<p>Hello all, this is my first post here. Let me tell you guys a little bit about myself. I am a current junior pitcher talking to some coaches about the possibility of playing for their program. Some of the schools I've been in contact with are Georgetown, Davidson, Bucknell, Dartmouth, and Princeton and other schools like this. Up until this year, I was 100% sure that I wanted to play college baseball, however, I am not so sure anymore. I've been doing my research and the time commitment seems huge. Especially at the good academic schools I'm looking at, it doesn't seem like baseball players have much of a social life (this is based on countless posts on this website and others detailing the everyday life of a student athlete at a high level academic school). I'd like to party and have fun in college a fair amount. If I do not play baseball however, a lot of opportunities to go to high level academic schools close. This has been causing me a lot of anxiety and I'm worried that if I play I will be unhappy and regret it. My parents (Dad especially) is very aggressive towards me playing. He showed me my summer schedule today and I have no days off in June and July. Parents of players and players of high academic level D1 schools, is it worth it? Or is it just too much on your plate?</p>
<p>You can do 2 of three things in college.
- Academics
- Social Life
- Sports</p>
<p>Pick the two that are important to you. (If you don’t choose #1, you’ll be going home…)</p>
<p>fan,</p>
<p>you hit it on the head, all too often</p>
<p>it’s social life, sports and then academics,for guys, girls will manage the school and sports more easily.</p>
<p>As a parent, I can give you the perspective as it is told to me by my son who is playing for one of the schools you listed. In reading this, remember that he chooses to tell me things selectively (just the same way you would tell your parents things about your life), and my interpretation of what he tells.</p>
<p>You first really need to look inside your mind and soul and decide if you love baseball and love being a baseball player. If either answer is anything other then an emotional " yes," I think playing ball at the schools you listed is problematic.</p>
<p>Next, you and your parents need to reach an understanding as to what will be acceptable majors and GPAs. For example, if becoming a chemical engineer with a 3.8GPA is the understanding, playing ball at those schools is problematic. All of you should keep in mind that baseball in the off season will consume 25+ hours per week and during season (February thru beginning of May) the time commitment is greater than a full time job. </p>
<p>Only the rarest player can maintain a GPA which reaches the schools median GPA in a difficult major (meaning you will be in the lower half of your graduating class). BUT, as I watch the seniors on my son’s team getting permanent jobs, they land the best jobs. Now, most wind up in the financial area; but the starting salaries are around 70-100k. One or two over the past few years have gone to graduate school; some have been drafted and are now trying to ascend the professional baseball pyramid.</p>
<p>In my son’s case, once we realized the incredible time commitment we ratcheted down our expectations (he had to really, really explain the commitment to us - we were slightly deaf in the beginning), and took our self-imposed GPA minimum to a more realistic level, GPA conflicts evaporated.</p>
<p>As to social life, I can only say its fabulous. You come into school with a built in social group - in addition to the myriad of of social opportunities open to all other freshmen. My son has deep life long type friendships with his teammates and with non teammates. He’s having lots of fun, partying hard (not in season), making good grades in a legit major which leads to great jobs, playing summer ball, and hoping to play at the next level (or get a job in the business side of baseball).</p>
<p>I will also offer up this advice: listen very carefully to the players as you visit schools. Coaches are great at painting pictures of their programs which, in many cases, bear little resemblance to players’ experience. Some coaches develop players; some coaches have players who graduate with diminished skills - because of poor coaching. A coach is essentially your work boss for your time at school; a bad boss can destroy your love for the game. </p>
<p>Pick wisely.</p>
<p>Thank you very much for your reply. Stemit, if it isn’t too much to ask, could you give me an average in season week and an average off season week for your son? Also if this information is not too personal, what school does he attend?</p>
<p>In the off season he lifts 3 days a week. He awakens at 6, lifts begin at 630 and end around 8. By the time he showers and cools down its 845. He runs 3 days a week- counting shower and cool down that’s a further 1.5 hours per run. He works on skills 5-6 days a week - counting getting to the facility and cleanup that’s 2 hours per session. I calculate the time devoted to his sport differently from the way the NCAA calculates it; I start the clock from the time he commences an action designed to get him to a sport related activity until te time he is back in his room. Once official off season practice begins (they do less then the NCAA allows) add a further 6-8 hours on top of that.</p>
<p>Once official in season practice begins, add a further 6-8 hours.</p>
<p>Once games begin, there are 3 game days per week (5 games). On a home weekend, team breakfast is 8 and by the time the players shower following the second game, it’s well past 6. On an away weekend you leave after practice on Friday (about 5ish) and return to campus late Sunday nite. Most of the time, the busses do not have electrical outlets (some do) which restricts your ability to work while driving. On weekday games, most are away. Depending on the game time, you are physically away from campus for about 8 hours.</p>
<p>During season you maintain the 3 times a week lifting - but lifting begins at 8 rather then 630; you practice three other days; counting time my way that’s a further 18 - 20 hours. I count (and again, I am not counting the way the NCAA counts) that for home weeks, he devotes 45-50 hours; away weekends add whatever you want for the travel to and from and the two nites in the hotel. It is very common to see the players study upon arriving and following the Saturday game.</p>
<p>In choosing classes, most players avoid early classes. In season, most avoid early classes and classes that conflict with the normal practice times. Profs excuse game related absences if told in advance. Weekend starting pitchers do not attend weekday games. The travel roster is limited to 24ish players so some players don’t travel on weekends.</p>
<p>My son learned how to balance everything - so did his teammates. There is a learning curve and the first semester is very stressful as you figure it out. You often choose between sleeping and eating since you are always tired and hungry first semester. Some changed majors - my son quickly discarded a potential science major and chose Econ; others discarded Econ and became history/psychology majors. Everyone remained eligible.</p>
<p>One key as I learned this year (and parents do not want to hear this; but it is reality) is strategic skipping of classes. The concept was explained to me and, once I listened to the reasoning, I agreed (especially since I had done the same thing in my day). It goes like this: some professors are simply not effective communicators (e.g., those that lack fluent English [and, unfortunately, in these high priced prestige schools all too frequent]). The lectures are boring, incomprehensible, large and worthless. Those are skipped and are self-taught by the player and then reinforced during the small sections. My son mastered the material (as evidence by his grades - even in a grade deflated atmosphere) and learned on his own at his own pace. (BTW, his non athlete roommates did the same.)</p>
<p>The pressure of athletics, in my opinion, made him much more proficient in learning and balancing multiple priorities. The skills he has developed have made him desirable to employers - he is currently deciding between playing summer ball (for the third season) or an incredible internship. It’s his choice. </p>
<p>One further note: any parent who thinks their student athlete will sacrifice a robust social life for academics has either a unique child or is being fed something coming from the back end of a bovine. Just MHO.</p>
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<p>That is entirely up to you. Yesterday I saw 10 seniors and their parents celebrated by an Ivy program for their 4 year commitment to college baseball. Their was not a dry eye among them or their teammates. These kids love to play college baseball, and to be part of their team. One parent told me his senior kid locked himself in his room the previous night because he couldn’t contain his emotions. </p>
<p>If you have concerns that is a different matter entirely. You are doing the right thing by researching this, and I think you some great data points. I had the same concerns 4 a years ago. We found the Ivys to be a perfect situation for my son. Ivys have a shorter baseball season, play less games, travel less and practice less than all the other D1 schools that recruited him. Being a pitcher can help too as the practices aren’t as numerous or long. If you become a weekend starting pitcher then you will most likely not travel to mid-week games which frees you up to get work done.</p>
<p>There is as much of a social life as you want. For most college baseball players, I think the team is the central social scene. My son does many things with his teammates including bowling leagues, and trivia night at the local “watering hole” to win cash. It is different for every recruit, and I think it has more to do with their major selection than athletics. JMO.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>As to maintaining a high GPA, I think that it depends alot on the student. I was so much more worried about my child doing well in college if he was NOT playing his sport (which isn’t baseball, but I don’t think it matters). My son has two speeds…either he is frantic, over-extended and high paced OR he’s sleeping on the couch. He’s the living example of inertia. After 4+ years of incorporating two varsity sports in to his school schedule, I was really nervous about what he would do with his time and energy with all of that free time.</p>
<p>can you join a frat?</p>
<p>My past experience (from 30 years ago) was that in some cases most of the team joined the same fraternity. Depends on the school.</p>
<p>One thing NOT to do is to take the admissions slot then decide not to play once you are in. That would be pretty unethical and I imagine that would hurt the chances of future players from your school.</p>