So the original question is why play college baseball if you don’t aspire to play pro baseball?
I’ve long thought that baseball is a great game to teach young men about life. Rules, teamwork, goals, responsibility, achievement, competition, dedication, adversity, reliability, emotion, perserverance. Master these things and you are well on your way to succeeding in life.
My son is just wrapping up the first semester of his freshman year. He has faced and dealt with more in the past five months than I did in the first five years I was out of high school.
Moving to a new state, grocery shopping, cooking, studying, lifting, running, practicing, meeting new people and learning how to get along with those new people, dealing with demanding coaches, demanding teachers, demanding schedules, competing with others at his position, a couple of weird health issues mixed in there…he has grown immensely in five months.
Does he want to play pro ball? Absolutely. Do I want him to? Absolutely. Will he? I have no idea. Will he be okay if he doesn’t? Darn right. If I were a business owner, I’d love to hire college athletes. If they can manage 3-4 years of that schedule and succeed both on and off the field, I’d hire them in a heartbeat.
Here's another reason not to get so hung up on D1 baseball. Pro ball isn't for everyone. D1 baseball isn't for everyone. But college baseball can be for so many.
Look at how many levels there are. So many different sizes of schools with varying athletic and academic aspirations.
There was a great NCAA commercial that ran last winter. "99% of our student athletes go pro in something other than baseball, basketball, etc."
Look at how many levels there are. So many different sizes of schools with varying athletic and academic aspirations.
There was a great NCAA commercial that ran last winter. "99% of our student athletes go pro in something other than baseball, basketball, etc."
quote:Originally posted by itsinthegame:
The only real reason to play baseball (or any other sport) is to win.
Have to respectfully disagree. It has nothing to do with winning. Ask Don Beebe why he stopped Leon Lett from scoring an assumed easy TD in Dallas's runaway Super Bowl win.
I agree with RedSoxFan.
It is about doing your best. Successful people are those who do their best, day in and day out. Sometimes you can win without doing your best. That is nothing to be proud of. Sometimes you lose despite doing your best. That is something to be proud of.
Winning is an adrenalin rush. I love winning and hate losing. But winning involves circumstances beyond your control. The guy I want in my corner is the one who does his best, even if there's no chance of winning.
Competing at anything - academics, baseball, whatever, gives you an opportunity to prove to yourself that you can give whatever you are doing your all.
It is about doing your best. Successful people are those who do their best, day in and day out. Sometimes you can win without doing your best. That is nothing to be proud of. Sometimes you lose despite doing your best. That is something to be proud of.
Winning is an adrenalin rush. I love winning and hate losing. But winning involves circumstances beyond your control. The guy I want in my corner is the one who does his best, even if there's no chance of winning.
Competing at anything - academics, baseball, whatever, gives you an opportunity to prove to yourself that you can give whatever you are doing your all.
If you only love baseball when you win - you do not love baseball - you just love winning. If you are truly passionate about the game you love it even when your losing. Playing college baseball is -in part - about being unable to imagine NOT playing baseball.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ay4EQnZxEUo
Watch this video and you will know why my kid, and kids like him, play college baseball. This video explains it better than I ever could.
Watch this video and you will know why my kid, and kids like him, play college baseball. This video explains it better than I ever could.
[QUOTE]Originally posted by twotex:
Winning is an adrenalin rush. I love winning and hate losing. But winning involves circumstances beyond your control. The guy I want in my corner is the one who does his best, even if there's no chance of winning.
Winning is an adrenalin rush. I love winning and hate losing. But winning involves circumstances beyond your control. The guy I want in my corner is the one who does his best, even if there's no chance of winning.
quote:Originally posted by YesReally:
If you only love baseball when you win - you do not love baseball - you just love winning. If you are truly passionate about the game you love it even when your losing. Playing college baseball is -in part - about being unable to imagine NOT playing baseball.
Now THAT is something I can agree with!
quote:Originally posted by HRKB:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ay4EQnZxEUo
Watch this video and you will know why my kid, and kids like him, play college baseball. This video explains it better than I ever could.
That IS awesome! Those players will be very successful after college...in MLB or otherwise.
I was interviewing for the position of Head RA yesterday and they asked this of me - "Tell me a positive about playing baseball here that helps redeem the fact that it would take time away from the job you're interviewing for."
I told them that if I have a bad warm-up and my name is called, I still go out to the mound. You don't ask out because you don't think you're "on" today. Baseball asks you to perform when the chips may be stacked against you, even if (mentally) you stacked them against yourself. This is a lesson best learned on repeat - too often in our ventures off the field, we are able to take the easy way out. Not on gameday, though.
What better experience than being forced to perform under conditions that you don't feel are ideal? If I wake up with a migraine, I'm still pitching that day. If I wake up with a migraine, now I'm not going to call in sick to my job either.
I think many ballplayers aren't sufficiently challenged in high school, be it on the field or having off the field circumstances that have to be overcome when it's time to play. I believe my experience (and continuing experience) of dealing with that kind of challenge makes college baseball invaluable. I'll still be going to practice and games and will be expected to perform well, regardless of how much time I needed to spend on homework/friends/hobbies/etc prior to practice.
I told them that if I have a bad warm-up and my name is called, I still go out to the mound. You don't ask out because you don't think you're "on" today. Baseball asks you to perform when the chips may be stacked against you, even if (mentally) you stacked them against yourself. This is a lesson best learned on repeat - too often in our ventures off the field, we are able to take the easy way out. Not on gameday, though.
What better experience than being forced to perform under conditions that you don't feel are ideal? If I wake up with a migraine, I'm still pitching that day. If I wake up with a migraine, now I'm not going to call in sick to my job either.
I think many ballplayers aren't sufficiently challenged in high school, be it on the field or having off the field circumstances that have to be overcome when it's time to play. I believe my experience (and continuing experience) of dealing with that kind of challenge makes college baseball invaluable. I'll still be going to practice and games and will be expected to perform well, regardless of how much time I needed to spend on homework/friends/hobbies/etc prior to practice.
The reason you play is because you love playing.
It's real simple: If you have to ask that question you'll never understand the answer.
I am consistently amazed, in such a positive way, when the college players like JPontiac and JH post their views and responses to questions like this.
Each of their posts in this thread, to my reading, is so powerful.
Different, powerful, and illustrations of how powerfully collegiate baseball empowers their spirit to the core.
Wonderful!
Each of their posts in this thread, to my reading, is so powerful.
Different, powerful, and illustrations of how powerfully collegiate baseball empowers their spirit to the core.
Wonderful!
quote:I'll still be going to practice and games and will be expected to perform well, regardless of how much time I needed to spend on homework/friends/hobbies/etc prior to practice.
JPontiac - This is huge. I see this attitude differentiate people in the work place, because it is not all that common. It is also a plus you see in many young veterans. They tell me that after you've been shot at, overcoming a few minor obstacles at work doesn't seem that tough.
Passion to play the game.
The one on one competition of a hitter vs. pitcher, yet working for the common goal of winning as a team. Nothing better to prepare oneself for the greatest competition of all - life.
Why would you want to give that up?
Why would you want to give that up?
From a parents point of view: play baseball to help pay for college. Combined with an academic scholarship he is getting a great education and saving us lots of money.
From my son's point of view: play baseball because he loves it!
From my son's point of view: play baseball because he loves it!
you play whenever and wherever because of your love of the game
Hopefully you'll forgive the football video, but Kirk Cousins (QB MSU) explains exactly what it's all about, why he plays college sports, and what responsibility comes with it. I don't know young Mr. Cousins, but I like him a whole lot more after watching this.