Teacher here-helping a potential baseball player

Welcome and thanks for helping your student. Are you the h.s. coach? If not, would the coach be willing to support the player/vouch for him? Might help...

Two questions the player / you have to answer honestly first before you can move on...

1) How good are his grades - does he qualify academically?

2) Does he have the talent to play at the next level?

There are a lot of kids throughout the nation who want to play college ball but one (or both) of these end the dream.

First thing he needs to do is get an honest evaluation of his talent by someone who is reputable and isn't out to just make money off of him.

The other first thing he needs to do is make sure he can clear the clearinghouse and / or get into the community college.

Second just be honest with the college coach when you talk to him that you have no idea what you're doing when it comes to recruiting. They have seen this before and it's not a negative that will hurt him. Not being able to play or not having the grades will. The coach will give you an idea of what he's looking for and possibly recommend a camp or showcase he will be at this winter or over the summer or when / if he has some sort of open tryout. It never hurts to ask the coach anything.

Third thing is to make sure you take care of the grades and playing ability. If he has those his chances of going somewhere go up.

I hate to say this but his being profoundly deaf is going to probably hurt him....unless he throws 90 or can hit it a country mile. It would be nice to live in a world where people won't write him off because he's deaf but they will sadly but if he has the talent / grades don't give up.

I would also look into schools like Gaulludet (not sure if I spelled that correctly). Maybe Texas or the surrounding area have schools that specialize in deaf students that have athletic teams.

Good luck

Thank you for your honesty. His grades are good but since I am just a teacher and not a coach, I have no way to really say how good/bad he is. He was recruited for the varsity team as soon as he moved here from his small town (2A school to a 5A school). He has had a few write ups about him in the paper so I suggested he bring those. He was the star at his small school but now that he is among great players, he blends in rather than stands out. We will see how tomorrow goes and I will tell him to be straightforward with the coach. His deafness should not be a barrier as he communicates well with his coaches and peers. Thanks again!

quote:

His deafness should not be a barrier as he communicates well with his coaches and peers.

But it is an issue on the baseball field. As example, consider what happened last year at a mid-major D1. A pitcher who had a low 90s fastball with good movement and accuracy (in other words, a pitcher who would be desirable at nearly all collegiate programs) tried out in the fall. Eventually, as I understand it, both the coaches and he agreed that it wouldn't work. Being deaf didn't affect his pitching, but it significantly worsened his and the team's defense.

Curtis Pride. Look him up.

Pdecker, good for your for helping. It is entirely likely that the community college coach may help with steering you in the right direction.

It is not too late for him to find a spot for next year, to answer a direct question directly.

Yes, Gallaudet University has baseball!

http://www.gallaudetathletics.com/sports/bsb/index