What is the impact on a player

Are you complaining ? Seems like he will get to see quite a bit of playing time next spring.

While most younger recruits do learn from the older players, it doesn't always work that way.
Most likely the pitching coach will become his mentor.

Definately not complaining. This is an opportunity that few freshman get. Would love the pitching coach to be his mentor he is a great guy both on and off the field. I was just wondering if not having that older player will impact him...

Playing will help him more than advice. I would say, embrace your good fortune!

The pitchers will mentor him.

The pitching coach will mentor him.

His teammates (all of them) will understand how important he is to their overall success and they will all mentor him.

Have a great time with it!

allaboutbaseball ~ Former Observer's son is a D1 catcher that might be able to help you with answers. Shoot him a PM. He's very knowledgable and one of the good guys!

Your son is in a great position! As justbaseball said, all the players and all the coaches will mentor your son. Unlike most high school settings, the majority of the college population is made up of very high caliber individuals that are there because they want to be there and they all want to better themselves. Your son will have no problems being an integral part of his team. My son came into a large D-1 program and was the starting catcher as a freshman. Of course it was a challenge assuming that role but I have no doubt that that challenge made him a better ball player and a more mature person and the support from the staff and his teammates was great. I was pleasantly surprised the almost immediate bond developed between my son and the other players when he came in as a freshman.
I think you might be trying to compare a college freshman to a high school freshman. You will soon realize there is no comparison. The division between upper classmen and underclassmen is minimal on the college baseball field. These “freshmen” are young men that can handle the job or they wouldn’t be there. I think you will find this to be more difficult on you than it will be on your son.
Fungo

quote:

In the blink of an eye my son is being considered by the coaches the "starter" before we have even dropped him off as a Freshman.

And, in the blink of an eye there might be a juco transfer arive on the scene about 1/15/07.

To mentor him.

Hit.

It will be a busy Fall for your son. Remind him often to keep the experience in perspective. He did not do to school only to be a catcher. He went to school to be a student then a catcher. This is a huge challenge, and there may be some pressures that all Freshmen will have to endure.

I'm not throwing a scare tatic out there because this message can be used by any incoming Freshman, just keep those feet planted and the nose to the book.

quote:

FormerObserver says;
And, in the blink of an eye there might be a juco transfer arive on the scene about 1/15/07 to mentor him.

That may be hard to accept but good point on the realities of the situation

I understand your concern. Alot depends on how ready your son is to take on the role as the starting catcher at the level he is going to be playing. Some kids can handle it and some need some time. Having an upperclassman there can work one of two ways. If the guy is a stud and is a good teamate it can be a very good situation. If the guy is marginal and feels threatened by your son then you can have some friction and some tough situations along the way. Either way you can bet that the coach is not going to go into the season with one option or just three freshman as options. As an earlier poster stated look for a juco possibly or a posistion change for another player to add some older depth at the posistion. Then the best guy will win out either way. Good Luck

Great comments from all and thanks. Funny thing is I have to agree that I am the nervous one not my son. As we are a week from dropping him off for college, last night I asked him if he was ready to start college and we talked about classes and study hall... the things that are the real reason you go to school. Then my husband asked him if he was ready to play ball and he said "I've worked my whole life for this chance Dad, I'm ready." so in closing I guess he is ready and time for me to sit back and enjoy the show

Which school?

allaboutbaseball,

Your Son is a lucky young man and will do great I am sure. Our Son is a Catcher too. This Summer when his season was over he was lucky to be invited to play with a Collegiate League. We really thought that he was going there to be there bullpen Catcher being that he is only a rising Highschool player. But the Coach threw him out there with the College guys. It was fantastic for him. When he missed a week to go play with another team in a Tournament the Coach called to see how he was doing and stated that the guys on his College team were asking about him. When he got back they all congratulated him on the fact that his team came in second at the Tournament. Son said not once did these Guys rag on him for being so young. They did call him "kid" but that was it. They considered him a teammate and treated him as such. I don't think anything he has done up to this time has been better for him. He actually got to start for their Playoff games because the other Catcher was injured and out for the rest of the season. What a honor for him. I quess my point is if your Son is good they others will see that. then he will just be another player on the team that they respect. His age will never come into play.