Those who went the JUCO route

My son went the JUCO route and for us it worked out well. A few things to consider.

Even though JUCO is the first step of a two -part process - DO NOT view it as that. Research the JUCO just as hard as any four year school he is interested in. Not all JUCO's are equal, both in academic and baseball areas.

Do NOT pick a JUCO simply because it is close to home or less expensive. Pick the JUCO which is a good fit for your son academically and athletically no matter where it is.

My son had no trouble transferring his classes -he took basic classes and nothing cute or fancy to make this easier. We did learn the hard way on one issue. He had been eligible for some great academic scholarships (due to grades and test scores). However, it turned out they are ONLY available to freshman (renewable each year if you keep your grades up) and NOT available to transfer students.

All in all it was a good experience. And yes he would still do it again (even the twins part). Any other questons send me a pm or post here.

Good luck

(oh goody - now the site tells everyone how I had to go back and edit my typos !!! Just can't keep any secrets can we !!!)

AParent:

Thank you very much for your reply. You have given me some valuable information. If anyone else cares to comment, I would sure appreciate it!

Thanks!

2boys -- I just saw this posting. I am surprised that there hasnt been more of a response.

Our son is finishing up his freshman year at juco in Ariz. I could not be any happier with his experience there. His school campus is comprised of around 5 academic buildings and 3 or 4 small dorms, and he lives in a coed dorm. (I know I'm old, but it surprised me that there were girls in the room next door) I think the juco experience would be different if it didnt involve on campus living. His grades in high school werent the greatest (finished with 2.9 gpa) but not the worst. I felt he could benefit from college. His classes have been challenging and he has been doing quite well. I am pleased with his committment to academics, because I wasnt too sure of that going in.

He got a pretty nice baseball scholarship and he has found that this isnt high school baseball. He is holding his own and getting a lot of playing time. They are first place in thier conference division. His team is chock full of all stars, all state etc. His roommate is getting a lot of attention from pro scouts on an almost daily basis. They have played baseball since August. They had a couple weeks off at Christmas time.

Not all kids are cut out for the pros or 4 year university. Some kids have career goals that are better suited and better served at a juco. If he decides to go on to a 4 year college, he will have an Assoc of Arts degree to transfer. Looking around, it seems not to be a problem transferring in with that degree. He wants to go to a police academy after juco, but if he can go on, more education would only help him down the road.

I agree with Aparent, all jucos are not equal. Research them as you would a 4 year school. "Fit" cant be stressed enough. If junior isnt happy.... We got a good one, but through a lot of homework.

YourBasicMom:

Thank you very much for your reply. The information will greatly help!

I play JUCO ball in North Carolina. I love it. It is a great fit for me. I would recommend JUCO ball to everyone coming out of HS who is either struggling in class, or wants to go pro after a year. We play at a very high level of baseball and it is awesome. Any questions?

There is still some ball to be played, but for our son JUCO has been a very mixed bag.

In the classroom, it has been quite successful. He'll finish up in two weeks with a one-year GPA between 3.0 and 3.3 and most of his hours should transfer almost anywhere.

On the field, he has done everything he has been asked to do. But it has been largely a wasted year. He has tried to keep his focus on getting ready for summer ball.

I'd absolutely agree with what others have said here: Homework is crucial. And having a flexible end game is important, too.

If you're son is in a position to transfer after one year, why not consider it? The JUCO coach will have a lot to say about everything he does, but what we were told early on does seem to be coming true:

Unless he is a standout player at the JUCO level, his options will be roughly the same as they were coming out of high school.

OldVaMan.....Just curious... Why would you say your son's 1st year at a JuCO was pretty much a wasted year? Are you speaking in terms of baseball....or academics? I'd say a GPA of between 3.0 to 3.0 is nothng to sneeze at.

To clarify:

In the classroom, it has gone well.

On the field, it has been largely a wasted year.

Well, I waited till after the season was over to post. This season has been a learning experience for both my son and us. The academics is fine but the ball isn't. Baseball wise this has been a wasted year. It all comes down to 3 things.
1] Being a small fish in a big pond vs. a big fish in a small pond.
2] Playing for a coach who doesn't substitute.
3] Being from out of district. In district kids are already a step ahead.

#1 is the only thing the player can change. I think a better job of scouting the signees plus checking out the coach would help all future recruits. I know this same thing has been hashed about hundreds of times on this web site. Never take anything for granted.

But what do you do? You could go to a school that might win 15 games and be a starter, or go somewhere where you will win 40 games, have a shot at going to the championship games, and maybe not playing much.

I will say this about the kid. He's tough. Of the 4 players from his high school who started out in the fall he was the only one left by the end of the season. 1 freshman was cut at Christmas, 1 soph. quit at Christmas, and the other soph. quit halfway through the season.

Maybe things are looking up though. He was asked to play on a summer wood bat team by his coach.

Sorry for rambling on, but I've had this sticking in my craw for quite awhile.

Our second son just finished his freshman JUCO year and had a great experience. In comparing his first year with our older son's first D1 year at a state school we found the following:

1. Academics were comparable for freshman. Both kids studied hard and had great GPA's. D1 had larger classes, less contact with professors, and less work averaged for grades. JUCO had smaller classes and more quiz and project grades.

2. Living accommodations were very different. D1 players lived in campus apartments. Very nice with pool, volleyball, private bedrooms, kitchen, etc. No meal plan, though. JUCO was more traditional suite style dorm with RA, shared bedroom with private bath, and meal plan. Coach checked on them frequently. I definitely preferred the JUCO living experience for freshman. 18 year old student athletes do better with meal plans and some supervision, IMHO. Both kids had great roommates ...quality kids from homes with high academic and character expectations.

3. Baseball experiences were different, but positive. D1 son started every game as a freshman against top D1 schools in the Region. Great experience, but he struggled on the field that year, as did their young team. JUCO son did not make the starting rotation (very talented Soph. starters), but still played a ton in fall and spring in mostly non conference games. Team won Conference. Both had fantastic coaches that spent extensive individual time on their skills development.

In looking back the most important thing to our boys that freshman year was the coach ... his knowledge of the game and interest in their development. They made their school selections based on gut feelings about the coach and weren't disappointed. I would have preferred that they made their school selections based on degree plans, etc., but we let them decide and have no regrets.

It's funny, but I don't think the D1 son would have developed his baseball game as well during his freshman year at a JUCO or the JUCO son would have developed as well at a D1. However, I do think both would have done well academically at either school.

Hope this helps.