Striking a Balance

Julie Thompson – A Baseball Factory Parent’s Perspective

Introduction

Like most things in life, finding the best college for your son usually means striking a balance. Sometimes a school meets every one of the criteria on the student’s wish list, but most often there are a few trade-offs in the picture. The role the player expects to have on the school’s baseball team may become the deciding factor. At the risk of lightning striking me, though, there’s more to life than baseball – and when baseball gets frustrating, it’s the rest of college life that helps your son keep a healthy perspective.

The college search was a good way for Kyle to define who he really was, and what he truly wanted out of the next four years of his life. First, we created a profile, which was reflected on his baseball resume. Then came the wish list: a four-year school with solid to strong academics, competitive baseball – defined as the highest level at which Kyle could expect to play (and okay, in reality, baseball came at the top of Kyle’s wish list…), a climate where baseball could be played outside as many months as possible, and an urban, or at least busy, college setting.

There weren’t a lot of schools that fit this list – in actuality, there was only one Kyle wanted. He never lost sight of the list, but talked to every coach who called, responded to every email, and visited as many schools as he could. Kyle thought about ideas that were out-of-his-box – and, although he may have been less enthusiastic with some situations, he never closed a door. He surprised all of us one night after a conversation with a coach from a junior college in a cold climate. The coach’s presentation and ability to connect had made Kyle realize there were a lot of different ways to approach the college years.

In the end, Kyle went to his “wish list” school – with one caveat. He chose to be a part of a large, outstanding baseball program where he was “one of the group,” instead of an impact player. That decision has its own set of trade-offs. The talent pool was deep, and the playing time, limited. To someone who lives for baseball, the work-outs were ‘rigorous’ – to those less dedicated, they were ‘grueling.’ It was a lot work and a heavy time commitment for what many players would consider too little a return.

Kyle’s friends that chose to be impact players at lesser known, but still solid programs freely admitted they wouldn’t have had the patience or personality to be a part of Kyle’s situation. Kyle kept a positive attitude however, accepted the trade-offs, and improved substantially as a player. And on those days when baseball got frustrating – and it did – Kyle reveled in the rest of his life. He loved so many things about the school – the climate, the surroundings, the type of student the school attracted – his life there, in general. He thrived academically. Others may have chosen a different balance, but Kyle set his priorities, resolving to accept the trade-offs – and even when baseball dealt Kyle some disappointment, life in general was still pretty darn good.



Julie Thompson is a parent of a former Baseball Factory Exclusive Program player. She has volunteered to share her opinions, observations and general thoughts regarding the college recruiting and player development process. She will share what worked and what didn’t for her son, in the hope that other parents and players may benefit from her experience.