Appently he needs to end his pro career to go to navy. There are exceptions for pro athletes but it wasn't granted to him.
Probably his own fault though, why would a top prospect sign up for military? Read the stuff you sign.
Sucks for the red sox to lose their 4th ranked prospect by fangraphs.
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He can apply for an exemption again in two years. He knew what he was getting into when he chose an academy. The Red Sox knew what they were getting into when they drafted him. Baseball isn’t more important than fulfilling a commitment to defend his country. He got a free education at a top academic in exchange for his commitment.
In numerous news articles Noah has stated he is all in with his Navy commitment. My son played with him in the Cape and he was well aware of what he signed up for and had no regrets. He was going to be a pilot by is too tall in the sitting position so will have serve as a back seat RIO. I've not seen any reports where he asking for sympathy or making excuses. DOD has a policy and he like other Academy graduates will serve the commitments as policy requires. There is no harm in applying for a deferment.
Barring an unforeseen issue he will still have the ability to throw 96-98 in two to four years. Warren Spahn spent his age 21-24 years fighting in Europe-he did pretty well afterwards. Lots of talented players got late starts to their careers and did well. They gain mental and physical maturity and the talent is often quicker to turn raw stuff into success.
Very little in the military is free and I would include four years at an Academy as far from free. Graduates don't have debt when they graduate but it was not free. The time commitment is equal or greater than most full time students who work a job.
Yeah, that's really f'ing well thought out. In this day and age you bend over backward for talent. I guess that's a signal for any potential recruits who might excel at sports but want to support their country to not.
Dominik85 posted:Appently he needs to end his pro career to go to navy. There are exceptions for pro athletes but it wasn't granted to him.
Probably his own fault though, why would a top prospect sign up for military? Read the stuff you sign.
Sucks for the red sox to lose their 4th ranked prospect by fangraphs.
You seriously didn't think he knew what he was signing?
SomeBaseballDad posted:Yeah, that's really f'ing well thought out. In this day and age you bend over backward for talent. I guess that's a signal for any potential recruits who might excel at sports but want to support their country to not.
That is exactly what that is. The armed services take their commitment very seriously. I've personally been through this with my youngest son. I was amazed at how picky the Armed Forces are with the selection process, testing process, and the physical requirements to voluntarily serve your country even with a 4-year college degree. Something my son has wanted to do for a very long time.
When ANYBODY signs that commitment letter whether it is through a Service Academy, ROTC or an armed services recruiter you are committing yourself full time 24 x 7 x 365 to supporting and defending the constitution of the United States. There is no part-time supporting and defending the constitution of the United States. This has nothing to do with the Navy, they've always been this way without exception. This has everything (100%) to do with what was in this young man's head when he signed that document. I don't think he did his homework.
If you want to be a professional soldier/sailor/aviator then sign up for the armed forces. If you want to be a professional baseball player then don't go to a service academy. There are other options. Go into ROTC, go pro sports then serve your country as Marshall Plumlee did. He is a former Duke basketball player, NBA player, who is serving our country right now as an Army officer.
https://www.usatoday.com/story...r-school/2218230001/
As always, JMO.
Here's a kid who was throwing 85 as a senior in HS and got the chance to go to a fabulous school, play ball and pursue his dream/passion/calling. Maybe he also dreamed of getting a shot at the big leagues (what kid hasn't), but throwing 85? That would have been extremely long odds. If he were my son I would have advised him to pursue plan A and be thankful. I would never have advised my son that he should go to a lesser school in the hopes that he gained 12 mph in velocity along with wicked movement so he might get drafted some day. I think many (most?) on this board would advise the same thing. So the impossible happened, he gained 12 mph in velo, and became a freak and got drafted high. Why not see if you can go for it, especially since the President has shown strong recent support for this (I'd also advise my son to do this also)? I don't think that means he didn't do his homework or didn't know what he was doing when he signed up, and I don't think this means he doesn't want to stay on the path he's on. It's difficult to understand this when you have a one-dimensional baseball perspective.
There's currently a DoD order that was signed 11/8 that would allow for this. Unfortunately it doesn't go into affect until 2021 it seems. Song basically requested that he be considered for it, and denied. IMO this is different than him trying to get out of his duty.
https://www.capitalgazette.com...valcgcpbe-story.html
fenwaysouth posted:SomeBaseballDad posted:Yeah, that's really f'ing well thought out. In this day and age you bend over backward for talent. I guess that's a signal for any potential recruits who might excel at sports but want to support their country to not.
That is exactly what that is. The armed services take their commitment very seriously. I've personally been through this with my youngest son. I was amazed at how picky the Armed Forces are with the selection process, testing process, and the physical requirements to voluntarily serve your country even with a 4-year college degree. Something my son has wanted to do for a very long time.
When ANYBODY signs that commitment letter whether it is through a Service Academy, ROTC or an armed services recruiter you are committing yourself full time 24 x 7 x 365 to supporting and defending the constitution of the United States. There is no part-time supporting and defending the constitution of the United States. This has nothing to do with the Navy, they've always been this way without exception. This has everything (100%) to do with what was in this young man's head when he signed that document. I don't think he did his homework.
If you want to be a professional soldier/sailor/aviator then sign up for the armed forces. If you want to be a professional baseball player then don't go to a service academy. There are other options. Go into ROTC, go pro sports then serve your country as Marshall Plumlee did. He is a former Duke basketball player, NBA player, who is serving our country right now as an Army officer.
https://www.usatoday.com/story...r-school/2218230001/
As always, JMO.
National Guard and Reserves are exactly part-time service to your country. David Robinson was in the same situation and much higher profile than Song, so at least the Navy was consistent in their decision making, however poor it was. There’s no reason they couldn’t have given the waiver, especially in light of the new legislation passed recently for drafted Service Academy athletes...would have been easily justified. Yes, this is what he signed up for, but in reality, he got freaking hosed.
Smitty28 - If I'm reading this right, you sound like you're hedging because now the kid can throw a baseball 12mph faster with movement. When he signed that military commitment letter his ability (or future ability) to throw a baseball 12mph faster became absolutely irrelevant. As I've found out, the military thinks and works much differently than the public.
Should we also allow military service commitments who reduce their 40yd dash from 7.0 to 6.2 as well to play baseball professionally? Where is the line? Answer: there is no line in the military, because of the commitment letter he signed.
I absolutely believe that he had other options that he didn't consider.
JMO.
Let's be honest, kids committing to Navy aren't realistically thinking about the MLB. Kids committing to service academies are good ballplayers, but realistically can see more D3 offers than D1 offers. They're guys who are being recruited by Patriot, Ivy, and other HA schools, not so much the stronger programs. They know what they're getting into when they commit there over non-service colleges and the free education is part of the trade off. They are going there to become officers, playing baseball is just something they happen to do. It would have been nice to see him go pro, but lets not pretend like he's getting screwed. The naval commitment is more important than a pro career. Service guys are rarely pro prospects for a reason - they weren't highly touted guys looking to use college to advance their baseball careers. That's not to say they aren't good players or that Navy has a bad program, but they are guys looking to get a top notch education and go into the armed forces while using their baseball talent to get into the school.
fenwaysouth posted:Smitty28 - If I'm reading this right, you sound like you're hedging because now the kid can throw a baseball 12mph faster with movement. When he signed that military commitment letter his ability (or future ability) to throw a baseball 12mph faster became absolutely irrelevant. As I've found out, the military thinks and works much differently than the public.
Should we also allow military service commitments who reduce their 40yd dash from 7.0 to 6.2 as well to play baseball professionally? Where is the line? Answer: there is no line in the military, because of the commitment letter he signed.
I absolutely believe that he had other options that he didn't consider.
JMO.
Fenway, no not hedging at all. He made the best decision for himself at the time he made the decision. I am disagreeing with those who suggest he wasn't thinking things through - MLB was such a remote possibility it wasn't worth factoring in to the decision. The fact that he can now throw 12 mph faster today is only relevant because it puts a 1-in-a-million possibility on the table that didn't exist when he was in HS, and it's easy for us outsiders to armchair quarterback a decision that was made 5 years ago. That doesn't mean he is screwed or has to suffer some outcome that is undesirable, it simply means he can't pursue the 1-in-a-million path (which by the way is no guarantee he'd see or succeed in the MLB anyway).
I also agree with PABASEBALL, I think he is exactly right.
PABaseball posted:Let's be honest, kids committing to Navy aren't realistically thinking about the MLB. Kids committing to service academies are good ballplayers, but realistically can see more D3 offers than D1 offers. They're guys who are being recruited by Patriot, Ivy, and other HA schools, not so much the stronger programs. They know what they're getting into when they commit there over non-service colleges and the free education is part of the trade off. They are going there to become officers, playing baseball is just something they happen to do. It would have been nice to see him go pro, but lets not pretend like he's getting screwed. The naval commitment is more important than a pro career. Service guys are rarely pro prospects for a reason - they weren't highly touted guys looking to use college to advance their baseball careers. That's not to say they aren't good players or that Navy has a bad program, but they are guys looking to get a top notch education and go into the armed forces while using their baseball talent to get into the school.
Noah Song would have been a weekend starter on almost any team in the country after his Sophomore season at Navy. Granted, he came on a little late to be considered a draft prospect out of high school, but he sure didn't win the accolades he received during his Navy playing career by being average.
I am assuming that most of you posting on here have never served in the military (I have). If you have, then perhaps you haven't served at the right levels to know that like anything else, the military is a bureaucracy and there are waivers granted for everything as long as it is in the best interest of the service branch. It makes ZERO sense to the people of the United States to send this kid to pilot training when it is already a given that he is bouncing as soon as his active duty service commitment is served (normally 5 years for academy grads, an additional 8 years for those who graduate UPT (from the date of graduation). So, if Song is classified as a pilot and he completes UPT his is going to have a different fight on his hands...costs a lot of money to train pilots.
What a smart Navy could have done is reclassified him into another billet, such as Public Affairs or something, then allowed him to commission into the reserves. This would have still allowed him to slowly fulfill his commitment and still get the opportunity to play pro ball. Don't think for a minute that the service academies wouldn't love to have their guys on the field at the top levels with the announcers fawning all over the fact that they are serving their country and a product of an academy. That is priceless in recruiting for academies and the services in general.
To the point that every cadet attending a service academy is there for the altruistic purpose of patriotism and service, you are kidding yourselves and I have beachfront property in Arizona for sale. I personally have counselled many students aspiring to attend service academies who were only going there because it's a "free" education with exclusive access to the ring-knockers club. Some attend because it is a family tradition (yes, nepotism is alive and well at the academies). And some think it is exactly what they want and then get there and realize it is nothing like they want and leave (they can hit the door any time before starting their Sophomore year with no consequence). The vast majority of students attending the academies serve their minimum ADSC and resign their active duty commissions, going into the private sector to earn their livings. Yes, there are some who are there for the right reasons, but I think if your premise is that the academies are teaming with ultra-patriotic kids who want a full career in the military, you might be a little disappointed.
Song says he has no regrets on his decision to attend Navy. If he did he could have transferred out and reimbursed the Navy for how long he stayed. Fourth round slot money would have covered the cost. Chances are if he wasn’t at the Naval Academy he would have been drafted higher and received more money. The guy is 22 and has a guaranteed career with the Navy. He’s not exactly suffering.
RJM posted:Song says he has no regrets on his decision to attend Navy. If he did he could have transferred out and reimbursed the Navy for how long he stayed. Fourth round slot money would have covered the cost. Chances are if he wasn’t at the Naval Academy he would have been drafted higher and received more money. The guy is 22 and has a guaranteed career with the Navy. He’s not exactly suffering.
RJM, it simply doesn't work that way or the attrition rate at the academies who be much higher. There are plenty of kids who regret their decision to attend the academies, yet see it through because they are locked in, really have no choice. I'm not saying it's rampant, but I do have personal first-hand experience here...not anecdotal stories I heard at a party once. You cannot just opt out after you start your sophomore year by your own choice. There are situation where cadets are removed for cause (honor code violations, physical disqualification, academic performance, criminal conduct, etc...) and they are either faced with the prospect of servicing a term of enlistment to get recoupment of the investment made in their educations, or are afforded an opportunity to pay recoupment in the form of real money. Either way, once day one of sophomore year happens, its not their choice to voluntarily leave the academies.
Based on Song's 2016 freshman season numbers, he would have been best advised (if he was truly desiring to play professional baseball) to leave after his first year (hindsight here, but a good advisor would have probably told him this). He pitched a significant amount, had a good BB/K ratio and OBA was also favorable to him. He likely would have been picked up by any number of quality P5 D1 teams at that point and red-shirted the next year (those who leave the academies now don't have to red-shirt since there is no athletic aid). His BB/K ratio continued on a great trajectory as he added velocity over the next couple of years. I commend Song for his attitude, and I think things will still work out in the long run for a kid of his work ethic and make up. I just think he either really liked Annapolis and decided to go through with what he started, never really realizing the potential he possessed, or was poorly advised...my money is on the latter.
These was a time when a cadet could leave after two years and reimburse the academy. That alone was expensive and cost prohibitive for many. But it was an out. I haven’t known anyone attending the academies for years.
My son was interested in the academies after attending the Army-Navy game when he was fourteen. Then we watched a three part series on being a plebe. Interest gone!
There’s being mentally tough. Then several notches up is military academy mentally tough.
PABaseball posted:Let's be honest, kids committing to Navy aren't realistically thinking about the MLB. Kids committing to service academies are good ballplayers, but realistically can see more D3 offers than D1 offers. They're guys who are being recruited by Patriot, Ivy, and other HA schools, not so much the stronger programs. They know what they're getting into when they commit there over non-service colleges and the free education is part of the trade off. They are going there to become officers, playing baseball is just something they happen to do. It would have been nice to see him go pro, but lets not pretend like he's getting screwed. The naval commitment is more important than a pro career. Service guys are rarely pro prospects for a reason - they weren't highly touted guys looking to use college to advance their baseball careers. That's not to say they aren't good players or that Navy has a bad program, but they are guys looking to get a top notch education and go into the armed forces while using their baseball talent to get into the school.
Some of the athletes would never see inside the gates at these academies if it weren't for their athletic skills. MANY. Athletes get identified on their academy applications as recruited athletes and that if for a reason. To say their sport "is just something they do" is so poorly informed its almost laughable. These kids are recruited to come there, like every other school. Many do have other D1 choices, so not sure where you are getting your information. Some end up competing as Olympians during their time as student athletes at the academies. The academies may not be P5, but then again if you look at the quality of education and leadership experience they learn and practice when they serve, the trade off may seem worth it to those kids and families. I know several service academy athletes and current HS athletes with service academy offers who also have other D1 offers, and not all from Ivy, Patriot, and HA schools, which you seem historically to lump in with poor athletics. Navy ranks #23 in the CFP rankings, Army was chasing them all year and AF is going into their bowl game against a P5 team as the favored team. You can say what you want about these leagues, but to say these kids aren't there to push themselves and are in a non-competitive athletic environment is patently uninformed and foolish.
And, for what it's worth, I would advise every damn kid who is a college athlete and plays a sport that has a professional level, regardless of their "prospect status" as a high school senior, to work like you are going to be a 1st round draft pick when you are draft eligible. Look at Deonte Harris, kick returner for New Orleans Saints. Undrafted free-agent out of D2 Assumption and he is a Pro Bowl selection in his rookie season. If I am not mistaken, Assumption's kicker a couple years ago transferred and was kicking at LSU? Yeah, these D3 and HA D1 kids have a longer shot at making it, but they have a shot. I advise my son that he is going to get drafted after his Junior year and to prepare himself for that eventuality.
https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/...o-play-pro-baseball/
Song was not expecting much, so he says he is not too disappointed about the whole thing.
He said:
"I've dealt with enough adversity in my life that this isn't going to completely bring me down. The Navy definitely does not owe me anything. This (waiver request) was a Hail Mary play. I didn't expect too much. If you don't expect much, you don't get disappointed. I'm excited to head down to flight school and get started on becoming a flight officer."
Like I said, he needs someone advising him on the active duty service commitments associated with his choices. Attending any flight training is not in keeping with an early exit from an active duty service commitment.
collegebaseballrecruitingguide posted:PABaseball posted:Let's be honest, kids committing to Navy aren't realistically thinking about the MLB. Kids committing to service academies are good ballplayers, but realistically can see more D3 offers than D1 offers. They're guys who are being recruited by Patriot, Ivy, and other HA schools, not so much the stronger programs. They know what they're getting into when they commit there over non-service colleges and the free education is part of the trade off. They are going there to become officers, playing baseball is just something they happen to do. It would have been nice to see him go pro, but lets not pretend like he's getting screwed. The naval commitment is more important than a pro career. Service guys are rarely pro prospects for a reason - they weren't highly touted guys looking to use college to advance their baseball careers. That's not to say they aren't good players or that Navy has a bad program, but they are guys looking to get a top notch education and go into the armed forces while using their baseball talent to get into the school.
Some of the athletes would never see inside the gates at these academies if it weren't for their athletic skills. MANY. Athletes get identified on their academy applications as recruited athletes and that if for a reason. To say their sport "is just something they do" is so poorly informed its almost laughable. These kids are recruited to come there, like every other school. Many do have other D1 choices, so not sure where you are getting your information. Some end up competing as Olympians during their time as student athletes at the academies. The academies may not be P5, but then again if you look at the quality of education and leadership experience they learn and practice when they serve, the trade off may seem worth it to those kids and families. I know several service academy athletes and current HS athletes with service academy offers who also have other D1 offers, and not all from Ivy, Patriot, and HA schools, which you seem historically to lump in with poor athletics. Navy ranks #23 in the CFP rankings, Army was chasing them all year and AF is going into their bowl game against a P5 team as the favored team. You can say what you want about these leagues, but to say these kids aren't there to push themselves and are in a non-competitive athletic environment is patently uninformed and foolish.
You're taking my response as a lack of respect for the sports at the institution, which just isn't true. Where am I getting my information from? People on the travel baseball circuit, college coaches, and more importantly the four current service academy baseball players I know who were all weighing offers from a combination of Patriot, Ivy and top HA D3s. Patriot and Ivy are historically weaker conferences, let's not deny this - largely due to lack of scholarships. The guys I know there are good players. I've gone to see them play, it's good baseball I don't think anybody will deny that. But when these guys took their recruiting visits, they saw the students walking around in uniform and not flip flops. They understood exactly what they were getting into, service first baseball second. Yes they are recruited athletes, but they accepted the athletic offer knowing they were going to serve their country and play baseball on the side. Of course they leverage their baseball skill to get into the school, the same way plenty of athletes at Dartmouth and Cornell do, I even mentioned this.
"You can say what you want about these leagues, but to say these kids aren't there to push themselves and are in a non-competitive athletic environment is patently uninformed and foolish."
Nobody said this. They're part of a military branch, they push themselves everyday. Army took out NCSU at their own regional last year. You're arguing points nobody made. Your response was uninformed and foolish.
collegebaseballrecruitingguide posted:RJM posted:Song says he has no regrets on his decision to attend Navy. If he did he could have transferred out and reimbursed the Navy for how long he stayed. Fourth round slot money would have covered the cost. Chances are if he wasn’t at the Naval Academy he would have been drafted higher and received more money. The guy is 22 and has a guaranteed career with the Navy. He’s not exactly suffering.
RJM, it simply doesn't work that way or the attrition rate at the academies who be much higher. There are plenty of kids who regret their decision to attend the academies, yet see it through because they are locked in, really have no choice. I'm not saying it's rampant, but I do have personal first-hand experience here...not anecdotal stories I heard at a party once. You cannot just opt out after you start your sophomore year by your own choice. There are situation where cadets are removed for cause (honor code violations, physical disqualification, academic performance, criminal conduct, etc...) and they are either faced with the prospect of servicing a term of enlistment to get recoupment of the investment made in their educations, or are afforded an opportunity to pay recoupment in the form of real money. Either way, once day one of sophomore year happens, its not their choice to voluntarily leave the academies.
Based on Song's 2016 freshman season numbers, he would have been best advised (if he was truly desiring to play professional baseball) to leave after his first year (hindsight here, but a good advisor would have probably told him this). He pitched a significant amount, had a good BB/K ratio and OBA was also favorable to him. He likely would have been picked up by any number of quality P5 D1 teams at that point and red-shirted the next year (those who leave the academies now don't have to red-shirt since there is no athletic aid). His BB/K ratio continued on a great trajectory as he added velocity over the next couple of years. I commend Song for his attitude, and I think things will still work out in the long run for a kid of his work ethic and make up. I just think he either really liked Annapolis and decided to go through with what he started, never really realizing the potential he possessed, or was poorly advised...my money is on the latter.
Yes, actually you can opt out at the start of your sophomore year. In fact, you can opt out at the end of your sophomore year. The Midshipmen (not, Cadets, that's Army and Air Force) sign what they call a "2-for-7" at the end of their sophomore year which commits them to attend 2 more years of schooling in exchange for 5 years of service. Most (more than 95% sign up for this).
Collegebaseballrecruiting, perhaps you served in the military but I don't think you are as well-versed in the academies as you put on. I think if you met more of these kids you'd be a lot less cynical about what they are doing and their motivations.
ok...admit I was not aware of the 2-for-7 commitment, however I stand by everything else I said. Retention rates for service academy graduates are typically the lowest among all commissioning sources, which I believe supports my argument that not all cadets (or middies) are there for the long haul. I served with many academy grads, some were awesome officers who I would gladly admit appear to be the poster children for service academy success stories. I’ve also served with academy grads who were a hot mess. The number certainly isn’t a majority, but when 40% of grads leave the military after their ADSC is done at 5 years, growing to 60% leaving by the 10-year mark, I think many academy grads are taking their degrees and running when they can. Nothing wrong with that, they served their commitment, but I think this is more indicative of the times.
Ultimately, Song had at least one (and perhaps two) decision points at which he could have made a move out of the academy, and didn’t. I hope he is able to find his way back into the situation he was presented after his service is complete, he seems like a good kid and is a competitor.
collegebaseballrecruitingguide posted:ok...admit I was not aware of the 2-for-7 commitment, however I stand by everything else I said. Retention rates for service academy graduates are typically the lowest among all commissioning sources, which I believe supports my argument that not all cadets (or middies) are there for the long haul. I served with many academy grads, some were awesome officers who I would gladly admit appear to be the poster children for service academy success stories. I’ve also served with academy grads who were a hot mess. The number certainly isn’t a majority, but when 40% of grads leave the military after their ADSC is done at 5 years, growing to 60% leaving by the 10-year mark, I think many academy grads are taking their degrees and running when they can. Nothing wrong with that, they served their commitment, but I think this is more indicative of the times.
Ultimately, Song had at least one (and perhaps two) decision points at which he could have made a move out of the academy, and didn’t. I hope he is able to find his way back into the situation he was presented after his service is complete, he seems like a good kid and is a competitor.
Kids at the Academies are there for many reasons. They had a choice to opted out after their sophomore year but the vast majority do not. The reason they leave after they have fulfilled their commitment is because they have earned that opportunity with a world class education and degree. I wouldn't say they are running! Many also decide to retire after 20 years and then head to the private sector.
RJM posted:He can apply for an exemption again in two years. He knew what he was getting into when he chose an academy. The Red Sox knew what they were getting into when they drafted him. Baseball isn’t more important than fulfilling a commitment to defend his country. He got a free education at a top academic in exchange for his commitment.
Defend his country? We have been occupying countries now for 20+ years at a cost of 2 trillion dollars. Osama Bin Laden has been dead for 10+ years, not sure what we we are up to over there but defending our country seems to be a stretch.
Nonamedad posted:RJM posted:He can apply for an exemption again in two years. He knew what he was getting into when he chose an academy. The Red Sox knew what they were getting into when they drafted him. Baseball isn’t more important than fulfilling a commitment to defend his country. He got a free education at a top academic in exchange for his commitment.
Defend his country? We have been occupying countries now for 20+ years at a cost of 2 trillion dollars. Osama Bin Laden has been dead for 10+ years, not sure what we we are up to over there but defending our country seems to be a stretch.
There are many ways to defend out country when you put a uniform on. I find your statement ignorant. Sorry
Nonamedad posted:RJM posted:He can apply for an exemption again in two years. He knew what he was getting into when he chose an academy. The Red Sox knew what they were getting into when they drafted him. Baseball isn’t more important than fulfilling a commitment to defend his country. He got a free education at a top academic in exchange for his commitment.
Defend his country? We have been occupying countries now for 20+ years at a cost of 2 trillion dollars. Osama Bin Laden has been dead for 10+ years, not sure what we we are up to over there but defending our country seems to be a stretch.
The purpose of the military academies is to produce military leaders. This is not a political discussion board. So please take your complaints someplace else.
Was wondering how long it would take for this thread to take a political turn 
Bottom line is that it sounds like this guy has a good future in front of him whether or not he ever throws a big league pitch! If this was my son's future I wouldn't be complaining, but I guess we all want our cake and eat it too. Fly fighter jets and pitch no-no's in the show
sign me up, lol.
I had an offline DM discussion with Collegebaseballrecruiting to "clear the air", and I thought I'd share part of this for the benefit of future readers who are considering attending a service academy:
I did not serve, but my son is a Plebe at the Naval Academy. I know very little of what it's like to serve but I've met lots of the academy students and families and without fail they are impressive young people - courteous, polite, hard working, achievement oriented, etc. I'm sure they can be full of themselves and arrogant, but no more so than kids I meet at Princeton where my older son attends. But I have yet to meet anyone who has even the hint of an ulterior motive for attending (such as "free education"). Without fail they want to serve and are willing to put up with a student lifestyle that 99% of young people would want no part of. My son had other options (Ivy league and others) but was drawn to the academy and "wanted to be part of something bigger than himself" (his words). He is a good ball player and wanted a shot at being drafted. Scouts told him he's a low rounder at best. Considering this, he was willing to forgo the possibility of getting drafted in the future for the opportunity to attend USNA and serve the country - decision made eyes wide open after a year of consideration.
My son had two mentors in HS who were academy graduates - one was USNA the other West Point. One is a great guy who anyone would want to have a beer with, the other not so much. There's all types and I can imagine the officer/enlisted dynamic is tough enough, and the academy angle probably makes it even more strained... so I can imagine where you are coming from.
So far he is loving it. It is tough, and some dropped in the first couple of weeks. He lives a very restricted, regimented life. But the growth he's experienced into a man and the sense of accomplishment he feels are both enormous. He was an amazing kid and now he's becoming an amazing man. I love the way the academy embraces and includes the entire family into his experience (while my relationship with my older son's university is limited to tuition bill emails and fund-raising solicitations).
He is loving the baseball aspect of it. The coaching he's receiving is phenomenal. Very thorough and hands on. They know they can't take JC kids to fill holes and need the younger guys to stick around and get better, so they invest a lot into developing players.
(Edited to clarify a point)
fenwaysouth posted:Go into ROTC, go pro sports then serve your country as Marshall Plumlee did. He is a former Duke basketball player, NBA player, who is serving our country right now as an Army officer.SomeBaseballDad posted:Yeah, that's really f'ing well thought out. In this day and age you bend over backward for talent. I guess that's a signal for any potential recruits who might excel at sports but want to support their country to not.
https://www.usatoday.com/story...r-school/2218230001/
As always, JMO.
Or sign up, develope late as a player, take some time off to pursue the dream, then come back. Really not seeing the BFD here.
SomeBaseballDad posted:fenwaysouth posted:Go into ROTC, go pro sports then serve your country as Marshall Plumlee did. He is a former Duke basketball player, NBA player, who is serving our country right now as an Army officer.SomeBaseballDad posted:Yeah, that's really f'ing well thought out. In this day and age you bend over backward for talent. I guess that's a signal for any potential recruits who might excel at sports but want to support their country to not.
https://www.usatoday.com/story...r-school/2218230001/
As always, JMO.
Or sign up, develope late as a player, take some time off to pursue the dream, then come back. Really not seeing the BFD here.
Those who attend an Academy do not just sign up. They go through a very rigouris process.
Military education definitely can be very good. This isn't something for everyone (probably tough for some more liberal, free spirit guys) but some of the best engineers and even doctors are from the military, if you can do surgery in a war situation you can do it anywhere.
You have to be able to do it though, if you just want to grab a free education and then leave as soon as possible it is probably not the best thing to do.
