same advice

wattsboro,

 

I hope all is well in your neck of the woods.  Your son has picked up on a "gem of information" from those who came before him, and you didn't have to lift a finger.  You are looking pretty wise from my viewpoint!  

That is a great piece of advice, unfortunately it won't be taken by the mass.  Parents have wrapped up to much time, energy, and money into worshipping their children to ever let this happen.  When people take their family vacation to the JO's or speak in terms of "we" in regards to their sons playing experience, going to a college they love and trying to make the team is simply not good enough anymore.  Parents have turned their children into another part of their portfolio and it is sad, but if the mass followed the advice of these players there would be a whole lot more happy people out there.

 

PS....I am not speaking about every parent in the world nor am I referring to the OP.  I am just stating my opinion from dealing with parents on a day in an day out basis.

My son and I have talked about this. Even though he loves baseball, his plan is to use baseball to help him get into the academic college of his choice. If that does not work he is also considering getting in through the college band route. If he is not recruited by a college he would attend for academics, then he will take his chances and walk on if possible. 

From my limited experience, the highest rates of disappointment seem to come from 1) choosing the best scholarship when the school isn't a great fit, and 2) choosing the school because it's the absolute highest level team that made you an offer, regardless of your chances of playing or even making the team. I've already seen a number of these situations not work out this fall for 2014s.

 

wattsboro, the only thing I would try to fine-tune about that advice from the older kids is to try to find a school that you love, which also loves you back (for baseball). IOW, he doesn't have to settle for "make the team if you can" if he can find a school that he loves where he knows he can make the team, which might mean playing at a lower level than some other options.

I think to a kid who plays ball that's a great piece of advice. I believe to a ball player it's horrible but they wouldn't take it anyway. I would have went to San Quentin if it ment I could play football for four more years. But I went to college to play football not to go to college. I hated my school. I hated my coaches but on Saturdays when I got to put that helmet on it was all worth it. In the grand scheme of things was that bad? Yep. Would my life have been different if I would have made different choices? Better choices? Maybe. Would I change the choices I made? Heck no I would still chose to play. I loved it. I didn't like it. I didn't enjoy playing it. I didn't have fun with my friends. I loved it.

Now as a dad it's different. The above advice is what I give my kid. I tell him he's going to college to be a physicist not a ball player and chose his school accordingly. Will he listen? No probably not.

Many times you can have both. If you are able to play at one school there are probably others you can play at as well, unless you are only have the skill to play at the absolute lowest level. 

For my son Baseball was an absolute requirement. No matter what school he went to he would have been unhappy if he did not at least get a realistic chance to play. Their were other requirements as well but none was as important as baseball. 

 

Fortunately he had the grades and skill to go to a school he really liked and play baseball their as well.

Backstop Jr's teammate just recently decommitted from a top 2 school and committed to an in state school and everyone thinks he is on drugs or something. Me I am happy that he decided to go with him heart and what felt right instead of only considering the high profile opportunity. Might have saved a lot of heartache down the road.

Many kids will change their minds on what is important to them  (discover?)......once they get on campus.  My son figured out that playing baseball in snowy conditions was more important then sitting on the bench 300 yards from the beach in CA. 

Great response CPNMore.

I absolutely echo this response, except my son's bench would have been in the warm southern sun. 

 

There is a lot to be said about going where you are loved.

Different strokes for different folks.  My son went where they took him as a walk on because it was the best baseball program he got an offer from (excellent education too but only I cared about that), and simply decided to make them want him.  It worked, they not only want him but they need him, however they wouldn't have guessed that two years ago. Would that it were different but my kid likes the hard way.

My first team meeting as a college freshman. Coach Garrison walks up and begins to speak to all of us. "Welcome guys. Some of you will have a great college football experience here. Some of you will not. Some of you will still be here after tomorrow. Some of you will not. Some of you will be glad you made this choice. Some of you will not. That's ok. Because that is life."

 

How many of you are still married to your first wife? That's a pretty big decision isn't it? Bigger than the college you decided to attend? My oldest son met his wife and in one month was married. I didn't even make the wedding. I had never met her. They went to the magistrates office and got married for 20.00 bucks. He's still married has one daughter and another on the way. They seem so happy. Then there are those that date for years and get everything in perfect order and are divorced within a year. Go figure.

 

The fact is you don't know. You go where you feel is the best choice for YOU. You do everything in your power to make it work. Sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't. You pick yourself up, dust yourself off and you get back in there and find another opportunity. Guess what? That's life. Your standing on the outside looking in. You get all the information you can. You hope you made the right choice. But there are so many variables and unknowns that you could have never known. Things can change that you have no control over. Stuff happens.

 

You can make an informed decison based on the facts of today. And those facts change folks. From one day to the next. I went here because they only had 2 LHP on the roster. And they only signed 1 besides me. And the pitching coach gets fired. Three LHP transfer in. The new pitching coach is a complete a__. What happened? You made a bad decision. Really? No that's just life. Your never going to be able to be 100% sure your making the right choice. If you worried about that your going to worry yourself to death.

 

Make the best choice you can make for YOU. And then be prepared to compete. Be prepared to handle the college experience. And be prepared for adversity. And be prepared to take the bad with the good. Because the fact is if you can't handle the bad you won't be around to see the good. And guess what? That's life.

 

Now I hear this all the time. Go to a school where if baseball doesn't work out you will be happy with the school you chose. That might fly for some kids. But that doesn't fly for all kids. In fact for many if the baseball ain't good nothin is good. School can be going great but if the baseball experience is not going good nothing else matters to them. So lets just be honest about all of this. Every kid is different. Every situation is different. You have to be honest with yourself and make the most informed decision you can make with the information you have today. Knowing that things can change and guess what? That's life. For some that name of the jersey is everythiing until they get there and realize it really isn't after all. For some that school is everything until they get there and realize it really isn't after all.

 

For the players that are hell bent and determined they are going to do this thing called college baseball no matter what it takes, they will be fine. They will see the finish line. They might transfer. They might not. They might end up being a key contributer they might not. They may have a great experience with some ripples along the way. They may have a tough experience with some major waves along the way. But in the end they will have reach the same destination. If you looking for a smooth ride good luck. This trip is not for the faint of heart. And you guessed it. That's life.

That is a golden right there. That should be highlighted and every one that comes to this site should read. Best post I have ever read on here. Merry Christmas Coach May. Hope the family is good. God Bless

Very well said Coach May. 

Fanofgame - my thoughts exactly; Golden Thread nomination.