Strong vs Weak

IMHO going where you are wanted and will play would be the right answer, unless you don't mind sitting.

It's PLAY Baseball not Watch Baseball.

Would depend on the academic fit and the reputation of the school. Which coach does he like, location, % of offers, respective costs, will both be offering in Nov, does one go to the college WS regularaly? Lots of variables.

Go to the 'weaker' team and make them stronger!

A very wise poster on here once said that a player should go where he is wanted. Bottom line.

At the end of the day, I'm sure your gut and heart tell you the same.

Good luck

YGD

Every player is different in their thinking---mqny are caught in the allure of wearing a big name school uniform and not concerned with playing time---others could care less about the name on the front of the uniform as long as they are playing

Different strokes for different folks

Frank - this is a good question.

For starters, this is indeed a personal decision and not one that a message board can answer for you imho.

That said, I can share my thinking on the subject. IMHO, you try and play for the strongest program possible. For starters, the idea with sports is to win. Losing gets old in a hurry imho.

More importantly, the best way for a player to develop their maximum abilities is to learn how to beat out better players than themselves. If you are the best player on a weaker team, there is not as much incentive to get better imho. If you have good players to beat out, not only do you have the incentive, you have the role models to learn from and drive your game to the next level.

Competition is the best coach possible. The top programs do not simply recuit 9 great players and a bunch of bench players. They recruit two or three outstanding players at each position and let the competition decide who plays. Competition can be a painful process and frought with worries if you do not start right away. It can also unleash talent that may never had a chance to develop itself under the alternative scenario. Obviously, the risk is much higher with the stronger program but so are the rewards.

I would also agree that there is no correct answer. Looking at both scenarios, there are pros and cons to both.

Strong Program
The competition would be much stiffer to get a starting job. The spot is earned instead of given and you must continue producing. This scenario is all about competitive drive. Who wants it the most? Many people do not want to work hard to be a starter. They would rather settle than put in that extra effort. Another thing about competition is that it brings out more in an athlete than no competition. It's like working out with a partner, there is always someone there to push you to a higher level of performance. Competition shows who will shine through the tough moments and who will falter when things get rough.

Weak Program
A starting spot is all but guaranteed at this school. You will be one of the top players upon entering and will get all the chances to succeed. To lose your starting job, you must do extremely bad. Playing everyday gives you the opportunity to get better on a daily basis as well as compete against other teams. Although playing all the time, your team is consistently losing. With this scenario, the players' abilities are not being pushed to their limits. With no one to compete with, complacency may set in. Also, a player may feel like he is pushing himself, but subconsciously isn't going as hard as he could.

Just for kicks...I just looked over the current Roster for the Baltimore Orioles. Here is the breakdown of where the players came from:

Pitchers (20 total)

High School - 6
Junior/Comm College - 5
D2 or D3 - 1
D1 - 5
Foreign - 3

Position Players (20)

High School - 4
Junior/Comm College - 2
D2 or D3 - 2
D1 - 7
Foreign - 5


Looks like it doesn't really matter where you play...probably best to play though, not sit the bench.

Another item to consider:

DI's now release more players than ever with the new roster limitations. If you arent able to make anys significant impact by the time you are a junior, you will probably get cut.

IMO, go where you are most wanted and have the best opportunity to contribute and develop as a player.

Which program will help your player develop to his full potential.

quote:

Looks like it doesn't really matter where you play...probably best to play though, not sit the bench.

I like your post!

While watching a major conference D1 game with a dad of a player on "State" I asked if the "U" had expressed interest. The "U" is a superior program. The dad replied, "Yes, the U was interested. But State loved him."

Way back in 1979 I was faced with a similiar situation. Was recruited hard by a DII schoool and afforded lots of scholarship money. Also, recruited somewhat hard but only offered to walk on at Big 10 school. I took the DII deal and was a four year starter and we were conference champs as a senior. Got a business degree, went to work, got married, had a family and am living happily ever after (for the most part). To this day I regret not walking on at the Big 10 schoolI! I was one of the best players as a freshman and, consequently, probably didn't work and apply myself as hard as I could have or should have until my senior year when a new coach came in and my playing time was in jeopardy. Would I have made it in the pros? Probably not but who knows. You never want to have to do the coulda, woulda, shoulda, scene... Hindsight is 20-20 and I wish you well in your decision and endeavors!

It is really interesting to read all your comments and see the different point of views...

I know that in the end the decision is in the hand of the player, but it is good sometimes to have people from the outside giving you their honest opinion.

Both situations have pros and cons and I understand what most of you mean when you say that the player will get better and work harder if he plays with people better than him...

On the other hand, I think that playing for a coach who really wants you on the field and puts a lot of pressure on your shoulder to carry the team is also something that will help a player get better and work harder...

IMHO i think that a player who loves the game and who is a winner will find the way to get the best out of whichever path he chooses to take...

I really appreciate all the posts!

Frank

Always go to where you are more comfotable. And to where you will be able to play and improve your game.

I would go where I'm going to get the best education to prepare me for the rest of my life. Baseball or any sport is an awesome experience for a college student. But it is a game. If anyone can use that game as a means to an education, more power to you.

Hindsight is 20/20 but I often wonder where my son would have ended up if he chose a top baseball program with mid major academics, instead of the mid-major baseball program with top academics where he went.

Bottom line is he got the baseball exposure he needed and high level education he wanted. Using the scale in my house, I think he made the right decision.

Let me add some considerations I don't see mentioned.
To me, one of the top issues on your list should be the coaches themselves.
Can they coach?
Can they and do they develop players?
Are the players coming out after 3-4 years better than they were going in, or are they recruiting talented players who are still talented but not truly better.
It is not universally true that playing better players in college makes you better. In fact, I read an interview with a college coach about this upcoming season. They play a very strong early season schedule and he is looking at starting a number of freshman. What he expressed is if those players start 0-6 or 0-9, the mental side may become a huge obstacle to getting better as the season progresses.
My personal opinion is that a strong college program does not necessarily reflect or correlate with strong coaching. Often it does. Often, if reflects very strong recruiting of very talented players. Many times, those highly talented players are not learning to play the game at a higher level.
On the opposite side, Virginia Tech might be classified as a weaker program. In my personal opinion, they are well coached and are on the way up.
Finally, there really is something to be said for the concept players get better by working harder at learning and playing the game, not by who they play it against.
There is also the need, in my view, to be very candid about the talent level of your son. Can he play at the "reach school," will those coaches make provide an environment and coaching ability to where he can get better, and will he play at the reach school or will they recruit underneath him when he is a junior.
Just yesterday I read the first game summary for a local school.
They are starting 4 freshman, 3 sophomores and 3 juniors, including the DH. Pitchers are two sophomores and a freshman.
In looking at the NLI announcements for the 3 previous years, each year was given a description of being the highly/most talented.
I was trying to count the number of players on those NLI announcements who are either no longer on the roster or clearly have been recruited out of a spot by new freshman. I lost count at about 8. This is not a school that over recruits.

I think it really comes down to the player himself.What does he want? Some players are ok with just being on a team.Some guys want to be players every day.Some like small schools, some like big.
One size does not fit all, we have talked about this a lot. Some players want to be in the mix with the best they can play with and against.
Nobody but the players and parents,but player mostly can make this decision. Going to the top programs are tough.Everyone is good.But you are competing every day.This does push you to be the best.
Starting from day one is good, but so is pushing yourself to be in the line up. Again it depends on the player.

Good responses to the OP question.

It's always nice to feel wanted, but remember that in the recruiting process, it is very important for coaches to let you know this so you will choose their program over others. You still have to perform to win a roster spot and remember the coach who recruited you may not be the same coach when you show up.
Make sure that it is just not all about baseball that helps you make that decision, it's a combination of a lot of things that will determine the right "fit".

If a young man has the opportunity to challenge himself on a grand stage, you can go for it, and if he does well, nice decison. If there is a baseball setback, he can adjust to that also.

Doesn't mean the initial decision was wrong.

quote:

Doesn't mean the initial decision was wrong.

That's a good point.Even if it is a good fit, it is never a perfect fit. And adjustments have to be made sometimes academically, and , or athletically at the good fit as well.

College baseball, no matter division or small or big is pretty tough stuff. Some programs may not be as intense as others.But it is a grind.

The payoffs are fun, and great, but wherever your son goes as TPM says there will be competition.Unless its a really weak school.