Need advice on how to keep son motivated. Learned a hard lesson last week. Been talking to JUCO coach since February every week. They had offered a partial scholarship -son got a full-ride offer from someone else and let this coach know. Coach asked him not to make any decision until he could come see him again. He came and saw him told him they were working on another offer. Son called him and they gave the money away to someone else. He feels like he was an idiot to wait and maybe now he's let everything else pass him by. He has good grades, high ACT and will be playing summer ball with a very good team. what should he do?

You talk of two offers

What has happened to the second offer? is it still on the table

yes - it's still on the table. Didn't feel a good connection with the school which is why he didn't go with the better offer.

How does he feel about the team, coach, and the baseball program with the offer that is still on the table? Is it a commuter JUCO or would he live on campus?

Having a hard time understanding how he could pass on a Full Rude ?? I think I would check that one out.

He would live on campus. He didn't feel connection with the coach at the other school. The other school has already signed 9 other players from our area that he knows plus those he doesn't know about or who will be returning next year. Is he crazy to wait until this summer and see what happens? Every kid on his summer league team last year received some type of offer by the end of the season. In Tennessee, we have hope scholarship so he has already been awarded academic money. Not sure how I should advise him. If he wants to do both, baseball & academics, does he take what he's been offered or give up and hope another offer comes along?

Most freshmen do live on campus and it ain't cheap.

I have never seen a full ride so I would question that.
I have seen high drafted pitchers who didn't get a FR. Are we talking NCAA ?

Am I correct in assuming the " full ride " that's still on the table is from a Juco as well? I am also assuming your son is an 08'.

It has been my experience that in the midwest, most of the JUCO scholarship money is gone by the time summer rolls around.

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Every kid on his summer league team last year received some type of offer by the end of the season

When is the end of the season? Were these kids already graduated seniors or to-be seniors who got offered early?

Does your son have a plan " B " if the hope of another offer doesnt come around?

If everything is a fit I say go where they fell in love with you first. Many kids wait for a better offer and it ends up backfiring on them.We have talked to many players and they all want to go to the top schools and all want to start and all want money,I think its hard to get it all.
If a school really comes after you, its a good fit, you like it,and it works academically and socially etc.I say go.And full rides? where is that happening anymore?

If I am understanding this correctly, that's the problem. There has been a good offer,..but not a good fit:

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He didn't feel connection with the coach at the other school. The other school has already signed 9 other players from our area that he knows plus those he doesn't know about or who will be returning next year.

Should the player settle now or hope that something else ( which might be a better fit ), will come along later on this summer?

Plain and simple,....it is a gamble.
Unfortunately I am not familiar enough with how the JUCOS work in your area.

In our neck of the woods, there are commuter JUCOS
that can offer everything but fees. Fees run around $500 a year. When you are getting books and tuition paid for,....and can live at home,..that's pretty close to a full ride. Some players tend to go in together on the rent & share an apartment, which of course is an added expense.

Other JUCOs that have dorms, can offer everything but room and board, which usually runs somewhere in the ballpark of approx. $3600 a year.

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maybe now he's let everything else pass him by.

Has there been other interest? If so, is your son interested in any of them?

Many will say to go where they want you most!

( Please excuse all of the questions. Just want to make sure I understand all of the facts before giving any advice or opinions. I have an 08 son and he has been going through the college recruiting process, too. )

Full rides are not unusual for JUCO's. I believe Division 1 JUCO's can give 24 full scholarships, which include tuition, room, board, and possibly books and fees also. A player on my son's high school team just received an 80% scholly from a JUCO with the promise of it being upped to 100% if he becomes a starter.

I was confused by the post. It didn't clarify what schools he was talking about.
D1 Jucos do have lots of money they can dole out and they are much less expensive. Many don't have on campus housing and they don't care about act scores as much as NCAA schools. In most cases you just need your required credits.

Several D3 schools contacted him in the beginning of the season - he wasn't very interested in them due to the size of the school. He' like to go somewhere that is a little larger than his high school. JUCO coach offered to pay for everything but the food he put in his mouth. (they have dorms and this would've included his academic money as well). The boys on his summer team last year that signed had graduated in May and were still waiting for an offer. These kids signed with wide spectrum of schools, JUCO, D1, D2, D3. Son is talented - coaches input not mine. Fast 60 yd 6.7, RH pitcher, clocked avg 88-89 (fastball, changeup, curve)utility player (pitches, OF, & IF), coaches dream because he leaves everything on the field no excuses. He's thinking that maybe he just needs to give up his dream that maybe there isn't a place for him. He trusted the other coach and feels let down.

We went though this exact thing. My son didnt like the small schools either. He wanted something with more of a college feel. Although he is going to a private school now but there are about 4,000 students where as some of the D3 and NAIA that looked at him had 1200,1500,2000, he feltthey were too small. He was good with the 4,000 . But he was going to go to a junior college. If hes not getting the looks he wants thats what might be the best for him. Thats what my son was going to do. a lot of the JCs are heavily recruited. And at the end of 2 years if nothing happens then he can just go on to get his degree.and go to a huge school just for the fun.He sounds like he has good skills.somtimes kids just get missed in the system. It only takes one coach to see him and like him. Keep moving forward.

Hey nothing wrong with going the JUCO route. My son plays at a mid level D1 and the two best position players on the team came in this season as JUCO transfers. One, a Catcher, has scouts watching him and he may just get drafted as he has a high throw-out percentage, is fast, and is tied for the conference lead in home runs.

Like it was said before, some kids fall through the cracks, develop late, or just haven't found the right environment to excel in. Plus, many times you can get more money by going the JUCO route and then if you get recruited by a 4 yr school they are usually looking for immediate help at that position and you generally have an edge over most incoming FR.

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Originally posted by mcphesh:
yes - it's still on the table. Didn't feel a good connection with the school which is why he didn't go with the better offer.

This seems to me to be a really key point. On this site, we preach "find the right fit, find the right fit, find the right fit!"

Your son is saying this isn't the right fit! Sounds like a boy who is pretty grounded for 17/18. I think its good that you are listening to him.

No matter how much money, if he won't be happy (and he seems to know that), he won't be happy. It isn't all about the money.

Help him to keep searching for the right place for him...such that if baseball were to fade away, he will still be a happy guy to be at that school. NOTE: See recent update by HeyBatter in the Golden Threads/"Got THE Call" thread.

(One thing caught my eye, 88-89 with 3 pitches IS D1 material...anything going on there?).

Good luck and let us know how it goes. BTW, you have the guru of all gurus living in your home town..."Fungo." Do you know him? He could give TREMENDOUS advice if you do.

I am some what surprised by your sons attitude. He had better get used to being dissappointed. Things don't always go your way.
Good fit is an interesting phrase. How do you know what is a good fit ? In my opinion there are lots of good fits for any college athlete.
Its like dating. The girl on her best behaviour always seems perfect but not always the case. Most people say the education should be a good fit and that opens up a wide range of schools.

If a player doesn't "feel" it's right, no amount of scholarship can make that feeling go away.
Mine was offered everything but the kitchen sink at a D1 and he didn't "feel" it was right. He didn't connect with the pitching coach. Good choice, he is no longer there. Must have been something he "felt" that was not right.

There are still opportunities out there, the draft and exit interviews haven't taken place yet.

Your son can commit to JUCO and take another opportunity other than at a JUCO. JUCO is a great place to start out at, D1 schools often turn to JUCOs for good players.

Get seen this summer. Have him speak to his summer coach about helping him find a place to play where he feels it's right.

JMO.

justbaseball ...

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No matter how much money, if he won't be happy (and he seems to know that), he won't be happy. It isn't all about the money.

Amen to that. After coming to this site and connecting with a lot of different folks, it has come to my attention that quite a few players thought it was the "right fit" and were wrong and were/are miserable. So if a player senses that things won't be right, how much better to face it now and go in a different direction than signing on for something they will come to regret.