What do you say?

Somewhat. Having been raised by one parent. I think that one values the opinions of those around them. But, in many cases. That kid most of the times has had a lot of support. Again, you make decisions based on your past. If he has a good head on him, again his choice to decide and ask.

 

Mitigating Circumstances?

I would first want to know if there was anymore to the situation. If the young man simply said he was tired of playing, I would want to discuss commitment and responsibility with him. We all get tired of certain things, but we have commitments and responsibilities to others who are affected by our decisions, and performance. This will not be the last time this person will get tired of something, such as a job, a position, a role, etc. If you just quit something because you are tired of it, you may be quitting alot in life. Some may say that if you are not happy, then you need to do something else. Too many people confuse happiness with joy. You can receive joy from things and people, but happiness comes from deep inside, and has nothing to do with circumstances, things, or people.

 

Braves- As we have talked about in the past, it is amazing how may kids we have seen change once the game becomes a job. There are so many long term effects from making a decision of this caliber. Many of them won't work themselves out for quite some time.

From the type of perspective I have, I would probably think he should move on to the next phase of his life. He will miss it tremendously. But, he will always have the good memories to look back on. Not the memories of being miserable doing something he once loved.

Tell him to wait till Christmas break. If it's a phase it will pass. If it's still the same then there is a definite problem.

that's my opinion

 

Some thoughts

You know your never going to love what you do all the time. There are going to be days and times when its not alot of fun. There are going to be times when you have to force yourself to suck it up and push on. Why would baseball be any different? When you reach the college level you have to understand that is not going to be "fun" all the time. Its not going to be a bed of roses all the time. You have to understand that you are playing for moments. You are not playing for every moment to be "Wonderful and Awesome and always perfect". Nothing in life no matter how the picture is ever painted to you is this way. The satisfaction is knowing that you are doing something that other people could not do or were unwilling to do. You are willing to sacrifice to be a part of something bigger than yourself. Do you want to look back 20 years from now and have regrets on not finishing the trek? Or do you want to look back on it 20 years from now and know that it was not always easy , it was not always "FUN" but you finished the quest and you had some great moments?

Its too easy to quit and justify it in anyway you can. Its alot harder to suck it up and push through the tough times. But its a hell of alot more rewarding in the end when the dust settles.

But if you want to quit then quit. But understand that "YOU" will have to be the one that can live with it. Not just now. But everytime you look in the mirror the rest of your life. If you believe you can do that and have no regrets , good luck.

 

Thanks everyone for your thoughts and contributing to this thread. In case some of you have missed this, I mentioned that the situation occurred several years ago. I thought it was a good topic to bring back up.

Some people have PM'd me explaining they have had similar experiences with their son. I thought how fortunate their son's were to have their dad's help guide them through challenges they will face. Then I started thinking how tough it would be for a son not to have a dad give guidance and advice...and you must admit that more son's are finding themselves not having a Dad's guidance then there were 10-20 years ago.

To let you know what became of this young man; he continues down a good path. He is playing professional baseball.

 

You know, I can think of a handful of players you are familiar with that quit baseball, unexpectedly. I understood their reasons, but they were never good reasons. It was usually because of the "G's"...you know...Grades and Girls.

 

She is a keeper in those 700 dollar glasses

Say no more.....

 

Ok here is another one

Say a kid has his mind set on several schools because of the educational value, and has the opportunity to receive major academic money but He can still play the game if he choses to go to a lesser school and keep playing.......What do you tell Him or Her?

 

"it's time to choose your path"... this situation is different then the other one because that kid had already made the step to the next level. The scenario you speak of is much more common, high school ball is the end for the majority of the kids.
He should talk with the coaches at those "academic" schools before giving up on playing. If he can get the "brain money" he won't cost the coach a thing!

 

After four years, name on the peice of paper matters. School name matters. I say go to the best school you can. If ball is there and you are good enough for them great. But unless you are appling for a job playing the game after four years the educaton value gets you the job and the pay.