) and when he's ready (might not be until next year) you can work with him. Sounds to me that he has a lot of maturing to do, let him do that first. Hope that you don't take this the wrong way, but sounds like you also have a lot to learn about as well!

I'm trying to learn. I was hoping having him get his feet wet by talking to a college coach would help him to see how important school is. Just trying anything I can to help him. We will be alright. Too much talent on his part and to much love on mine. Other people have said it's good to have the kid make early contact so if he's nervous, he'll get better at it as he matures. I still think that's good advice.

4-seamer,

Welcome to HSBBWeb.

You have lots of company--including me--of people who began their presence here by ruffling feathers.

I hope you stick around.

My information about JUCO's is second hand, but from what I understand, they tend to recruit late and succeed in getting a lot of players with plausible pro or major conference aspirations who, for personal reasons including financial constraints, timing of when they want to be drafted, inattention to the D1 recruiting process and timeline, and inability to qualify academically, need a place to play before moving on to bigger things. In many places, JUCO baseball offers an intense competitive environment, often with little support infrastructure, and is not for the faint of heart. The guys I've known who played JUCO looked like they had gone through something hard.

Having raised a large family, I know communication with teenagers is often difficult, but it is worth reinforcing to your son on every occasion when it won't cause resentment how important it is to increase one's options. Every good grade increases options; every low grade decreases options. There are lots and lots of ball players who post poor grades as freshmen, begin to figure it out a little bit as sophomores, and still end up with viable 4-year options when they're done. Don't write off that scenario for him too early.

I also know that kids who seem impervious to wisdom and guidance can make surprisingly sudden transformations. Keep him real sure of your love for him and be patient.

A Baileys does sound good about now.

quote:

Originally posted by 4 seamer:
I'm trying to learn. I was hoping having him get his feet wet by talking to a college coach would help him to see how important school is. Just trying anything I can to help him. We will be alright. Too much talent on his part and to much love on mine. Other people have said it's good to have the kid make early contact so if he's nervous, he'll get better at it as he matures. I still think that's good advice.

That's not what I got from your original post.
Wonder if you were listening to HSBBW Radio tonight. If not you can go back to the archive for review. What was mentioned was how important it is to do well in school (you do not have to be a Rhodes scholar).

College coaches want players that compete in the classroom as well as on the field. This should be the #1 priority for your son as well as every player. Your #1 job right now should be to make him understand this, the baseball stuff actually is secondary. All the talent in the world means nothing to the coach if that player can't take care of business in class. It's JMO that you seem to be worrying about the wrong things right now.

You might see if any local colleges or jucos are having any camps this fall. Every one my son has been to has had the head coach telling the players that grades matter, including the ACT's or SAT's. That might help motivate your son hearing the coaches addressing grades.

Ladsdad, thank you for confirming why I'm doing what I'm doing right now... Hoping one of these coaches get to him better than I or his HS coach has.

Tpm, I TOTALLY understand that grades are important. But I'm not the one making them... As I said before, I'm considering all options for him in case he never gets it.

Swampboy, I've heard and expect exactly what you said about how kids wind up there and that competition is tough. Imagine how good it felt to see my 16 yr old competing like a veteran out there amongst them. Some ofThese schools have more people drafted than the big schools do

Our older bright but somewhat stubborn son has generally seemed to think he knows it best, many times when he doesn't. It seems as if my husband and I, (mainly me), seem to add fuel to the fire when we get involved. What has worked with us was a call to his HS guidance counselor (who we both respect). She sat him down to discuss his future plans and his plan for getting there. Our job was to stay out until needed. We still have some squabbles here and there, but he has taken more ownership. You might want to call or e-mail his guidance counselor. Most counselors have worked with athletes striving for athletic/ academic scholarships, NCAA Clearinghouse, etc., and could really be a valuable asset.

quote:

Originally posted by 4 seamer:
Swampboy, I've heard and expect exactly what you said about how kids wind up there and that competition is tough. Imagine how good it felt to see my 16 yr old competing like a veteran out there amongst them. Some ofThese schools have more people drafted than the big schools do

Somehow I knew the draft would creep into this discussion.
And FWI, it's TPM.

4seamer,

Swampboy said.....

quote:

Every good grade increases options; every low grade decreases options. There are lots and lots of ball players who post poor grades as freshmen, begin to figure it out a little bit as sophomores, and still end up with viable 4-year options when they're done. Don't write off that scenario for him too early.

IMHO swampboy is giving you the unvarnished truth with this statement. BaseballmomandCEP said the same, and so did TPM. There must be something to it, and this point can't be emphasized enough.

I realize you are probably frustrated with your son's academic performance but there are many options available to you....and he is only a sophomore. You have time, but he needs to start the turnaround now. I have three boys myself from 14-20 years old. There have been challenges along the way with my youngest. My wife and I used the "carrot and stick" approach specifically with his cell phone, X-box, friends, activities, baseball (yes - baseball) and tutors. He knows we mean business and there are consequences if he doesn't do his work or ask for help when needed. He also knows the world is his oyster if he gets good grades. I'm not suggesting you do exactly as we've done, but I'm suggesting there is a way to motivate your son. You just haven't discovered it yet. I agree that teenagers need to become self motivated. In our case, my youngest son needed a reminder that we are there for him and he is expected to continue this effort in college.

Your son needs to understand that college baseball coaches will be meeting with him once a week when he is a freshmen. If he does well, he earns some "slack". If he doesn't do well, then it becomes the Spanish Inquisition and it will get uncomforable very quickly. Coaches will be looking at his weekly grades and classroom attendence. It is black and white with no gray. There is also mandatory study hall for some programs. They want to know he is on the right path and eligible. What I'm telling you is that it actually will be much harder in college. If he doesn't do the things he should be doing then he will not be on the field.

Best of luck!

My kid is getting some great motivational emails from college coaches, they are far more effective than anything mom or dad or guidance can tell him! I think they are worth sharing in this thread.

I'll blank out specifics, and share what this coach is telling every junior on his mailing list:

"I thought today would be a great day and pen you an email and give some insight into what you have at stake this year.

I have received a number of emails essentially saying “coach, I am good student but not a great student, so what are my chances”? Here is how I look at it. Basically you have played only 4 innings of a 9 inning baseball game. The last innings of a baseball game are more important than the first few innings. The ability to perform well late in the game, when the pressure is magnified, is often would separates a good player from a great player. To determine the winner of the game after four innings would be utter NONSENSE.


***X, the same analogy applies to you. To judge your academic record after only your sophomore year is NONSENSE! Our admissions office realizes that by NCAA rule I am not allowed to contact you until September1. During your sophomore year you may have not been aware of what was at stake. Now you do know!

***X, let me be candid with you. How you perform this year in the classroom; how well you perform on the SAT and / or ACT test, and how well you perform on the baseball field will be the MOST CRITICAL factors on how you are judged. This is your chance to be a star! So when you have to choose between taking “Suzy” out to a movie, or completing an assignment—do the assignment!

Hopefully you are taking at least four solids and preferably five solids this semester. If you are to have a chance to attend *** you can have No C’s and hopefully more A’s than B’s this semester. "

Very specific and very motivating stuff! Maybe someone else on HSBBW can use this to motivate their teenager

There is absolutely no harm in having your son send an email to coaches about games he will be playing at and that he is interested in their program.
No need at this point to send grade info, and with 2 1/2 years still to go in high school, I would sit with him and take a look at the NCAA approved classes for your son's high school.(See what he has taken and see what he needs.)
Then make an appointment with his guidance counselor and review his schedule. If he needs extra help, tutoring etc...get it for him now.

The simple rule is the better his grades, SAT's and ACT's are, the more options available for college ball and more money available from the colleges.

JUCO's are full of great students, great players and transfers from great colleges. You still need to be able to handle college level classes to succeed.

4 seamer, I can relate to your frustrations. The worse things are early in HS, the tougher it will be to bring things back during the last two years. Remember this, essentially all recruiting will be done during the summer following Junior year and during the fall of Senior year. So your son will be judged on his GPA for his 1st 3 years of HS, not all 4. That makes it even tougher to recuperate from a mediocre fresh and soph years.

I say I can relate because my son also didn't do very well his freshman and sophomore years. He didn't fail anything, but had a lot more C's than A's or B's. GPA after his Jr. year is around a 2.6. I really think this affected his chances of getting to play D1. We had some interest from a few D1 programs and when the transcript issue and grades came up, that interest dried up. They weren't from major D1's, but D1's nonetheless.

Don't give up hope though. My son has a couple of offers from several very good D2 programs and will probably be committing to one of them later this week. D2 schools usually have less stringent academic requirements than D1.

I would also not give up trying to motivate him to do better. Every little bit helps and at some point the light will go on with him. Hopefully, sooner than later, but that will be up to him. Nothing you can do to MAKE him see the light, but that doesn't mean you have to give up.

I would not pidgeon hole him to a particular level yet. Wait and see how it plays out and keep working with him to take school more seriously. Good luck to you.

Thanks for the reply's everyone. This is some good info. bballman, you just described my son to a TEE. I expect that D1 schools won't be interested because of grades and maybe he isn't quite what they're looking for anyway. I've always thought he was DII talent. I'm just concerned that if he goes away to college and doesn't have direct supervision, that he will find himself ineligible. I agree with most on here, that he has a little time to get turned around. But it's going by fast.
He's been to the guidance counseler and he helped get him going in the right direction as far as what will be required, but hasn't been very motivational imo. As I said before, I'm just looking at EVERY option.
TPM, I wasn't implying that my kid will get drafted... only pointing out that you don't have to be a D1 baseball player to be considered. 90Mph is 90mph. It's not better because it's D1. My feeling was that the 1st few comments were saying that juco kids aren't as talented. I want my son to get "some kind" of education and hopefully extend his baseball beyond HS. I'm sure it feels good for a parent to say their kid is playing D1, but to those of us who know baseball, we know that D1 usually means your kid was "projected" to be something he may or may not ever become.

At this time, the academic question won't come up so I wouldn't inject it into the conversation. However, it will come up shortly.

As for the motivation, your son needs to take responsibility for it. Certainly, you need to guide him and assist with the motivation but, at some point, he has to want it more than you.

One thing my dad did to keep me focused was to arrange for the worst possible summer job. I worked in a warehouse, which was really just a steel building on some blacktop asphalt. It was over 100 degrees during the summer and I would leave there dog tired and covered in dirt from head to toe daily. After a few weeks, he said to me "That is where you will be for the next 30 years of your life if you let your grades slip or you don't keep working hard on the field". It worked.

quote:

Originally posted by 4 seamer:
I'm sure it feels good for a parent to say their kid is playing D1, but to those of us who know baseball, we know that D1 usually means your kid was "projected" to be something he may or may not ever become.

Everyone knows that you DO NOT have to play D1 baseball to be considered for the draft. Where did I or anyone else refer to that JUCO kids are not as talented?
I have no idea what the above statement means. Most here know that many of us usually don't recommend D1 programs to all. And if you stick around or do some homework, you will know that some of the websters kids have begun at JUCO.

JUCO is a great option for all types of situations, but understand that due to changes in D1 rules, JUCO programs are overloaded, some begin practice with close to 100. You would prefer that your son be recruited rather than a walk on, so he therefore needs to work just as hard just to make the team. Some people think that JUCO coaches don't consider grades to be important.

Going pro should not even be in the discussion or a thought at this time. Obviously your son has talent, but that alone is not going to get him to college and FWIW, unless he is a stud coming out of HS, if he doesn't have options (school) he might get drafted but he most likely will not get what you feel he may be worth. There is a strong correlation between the bonus money one gets, his draft selection and college options. Players get what they do based on their talent and what it may or may not take to not go to college. If your son is having a tough time adjusting to socialization at school, you would have no clue how hard it is adjust it to proball.

90mph is NOT always equal where ever you go.

I agree with redbird5, your son needs to take ownership for motivation, even at 16 he does need to want it more than you.

I also agree that you have been given some great advice here, try to use it and try to do some more homework on recruiting at all levels and the pro draft as well.

I am in the same boat as 4 Seamer. Only difference is that my son is a 2013, HS junior. The best advice I can give is never give up. There is a reason why it is called unconventional love. I feel sometimes that it is a full time job keeping up with his grades / homework / tests. My son feels that my web browser home page is a link to his on-line grades. He is close. I check it several times a day for homework and score updates. Another good resource that was brought up here was working with his guidance counselor. Chances are that he / she has seen many others like your son before and knows what works. I talk to the one at my son's school quite a bit. It helps that he is also on the baseball and football coaching staff and sees my son in and out of the classroom.

All you can do, is make sure it is at the front of his mind (I always ask about his specific classes for that day before I ask him how was practice / the game) and pray that he will get it sooner rather than later.

As far as actually meeting with college coaches and see what types of academic programs they have for the athletes, I think you would be surprised what some places will do. We actually went to a D-1 school this weekend for a visit that has been talking to my son (as luck would have it, the school counselor's best man at his wedding is the recruiting coordinator there). During the campus tour, we spent quite a bit of time in the student athlete tutoring center. It has a computer lab and cubes for tutoring sessions. The athletes have to spend at least 12 hours there every week to remain eligible. There also are mandatory tutoring sessions for each class. The coach talked about that if he makes it in and is admitted, they will do everything and then some to make sure he stays.

Hang in there

Have you son go to a showcase this fall, usually the coaches at the college discuss the importance of grades since there arent full scholarships given. That may light a fire, if not maybe a close family member, summer team coach, high school coach or even an upperclassman at the school he respects can get it in his head to get on the right path. It took my sons grandfather and my best friend to have the light bulb turn on. All of your hard work will pay off in the end. Good luck!

TPM,
I said I was sorry. I thanked you for a good piece of advice. I have no problem with you. Please don't read into everything I say. I really wasn't talking about you.

BaseballMom, thanks for sharing. Sometimes the same information means more coming from someone else, even if the parent knows what they are talking about.