Recruited Walk-on Obligation?

Braves Is Wise

The thing that I keep telling student athletes, their parents, etc. is "Don't Chase the Money". Find the right fit academically, athletically, etc. Go somewhere you will enjoy and be happy. Then and only then should you take a look at a financial package.

It's even the same in the work force, "Don't Chase the Money".

 

Also

Don't get hung up on the D1 vs D2 thing. Don't go to a D1 over a D2 unless you really feel that you will be happier there.

 

The Business Reality

BaseballPhan,

Braves has summed it up well. Baseball at the college level and up is a business and remember that first. Everybody is trying out every fall some with more chance than others to make the spring roster. One very well respected Baseball scout that posts on this board on occasion told be about a well respected D3 school down east that had 80 to 100 kids out each fall for the baseball program he was essentially warning me and my son not to be surprised by that fact.

The Coaches job is to win games and he will for the most part do everything he can to do so. His job is to find better ball players than he has to improve his team and to bring in students to his particular school (This is less the case at the D1 schools as they seem to attract enough walkons that the coaches don't have to work at it, kids want to be part of the program. So from the day a player shows up on campus the coach is hoping to find someone better than him. Whether that be a Juco-Transfer or a new recruit.

If a school has not found atleast a little baseball money, or hasn't gone out of the way to find some source of academic money I would venture to say their interest is possibly lip service. I once had the opportunity to discuss recruiting and coaching at the D2 College level with a good friend who coached at an area school and I asked him how many players they brought in each year and he said over 30. My next question was how many of those do you really expect might contribute and he said that perhaps 11 could and they really hoped they would get 6 to 7 out of the top 11. Look at most small D2 - D3 colleges and you'll see about 50% of the students play a sport. So you can see that the coaches have 2 jobs - the first is to run a good program, etc, and the second is to bring in students.

In short do what's best for your son, by not signing a NLI you've made no moral committment and you and him will be happier. Not to be cold because I don't know your son, but make the decision as if his future depends on it. School should come ahead of baseball - send him to the school that offers what he wants to study, because the odds dictate that in 5 or 6 years he'll be doing what that NCAA advertisement you see says and that is "Going Pro in something beside the sport he currently is playing".

Enjoy his high school career and may he have great success in college, but plan long term for him.

 

Stretchy, I'd say the #1 school would rank a little bit higher than baseball. I just hope he doesn't have an unrealistic expectation that a walkon roster spot might open up for him at his #1 school if he were to get accepted. While he would miss playing baseball, he would be one happy camper if he got accepted. Both schools are D1 programs in our state. #1 just happens to be a better overall academic school and baseball program than the other. But the #2 is a very popular school and pretty good baseball program. Thankfully both state school tuition!

I guess he's really in a great situation. Two pretty good scenarios: 1. He gets accepted at his lifetime favorite school that happens to be great academically with a slight chance of putting on their uniform 2. He gets his second choice with a legitimate chance of playing a lot his freshman year. And without signing anything, he has the luxury of verbally accepting a roster spot on #2 and being able to change his mind in late June if he gets accepted at #1. I feel better about things that I did this morning.

 

We were advised to go to the school where he would be happy if baseball were no longer in the picture. For instance, if he were injured or if the coach left, etc.
Bottom line, consider where he will get the best education and be happiest in general. Then baseball will be the icing on the cake.
Hope it all works out for the best!

 

another subject that was brought up...please discuss

 

Stress!

We are going thru this right now with our son and I really appreciate all the information . Right now there are several D1 schools talking to our son and inviting him for visits. It is really exciting but also very stressful and emotional. As a mom, I am so proud to see that all the hard work and sacrifices he made while his friends were on the lake, going to the beach, etc. will give him the opportunity he has been waiting and working for. It is also difficult to see him stressing over who emailed/called/texted each day, and more importantly, who didn't. While it may seem elementary, I made him sit down and make out a pro/con list for the schools in consideration. Its amazing to see how close they stack up and it really makes it come down to the coach/team dynamic as making the difference.

 

Philliesfan: While it is a stressful time, try to help your son enjoy it. Remind him there are many great baseball players (not only in the state of NC) but surrounding areas. There are a lot of kids out there who are still waiting on the invitation from a college to be a part of a program. All of the posts in this thread are very good ones too. What is most important is for your son to feel comfortable at his new "home". There are many variables that go in to the final decision - academic programs offered, scholarship $$, distance from home, coaches/teammates (if you happen to know some of them), conference schedule, and the list could go on and on...

I'm not sure there is a single correct answer for any player, however, as most teachers will tell you - eliminate the incorrect answers and narrow the choices down. I do suggest reading the many posts on over-recruiting. Not because you feel that any school you are associating with is doing this, but because they contain a lot of good questions to ask the coaches when your son is trying to make his final decision. He will begin to feel "the fit" (that most coaches allude to).

And as one good mentor put it. "When he makes that decision - trust and support him - to go all out, and never look back." Good Luck!!!!

 

Excellent!

 

advice

Go to junior college/community college. You will play for 1 or 2 years, prove to the "dream school" coaches that you are ready and able to play there, get some experience, get some college courses under your belt with no pressure to declare a major just yet, and save some money. There is no shame in going to a 2 year school. It is a means to an end.