Too Easy to Transfer?

Sometimes I think we forget that we're talking about decisions made by kids in their teens and early twenties. Less than 1 in 3 from my high school class (1970s from a small school) graduated from the college they first attended. Fewer yet, graduated with the major they first chose.

Most commit to a school (ballplayers, or not) because they think it will be a great fit and/or opportunity. Upon attending, some find it's not. It can be a simple mistake, or a simple change in thinking. Are all of us in the same job, with the same employer, or even in the same field as when we started? Leaving the student/athlete's relative lack of maturity out of it, how many of us, even well into our middle-age years, have taken a new job because it seemed to be a great fit/opportunity only to find out we were mistaken? Are we required to finish our careers (because that's what it is for the college ballplayer--a 4-5 year career) in an unhappy situation out of loyalty/allegience to our employer?

If the NCAA has determined, in it's infinite wisdom that a school itself can't commit to a student/athlete for more than one year at a time, why must the student/athlete commit for a longer period? I tend to think he/she should be permitted to do what he/she thinks best for him/her and/or their family...just like the rest of us.

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Well said KB......

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kb2610,

Not sure anyone can argue with you on those points. Excellent post!

Very well said KB. I wish I had taken the time in my earlier post to express more clearly what you have.

quote:

Originally posted by southernmom:
Very well said KB. I wish I had taken the time in my earlier post to express more clearly what you have.

I wish I had too!

Thanks lafmom and TPM for the well wishes.

Gotta also agree with kb2610. Especially the part about transferring due to an unhappy situation. That said, I still have a hard time with transferring "just because".

TPM, yes Josh was an impact player as a freshman. If he hadn't been I doubt he would have ever had the opportunity to play at the cape which would have negated the chance to transfer. In fact his coach, who previously coached for 3 years in the cape, and was responsible for getting him on a team, warned him about those who would want him to transfer.

Again, I have no problem with transferring for "just cause", and I'm not about to judge what that is. I just know what's right for me.

In my opinion, the NCAA doesn't care at all about kids, they care about their MEMBER schools.

If that isn't so, then why would would any kid sign an NLI that can only be released by the member school?

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Tiger Paw Mom:
Interesting discussion.

Last year Clemson had a pitcher transfer from another conference after having a very productive summer at Cape Cod. We needed a hard throwing closer.
The pitcher, who had good stuff, struggled every bit of the way last year. Coming from a smaller school, I think he was very nervous in front of the huge crowds at evey game at every school, much faster pace, time commitments. As I said he was brought in as the closer, but was unable to close any game without the other team scoring. He was used less and less.

His parents, near the end, got a really bad attitude about things, and quite upset that he didn't get drafted in a very early round. They felt he should have been given a starters position, but the coaches were very fair with the transfer, we had proven starters and the player knew a closer was needed from the beginning.
BTW, he had been drafted, in a better round (under 10) than two of the starters.
This to me, was a clear case of transfering to better ones draft position (was only to be there for one year). This player was given an opportunity to play on a larger stage, with a team that won their conference championship and went to Omaha. Yet in the end, the parents posted very negative things about other players and the coaches.
QUOTE]

TPM fair points, the only thing I would add is what culpability do the coaches have in this? They knew what they were getting in regards to a player for 1 year. They were giving him a bigger stage (which may have been a selling point to the kid) so they could in turn use him for a year. (I am not critizing Clemson or their staff, they had a need and they filled it).

As you said there are programs that reload annually with transfers (I don't believe Clemson is one that does).

I do not think that schools or the NCAA should make it more difficult for a kid to transfer, they already hold all the power. If there were 25 full scholarships per program (which for obvios reasons would never happen) than maybe restrict the flow of transfers. Kids transfer for all reasons if one of them is due to playing time it may not be the best reason but heck the kid and his family may be paying 10 to 20K to go to that school let him move on.

Like it or not it is what it is !!!