In the summer of 2014 between my son’s sophomore and junior years in high school he attended the Navy Baseball leadership camp. He stayed in Bancroft hall with the other campers, attended classes about what it meant to be a midshipmen and played baseball during the day. He was one of 2 out of over 100+ attendees who received an offer, He was elated with being offered a spot on the 2017 team and the prospect of being a midshipmen entering in the fall of 2016. He accepted the offer after meeting with the head coach at the end of camp. During his junior year he went on his official visit and visited Annapolis on two separate occasions to meet his future teammates. He kept the associate head coach informed of his excellent grades and test scores, sent video to the coaches of his pitching performances and continued to play travel ball informing everyone he was a Naval academy commit for the entering class of 2016. He spoke to the coaches numerous times and informed them of his travel schedule and they agreed to see him perform at the Perfect Game July 4th showcase in Lake Point, GA. At that showcase he pitched twice, each outing 3 innings in duration as his travel coach rotated 2-3 pitchers per game. My sons performance in the first game was good and in the second game average. Upon our return home my son received a phone call from the associate head coach stating that he may want to apply to the prep school (NAPS), because he could no longer offer him a position on the 2017 squad. Needless to say, my son was upset about how things were handled and how one average performance changed the coaches minds. Being a school of the highest integrity and one in which morality and leadership is continually emphasized he became disenchanted with the Naval Academy and their coaches. My son had turned down offers from other schools when he played on an elite travel team because his word was his bond to the Navy baseball coaches. It was unfortunate they did not feel the same way about their word. As a parent I had been through the recruiting process with my older son earlier as a collegiate D1 football player. He too was offered early on in the recruiting process and the coaches at his University never wavered in their commitment to him. I attempted to contact the Navy Baseball office on numerous occasions, most of the time I would get coaches voice mail and on the few occasions I spoke to the secretary I was told that they would be in contact with me which of course never happened. Looking back on this , I am still appalled at how these coaches dumped my son. Fortunately he accepted an offer at a University that has exceptional coaches of integrity that would never retract an offer. I refrained making a big deal of this to the Naval Athletic Director for fear of retribution at his baseball career and feel that this forum is the way to make it known almost 3 years later. BEWARE OF NAVY BASEBALL OFFERS they may have been solid in the past. but with the present crew in 2017 BEWARE!! Yes, , these are the same guys that started in the summer of 2014!
So much wrong here that I felt the need to respond. I get that you are disappointed, but I think the problem is more about lack of understanding of the US Naval Academy Admissions process and Mission than lack of integrity. How far did your son get in the Admissions process ? Did he complete an Application ? Did he get a Nomination from his Congressman ? What his your sons’ motivation to attend the Naval Academy , to play baseball or become a Naval Officer ?
While coaches at USNA have some influence on Admissions for select athletes , they do not grant “scholarships.” (Keep in mind, everyone who attends USNA gets a scholarship, ie. free tuition , room and board) . Everyone that attends USNA, including recruited athletes, has to go through the same Admissions process. Candidates do not “apply for NAPS”, they apply for admission to USNA, and the Admissions Office makes an offer to attend NAPS.
The Naval Academy is not a regular college — and your prior experience with other D1 schools isn’t particularly relevant. The mission is creating Naval (and Marine) officers. I would hope that is made clear during the Sports Camps.
Redshipman…you should consider posting this on High School Baseball Web…that is where everyone goes to share stories about college baseball recruiting. You will probably get some reactions like NavyBGO’s but others will appreciate the information.
NavyBGO- Don’t insult me. I am very aware of the whole process having done it myself years ago in applying to West Point. He would have easily sailed through the whole process and gotten a nomination and appointment. The coaches turned him off so much, that he didn’t begin the process in the fall of his last year in high school. He felt these guys had little integrity by pulling an offer after extending one. Not what you expect from the Navy whether they are officers or coaches. Also, where did I say anything about " granting scholarships", you need to read my post again. My sons motivation was to become a naval officer and play baseball, but the coaches turned him off and belittled him by saying maybe he could go through NAPS and then make the roster the following year. Again don’t insult me and quit looking at Navy sports, especially the baseball coaches, through rose colored glasses.
@redshipman Your quote “He would have easily sailed through the whole process and gotten a nomination and appointment” shows who is really wearing the “rose colored glasses.” No one “easily” completes the application, gets triple qualified, and gets appointed. You should know that having applied (and was presumedly rejected) from West Point years ago. What happened to your son sounds unfortunate and unfair. But going to NAPS is no dishonor; many recruited athletes take that path, not just because of academics, but because they need another year to get better at their sport. Based on how your son performed at the showcase, that was where they saw him fit into their plans. Sports is cruel and there is seldom a second chance to make an impression.
You never state in your post whether your son went through the application process at all. You do know that even recruited athletes need to get admitted on their own, including getting a nomination? If your son really wanted to become a Naval Officer, he should have applied like any other high school boy or girl. Clearly, he wanted to play baseball more than attending the USNA. And that’s fine. No one should judge him for that. But neither should you disparage the process as it’s to blame for where he’s at now.
Hey stag- Athletes that Navy desires who have excellent grades and scores get nominations easily and sail through the process. Dont be so naive. If you are on the borderline academically and an excellent athlete and want to be a naval officer they will still get you a nomination and you will wind up at NAPS . Its as simple as that. If you read my posts closely, I told you he was so turned off by the coaches he did not start the process in the summer between his junior and senior year. Believe it or not, I was nominated for West Point and turned things down because in the end I did not see my self as a cadet . I went through all the testing, both academic and physical and just couldn’t see myself putting up with all the BS. Pure and simple. I went on to an excellent university and got a doctorate 4 years later and don’t regret it one bit. Why do you and Navy BGO somehow believe that being selected to West Point or Annapolis is everyones dream. I let my kid make his own decisions. It was important to my kid at that time and I supported him but as I said the people at Navy baseball were a turn off to my son. He did not lose interest in baseball, but certainly lost interest in being associated with Navy baseball.
Sorry to hear about your bad experience with Navy baseball, but attending NAPS is a great honor. Many students/ athletes goto NAPS to brush up on academics & leadership. Athletes have it hard with academic load, military training, & sports. NAPS provides that extra boost needed to give them an edge once they enter Navy. Also, USNA wants a MIDN who wants to be an Officer first and an athlete second. Until you have an offer of appointment/acceptance in hand, students should keep all options opened. Glad your son is doing well elsewhere:)
momofusna- I assume your a navy guy. Thanks for the nice response. 84 stag and NavyBGO way off the mark. My beef is with the coaches who extended my son the offer and retracted it . If that didn’t happen he would have gladly gone through the admissions process and if he had to go to NAPS he probably would have been proud of that. He was just very disappointed at how they did not keep their word and dumped him prior to the admissions process. The baseball coaches even though they are not naval officers should be kept to the high standards of the academy. The assistant coaches they have their now could care less about their word.
I am thinking that USNA dodged a bullet by not continuing to pursue your son. Being a military officer puts you in many pressure situations where you need to perform at top level regardless of the situation. “Average” performance under pressure won’t work. Also, the fact that you are still posting about it on forums after this much time tells me that you have some healing to do.
I know the admissions system inside and out. There is no way that your son was given a commitment two years before induction. Your understanding of what was being discussed was more than likely incorrect. You can rant all you want about this process, but in the end it works for USNA and the US Navy.
@oldpilot1972 I couldn’t have said it any better.
@redshipman : Did your son join NROTC at his chosen university? ROTC is a great way to get the leadership training needed to gain the honor of serving your country in uniform. Best of luck to your son.
I can definitely understand your frustration but you have to understand that in life, things change. Yo should know this more than anyone. I too have a student athlete and you are only as good as the current squad. A new hot shot pitcher comes in and your bumped. Has your son ever bumped a boy in all his travel team days? Is it possible some boy was in touch with the travel team coach and felt like a shoo in only to find out that another (your son) took the slot instead? This happens in AAU all the time.
Sports at this level is brutal. It really is. I do not think it is specific to the navel academy.
Under NCAA rules, nothing really matters until you sign the NLI. Sorry to be blunt but it is. How many kids have been told they would be a starter and that the team would really use them only to join and then ride the bench. The best thing for your son is to join a program that will really foster his development and utilize him. It might be that going to Navy would not have been the best move if the coaching squad felt he was marginal (since they ultimately withdrew the interest).
I hope your son is doing well and has made the best of his situation. It sounds like he has some good potential.
Oldpilot 1972 and 84 stag please read all my posts. All I said was the coaches retracted an offer. My son was more than qualified for Ivys as well as all the military academies coming out of high school. Don’t insult my son by saying the navy dodged a bullet by not continuing to pursue my son. My son is at a top tier institution right now and having a great baseball season. Basically with the new pitching coach they felt he was not a good fit for what they needed. I get it, but shouldn’t the Navy keep its word when they hand out offers especially when they have an excellent student and athlete with great character. Isn’t the Navy filled with people of the highest integrity and moral character and shouldn’t they keep their word when they hand out offers to young men worthy of an appointment!
Like others have pointed out, there is so much more to an “offer” than coaches making one verbally 2 years prior to induction. The fact that you are still posting about it shows your bitterness. I understand that it would be disappointing and frustrating to you and your son, but again, that’s how it is. You keep saying “don’t insult me…my son by…” and you keep insulting the Navy students, applicants and NAPS midhsipmen with your dismissal of the effort put in to attend USNA. I hope you can come to terms with it all and am glad your son is doing well, but you have no idea if he would have been admitted or not. Many top students, good grades, athletes etc. are denied every day.
Navy mom- I have tons of respect for the Navy. My uncles served in the Navy in the South Pacific during WW II. Two of my high school buddies and lifetime friends went to the academy as well. Never insulted the Navy. Much respect for the Navy. Just can’t believe that some their coaches lack ethics and character of naval officers. And please I wish that you and some of the other that have posted believe me when I say he absolutely would have gotten through the admissions process.
Again, unless he went through the process you have absolutely no way of knowing. You can only speculate. I believe you when you say he is talented and very bright. But admissions to the academies is like doing a 1000 piece puzzle. Your son might have been a perfect piece for the upper left part of the puzzle, but they already had that piece. THey want diversity and a student body that fits that puzzle. So while he might have been totally acceptable, there might have been someone a little more acceptable. The insulting part is assuming he would have gotten in. I know too many really really bright kids that have attended other universities that didn’t get in and some that did that I scratched my head over.