Summer Football Conflict

NovatoHornets - my son played three sports and all three coaches pushed "mandatory" off season workouts. He was forced to put the sports in order and set priorities. For him baseball was first - so he would continue to work on baseball during the other seasons and he treated the baseball season as going from March to August.

He focused his efforts on 2 things - competing for his school and with his friends in multiple sports while improving as a baseball player to try to get the opportunity to go and play baseball in college. He couldn't play in a fall league and missed some showcases and junior day opportunities in August, but we really studied the schedule and found opportunities that worked for him earlier in the summer. He played on a summer team and never missed a game - he did skip football camps and basketball tournaments if they had a baseball game.

It's not easy and summer was definitely not laid back. His only overuse injury was in the "offseason"! Knee tendonitis from a combination of basketball, baseball showcase and speed training.

He's a pitcher so weightlifting was also an issue. He lifted his baseball program year round. He would do the football leg exercises, but not the bench press or other upper body max routines.

The coaches (other than baseball) were never happy and there were some consequences. He's a good all around athlete so he did play in all three. We stressed that if he did sit the bench (espec in football, which is a religion at his hs) that he had to be ready to accept it and realize that the choice was his.

Hope this helps. I hate to see the posts that say an athlete must specialize. In our part of the world (central Wisconsin) most of the best athletes still play more than one sport. It sounds like this is a dying phenomena in warm climates and big cities. My son has had a ball, made tons of friends through each team and we've never had to pay a speed trainer or personal trainer! He is always in great shape.

Based upon the little I know of your football program I think the question is do you really want to play football? I've been told the summer FB program fills up a lot of dates on the calendar. The best you may be able to do is play a few baseball games during the summer which won't help with college coaches. There have been alot of kids at your school who "felt" they "had" to choose between baseball and football.


You should try talking to the head varsity FB coach and your new baseball coach, they might surprise you and work out an arrangment beneficial to everyone. However you must be committed to not missing a day or "taking a day off."

I'd like to think the football and baseball team could benefit from your play while allowing you to chase your dream, which may change to football .....if given the chance!!

Good luck.

Thank you for all the advice so far. Baseball is my number one sport, it always has been and unless a seriously unexpected twist of fate comes along, it always will be. By the way, CollegeParent, do you live in Marin?

I live in California

For those who have went through the process with their sons--

Isn't it difficult for a player to train for football all week, play Friday night, then head to a college baseball showcase and perform well?

It seems like the player would be banged up, tired and not in top baseball form. Doesn't this make going to any fall baseball events less worthwhile?

Baseball was first for our son, but he is a very good football player also. He lettered his freshman year in football and baseball. He just lettered again for the past football season. He loves both sports ,and we are very fortunate that our head football coach pushes athletes to play other sports and has allowed our son to travel during the summer to the tournements. Our summer is already full with baseball but the coach already knows this. He does work out 2 times a week for football on the off days from baseball. I'm sure every one will be in a different position with their own coach but we spoke with ours quite abit about playing baseball during the summer and he is all for this. Western Pa is a football meca and we are usually in the hunt during state playoffs so this isn't a small school with a small football program. You need to sit down and talk to your coach to let him know up front about your plans. Hope this helps..

We're from Iowa where they play hs baseball during the summer - which SEVERELY limits exposure through summer teams, camps, clinics etc. You work around it !!! Plain and simple!!! How bad do you want it?

My sons favorite season looking back was the fall of his Jr. year when he played football and played on a baseball travel team. That meant football games on Friday night - drive 4-6 hours Sat. morning play two baseball games - two more games on Sun, and then drive home.

Obviously study time was in the car. But looking back now (6 years later) he still considers that his favorite season. It's heck on the social calendar though.

The question is how bad do you really want to do both????

AParent ---

Did you find that he was banged up from playing football on Friday evening? Did this hinder his performance at his baseball games on Sat./Sunday?

Did he have time during the week to swing his bat or practice fielding/pitching? Was he in top notch baseball condition given his dual commitments?

It does sound like it was a memorable season for your son and you.

Your question "How bad do you really want to do both?" is what it boils down to. Thanks for sharing your experience.

I have some pretty recent experience with this...

If you're a serious college baseball prospect, play summer ball. That's the bottom line.

I am a senior D-I prospect in both baseball and football, but a much better baseball player. Yet, this past summer, heading into my senior year, my football coach encouraged me to attend college camps, ect. to help my football exposure. Well, this ended up killing me baseball-wise. I thought because I had a monster junior season for baseball, I didn't have to play over the summer, and I could work toward getting offers for both sports. Because of this, I lost a TON of potential exposure. Not only that, I also ended up missing half of this baseball season because of a foot injury I suffered in the Palm Beach County football All-Star game, which cost me even MORE much needed exposure. Now I'm sitting here, a potential major D-I and pro prospect, with 1/10th the interest most believe I should have had. So, my advice would be to stick with baseball if you truly have the ability to play at the next level. If you think you have as much, if nor more of a chance to play football at the next level, then you have a personal decision you have to make.

My son was just told by a college baseball coach (where he wants to attend) that he should be playing football in the fall. State athletic rules usually forbid coaches from requiring mandatory summer practices so I'd check into that. They can limit your playing time though if they think you're not as ready as other players when the season starts.

Bottom line for HS:
It depends on your size and talent and the size, talent, and number of others at your school.
Our HS is around 2000 kids. Most baseball players just play baseball. Some have played other sports, usually football, but basketball and wrestling also. I have seen one who was all baseball and he is playing at Maryland - started as a freshman there. Another one played football, basketball, and baseball. He plays baseball for a DIII school. Could he have done better just concentrating on baseball? Well, we'll never know now will we.
My youngest son plays baseball and wrestled his freshman year. Even though he threw a few times a week a month before baseball started, his arm hurt for quite a while after baseball started. I was glad that he dropped wrestling the next year. This also allowed him to do a winter hitting clinic that helped him do even better.
You just have to sit down and think it through and work it the best you can. What can you do, what do you really want to do, what makes sense to you and your situation.
Hope that helps.

Tim Robertson