How would you handle this?

talk to parents and kids

If you are doing this as a friend, you make them all (parents and child) aware of the situation.

 

No, not exactly what I meant. I mean if my next door neighbor who works full time in auto sales or something tell me my kid is hurting his chances by his attitude, I maybe don't take it seriously (or in some cases people get mad and think its none of so and sos business). But if a guy who is out there on ballfields talking to people that KNOW these things to be true, then I listen and react accordingly.

 

I just reread my two posts for today and realized that they may be the two most incoherent responses I have ever posted. Guess everybody has bad days.

 

Gotcha......

 

I understand what you're saying, and I'm not disagreeing, but two thoughts crossed my mind:

- "You can't handle the truth...."
and
- "Just because your son signed doesn't mean you know everything....."

Even though some people are friends, and no matter how gently one tries to explain the "faults" of the son, they will resent you bringing them up....something about blood is thicker than water...and if you're not blood, you must have an agenda

 

Do The Right Thing

BRAVES: you started by saying these people are friends. "Friendship" carries a greater responsibility than "acquaintanceship". Friendship means you say and do the things that need to be said and done. Friendships may encounter some turbulent seas but seldom does the turbulence end in a shipwreck. IF this kid has talent (and apparently he does), and IF your families are friends, then do the right thing ~ speak up, be heard, express what you were told. After all, you are the messenger so deliver the message... and by the way, after you deliver the message, give the college coach a call and be Johnny's character reference. After all, if the coach was talking to you to THAT degree, he must value you/your opinion as well. Personally, as a college coach, I would never make a character statement to someone I did not know AND trust.

 

or ......kill the messenger and risk losing a friend.

Now if you are asking me what I would do....sorry, if we were friends I would have already addressed it with the kid, and if it continued to be a problem I would have told the parents.

But I think it's because as I'm getting older, it doesn't concern me one bit if someone likes me or not. But if I like you and/or your kid, then my motive is to always help, and if it's perceived with an agenda...we weren't very friendly to start.

 

Coach- That is an excellent point. Here is a point backatcha. How many "friends" have you made in your travels with your son...shared many experiences with them along the way. Ate together, cried together and laughed together: knowing you would remain dear close friends. Yet, their kids moved on and you rarely hear from them again. It turned out the relationship lasted only during the baseball travels. Now, in hindsight, you would call them acquaintances, but at the time, you thought they were friends---so you don't really know the difference until years later.

 

Braves, If you are friends of the family i would let them know what was told to you by the college coach. If they are truly friends they would not get mad at you but appreaciate what you told them. You would be giving them information that is truly helpful for their child and that is never a wrong thing. In this crazy world of college baseball recruiting anytime a poster has some legitimate, honest, information that can help any kid get to the next level i am 100 per cent for it. To me that is what this web site is for" TO HELP THE KIDS"

 

Wow...you edited your post. This is two separate issues. Yes, the college coach trusted me....and it did not apply to a current recruit. He would never discuss with me a current HS recruit. This was a "real" situation with him and I'm not breaking any trust by describing the situation. It served as a confirmation to what many posters have stated for years.

The 2nd situation is hypothetical. Although it relates to my discussion with the coach, it was not something that happened at that time.