What was the best part/experience for your son when he played in a summer league and what was the worst part/experience?
Original Post
Replies sorted oldest to newest
Lots of games, good competition. Bad side: Almost no days off, travel on buses until 2-3 in the morning, bad food at games and the town shut down about 9:30 so nothing open for food after games. Pitchers had to attend all games even through starters only pitched every 7 days.
Huge discussion of this last year:
https://community.hsbaseballwe...-they-are-a-changing
Best: games every day, learned a lot about baseball, saw new parts of the country, met players from all over
Worst: he didn't say much that was negative, has been lucky I guess
First year son(RHP) played in the Hampton's League, and then NECBL for 2 weeks. He enjoyed the NECBL, taking a ferry to Martha's Vinyard. Was not thrilled with the Hampton's League but I think a lot of that had to do with it being during Covid and sharing a basement with 5 other players.
This year my 2022 son is playing in the Hamptons league, and is assigned to the team with the D1 female player. Anticipating a circus!
Kid is playing the same local league he did last year. 4 games a week and the comp will be good enough for him to get more reps to improve his fielding and work on improving his outside hitting. More importantly he will be able to work 4 days a week as his savings has been depleted. His very kind and too generous parents have subsidized his summer gym fees.
My son said the best part and worst part were essentially tied to the same thing. Playing six days a week was fun. Playing six days a week and the travel left little time for anything else.
Playing two summers near his grandfather allowed them to spend the most time together ever. Grandpa got to see him play more ball than ever before.
The schedule, road trips by bus, road trip food and cheap hotels convinced him if not drafted in the top twenty rounds (position player) he wasn’t interested in signing (there were forty rounds when he turned twenty-one).
The amount of games is designed that way to keep them busy. No drinking or going to parties.
The travel part is designed to let players know what milb is like. If your sons don't like games almost every night, no place to stop and eat they won't last long in proball, although it's gotten better.
TPM
seven days a week and Bob Gibson is your opponent. Why time off from your favorite game. Every inning, every pitch every day you learn a lesson. Paint a railroad bridge over the Missouri River teaches history and $$$.
Bob
@Consultant posted:TPM
seven days a week and Bob Gibson is your opponent. Why time off from your favorite game. Every inning, every pitch every day you learn a lesson. Paint a railroad bridge over the Missouri River teaches history and $$$.
Bob
Agree Bob.
Summer ball is for working on your stuff and getting in the reps or innings that you didn't get at your program. Embrace the opportunity.
Good: Reps, try tweaking some things with no real repercussions, different coaching perspectives. Draft implications in some leagues.
Bad: Very few of the kids actually want to be there. Unless you're in the Cape or a premier league, many are just doing it because their coaches told them to. They would rather be at the lake, the beach, or mostly just sleeping in and playing video games/catching up with home friends. Sometimes you will also be dealing with an inferior coach/staff that are also trying to make a name for themselves.
Fortunately, there are serious baseball players, who will replace the "make believe" players. That attitude will carry to their future career's.
Bob
The good: playing everyday; playing with some very good players from many different schools; free dairy queen whenever they wanted. They would run out between reps/practice to get smoothies. Lunch and dinner, too, when needed. Son said they never got tired of it, especially the ice cream. Son loved his summer experience.
The bad: for me, the turnover. Players were coming and going all season for different reasons (summer school, homesick, etc). I was used to the college constant roster. This also gets them ready for a pro team turnover.
The Bad: for son, the host family. Host family (no cost to player) mom had some cognitive issues starting and the dad maybe thought having players in the house would be additional eyes on her. It was their first time being a host family. However, the players were not around a lot, and sometimes when they would come home late from a game no one would be there. Another family kinda adopted them and let them know they could count on them for any reason, which was very helpful. There were other issues, too.
@TPM, no drinking??? If they are drinkers/partiers, they will find a way, I can assure you.
Dave only played one summer of summer ball and it was for the Falmouth Commodores. It was a requirement to work part time as well as strict curfew on nights off. I mean if you got caught drinking you went home the next day.
Pitcher's job was field cleanup as well as camp counselors during camp weeks. They got paid weekly and that money went to the host family. He lived with 2 of his Clemson teammates in a finished basement. We came up to visit one weekend and the family treated us like royalty and they treated the boys as if they were their own. Dave still corresponds with them to this day but their hosting days are over.
Boys got to go to Fenway as All Stars and met all of the players.
It was an experience on sons bucket list and one that he will never forget.
If your sons get to play on the Cape, don't pass it up.
We are hosting for the second time. The first time was 3 UT son's teammates. Built a strong connection with the guys. I feel sorry for them because it is a 45 minute drive to field each way. This year we have 1 UT player and 2 MTSU players. We have a finished basement. We have 1 player who was supposed to stay with us but decided to stay at his house. 1 1/2 hour drive each way. I can't imagine doing that by himself when you get home from some away games at 2 AM and have to be back for another away game at 11 AM the next morning. We have offered for him to come stay with our guys on those nights. We always try to provide their favorite foods and hook them up with their favorite things to do when they have time, which is rare. The last group loved to fish so we hooked them up with some good ponds in our area. Some, I have not even been invited to go to. Our problem is we are not here the first week because of SEC Championship but we just let them in the house and tell them where everything is.
Let me add onto last post. If you can, host a summer college guy or a minor league guy if they need them in your area. We have done both and it is a blessing to them and your family. We did the minor league guy when our guys were in HS and it was neat for them also. Most college leagues desperately need host families. If you have been blessed by your son being with a host family, repay the favor.
Anyone have any experience with the Southern Collegiate Baseball League?
Thanks!
@TPM posted:The amount of games is designed that way to keep them busy. No drinking or going to parties.
The travel part is designed to let players know what milb is like. If your sons don't like games almost every night, no place to stop and eat they won't last long in proball, although it's gotten better.
Dramatically better. They were served sandwiches with mold on the bread, stayed in a hotel where the water was brown. There is ticking it out but recognizing that parts of it suck. Ours was worse because the host family was not a good fit for the program. I had no idea (son never mentioned it) until I went to the last game and the director came up and apologized profusely for his experience. Then called me again when we got home and said they would never be allowed to host again. Some kids have great experiences. I would call his valuable but not good. The game part was good and he did well, I just wish I had known about the other parts because I could have assisted with food delivery or something.
Middle son went from dump to luxury pool house one season. The host family had him sleeping in room with 10 year old and wanted him to babysit. Which neither was appropriate. Grandpa also slept in living room in underwear all day. They moved him to a family who lived in Atlanta and had a house there. He lived in luxury pool house the rest of the summer and got to drive their Jeep.
@baseballhs posted:Dramatically better. They were served sandwiches with mold on the bread, stayed in a hotel where the water was brown. There is ticking it out but recognizing that parts of it suck. Ours was worse because the host family was not a good fit for the program. I had no idea (son never mentioned it) until I went to the last game and the director came up and apologized profusely for his experience. Then called me again when we got home and said they would never be allowed to host again. Some kids have great experiences. I would call his valuable but not good. The game part was good and he did well, I just wish I had known about the other parts because I could have assisted with food delivery or something.
I just saw your post. I meant milb is better now than it used to be.
No one should have to go away to play summer ball and have a bad family experience. I am sorry that happened to your son.
Best part, when it was over. Worst part, sitting on the bench because college coaches had made a deal with the head coach that their player would get the majority of the playing time.
Oldest son played in Canada after freshman year, w/ the Hays Larks after sophomore year, and in Wyoming after junior year. Best baseball was in Kansas. Most fun was in Canada and Wyoming (hunting / fishing / hiking). Best family was in Canada, but he didn't have a bad one in Kansas either. In Wyoming they were all in a local hotel so no host family.
Youngest is starting this summer. Staying in his college town to play for his assistant coach to make sure he gets at bats, but also gets refreshed and rest (although he wants to play everyday).
Has a great host family already lined up. She cooked dinner (steak, italian, fajitas) for him several times during the college season. She is letting him store his dorm stuff in her storage facility (so he does not have to move to and from) and has played golf with him and her mid 20's son.
During his 3 weeks home I've seen him in many different college baseball shirts..........and I'm like "where did you get that", and he said XXXX has a closet full of them that she lets her players wear during the summer in case they don't bring enough stuff. Sounds like a good start to the summer. He leaves next Tuesday for 55 games in 2 months, but he's taking off 2 weeks in the middle of the season to go to the beach w/ college teammates and girlfriends (what I don't know won't hurt me, right?), and then we'll vacation for 2 weeks after the season.
@russinfortworth posted:Oldest son played in Canada after freshman year, w/ the Hays Larks after sophomore year, and in Wyoming after junior year. Best baseball was in Kansas. Most fun was in Canada and Wyoming (hunting / fishing / hiking). Best family was in Canada, but he didn't have a bad one in Kansas either. In Wyoming they were all in a local hotel so no host family.
Youngest is starting this summer. Staying in his college town to play for his assistant coach to make sure he gets at bats, but also gets refreshed and rest (although he wants to play everyday).
Has a great host family already lined up. She cooked dinner (steak, italian, fajitas) for him several times during the college season. She is letting him store his dorm stuff in her storage facility (so he does not have to move to and from) and has played golf with him and her mid 20's son.
During his 3 weeks home I've seen him in many different college baseball shirts..........and I'm like "where did you get that", and he said XXXX has a closet full of them that she lets her players wear during the summer in case they don't bring enough stuff. Sounds like a good start to the summer. He leaves next Tuesday for 55 games in 2 months, but he's taking off 2 weeks in the middle of the season to go to the beach w/ college teammates and girlfriends (what I don't know won't hurt me, right?), and then we'll vacation for 2 weeks after the season.
Is he going to have to leave one of his jerseys at the end of the summer?
Season is 25% in the books and some early observations:
A lot of kids struggle with the wood bats. Some guys who mash with metal are really not doing much with wood.
It's not for everyone. We've already seen a few kids quit the team.
Some of the fields are really nice and some of them are a joke.
I've seen D1 kids struggle and some D3 and Juco kids shine. But other D1 kids stand out too. Biggest difference seems to be the size of the players. But, the skill difference isn't as big.
It's a lot of games and a lot of driving.
The kids/interns working the game broadcasts and streams really work hard and love the game as much as the players.
With wood bats a hitter can’t muscle a fisted pitch over the infield. He’s more likely to end up with a bat handle in his hand.
A lot of times the difference between a D1 and other level isn’t the swing. It’s a combination of metrics. I can think of two local kids who had sweeter swings than my son. In fact, I would have put their swings up against anyone. I saw both repeatedly each year in travel ball and one in high school. One went on to be All Centennial and a D3 All American. The other was All PSAC.
What these players didn’t have was foot speed, strong arms and size. They were both 5’9”. But they were strong and could drive the ball. But if you can only play first in D1 your options will be limited.
The fields are usually somewhat in correlation with the quality of the league.
Back when I played college summer ball I had a teammate who played for a CWS team. He hit .300+ with some power over the college season. He hit about .140 in summer ball. He didn’t want to be there. His coach set him up with the team. He just wanted to go home and relax after the CWS.
Francis and RJM:
To play successfully in a College Summer League a players needs to prepare his mental attitude as to his goals. The selection of the wood bat is important.
"Thin handle" or thick handle; 33" or 34" or 35". Choke the bat, if you are "weak" on inside pitches. Off the plate and focus on opposite the field.
Adjust, adjust, adjust and prepare.
Bob
My kid is in a summer league with a mixture of D1, D2, D3, and JUCO guys.
The D1 guys clearly stand out. They are more athletic and more fluid in their motions, and the ball just comes off their bat “differently”. Really fun for my D3 kid to play with those guys and battle against the D1 & D2 guys on the other teams. Great experience!
My kid is in a summer league with a mixture of D1, D2, D3, and JUCO guys mostly D1 and D2 and my experience is different I believe there is little to no difference between the multiple levels of players.
Dann1122, I have a similar view point.
Remember the game of "BASEBALL" knows NO difference between Divisions. Focus on "improvement" of your son's skills. Is he playing in the Virginia Valley League? West Coast League? Northwoods League? Cape Cod? NE College?
What are his goals? His team's goals? His role on the TEAM? The summer = 4 term papers. Take notes.
Bob
@Dan1122 posted:My kid is in a summer league with a mixture of D1, D2, D3, and JUCO guys mostly D1 and D2 and my experience is different I believe there is little to no difference between the multiple levels of players.
With some exceptions for the most part there’s a huge difference between players in the top ten D1 baseball conferences and the other twenty D1 conferences.
My son's local league is mixed with a good amount of rising freshmen. The baseball is still not pretty after a couple of weekends. These are DH games and it is common only to see the pitchers just show up for their appearance and catchers leave after a game since they only play one game. I recall it was like this last year and there is a good amount of reps for everyone. My kid likes it as the travel is easy and he can work full time and get enough reps without becoming too rusty for fall ball. There is an attitude shift with the players when the play off starts which is good.
My son is currently on a temp contract in the Cape and is enjoying his time. He comes from a D3 school but so far is doing well. He had to fly directly from the World Series to the Cape so he's a bit tired but is having fun. He especially had an amazing time at Scout Day at Fenway Park.
Great opportunity to shine in front of scouts! If you play in the Cape or other top leagues the exposure is key.
As a pitcher there is a lot of down time between game opportunities.
@RJM posted:With some exceptions for the most part there’s a huge difference between players in the top ten D1 baseball conferences and the other twenty D1 conferences.
Those D1 guys D1 guys are included in my opinion.
I value everyone’s perspective.
For me, you don’t see too many 6.5 60 guys in D3. There’s two of them just on my kid’s summer team. And they are mid major D1 guys too. These players would hit .400 and steal 75+ bags a season in D3, certainly in most D3 conferences
My youngest plays in the HCL. Mix of JUCO - D1. A lot of kids from the Ivy's as well as HA D3s. Where I've noticed a difference is in speed and athleticism at the MIF and OF positions. That said the D1 players here are either very young (incoming freshmen or sophs) and/or at the smaller D1s.
The reality is in you're probably not going to see or at least shouldn't see a huge difference in skill difference at these smaller collegiate leagues. Every once in a while you'll see a kid who got his contract pulled in the Cape that comes on is sitting 93 which is fun, but also rare.
I'm sure geography has a lot to do with it as well. If a kid lighting it up in our league, there's a good chance he'll leave and go play in the NECBL or even the Cape.
One is currently in a competitive summer league, living with a host family and 3 other guys. Same league but ended up switching teams last minute as they needed to shuffle with regionals and inning counts played a factor.
In any event he is on a team with a mix of players. The biggest difference to me is the defense. At his mid major, anything on the infield is automatic. There are a lot more infield singles and errors. Especially when they go up against some of the more P5 heavy teams. Catchers have been a bit disappointing as well but I imagine there is going to be a bit of a learning curve seeing 20 new arms.
I would be interested to see that difference PA. Just for the sake of understanding.
@RJM posted:Are you saying you don’t see the difference between a P5 player and a D3 player?
There’s a few kids I used to coach who ended up at a D3 (and are doing very well in D3 too) who absolutely still insist that they are “D1 guys” even though they never got a D1 offer despite spending thousands on PBR and PG events. It’s a common phenomenon these days of players and parents not seeing things the way that Baseball coaches and longtime Baseball people/insiders do.
I think it saves me a big degree of angst or whatever it is, simply embracing reality, but that’s just me…my kid laced a Double against a D1 pitcher throwing 92 last week, that doesn’t make him a D1 guy or “just as talented as a D1 guy”.