I know for many of us this question can be far reaching and quite deep. What our son's will actually learn as they mature and grow while playing this game whether they be the kinds of lesson's that were meant for a purpose, or those they learn through adversity, hardship, sweat, and tears. No matter how you look at, in the end a lesson of some proportion was learned. And with those lesson's they will become stronger and more adapt to withstanding anything that comes their way in the future. So many lesson's they learn helps them figure out what things are more important on and off the field. Things that were more important in high school aren't so relevant any longer. Things they face now teach them resolve, humility, and determination that they perhaps would not have gotten by being only a student. The game of baseball I know for certain has shaped my son into the confident, humble and determined young man he is today without a doubt. There were many things he faced during his college days that I would not have wished for him to go through for anything however, hindsight, now I am glad he did because he learned about who he was through the storms. Parents, if your son hasn't gone through any rough patches yet just be prepared for it/them when and if they occur. Your reaction to them will go a long way as he watches your lead. You don't always have to come to the rescue and figure things out for him so let him try it alone with you standing in the background. And just pray for him as he does. We all know the ridiculous percentages of those players in this game who actually ever make it a MLB roster but, we try to put it out of our mind and justly so as we only want to see our son's dreams come true. But I can tell you this from first hand experience: help foster his growth now as he learns how to make his own decisions, face his own battles, figures out the things that matter most, and in doing so you will see him equipping himself for a better, stronger future out in the real world where baseball may not even exist.
What prompted this post today was I have a college just above my house called North Georgia College (D2). They usually have a very competitive team in their conference each year. They just participated in a Make-a-Wish event for a local young boy who wanted to "sign" with the team. North Georgia was playing West Florida and with the help of both teams and coaches, they made this 10yr old boy's dream come true like you couldn't believe. As I watched the short video I watched the players and how they were a vital part in this. How they touched this boys life, his family, the fans, etc. To me this is what baseball is and can be about which is having an impact on other's lives. I've attached a link to the video to watch and you may want to have a kleenex around as you watch. Just saying.
http://ungathletics.com/news/2...42.aspx?path=general
YGD
