Something to Think about

Absolutely! sucess at one level, although a good indicator of potential, is not a guarantee of sucess at higher levels.....

Real world is that players mature and develop differently and that inner drive can wane or increase.........

There are great 12 yr olds who cant make the HS team and great HS players who cant play college..and great college players who dont make the pros.....

I am hoping that the "old timers" on here can enlighten the "newbies" here and perhaps soften the fall as it happens either at the HS or college level.

Rose colored glasses do not work in bright sunshine or glaring lights

TR,
As an old timer, can't put it any better than you have up above.
On the flip side, many average HS players become great college players. I even know of a few late rounders from college who have become very good minor league players.
Most really good HS players will most likely succeed at the college level if developed properly. I am sure there are very good players who go to programs that are more interested in fielding the best 9, not developing. I think there lies a big problem in why many HS players do not make good college players. JMO.
It is so very important for players and parents to attend college games to see and understand how different it is from HS. It's not an extension of the game, but a whole new one.

.
TPM...

quote:

It is so very important for players and parents to attend college games to see and understand how different it is from HS. It's not an extension of the game, but a whole new one.

Goes in my TPM hall of fame....

44

quote:

Originally posted by Tiger Paw Mom:
It is so very important for players and parents to attend college games to see and understand how different it is from HS. It's not an extension of the game, but a whole new one.

TigerMom, I was just talking about this to another parent and saying how I wish we had watched more College Ball when my Son was younger. Besides seeing how different and faster the game is...it's also FUN!!!!!

Great discussion here--lets hope it continues

I went to a high school game last spring (my son is a college player) just to see the "old gang" and was amazed at how it truly is a different game. Same with the Legion games.

Even just one year out and it's a completely different world.

TR

While I agree with what you are saying, I would like to say I do not agree with the part that includes rose colored glasses.

Rose colored glasses indicate the parent thinks the player is better than he is - when compared to other players.

Sometimes, as piaa_ump indicated there are a lot of reasons why a player is good at one level but not at the next. Maturity, waning of desire etc. etc. etc.

That does not take away from how good the player was.

A good 12 year old player that does not make the hs team does not mean the player was not that good at 12 - simply that he did not make the necessary leap to the next level.

Conversely, the good hs player who was not that good at 12 does not mean the coach was an idiot - it means the player changed, he made the necessary leap to the next level.

There is definitely a huge leap necessary to go from hs to college ball (and of course another yet to go pro - and another yet to make it to the bigs).

That in no way discredits previous accomplishments.

This is an interesting thread.

Go look at just about any college roster and read the bio's on the players sometime. These kids were all stars in high school for the most part. When they get to college, it all changes where you become one of many.

A couple of thoughts. In many cases, college ball is not for player development but for winning baseball games. It is a ruthless, Darwinian process (as itsinthegame likes to say) where the most fit play.

It seems to me, that if you need to develop while in college, you better have an intense engine inside that absolutely burns with self-motivation to improve - and on your own if necessary. If not, you can easily fall by the wayside at the next level.

APARENT


From where I see things all too many parents have limited comprehension as to what really happens and yes they have rose colored glassses.

Why do you think kids transfer after the first semester in college?

Development in college differs from one school to the next. We could give a long list of players who developed greatly in college.

To me, researching which colleges have done the best job of developing their players, would be important information in many cases. Especially if the goal is to play at the next level.

Transfers are very common in college baseball. There can be be many good reasons for transfering. Some have turned out to be very wise decisions others don't turn out so well.

There is another side to this story too. There are players that are good but not considered to be a premier player that excels at the collegiate level. Same goes for the pro player too. Maybe even more so at the pro level. While my son was going through the recruiting stages I would follow most of the top players and see how they were doing. Most did well but many top players struggled too. Then suddenly on the radar there would be an unknown that stepped forward and became a stand out player. Late bloomer? Maybe, but I tend to think it was more of the good player that started putting it all together.

TR

Yes, there are certainly way too many parents and players who don't really have a clue what college baseball is really like.

I am amazed how many parents think they can determine a good fit by what they read on a web page.

I would highly suggest any parent that thinks their son may one day play college baseball get out and watch a few college baseball games - at every level. What better way to see what the talent level really is.

And though I agree that many are befuddled by those standard issue rose colored glasses - I also think there are other ways for a kid to get in over his head.

Some of those players who transfer after their freshman year were doing exactly what many on this board (including yourself) encourage them to do.

How many times have you seen it on this board - if a player feels he has the talent he needs to have the confidence in his abilities to play at the highest level he can.

Well, some of those kids are doing just that. They know fully well that they are taking a risk. Many know it is a long shot at best - but they are willing to take that risk - because they know the rewards are worth it.

Not every kid who doesn't make it at the next level went in with bliders on. Many go in with nothing more than courage.

Some of you Old Timers can answer this.

Raw talent, while in some cases can carry a player a long way, most of the time it is not enough. Isn't it the mental approach to the game that propels a player through the higher levels? Isn't it the more a player is willing to accept that his skills are not good enough and realizes that he has to work harder to improve and understand the game, the farther he'll go.?

Missouri-BB-Dad

Exactly ! Great post indeed !

That is an astute observation on your part sir and about the only thing I've read in the past 1 1/2 hours that has redirected my attention.

Thinking about BB.....Feels like a wake....

Shep

When my son was 12, I thought he was a pretty good ball player.

When he was 13, I looked back and realized he had become a better ball player. Will he get better?

When he was 15, I looked back and realized he had become a better ballplayer. Will he get better?

When he was 18, I looked back and realized he had become a better ballplayer. Will he get better?

When he finished summer collegiate league, I looked back and realized he had become a better ballplayer.

Now I am observing a better ballplayer. Will he get better?

I'll let you know next year.

quote:

Originally posted by Missouri-BB-Dad:
Raw talent, while in some cases can carry a player a long way, most of the time it is not enough. Isn't it the mental approach to the game that propels a player through the higher levels?

The guy who works with my son on pitching is a pro scout and he said basically the same thing to my son a couple weeks back. Something along the lines of "In the pros, EVERYBODY can hit, EVERYBODY can throw, EVERYBODY can field. IT's the ones who have something above their shoulders who make it to the show." Or something along those lines.