Son headed to college for first year? What's he doing this summer?

quote:

Originally posted by Krakatoa:
[Side Note: I saw uesterday that he's only on page 33 of the book all incoming FYs are supposed to read this summer......ugh.....

I can relate to that one. Believe it or not, he'll get it done, on his time.
Remember, you will NOT be there, you got to let it go.

Hopefully Observer 44 will chime in here. My son had the good fortune to run into one of his sons on the practice field @ our local D2 college. It was great re-inforcement for my son to hear (from a current D1 college player) what an extensive work-out is required to get ready for next year. His son works out about 3 hours/day and had great advice on how to handle the academic workload too.

My son's routine is lifting/working out about 5 days/wk, playing in a Palomino (17-19 yr olds) league (about 2 games/week), running and throwing daily. He also has the good fortune to be able to work with the D2 coach nearby with an assortment of high school and college players. But, I still think the demands of juggling academics and playing a sport will require an amazing amount of discipline and time management next year.

He's also spending lots of time with friends that have been teammates for years. They are going to miss each other.

Our son was set to play on a travel team all summer but broke his "glove" hand index finger on the hand side of the knuckle on the last day of high school. He ended up going on to college this summer taking one class in June and starts his second class tomorrow.

I think this has been great for him. He will have two classes under his belt before kicking it into high gear this fall, he is working with the trainer, and getting to know the coaches more when they are around.

Looks like there are silver linings in the dark clouds after all!!

Think about it Krak, I believe that thing's happen for a reason.
Enjoy your time with your son at Home.
He'll be far enough away soon enough.
No Pressure just work on mechanic's and conditioning.
EH

Mine's working full time this summer so opted out of playing Sr Legion ball. He's moving on with colege life and focus on his major. Baseball's always been more of a hobby to him as than a way of life to make a career out of it.

Mine has been working hard at getting back what he lost by fracturing a bone in his leg and missing his senior season. Trips to strength and conditioning coaches 3 times a week, hitting and fielding instruction once a week and playing travel ball every other day. He just got in from Atlanta last night and is heading off tomorrow for an extended work out regime.

He needs to solidify his spot on his new college team asap this fall. To do that he is working his butt off.

It is tough on him, he is essentially missing his senior summer, chasing a larger dream.

Don't forget some Life Skills teaching if they aren't already part of him --- money handling, checkbook balancing, how to do laundry, cooking if that's part of his accomodation.

Books on time management are good; so are conversations on how his parents balance time responsibilities to nudge him in that direction. Enjoy your last solid bit of time with him; it's a special summer!

Mine's going through "Beast Barracks"...7 weeks of basic training...he should stay in decent shape...now baseball shape, not sure...

For all FAll 2008 Freshman


Make sure you are in baseball shape or you will be in for rude awakening====

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D/Bo...

Didn't I read where your son has accepted an appointment to West Point? If so, your son's biggest challenge will be to replace the 15-20 lbs he will lose during Beast. They strip virtually all baby fat off these kids and they miraculously appear with Man Bodies (some look very Auschwitz-like, unfortunately). They then need to start eating mega-caloric diets of good food and hit the weight room in any free time they can steal (which is not very much), but IC's (intercollegiate athletes at the Academies... everything's an acronym in the military) generally get "consideration" when their Coach or Weight Trainer step in. As soon as he's out of "Plebe restriction" get out the Harry&David catalog, and start sending him fruit regularly.

Those that tell you it's a roller coaster ride...? Don't believe 'em... it's a bunji jump!

cadDAD

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School sent a summer conditioning plan, which actually isn't as hard as what i did before. Just more baseball related.

quote:

Originally posted by AcademyDad:
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D/Bo...

Didn't I read where your son has accepted an appointment to West Point? If so, your son's biggest challenge will be to replace the 15-20 lbs he will lose during Beast. They strip virtually all baby fat off these kids and they miraculously appear with Man Bodies (some look very Auschwitz-like, unfortunately). They then need to start eating mega-caloric diets of good food and hit the weight room in any free time they can steal (which is not very much), but IC's (intercollegiate athletes at the Academies... everything's an acronym in the military) generally get "consideration" when their Coach or Weight Trainer step in. As soon as he's out of "Plebe restriction" get out the Harry&David catalog, and start sending him fruit regularly.

Those that tell you it's a roller coaster ride...? Don't believe 'em... it's a bunji jump!

cadDAD

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Gosh, I hope he doesn't lose 15-20...he only had about 160 going in...

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"Don't shoot the messanger 'cuz he tells you Carthage is on fire..."

He'll lose at least 10. cadKID#1 was 185 going in and lost 20. We didn't even recognize him when we saw him for Parents Weekend. But your son will be rock hard in no time.

On another note... just saw that the SERE Forces, the regular AF Team that teaches CST (Cadet Survivial Training) during the summers at Camp USAFA, just saved 3 kids lost in the Arapahoe Nat'l Forest that got seperated and lost from their parents. Can you imagine the look on these freightened kids' faces when they saw black-faced, night vision, evasion forces looking for them in the woods? Supposedly the SERE guys found the kids before the local Sheriff's Police even got ready to put on the search...

cadDAD

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boy is playing games every day but one per week on a travel team, fitting in 2 days a week in the gym to maintain, once the summer season is complete in early August he'll have six days back home to pack and say hi and then goodbye to all of his friends as he needs to report to school for a mandatory meeting on the 15th of August. Once there I'm sure he'll be in for a treat !

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Why thank you CaBB....too kind...the boys do love to be of help....particularly for yours, as he is cut of the same cloth!

GOOD stuff so far in this thread...Without going into any great detail...two points...

First...

quote:

Posted by TRhit: Make sure you are in baseball shape or you will be in for rude awakening====

So true.

Second...

IMO the transition to college ball is bigger than you can understand...be mentally prepared. A college coach told one of mine who asked for post high school summer suggestions, "Come prepared to compete at the highest level, physically, baseball wise, academically, mentally...you will be challenged from day 1". In retrospect, great advice.

44

PS...AcademyDad, good story about the rescue...got a good visual on the meeting!

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The official article on the rescue by the AF SERE Team, from the Colorado Springs Gazette:


AIRMEN, CADETS PUT TRAINING INTO ACTION



Survival course helps them locate 3 missing children


BY TOM ROEDER THE GAZETTE



Airmen and cadets were in the mountains west of the Air Force Academy last week as part of a three-week course on wilderness survival and evading enemies after being shot down, when they were approached by a frantic mother.
Her three kids, ages 12, 7 and 5, had been missing for hours after setting out on a 20-minute hike.
Speed was vital because the children were dressed for a hot summer day, and temperatures were falling into the 50s as thunderstorms rolled in over the mountains.
Joining other searchers, they set out about 10 p.m. Wednesday, using the last known location of the children, from an area called Missouri Gulch.
In steep ravines and rugged rocks, the searchers formed a skirmish line, walking 100 yards apart while calling the children's names. They were wary of bears and mountain lions that were known to frequent that stretch of the mountains, the academy said.
Using night-vision goggles and satellite navigation gear, the searchers quickly determined that the children had wandered from the road and into the wilderness. One of the instructors, Senior Airman Ryan Reinhold, is an expert at wilderness tracking and quickly picked up the children's trail.
It was a difficult job in the dark.
"If we didn't have the lights we had, we would have had trouble seeing our hands in front of our faces," said Tech. Sgt. Jarod Savage.
Just after midnight, a searcher heard a yell in response to his cries.
The rescuers yelled for the children to blow a whistle they had taken on their trek.
Using that sound as their guide, the airmen made their way toward the children, locating them within minutes on a rocky outcropping nearly two miles from their campsite.
"The children were weak, shaken up a little but not in any immediate danger medically," the academy said in a report. "Food, water and warm clothes were given to the children."
Reinhold said the younger two were in good spirits, but the eldest, a Boy Scout, had been crying.
The three did the right thing and stayed put when lost in the dark, searchers said.
"It's all about spending the least amount of time on the ground and getting home as quickly as possible," said Master Sgt. Chad Watts, who oversees the program and helped in the search.
The class was brought back at the academy this summer after a five-year hiatus.
For cadets in the course, the unexpected search and rescue was an opportunity to use what they learned and they quickly volunteered to help.
"We could actually put our training into use," said cadet Ryan Pitts of Sierra Vista, Ariz.
Getting the tired children back to their parents wasn't easy. The youngest, a boy and a girl, were carried out of the woods by airmen, and the 12-year-old, who wanted to walk out, was shepherded back by a technical sergeant.
El Paso County Search and Rescue officials checked out the lost kids and found no medical problems before the three had an emotional reunion with their worried parents, the academy said.
The searchers relished the moment.
"It was pure elation," Savage said. "It was the adrenaline high of the year."


cadDAD

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