What is right thing to do?

Most people will tell you the right thing to do is to not trade-up. However, I do not completely agree. While going back on your (son's) word would cast him in a bad light with the spurned program, At the end of the day, who cares? The new school is the one your son has to please. If it's his top choice and would be happier there, he should take it. I believe, that at a lot of schools, if your soon took a while to decide and in the interim the school found a stud and had no $$ left, they would give away your son's spot in a heartbeat and say "We didn't hear from you so we figured your son was not interested. We had to fill our class." Your son should do what is best for him. Just my inexperienced opinion.

This is a question that only your son/family can answer. However, you say that the Division I school has shown as much interest as the D-2 that has made an offer. Perhaps your son can have a conversation with the D-1 school and lay out the scenario as it stands and ask if there is a possibility of joining that program prior to making a commitment he's not completely comfortable with. Good luck.

The appears to be no commitment to date so what is the problem ?

Some will call me old fashioned, but I say once you tell someone you are going to attend their school, then thats what you need to do.

I think you gotta think about what you are teaching your son?

quote:

While going back on your (son's) word would cast him in a bad light with the spurned program, At the end of the day, who cares?

Is that really what anyone wants to each their son? "Who cares" about who you leave in the dust? "Who cares" about people you take advantage of as long as you get yours?

It works both ways..."who cares" about your son's (and your) reputation? I would.

justbaseball...of course one cares about his or her son's reputation. But if some D2 or D3 offered my son a package, and then his dream school came along with an equal or even lesser offer, and my son wanted to go, I would support it. I will not allow my son to make a decision that will affect the rest of his life and perhaps be unhappy and leave him regretting his decision. While in most cases I would agree with you, I respectfully disagree here. As I said, a school would do it without any thought. That's just the way it goes. In 4 years, nobody will remember. if he is good enough to get drafted, his decommittal 4 years prior will not affect anything. And if he's not good enough to go pro, then it still didn't matter that he decommitted. At least he does not have to live with the what if. And i'm sure the spurned school found a way to survive.

The alternative, keep his word, quit in a year because he made a mistake and is miserable, and never realize his full potential. If you would prefer this scenario if it was your son in this position, that's up to you.

2013Dad - I appreciate the politeness of your response. I am not meaning to pick on you in particular...your view of this is pervasive today, but it troubles me. Just yesterday I got an email from a very good friend of many years whose 2011 son 'committed' to a D1...but the email hinted that they continue to enjoy the attention he is now getting and may continue to look. The first part ('commitment') made me very happy (proud...since he's a kid I coached a lot)...the second part (continue to look) made me very sad.

My view is that if you're not sure, you shouldn't 'commit' in the first place. The advice given above to lay it out for the D1 school of interest about the situation (D2 offer) in order to get a good idea of what "D1" is thinking...is good advice.

I've been through this twice. In both cases we made it clear to our sons that once they gave their word, that was it. The first one, who is through college and in pro ball now, did have second thoughts about a year in, but we pushed him to stay the course and he will tell you today that we were 100% correct and he's glad we did. The second one committed very early...and had the pitching coach who mainly recruited him leave in the late summer...has not wavered one single bit. I'm proud of those two 'outcomes.'

As for this:

quote:

...a school would do it without any thought.

That is simply not true in most cases. There are some, but I would steer clear of them too. You cannot paint all programs into a single corner with a broad brush.

Just Baseball - I believe that you may be doing a little broad brush painting yourself. You are going with the belief that most schools hold true to their word when they promise a scholarship for all four years of college. We simply know that isn't true and the school knows that isn't true when they promise that. Every year there are a handfull of players at several D1 schools that get the hint that the school would prefer that they "voluntarily" relinquish their scholarship. If they don't, they simply won't play. After one year of that, the player will more often than not move on. The school can say that they kept their word but in the end they know that if a player does not work out, they will not be honoring the 4 year scholarship most of the time.

Brickhouse,
Scholarships, by NCAA rule, are only for one year. Coaches and schools are precluded from offering scholarships for 4 years.
A few weeks back, this board was filled with comments on the new UNLV coach and the manner in which he cleaned house. It was in accordance with NCAA procedures, but certainly less than "right."
My view is that player and parent views and approaches on commitment, of the type described in this thread, can create a "wild" "wild" west for baseball. If players/recruits take a view of their word and commitment is only as good as the next offer, why should any NCAA college coach take a different view? If a player/parent takes the view their word/commitment is only as good as the next offer, why should any college coach have any concern about dropping them/cutting them the following May/June if they don't perform?

I hear what your saying infielddad, but I can tell you that some D1 schools are telling kids that the scholarship offers are for all four years.

Because so many transactions occur before the NCAA allows formal commitments, the whole recruiting system depends on trust.

Yes, some players and coaches will attempt to exploit the lack of enforceability of verbal commitments, but they are a minority and we should endeavor to make this minority even smaller.

Instead of devaluing your word because you assume (with no evidence) that the coach doesn't value his, it would be better to honor your word because you expect the coach to honor his.

quote:

Originally posted by Brickhouse:
I hear what your saying infielddad, but I can tell you that some D1 schools are telling kids that the scholarship offers are for all four years.

Yes there are. And there are some fairly simple (and probing) questions a parent can ask...and get responses too (in writing) that make it clear what that coach's and that school's policy and practice are on this issue.

I find that most (we have dealt with...which is a fairly large number across two sons) are required by their athletic department and administration to behave in the 'better' way. The ones that aren't...are fairly easy to unearth...either through their answers or a little research.

Having just returned from son #2's official visit to his future school and talking to parents of other 'commits,' I'd say the other parents have done a good job of unearthing the same schools that we did.

I'm not saying not to honor your word. All I am saying as that I know of incidents of players who did and were hurt by schools not honoring their word.

Excellent post Swampboy. Much better than mine.

I believe most colleges will renew or adjust the scholarship every year. Some will not, though.

However, when a player feels he is no longer wanted as a scholarship player at his school, things get a bit uncomfortable.

The bottom line is that scholarships are for one year, no matter what anyone says. This in itself means that every player has to earn next years scholarship. Same as if they were on an academic scholarship.

When someone mentions things like grades and misconduct being the only things that can cause loss of scholarship, think about how they might define misconduct. The superstar who is late for practice isn't going to lose his scholarship due to being late. However, is that considered misconduct for the player they no longer want?

If they want to get rid of a player, they will figure out how to do it.

I really see nothing wrong about all this. Isn't it how the world operates?

Lets say your son is a 2011 grad after is junior year is approached by a D1 on official offer day in July. Offered a full ride. This school is not is first choice. The school he would love to play for as not made any contact or seen any of is games. He waits a few weeks after playing a few more summer tournaments still nothing from the D1 school he wants to play for. He decides to commit to the D1 school that made him the offer. Low and behold the D1 school he really wanted to play for contacts him and makes him an offer - for sake of argument offers same full ride.

Based on your thoughts he verbally commited and should stick with that commitment. I say nothing signed so why not play for your dream school.

Justbaseball--You make some good points. There is something to sticking to your word. I do think that the difficulty comes when you commit to one place and later on a better school offers which was not on the radar originally.

Chinnychinchin, perhaps the better thing to do is to be honest with the D2. If your son likes it there and could play for the coach and really likes the school (very important), and the academics are what he is looking for (also very important-he does eventually have to get a job), then tell the coach that you'll come, barring a dream offer from a D1. We talked with dozens of coaches, and most were realistic on that issue. They will not expect you to pass up a D1 offer for lower ball. I assure you, most coaches will not hesitate at all to bump your son if a dream D1 player later falls through the cracks and wants to play for them.

Also, I would be careful about setting up a D1 as the dream scenario. Our school has sent off many players to D1 over the years (SEC, SoCoN,etc.,). As of yet, none have played. Sure, they all had bragging rights at the end of their senior year, but in the end was it worth it? My son's D3 team has an SEC transfer who realized he would never play at his school and came over so he could get a chance to start. He was miserable riding the bench. Still he may be beaten out by other players ahead of him this year.

Your son needs to ask the coaches if they really like him to start or they see him as a situational player. "He has a chance to start," is not the assurance you are looking for. . .he also has a chance of finding the cure for cancer as a freshman Both are as likely when a coach says that. Also is the lower d1 a chronically losing team? My son had a similar decision to yours and decided from experience that being on a chronically losing team is not fun. Far better to play for a very good D3 or a good to very good d2.

Brickhouse,

The thread began on the issue of making a commit a player might not want to keep.

Renewing scholarships is an entirely separate issue. PG Staff summarized the situation well. I'd just like to add two points:

1. Every recruiting/scholarship discussion is conducted with the assumption that the player will progress well through his college career. It's very easy for players and parents to interpret these concversations as promises, when every sentence they're hearing really begins with a silent, "Assuming everything works out . . ." Expectations and promises are two different things. When things don't work out, it doesn't mean anyone lied.

2. It's generally understood that the higher the level of competition, the more likely it is for players performing below expectations to separate from the baseball team through personal choice, being helped out to find other opportunities, or being pushed out. When players commit to play in the SEC, PAC-10, ACC or other top conferences, they know they are entering an intensely competitive environment where non-performance will have consequences. In nearly every case, these players deliberately choose this challenge over more secure situations in less elite conferences. Again, when things don't work out, it doesn't mean anyone lied.

I agree that the rule is to stand by your word. But as with all rules there are exceptions. We are talking about a major life decision. Ideally, yes, I would like my son to stay committed after giving a verbal. But in this situation a change of heart is acceptable and understandable, and by me, encouraged if it is well thought out and is a better fit. Besides, in a decommitment situation, nobody gets hurt. The player gets the school he wants and the spurned program will just find someone else, who by the way may be a player who had no options until your son decommitted, thereby giving someone else the chance of a lifetime. Do you really think a program wants a kid to stay just to keep his word when he really wants to be somewhere else? I think if you ask most coaches, to a man they would tell you they want the player to want to be there.

2013dad,
In trying to envision what you are saying, it seems that there are two aspects to the "commitment." The first is your son can change his mind.
Implicit in that is the concept that after he makes his commitment, he will continue to look and talk with other programs. If he tells other programs he has committed, most will honor that. Not all, but most.
Are you saying that your son is okay to commit, okay to continue to look after he gives his word, okay to change his mind for a "better" perceived opportunity, okay to then decommit, and they okay to verbal again, all in the name of baseball?
My view/response is if all of that is roughly correct, there cannot be any complaints if, at the end of the first year, or before, if the coaching staff were to leave before your son steps into the classroom, there is a change of view from the coaches and they either don't ask him back or move to another player.
Personally, I think swampboy has provided a wonderful assessment of this entire situation.
We can rationalize this in many ways.
Integrity of our word is what our son's and we as parents bring to the process.