Troubled--the right choice?

quote:

Do we pull him from the only school he has ever known and well established at or do we send him to the larger school that has more academic and athletic opportunities? Please keep in mind that he is a quiet kid that does not necessarily need to be in the spotlight and will not bring attention to himself and we're afraid he may fall between the cracks at a school that does not know him.

You've answered your own question by putting him at that school to begin with.

If he's "quiet" and doesn't like the spotlight, then let him stay where he is...in the 1A program.

Kids should enjoy high school if they don't want athletic pressure.

I don't know whether my experience about this kind of decision will apply exactly to one with your son...but when I was 14 years old I had a choice.

...either go to the high school where my brother and sisters attended and graduated...that had a relatively poor athletic record, but where all my friends were going to also.

...or go to a high school that was out of my district that had a great athletic record, but where I knew absolutely noone.

You see I was one of those kids that was always outside with the other kids in some kind of game, didn't matter which, baseball, basketball, football, tennis, golf, etc.

I remember listening to my brother and sisters always complaining about some high school that seemed to win all the championships. So I decided that when I went to high school I was going to go to that high school because I wanted to be with the winners not the losers.

So when it came time to decide what high school I was going to I told my parents that I was going to the high school with the great athletic record. You should have seen the fuss and ado that that caused. I was accused of being a traitor, etc.

But non-the-less I didn't realize I had to get permission to go to school outside of my district and needed the signature of my parents and my coaches to do it. Well I couldn't get my parents to sign it so I signed it myself. Needless to say I thought I was going to get caught. But many years later after I had graduated from there my coaches told me they knew what I had done, but they told me that anyone who wanted to go to their high school that bad deserved a chance to prove the themselves.

I attended that school and had some success in athletics such that many years later I made our HOF in three sports.

I only tell you this story so that you can understand that the desire must come from your son for him to have any success. Putting him in a situation that is not of his choosing could work against the desired results you're trying to achieve.

However, placing him a more positive athletic environment might have positive long-term results based upon the psychological effects coming from a winning program has on self-image, and self-confidence of being associated with winners. For me, I found this part of my decision to have had a lasting impact on me and the way my fellow classmates also viewed themselves.

A couple of things you may want to consider:

First, and foremost, moving him from one school to another will not get him the chance to play at the next level, HIS TALENT WILL.

That said, what are your goals moving him? More playing time? A more winning record? Better coaching? A better grasp on your needs is in order here.

What other options do you have?

You don't really say what other things he's doing besides hs ball.

Has he played in any top notch spring or fall leagues? Both are great ways to get him introduced to good coaching and active in a more competitive environment. You want him to play competitively find a team with players from all across the state, from 1A - 4A schools.

Has he taken private lessons? If you are not comfortable with what the coach has to offer you can always get more by setting up private lessons.

2A vs. 1A is not going to make a big difference when it comes to seeing scouts and coaches at his high school games. When it comes to being recruited you are going to have to get him to camps, showcases, etc.

His desire not to change schools should certainly be a serious consideration to you. Perhaps instead of changing schools you could look at a few other alternatives first.

Good luck to you.

I agree with AParent. I personally feel that the High School baseball team is the least important decision that your son will have to make in regards to his baseball aspirations post high school.

Let him play at the high school that he enjoys the most. Then find a more serious spring and/or fall league that will travel to bigger events where the college coaches will be. I am not sure where you are in IA, but I would get him to the Perect Game fadility as often as possible, it can never hurt to have them know who your son is.

This is a great topic for me, because we are in the same process as well. We are trying to decide if my boy should go to the local high school that has won 6 games in the past 3 seasons, or go to the high school that is 20 minutes away that has won 2 of the last 3 NE state titles and will probably win 2 or 3 while he is there. Both schools are in the same class, but the largest difference is that the college scouts actually attend the games of the winning school.

From a purely statistical and skill standpoint, there is one more thing that must be considered. My boy hit 17 Home Runs and batted over .700 last year, so if he is unprotected in a lineup, will he get the same pitches to hit? And let's be honest, many coaches and scouts will only see you on a piece of paper, so how important is the extra at bat you will get every game in a better progam, or the increased RBI or Run stats. That is a decision that everyone must make for themselves, and I know that stat issues are a very small part of the big picture.

Baseball is a very mental game, so in 1 word, the most important thing is COMFORT. Let your boy play where he is comfortable, because that will transfer onto the field.

Sorry for the long winded reply, but this is such an intirguing topic to me.

These comments are dead on, IMHO. What is important for his development as a baseball player is not the HS ball. But rather being on a top tier select team summer and fall.

For a very good ballplayer, there will be precious little competiton in 1A or 2A ball.

Thank you to those of you have taken the time to give your opinions. It is greatly appreciated.

This has been a very "touchy" subject at our house.

In response to BeenthereIL..........When they are first beginning school at the age of 5 you do not know what kind of young adult they will become or what interests they will have and I'm not sure how things are in IL but in IA kids for the most part go to school in the district in which they reside (especially rural IA). In ten years A LOT of things have changed in the district and had we known the direction it was headed........we would not have kept him here! It's always easier to say "if we knew then what we know now". We are just trying to do the best for him. As far as athletic pressure, he's as intense as it get's and thrives on it but as far as away from the field, that's when he is quiet. Thank you again for your response

driven also, You do not know at 14/15yrs of age what and were your Son's talent will take him.
Don't settle are say he's not a D1, Body's change.
You just never Know.

I have to say that the high school development stage is very important, if he is in a good program. Firstly, he will learn more from a good high school program than he will ever learn from a travel team program. There are a few very good travel teams around, but most don't meet long enough to teach the game, and many don't bother to practice, at least in my experience. The showcases and PG events are ideal. But getting him in a recognized high school program will allow him to be taught, will allow him to see the best competition in school and will certainly get him seen by scouts who show up at games. I would definitely include a good travel program as the exposure and competition will prove to be very important, but not in exchange for a good high school program.

You did say that the other school had more athletic and ACADEMIC opportunities

Wow Deja-Vu!

We are in the same boat. We haven't decided 100 percent as to where we would like to go. I did approach my son and asked him where he would like to go and of course he wants to go to HighSchool with his friends. Mind you this school has not been the greatest with their baseball program. The other decision is to go to a more competitive school with better academics. The catch here is that his current Travel Select Coach will be the Freshman Coach when my son enters the 9th grade. So he will have someone who knows about him and has coached him for the past 2 years! Seems like a no brainer but we would have to move to a different zip code to get him in.....


Hmmm...decisions decisions.

I have one son playing college baseball and another that will be playing next year as well. Both received far more attention through summer camps and showcases than their high school games. Having a solid high school coach is a plus, and we've enjoyed having a great coach, but college coaches are playing their season during the high school season so while they will see some high school players in live games, there's an excellent chance to also be seen during the summer on a good summer team, or at camps/showcases. A poor high school team isn't fatal in my humble opinion.

If you were offered a job that more potential than your current situation but was going to completely change your social life, would you do it? IMO this is the situation you present to your son. Lots of great suggestions in this thread as for furthering his baseball. Honor his wishes regarding the school he wants to attend. Happiness counts!

FACT--my son played outfield on a HS team that did not win more than 6 games in any of his three HS seasons

FACT: He played college ball at a major Division I University and on scholarship

FACT: he isnt the only one who has done this

Bottom Line: proper "marketing' and exposure makes it work not the HS team situation-- hit the showcases and play for a high exposure travel team and you will be fine

Just one last thing I failed to mention that I found in attending a hs with a winning history. One thing is true in the recruiting process. Winning schools attract college recruiters. That is usually based upon the fact that the coaching staffs are respected for putting out a better product.

A school that has a history of winning attracts better athletes, too.

My son lived this situation. HE decided that it was in HIS best interest to switch to a larger school during his FR year. HE wanted to prove to HIMSELF that he could compete against the "big boys". He knew that nobody at the new school would "give" him anything and was prepared to earn his way. The larger school offered much better college preparation in the classroom also.

The whole key in any transfer situation(for whatever reason) is that the student/(athlete) must be the one who desires to gain benefits from a move.... and even then, there is no guarantee that a move will achieve any success i.e. scholarship, recognition etc.

It worked out pretty well for my son but I know of another kid from the same small school who transferred last season because he was "mad" at the "un-fairness" of the baseball coach. Just saw this year's team photo in the paper and the kid is back at the original school with a new coach.

Best of luck with your son's situation... hope you get it right. The highschool years pass sooooooo fast!

Coachric, I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but I have yet to see any teaching go on in a HS program. At least not enough to be significant.

I'm sure there are some good HS coaches who somehow manage to make time to teach. But a lot don't.

And TR's post was very accurate, at least as far as what I have discovered and observed.

The bottom line, what does your son WANT to do!

We went on the philosophy that HS was for academics, better baseball was played in summer, tournaments.

If we had to rely on his HS experience to get noticed, he would not be where he is going to college. I know kids who ran to programs because they were good solid programs and sat. At his school, if you could hit the ball you played, if you could throw the ball you pitched. They lost games they should have won, and won games they should have lost, it didn't matter, the HS year consisted of 28 games, a few tournaments.

Hokieone is correct, college coaches very rarely come to see HS games, unless they are in the area, scouts come whereever a good game is being played or wherever a good player is playing. Makes no difference to them if the school has a winning or losing record.

I know kids who attended great baseball programs and never reached college baseball, I know others who attended where the baseball programs were fair, got drafted or attending great schools.
JMO.

Best of luck in your decision, whatever it be, hope itis for teh right reasons.

TPM

Your blanket statement that college coaches don't attend hs games may be the way it is on the east coast but in California hs schools have college coaches attend the hs games especially as the season for the hs leagues come to an end.

It is part of the recruiting process out here. I cannot tell you how many college coaches we met at hs games. Yes a lot of the coaches are from local colleges, but we have met some from out of state, mainly private colleges. But it is not unusual for Southern California college coaches to show up at a hs game to see a specific pitcher. For example, their was a very good pitcher at Deer Valley hs here that had that situation...spoke to us a said he was on his way over to the east bay to watch him pitch.

JMO

What does HE want to do? That is the question that must be answered.

My son grew up with me and my ex wife in a smaller community, 3A in Texas. We knew everybody in that town, from the Superentendent to the High School Baseball coach.

When his mother and I got divorced, I moved about 35 miles away. When he asked if he could come live with me I started the custody battle. I finally won 2 days before he started his 7th grade year. He adapted moving to a larger district.

He was "recruited" to go back and play HS ball for his old town, by his old friends and such. (Don't want to get anybody in trouble).

He could have been a varsity starter his freshman year, he chose to stay at the 5A school, pay his dues and play varsity here when he got the opportunity.

This other district has a very long history of winning in baseball, the new district does also, but it's a football school foremost.

He loves it here, he feels he made the right choice and will never look back.

We cannot believe the response to our question and thank you all again. Although we will not make a final decision for a couple of months, ultimately this will have to be his choice. It's good to know there are others that have had to make this very tough decision.

RR-your qoute says it all!