When is it not worth it?

Only your son can reach the proper conclusion for himself to his own circumstances.

As is your son ours is going through finals now but his season ended when his team failed to progress out of the single elimination round of his league tournament.

But I can tell when speaking to him that the enthusiasm is gone for the 5:30AM runs and the 9PM to Midnite practices.

Summerball probably is out of the question now...he says, just don't know, and let me wait and see how I feel. If he is like many of our sons he has been playing without stopping since he was 8 yrs/old.

Next year will be his last year of eligibility and his senior year in college. The confluence will be to meld the academics with athletics once again. But if he just wants to kick back this summer and count butterflies it will be okay with me. In my eyes he's earned a break.

Maybe you should give your son one too.
JMO

IMO, no matter what division, it should be the responsibility of the coach to find a balance between practice, game schedule and exams. Most D1 schools do not hold games during exam time and limited practice during that period. I guess that may be one of the benefits to that division. IMO, it'a shame that the NCAA doesn't address and be concerned with these issues with other divisions. A college player is a student athlete no matter where he attends or plays.

It's very difficult finding a coach who understands that classes and grades comes before bb. That is and should be a very big part of the recruiting process. Something we spoke to his HC about, he told us that school comes first and I have to tell you that was EXACTLY how it went down. It doesn't always happen that way. A good coach's responsibility should not only help the athlete to compete on the field but in the classroom as well. One needs to learn life skills as well as baseball skills.
Also a good coach, teaches the player responsibility as to what he needs to do to succeed and help the team be successful. I am not understanding why a coach is having team runs at 5:30 am this time of year.

Just my opinion, but I feel a college player should never sacrifice his education for the game, I don't care how talented he is.

It's very difficult to get to and succeed at the next level, a player has to at one time choose his priorities and if education comes first, there is nothing wrong with that.

Competing in the classroom for many is more difficult than competing on the field.

Sometimes summers off are great, I don't think folks realize how important that time is to lay back, chill out and maybe even do nothing or something different. Mine did it his first summer in college (not play summer ball) and it really recharged his batteries and by end of summer he was more than ready to get back to the grind.

I understand what these guys are going through because it happened to me back in the day. I went to a pretty strong NAIA school and was playing baseball my first two years. Now let me first say I wasn't the greatest student because I was very immature in that area. Also, a senior who I played with during my freshman year became a head coach at a local high school and he asked me to help him.

So I was going to school, playing and coaching at the same time. I honestly got tired of playing because I rarely got in games. I really didn't deserve to get into games because I wasn't that good. They kept me because I was a catcher and could receive the ball well so I stayed in the bullpen. I finally started hating the work I was putting in and knowing I wasn't going to get the reward of playing. Added to the fact when I wasn't with my college team I was with the high school team and my grades started slipping.

I had to make a choice and I chose school and coaching over playing. I realized that without school I couldn't do either one and I knew coaching would be my future so I started it.

Long story trying to end now - it wasn't baseball that pulled my grades down and it's not baseball that is making it tough on your son. It's losing the desire to play and it happens. I fell behind in classes because I chose not to study and prepare for class. Let me ask you this - your son has practice from 8 to midnight and he says it's getting in the way of school. What time does his last class end? If it ends around 3 pm then that gives him 5 hours to study and prepare.

I'm just saying baseball and academics can coexist if the person is willing to work hard and make use of his time.

I do not know if it is the coaches "responsibility" as TPM claims, that is open to interpretation, but I do know that the "good" coaches make sure the balance between academics and athletics is taken care of.

Just be aware that in some/many Division III schools many coaches have no say regarding the academics due to the fact that the administration thinks academics first and athletics second and is adamant about keeping it that way.


I will add this to what Coach says---if the player wants it he will make it work---keep in mind they are no longer children--they are maturing young men--decisions have to be made--thus we see some of them flunking out and others not

quote:

Originally posted by TPM:
Sometimes summers off are great, I don't think folks realize how important that time is to lay back, chill out and maybe even do nothing or something different.

I dont think some people realize how important it is to do exactly the opposite of what you just posted.

Some "people" are hard core grinders.
You know - the types that just keep going and going and going - and its all a competition - in the classroom and on the field.

A real - grinding - every day - spill your guts or die trying competition.

I think that is really cool - and what makes watching both of my sons so enjoyable.

Win or lose - good or bad - you gotta put a stake through their hearts to stop them.

That is real desire - and real passion - and what makes waking up every day worth it. IMO.

quote:

Originally posted by ILVBB:
I received a call this morning from my son, he just had one of his finals. While he said that it went alright, he knows that he will be lucky to just pass the class. He is at the point questioning whether playing baseball makes sense when you are at an academic school.

While his team qualified for the NCAA tournament, they still have practice. Last night he had a "mandatory" practice from 8pm to midnight (it really didn't end until after midnight), so much for studying for a final. Tonight, because there are no finals on Sunday, the team again has an all nite practice, in spite of finals on Monday and Tuesday.

During the last 2-weeks of classes he missed all his Thursday, Friday and Monday classes because of baseball travel.

He loves playing baseball, but he is questioning does it make sense if you can not compete in the classroom, if you are only "getting by."

In D3 ball, they get no tutors, travel is done on the cheap, athletes can be the last to register for classes and many a professor is less than sympathetic.

Is it worth it? Have your son's questioned the value of playing versus the cost to their education? When is it better to call it a career and move on and focus on your academics?

If his academics are suffering at the expense of baseball it may be time to give up baseball. No tutors, cheap travel and issues with registering for classes and professors are only obstacles until the player isn't happy and chooses to use them as excuses to not go on.

Only two things matter:

1) How much does your son love the game?
2) It's his decision.

As a parent you can only support the decision. A parent might say they are paying for college so it's part their decision. I disagree. My daughter is in college. I'm making an investment in her future. Should she make bad decisions I may chose not to invest further. But she's making the decisions. She's a young adult. I don't own a helicopter.

quote:

Originally posted by itsinthegame:

quote:

Originally posted by TPM:
Sometimes summers off are great, I don't think folks realize how important that time is to lay back, chill out and maybe even do nothing or something different.

I dont think some people realize how important it is to do exactly the opposite of what you just posted.

Some "people" are hard core grinders.
You know - the types that just keep going and going and going - and its all a competition - in the classroom and on the field.

A real - grinding - every day - spill your guts or die trying competition.

I think that is really cool - and what makes watching both of my sons so enjoyable.

Win or lose - good or bad - you gotta put a stake through their hearts to stop them.

That is real desire - and real passion - and what makes waking up every day worth it. IMO.

Maybe it's just a matter of some seeing the glass half empty or the glass half full.

One shouldn't always be under the assumption that you will not succeed by not being a hard core grinder and driving stakes through their hearts.

This is about finding a balance between college and sports participation, in this case baseball. I think that's why most businesses give their employees vacations, sometimes you just need a break to revive and recharge.

After 65 or so games and a FIVE game a week schedule, first year, it was suggested that son take the summer off. Not sure if this really was bad advice. Especially for a pitcher who just put in lots of time on the mound.

I am watching some of those "hard core" guys who are now juniors ready for draft and the steam has just gone out of them. For many who were no where near considered top prospects, never played summer ball and took time off for classes or to rejuvenate, will make a lot of money in a month. Because one feels the need to do this, doesn't mean they have less passion than someone who hits the field more than they do.

The will and desire to succeed at anything you do comes from within and everyone is different and approaches the game differently. Many who can seperate themselves from the game as they leave the field are very successful.

I think it's really cool watching mine too, he'll come at yah like someone who wants to drive in the stake, but at the end of the day, he needs to leave that game (good or bad)behind and go home and not think about baseball. Finding a balance in his life that was once dominated by school and baseball and now just baseball is something that's important to him. You may not consider that type a "grinder".

Every player is different and as parents it's hard very often, at time, to give advice. The player needs to decide on his own if and when the time comes to hang it up, or push on, or just take a break.

TPM,

I didnt say one single word about passion.

I said that many people dont feel the way you do about taking time time off.

I also said that some players are grinders - that is who they are - and that is what they do - and that does not mean they have no balance between academics and athletics.

As I said before - some people are grinders - and they need to grind because that is who they are. And if they dont grind - every day - they are miserable.

So - for many - I dont think your advice will work - and for others - I am sure it will.

And when all is said and done - not a single word you or I say will make one iota of difference - because its in the player and its in the game - whatever game that may be.

IMO.