Son has been relegated to the occasional inning or at bat in his junior year, with the rare odd mid-week start mixed in. Stats are virtually identical to the starter in percentages, but he has just never really connected with this coaching staff and is criticized for intangibles. Now it comes to light he has a torn meniscus, and the trainer is repeatedly delaying getting him with a doctor to review issues and options, while suggesting that the surgery is unnecessary since he is still quite flexible. I want him to get the knee repaired now, ASAP,(a relatively minor procedure these days)so he'll be 100% in time for another Cape Cod season, where he plays for a coach who truly believes in him. He fears that any demand for surgery now will end his already tenuous college baseball career, as he's made it clear that with the new transfer rules, he will not consider transferring. With only one remainging year of eligibility and having to sit a year, there just isn't that much market for someone in his position and condition. He wants to play pro ball, and has gotten great encouragement from scouts who've seen him at the Cape in summers past so that's not out of the question. He just needs to play and be seen.
What should he do? Repair the knee now, or wait, as recommended by the trainer? What is the risk of his parimeniscal cyst (which has gotten quite large) rupturing and creating more serious problems? What is the school's obligation to fix the knee? More to the point, how would a program that respects and takes care of its players handle this situation? I no longer have confidence that this program has my son's best interest at heart.
I understand that he's there on a scholarship to help the team win and has a role to play in that process. However, he also has a responsibility to look out for his own long-term health. We are all compelled to evaluate our own situation and direction and make adjustments as necessary from time to time. So, does he continue to be a "team player", doing whatever the program asks of him, or place his own goals and health in the forefront?
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