For as much sht that gets flipped towards @Francis7, kudos are in order for this thread. As well as those responding. Thus far, people are willing to show a more sensitive/vulnerable side of things. That's not at all easy and I sincerely appreciate it. This is absolutely stuff that few are comfortable letting out and certainly things that PG, PBR, and many others never want shared.
How long ago was your son a college freshman baseball player? #1: 2017-18, #2: 2019-20
What level was he playing? Juco, D3, D2 or D1? Something else? D3 x 2
Did he stay at that school through graduation? If not, how many different colleges did he attend? #1 yes, and #2 expects to but had doubts all the way up to the flight back to school this fall.
If he switched schools, why did he switch? NA
How much did your son play as a freshman? If he did not play, was he redshirted? If he was redshirted, when was he told about it? #1 Started right away (OF);
#2 was 4th outfielder, several defensive innings, ended up with 1AB before Covid hit in 2020.
What were the biggest surprises and challenges for your son freshman year? #1 balancing academic load w/baseball. #2 homesickness (it's NOT always sunny in Philadelphia and he felt out of place, as if he was the only chilled out surfer dude in SE PA), exhaustion from pre-med courses and 6am lifting sessions, disappointed but not shocked to not crack the starting lineup like his brother had.
Overall, how was your son's experience as a freshman baseball player? Did it meet, surpass or miss his expectations? How about in regard to your expectations as a parent? #1 surpassed for both of us. Started on a team that won conference and went to NCAA regionals
#2 miss/meets. Miss due, primarily, to COVID and discomfort socially. He chose his school because of its strong baseball program so wasn't completely surprised that he didn't crack starting lineup. Still disappointed though. Meets because he Is pencilled in as starting CF after a very strong fall. Thinks he would have been a starter in '21 but season completely cancelled.
Based on your son's experience as a freshman baseball player and your's as the parent, what advice would you have for the freshman player and his parent? Player: go into freshman fall as strong and in shape as possible. Expect nothing. Remember who/what got you there. Parent: Give them space but don't disappear. Don't stress on playing time. Not in your control (it never was). See as many games as you can.
Did your son complete 4 years of college baseball eligibility? If not, why? #1 has two years left but graduated and is working. #2 has 3 years left but hopes to graduate after 2.
My son’s situation is a little unique. Due to injury and surgery he received his offer the summer after senior year for the following year. He was told if he came to school immediately he could try to walk on without guarantees. He chose to try to walk on the first year. He lost out to a late bloomer pitcher now in the majors. He offered to be a bullpen catcher freshman year to start building his connection to the team. His redshirt freshman year he received baseball money.
How long ago was your son a college freshman baseball player?
Freshman: ten years, Baseball: nine years
What level was he playing? Juco, D3, D2 or D1? Something else?
D1
Did he stay at that school through graduation? If not, how many different colleges did he attend?
He had five years to play four. He left with a BA and MBA.
If he switched schools, why did he switch?
NA
How much did your son play as a freshman? If he did not play, was he redshirted? If he was redshirted, when was he told about it?
As previously explained he knew going in his offer was for the following year. His first six appearances were as a pinch runner. He played in the first game. Stole a base off a former travel teammate and scored. By mid season he was starting against right handed pitching.
What were the biggest surprises and challenges for your son freshman year?
His biggest surprise (due to my reaction) were his grades first semester. He learned he was actually going to have to work hard to get A’s. Once he started hitting the books it was how little free time he had between academics and baseball. Until college my son had mastered procrastination and falling out of trees while scoring a perfect ten when his feet hit the ground. He learned being a STEM major in college wasn’t going to be an easy ride.
Overall, how was your son's experience as a freshman baseball player? Did it meet, surpass or miss his expectations? How about in regard to your expectations as a parent?
His freshman year he was warned he might not make it as a walk on. He had a lot of stress on him his redshirt freshman year. I nearly died (beat one in six survival odds) in late February. I was in the hospital and rehab until April. Once I came out of my coma I kept reassuring him I would be fine, don’t fly home, focus on school, baseball and I’ll make it to a series in May.
Based on your son's experience as a freshman baseball player and your's as the parent, what advice would you have for the freshman player and his parent?
My son made the same mistake I did. His additional mistake was not listening to my advice from experience. Don’t assume the academics will be easy. He was majoring in Economics/Quantitative Analytics aka Calculus. Don’t fall behind on reading assignments.
Everyone on the roster can play. Whether or not you win a position (and hold on to it) is likely to be more mental than physical.
Did your son complete 4 years of college baseball eligibility? If not, why?
No. He played through a broken bone in his foot his redshirt junior year. He had surgery after the season. He found out early February of redshirt senior year he needed a second surgery. He could have applied for a medical redshirt since he wasn’t officially redshirted his freshman year. After five years, two degrees and an awesome job (from a summer internship) on the horizon he decided he had enough college. Plus, he didn’t want to be twenty-four hanging out with teens. Since he was rostered he was in the dugout for home games.
I had a softball playing daughter. The answers are ..
Fifteen years, D1, Yes, NA, Fourth outfielder played in two-thirds of games, no surprises or challenges as things were as she expected, get ahead of the academics/daughter was so scared of the unknown as a STEM major she got a 4.0 first semester, Yes
@Francis7 posted:Anyone willing to answer some or all of the following questions?
How long ago was your son a college freshman baseball player? 2019
What level was he playing? Juco, D3, D2 or D1? Something else? JuCo/D1/D2
Did he stay at that school through graduation? If not, how many different colleges did he attend? 2 schools
If he switched schools, why did he switch? Transfer after JuCo
How much did your son play as a freshman? If he did not play, was he redshirted? If he was redshirted, when was he told about it? Started 46 games at 3B
What were the biggest surprises and challenges for your son freshman year? Time management and playing thru an injury
Overall, how was your son's experience as a freshman baseball player? Did it meet, surpass or miss his expectations? How about in regard to your expectations as a parent? He hit .381 in the middle of the order for a team that won a JuCo National Championship. His year exceeded his expectations and exceeded my wildest dreams.
Based on your son's experience as a freshman baseball player and your's as the parent, what advice would you have for the freshman player and his parent? That has been well discussed. Show up ready to play.
Did your son complete 4 years of college baseball eligibility? If not, why? No, he didn’t. An injury ended his playing career prematurely
@DanJ posted:For as much sht that gets flipped towards @Francis7, kudos are in order for this thread. As well as those responding. Thus far, people are willing to show a more sensitive/vulnerable side of things. That's not at all easy and I sincerely appreciate it. This is absolutely stuff that few are comfortable letting out and certainly things that PG, PBR, and many others never want shared.
I just asked the question. All the credit should go to those answering. Much appreciated!
@Francis7 posted:Anyone willing to answer some or all of the following questions? OK I'll "play"
How long ago was your son a college freshman baseball player? 6 years ago
What level was he playing? Juco, D3, D2 or D1? Something else? D1
Did he stay at that school through graduation? If not, how many different colleges did he attend? Stayed all 4 years
If he switched schools, why did he switch? n/a
How much did your son play as a freshman? If he did not play, was he redshirted? If he was redshirted, when was he told about it? Starter from Game 1. Replaced 3 yr starter at 2nd base who became starting RF. RF had his best season and son and he remain good friends.
What were the biggest surprises and challenges for your son freshman year? Players were BIG. Son also had more swing and a misses than he was accustomed. Big Test to start career at Texas A&M! A really big challenge was not getting a hit until his 5th or 6th game. (started 1 for 21 or 1 for 23)). His coach hung with him. He was always a patient hitter, high OB%, who now had to swing at first pitch fastballs more.
Overall, how was your son's experience as a freshman baseball player? Did it meet, surpass or miss his expectations? How about in regard to your expectations as a parent? He knew going in that few would outwork him. His goal was to make the "travel squad" which he thought was a good possibility given his speed and versatility to play IF/OF. He played well in fall which carried over to his starting assignment. I honestly thought as a freshman (especially early on), son would PR or PH when a bunt was needed, or play as a sub in one-sided games. I thought if he played (and got on base) he would have his share of SBs.
Based on your son's experience as a freshman baseball player and your's as the parent, what advice would you have for the freshman player and his parent? Come in healthy and ready to go. If your son is a position player, it's important to play and get a # of ABs in summer prior. Get to know players of ALL classes not just your recruiting class. Don't underestimate the importance of fall games/intersquad games. Ask questions with players and coaches throughout to always better yourself.
Did your son complete 4 years of college baseball eligibility? If not, why? Yes. Drafted shortly after graduating from college. (Interesting that the number he was selected in draft was same number of his BA as a freshman
)
How long ago was your son a college freshman baseball player? Fall 2019
What level was he playing? Juco, D3, D2 or D1? Something else? D2 -> D1
Did he stay at that school through graduation? If not, how many different colleges did he attend?
No - Transferred after 4th semester. He’s attending 2nd school now.
If he switched schools, why did he switch?
Many reasons - it made more sense to change than stay.
The 1st school was very small and rural, and really academically more like a high school than a university. About 750 total students and over 50% were athletes.
He plans to be an engineer, and had already taken most of their math and science courses. If he stayed, he would have to major in math, but not get many courses relevant to his grad school goals. Admittedly, he/we knew when he enrolled the school had no engineering degrees and he already planned on grad school afterward, but he was really underwhelmed by the available classes which would prepare him for grad school. Our thought going in was to do the dual degree program with a nearby larger school, but that turned out to be impossible with demands of the baseball program.
On the baseball field, he felt like he was able to compete and do well at that level, but he wasn't getting a chance to show it. He had several appearances first season, but the season was shortened to about 20 games due to Covid. The team then brought in 13 Juco/Transfer pitchers before his 2nd season, and there weren't enough innings for everybody. Halfway through his second season, he still hadn't seen the field.
How much did your son play as a freshman? If he did not play, was he redshirted? If he was redshirted, when was he told about it?
Started off pretty well - he came in to the very first team game of his freshman career in the bottom of the eighth inning with his team losing by 1 run. He threw a clean inning, and then his team scored 2 to walk it off and he got a win. 2nd game of the double-header, he came in trailing again, and did OK except for leaving a fastball middle-middle and watching it sail 400 feet.
So, after the first day of his college career, he led the team in Wins, Appearances, and Feet/Hits Allowed.
Finished the season with 7 appearances, but had a high ERA due to a couple rough outings in limited innings pitched, and was just really settling in when season was cancelled.
What were the biggest surprises and challenges for your son freshman year?
Like everyone else, I think Covid really threw a big monkey wrench in his path. The first season was cancelled when he was still getting better acclimated to everything, and then he actually caught the infection during fall of his second year. He was forced to miss practices and scrimmages during a critical period of fall season, and for whatever reason he didn't perform very well in the chances he did get. He lost the confidence of the head coach, and like everywhere else, they had plenty of other guys willing step up.
Overall, how was your son's experience as a freshman baseball player? Did it meet, surpass or miss his expectations? How about in regard to your expectations as a parent?
I think he was reasonably satisfied after the freshman 2020 season, except for the whole cancellation halfway through thing. He felt like he was just getting into a groove and starting to establish his role with the team. But things were a lot different the second season. He felt like he never really was given the chance to get anything going.
He learned the value of hard work, and he did make some friendships which will last a lifetime. He also learned the negative consequences of missing his moments and falling out of grace with the coach.
As a parent, I was initially pleased as well. It was great to see him on the college field getting to do what he loved. It had been tough for us making the choice to go to this D2, because he had excellent high school academics and had been accepted into some very top-tier schools, but his dream was to keep playing ball. We evaluated all the options together, but let him make the final decision.
We as a family have had both good and bad ramifications of these decisions, and we all learned many valuable lessons. I probably had my head in the sand a little on the academic situation, because he didn't complain too much the first few semesters. He was making great grades, and I just assumed he was satisfied. As it turned out, that school was never going to be able to get him where he needed to be for the future.
Did your son complete 4 years of college baseball eligibility? If not, why?
He's now in his junior year academically, and has 4 years of eligibility. He is on track to get his first undergrad degree after next fall, and then will use another 2 or 3 semesters to finish up a 2nd undergrad degree in engineering. At that point, he will still have a year or two of eligibility, and can then decide where to go for grad school.
Based on your son's experience as a freshman baseball player and yours as the parent, what advice would you have for the freshman player and his parent?
He has worked exceptionally hard to get to this point, but has been fortunate to have help from many former coaches and mentors (including some folks on this board), and also has been blessed with more than his share of good favor from Amohalko and others in The Baseball Gods clubhouse.
Entering the Transfer Portal was a leap of faith, because he had to realize that when he entered the portal, he might have played his last college game. We knew the situation with the overloaded rosters, but he made the decision to believe in himself and take the chance.
He has been one of the few to actually go up a division and improve his lot by entering the portal. I feel for the 2021s and 2022s, but the strange actions of the NCAA have actually benefited us. He got the extra Covid year, and he took a “red-shirt” by not playing last season, and they suspended the sit-out rule to allow him to go D2–to-D1 without penalty. Right now, things are looking good for the future. He had a great fall with the new team, and everyone is excited about the coming spring season.
So, now the hard part - the advice...
Every kid and every path is different. You can read and hear about a thousand other kids (and I have), but in the end, you have to do what makes sense for your kid and your family.
Baseball has been a huge part of his life ever since he first put on a glove. He was also blessed to have a lot of choices of where to go for school, but it came down to the fact that he wasn't ready yet to quit on the game. It's often easier to say "it's too hard" but I respect and admire him for sticking to his plan. To quote some wise men, "The walls aren't there to keep you out, but only to see how badly you want in" RJM (with inspiration from Randy Pausch) and "The hard is what makes it great" Jimmy Dugan.
There is a very fine and well-disguised line between “going where you will be happy even without baseball”, and “doing whatever it takes to keep playing.” Take the time to fully investigate this question within the constraints of your family situation.
Learn as much as possible about every situation going in before committing to anything, and once you're there outwork everyone else and make every opportunity count. But, always keep your eyes on the long-term goals, and if your current situation isn't getting you closer to those goals, have the courage to make a change. I don't know for sure who first said this, but I think RJM had something to do with putting it into my brain as well: "You don't lose when you fall down - you lose when you choose to stay down in the mud hole."
Ok. Doing this for HS:
How long ago was your son a HS freshman baseball player?
4 years ago
Did he stay at that school through graduation? If not, how many different HS did he attend?
No. Changed schools in January of his Junior year so 2 schools.
If he switched schools, why did he switch?
He was told he would not be allowed to play baseball his junior year because he did not play for his HS coach’s travel organization the previous summer. He was told that the only pathway back to playing on the HS team included him playing exclusively for his HS coach’s travel organization the upcoming summer (summer between junior and senior year). Playing for the other organization was key to his college recruitment (he committed to Mississippi State fall of his junior year) and continuing to play outside of his coach’s travel team was key to his continued development as a player. Hardest part was leaving his basketball team which was ranked #8 in the nation when he left. He was fine leaving basketball behind because baseball was always his favorite but his basketball teammates and coaches were amazing.
How much did your son play as a freshman? If he did not play, was he redshirted? If he was redshirted, when was he told about it?
He was on the JV team his freshman year and played every inning, primarily in RF. Loved the JV coach and played well. His sophomore year he was on varsity. Sat at the very beginning of the year for playing basketball (basketball playoffs overlapped with one pre season baseball scrimmage). Then got some innings as DH but often had a pinch runner for him. Finally earned some innings in LF close to play offs. Switched HSs and started every inning for a nationally ranked team primarily in RF. He just finished his Rookie year in the minors for the Padres, started practically every inning in CF. Batted .372 and stole 10 bases with an OPS of 1.000. Was the Padres player of the year for the Arizona Complex league.
What were the biggest surprises and challenges for your son freshman year?
Biggest surprise is that some coaches are more wedded to their system of doing things than to fostering the unique talents of each player. And that sometimes, no matter what you do, you will never be a coach’s cup a tee so listen to the cues. If you have a quiet son and the coach loves a team that yells and screams all game it might not be a good fit. If the starting outfielders are all tall and long and your son is compact (or vis-a-versa) it might not be a good fit. If the coach talks about the importance of tucking in your shirt and a clean locker and your kid has organizational issues, it might not be a good fit. We applied this to his college selection after learning this in HS.
Overall, how was your son's experience as a freshman baseball player? Did it meet, surpass or miss his expectations? How about in regard to your expectations as a parent?
Major “miss” at his first school but so many lessons were learned. And mind you, he still would have stayed if he had been able to play with a different organization in the summer because he loved the school. But he wanted to play HS baseball. Ever since his first HS, major “meets”expectations. So far each level has prepared him for the next and although his journey is not over, we feel as though he is mentally prepared for the challenges baseball brings him.
Based on your son's experience as a freshman baseball player and your's as the parent, what advice would you have for the freshman player and his parent?
Work hard, stay true to yourself and drown out the noise (rankings, comparisons, etc). Your journey is uniquely yours so learn what you can from other people’s experiences but do not be afraid to forge your own path.
Did your son complete 4 years of college baseball eligibility? If not, why?
N/A currently chasing his professional dream and no longer has college eligibility
@Francis7 posted:How long ago was your son a college freshman baseball player? 2019What level was he playing? Juco, D3, D2 or D1? Something else? D3
Did he stay at that school through graduation? If not, how many different colleges did he attend? If he switched schools, why did he switch? N/A
How much did your son play as a freshman? If he did not play, was he redshirted? If he was redshirted, when was he told about it? He was playing regularly until covid cancelled the season.
What were the biggest surprises and challenges for your son freshman year? Having to manage his life (losing wallet, breaking phone, getting sick, figuring out meal schedules, etc.) in addition to his classes and baseball.
Overall, how was your son's experience as a freshman baseball player? Did it meet, surpass or miss his expectations? How about in regard to your expectations as a parent? From my point of view, it seemed to be going great for him, and having it cut short due to covid was devastating. For my expectations - I had read a lot on this site, and wasn't sure what to expect, except that he better show up in good shape. He got mono the summer before and barely played, couldn't do the workouts for much of the summer, I was worried that would cause him problems in the fall. But apparently he worked hard and made it up.
Based on your son's experience as a freshman baseball player and your's as the parent, what advice would you have for the freshman player and his parent? There's plenty of good advice about players; something I read on here once, figure out which upperclassmen on the team are good role models and follow their lead. About parents, be prepared for crises that you don't expect, figure out how to identify your son on grainy video broadcasts (that's what D3 has) so you know what he's doing during games.
Did your son complete 4 years of college baseball eligibility? If not, why?
What a great thread. Thanks, Francis7.
Thanks @anotherparent and @PTWood !!
@PTWood posted:Ok. Doing this for HS:
What were the biggest surprises and challenges for your son freshman year?
Biggest surprise is that some coaches are more wedded to their system of doing things than to fostering the unique talents of each player. And that sometimes, no matter what you do, you will never be a coach’s cup a tee so listen to the cues. If you have a quiet son and the coach loves a team that yells and screams all game it might not be a good fit. If the starting outfielders are all tall and long and your son is compact (or vis-a-versa) it might not be a good fit. If the coach talks about the importance of tucking in your shirt and a clean locker and your kid has organizational issues, it might not be a good fit. We applied this to his college selection after learning this in HS.
@PTWood - Excellent, excellent point. Well said. Folks currently in the recruiting process and rising college freshmen pay very close attention to these words. This is gold!
Boy, you HSBBW people are gold. I love HSBBW and appreciated it the moment I first got here, but this thread is resonating with me more than most. For those who have read through all the responses, does anyone else find it truly exceptional (if not impossible) that people aren't using these questions as a means to brag about their kids? Even the more successful stories show humility and sincere gratefulness. That is NOT normal, people. It's the Bizarro world equivalent of Twitter. The candid nature of some of this stuff belongs in books while Twitter posts belong in the garbage can. I should say it more often, but thank you all sincerely. #stupidfortunate
Good stuff, thanks
My kid is currently a freshman at a D3.
@PTWood posted:What were the biggest surprises and challenges for your son freshman year?If the starting outfielders are all tall and long and your son is compact (or vis-a-versa) it might not be a good fit.
If the coach talks about the importance of tucking in your shirt and a clean locker and your kid has organizational issues, it might not be a good fit. ?
Good stuff here PT. My son's college position coach is considered one of the top in his field (well followed twitter account, regularly spoke at NCAA Coaches conventions). Team nearly broke NCAA fielding % record one year (tied, error in LF in last or second to last game). My son is about 5'10 1/2" and was taller than or same height as position coach. The coach is currently the instructional infield coach for an MLB team.
As for tucking in the shirt- manager was old school and son didn't have a problem. After all son wore a tie to class every day. (Wore one every day in HS, and excelled academically --figured why change?) Coach joked, "you can wear a tie in infield if you hit!"
Son told me that no girl that he met objected to his classroom attire.
How long ago was your son a college freshman baseball player?
Last season/Spring 2021
What level was he playing? Juco, D3, D2 or D1? Something else?
JUCO
Did he stay at that school through graduation? If not, how many different colleges did he attend?
He will graduate this year and then move on to a 4 year
If he switched schools, why did he switch?
NA
How much did your son play as a freshman? If he did not play, was he redshirted? If he was redshirted, when was he told about it?
Made 16 appearances out of the bullpen
What were the biggest surprises and challenges for your son freshman year?
The level of competition was much higher than either of us expected. For those going JUCO, go watch some games of the schools you are looking into.
Overall, how was your son's experience as a freshman baseball player? Did it meet, surpass or miss his expectations? How about in regard to your expectations as a parent?
Exceeded both of our expectations. Team made to the World Series and made a deep run. One of the best experiences I've had as a baseball parent and the best he has had as a player.
Based on your son's experience as a freshman baseball player and your's as the parent, what advice would you have for the freshman player and his parent?
Do your research. Some teams prefer fast lefty hitters, some prefer power lefty bats, some like to bunt, etc. I know a lot of kids who didn't make it because it was a bad fit from the start. For the parent and player I'd say be patient. For the player I'd say get as big and strong as possible before you get to campus and keep getting big and strong.
Did your son complete 4 years of college baseball eligibility? If not, why?
NA
@DanJ posted:Boy, you HSBBW people are gold. I love HSBBW and appreciated it the moment I first got here, but this thread is resonating with me more than most. For those who have read through all the responses, does anyone else find it truly exceptional (if not impossible) that people aren't using these questions as a means to brag about their kids? Even the more successful stories show humility and sincere gratefulness. That is NOT normal, people. It's the Bizarro world equivalent of Twitter. The candid nature of some of this stuff belongs in books while Twitter posts belong in the garbage can. I should say it more often, but thank you all sincerely. #stupidfortunate
You just explained it!
This thread is gold. Information you cannot get anywhere else.
@Francis7 posted:How long ago was your son a college freshman baseball player? 8 yrs ago
What level was he playing? Juco, D3, D2 or D1? Something else? JC, then D2, NAIA
Did he stay at that school through graduation? If not, how many different colleges did he attend? No. 4!
If he switched schools, why did he switch? First it was Injury, then graduated from JC and went on to D2, killed it in the Fall, climbed depth chart to earn regular playing time in the Spring, then at some point, kept hitting it hard but right at guys for too long. First year coach rightfully had to go another direction after that season, so transferred again and had a great year at his final school.
How much did your son play as a freshman? If he did not play, was he redshirted? If he was redshirted, when was he told about it? Injury late Fall - out for the yr, told by ortho he'd likely not be able to hit again, so tried coming back as a P at another JC the following yr. He ended up as a position player again for his "second" freshman year, worked his way into playing time second half of the season after a starter screwed up. Ended up all conference as a soph and went on to the D2.
What were the biggest surprises and challenges for your son freshman year? He learned that most college coaches want your school schedule to be about fitting the baseball program, not your academic aspirations. He learned that most college programs rely far more on players being able to step in and contribute than they do via any further development. But the biggest surprise came with the injury when, suddenly, it looked like he would never play again.
Overall, how was your son's experience as a freshman baseball player? Did it meet, surpass or miss his expectations? How about in regard to your expectations as a parent? Overall good experience. As with most college athletes, the first year is an advanced class on how to live on your own and hyper multi-task. Beyond what I said above, he probably expected that more things would be funded. Many public schools have this challenge.
Based on your son's experience as a freshman baseball player and your's as the parent, what advice would you have for the freshman player and his parent? Take care of school. If you win the job on Monday, the slate is cleared on Tuesday and you have to win it all over again. Embrace that mentality. Regarding baseball, before you step on campus, remember and clarify in words to yourself why you love playing and competing. There will be times when it will be very helpful to replay those words to yourself as reminder
Did your son complete 4 years of college baseball eligibility? If not, why? Yes
