You're a full time student. You have your required training and practice schedule. You have your fall scrimmage and spring regular season schedule. Then, you have your own personal training program.
How is a college baseball player supposed to work and make some money, on top of all that?
It seems impossible. Or, is it possible?
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My son does door dash near campus whenever he has a few extra hours. Not a lot of $$ but it keeps him from asking me for spending money.
And during breaks he makes as much $$ as possible doing whatever.
@Francis7 - I've got no easy answer for you especially if your son is healthy, and a position player....they've got no free time between batting practice, weight training, fielding practice, etc..... The only time my son (pitcher) worked a part time job was when he was injured his junior year. He was recruited (by one of his professors) to work on campus at a particle accelerator lab. My son absolutely loved the experience, and learned a lot.
The old timers will remember the saying, and I will repeat it for the newbees:
The college baseball player's time will be consumed with 1) studying; 2) playing/practicing baseball; or have a girlfriend/social life. The player gets to Pick TWO. (ie: working isn't even one of the options!)
Son worked baseball camps during the winter breaks. I know he took a few people home from parties for a few bucks (his own Uber lol). During the off season in pro ball, he caddied at an excusive golf club nearby where they HAD to have caddies. He loved when he carried two bags at 2x the $!
@keewart posted:The old timers will remember the saying, and I will repeat it for the newbees:
The college baseball player's time will be consumed with 1) studying; 2) playing/practicing baseball; or have a girlfriend/social life. The player gets to Pick TWO. (ie: working isn't even one of the options!)
Son worked baseball camps during the winter breaks. I know he took a few people home from parties for a few bucks (his own Uber lol). During the off season in pro ball, he caddied at an excusive golf club nearby where they HAD to have caddies. He loved when he carried two bags at 2x the $!
There’s time for a girlfriend if the girl understands the situation. My son went 600 miles and two states away to end up dating a girl from the next county. She got it. She was a softball player.
During the 4 years of baseball at MSU, we all worked, selling programs at the football and basketball game and working as a Janitor in the Girls Dorm.
During Christmas vacation I developed a "coupon book" and sold "door to door".
Bob
My son does DoorDash
I've posted this before but the university needs people to work concession stands, officiate intramural sports, etc. Find the people who take care of that stuff. In my experience and my daughter's experience, they want athletes from the university to do those things.
@BB and BB posted:My son does door dash near campus whenever he has a few extra hours. Not a lot of $$ but it keeps him from asking me for spending money.
My son did this as well. Friday and Saturday nights were especially lucrative and kept him out of the bars, not that he was inclined that direction anyway.
My son's team had to "do lines" for the women's volleyball team during their fall tournaments. Not a bad gig for the work....if you have ever seen a women's volleyball game. 
That is where my son met his wife....6'4" and 6'0"...hoping for a lefty boy.
I would guess that my son spends at least 20% of the hours he's awake, each day, and probably more, doing something baseball training related or in the gym. That's outside of game days where the number goes up much higher.
I would also guess that time, even at minimum wage, or thereabouts, is worth about $15k a year in gross earnings. That's a bottom line estimate.
That's not a king's ransom but it's sure better having, than not having, especially when you're in your 20's, have a car, a girlfriend and the appetite that comes with having a 20 year old's metabolism. This doesn't even mention college costs.
There's definitely a financial sacrifice for the college baseball player. Maybe it doesn't matter to the kid whose parents have a combined gross income of $400K or more? But, for the middle class kid, or those below that line, it's real.
Many of our players drive Uber in there spare moments. They also work the dining halls since the hours are so flexible.
@BOF posted:My son's team had to "do lines" for the women's volleyball team during their fall tournaments. Not a bad gig for the work....if you have ever seen a women's volleyball game.
My daughter is 5’10. My son in law is 6’3”. I’m left handed. My son is left handed. I had the same thoughts as you. So far there’s a girl and another girl on the way. My daughter mentioned the possibility of having a third. She wants to see how two kids and two arms/hands works first. She waited until mid thirties for the first for career reasons.
The bigger issue is while she played college softball he played college lacrosse. Imagine what a 6’3” guy built like linebacker running at you with a big stick looks like.
My son and his wife plan to start working on having babies this year. Her family is all girls.
When it nets out all you can hope for is healthy kids. The rest is a bonus.
@Francis7 posted:I would guess that my son spends at least 20% of the hours he's awake, each day, and probably more, doing something baseball training related or in the gym. That's outside of game days where the number goes up much higher.
I would also guess that time, even at minimum wage, or thereabouts, is worth about $15k a year in gross earnings. That's a bottom line estimate.
That's not a king's ransom but it's sure better having, than not having, especially when you're in your 20's, have a car, a girlfriend and the appetite that comes with having a 20 year old's metabolism. This doesn't even mention college costs.
There's definitely a financial sacrifice for the college baseball player. Maybe it doesn't matter to the kid whose parents have a combined gross income of $400K or more? But, for the middle class kid, or those below that line, it's real.
Challenges at younger ages can make for mentally stronger adults. I’ve had friends who thought I never had a tough day in my life. I told them never be fooled by appearances. There can be a lot of hell going on behind the door of the big brick house with two luxury cars in the driveway. I learned everything is survivable if you tell yourself you can make it and never stop looking for solutions.
Looking back I have a sense of humor about it. I tell friends I used the George Costanza theory to raise my kids. If everything my parents did was wrong, do the opposite.
I can understand how a kid not having money at certain ages can feel. But there are far worse things that can happen. There are far worse things that can happen than what I dealt with.
In answer to the original question, I believe college baseball is a job and as a parent you give the amount of support you feel appropriate based on means and parenting culture (there’s no right answer).
That being said, most college ball players can make way more giving lessons than running door dash…
@JucoDad posted:In answer to the original question, I believe college baseball is a job and as a parent you give the amount of support you feel appropriate based on means and parenting culture (there’s no right answer).
That being said, most college ball players can make way more giving lessons than running door dash…
One thing about Doordash, my son's roommate did it last year and the two of them got some meals out of it. Not sure how it works but I think it had something to do with people canceling their orders and the dasher got to keep the food?
The bigger thing I wanted to talk about was the lessons. By me, this has EXPLODED in the summer and winter break. Any and every kid is offering themselves on social media to give lessons. I'm not lying.
The kid who was the 5th OF on the HS team and who is on the JV club team (yes, the JV club team) is home for the Winter and available to give your kid hitting lessons for $30 an hour.
The kid who is playing D3 and only pitched in 3 of 50 games as a freshman and who played in just two games for his summer team walking 12 batters in 2.3 innings pitched is home for the summer and available to give your kid pitching lessons for $40 and hour.
The kid who is a junior at one of the lowest ranked D1 programs in the country and has a career batting average of .072 in the 43 ABs he got in his first two years is willing to teach your kid hitting for just $25 and hour as long as he's willing to split the hour with another student.
I'm not making this up. These are all kids that played against my son in HS. And, I see many more who are similar making themselves available for lessons "when they are home."
A friend of mine sees this differently. He thinks "Hey, little Johnny is getting some reps and it's not costing all that much."
I have no idea if these guys are actually getting "students." But, I see the social media posts where they are trying. And, it's A LOT of them. The market is flooded, at least by me.
I agree FT school and training plus a peppering of a social life does not really leave time for work. Bless those who find the time. For my kid, he has no ride but works hard during breaks and uses that $$ plus the family subsidies to keep him above the poverty line (barely) during the school year. We don't give him grief, but we do collect receipts; figuratively for me and literally for mom.
Best players <> best coaches.
Dropped by an auto supply shop today and ran into one of our son's summer ball teammates working behind the counter (I had seen him there this past summer, too). He started working there right after he graduated HS this spring with the intent of parlaying that into job at the same chain where he goes to school. Said that each location has been very flexible regarding his schedule and that he has been able to get a lot of hours over winter break and will be working there next summer, too. Well done, young man!
