I remember having some really bad days and wondering if posting something might ease my fears. On the night after that 5 strike out game I did put up a plea for help, but deleted it within an hour. One person happened to see it and sent me a PM. It made all the difference in the world.

Its only now, years later, that I'm able to see how our sons' struggles and successes were woven together perfectly to get them where they are today. I still find myself forgetting my best advice at times, but we're all works in progress...right?

Anyway...please, feel free to ask for help anytime. You are not alone.

I think the worst thing about college is the fact that they are so far away. My son has not yet started college but I have a daughter 3 1/2 hours away. Got a phone call at 6:30AM, sick as a dog, needs to go to school because it is end of term. It gives you a really helpless feeling not to help them.

TxMom,
This is my first time posting and I wanted you to know how much I appreciated what you said. My son is being scouted and it is a great experience but the emotions up and down as a mom are unbelievable. Your post truly touched me and reminded me again that there is a plan for us all.
Thank you.

no scout has ever asked me to change, alter or tighten a zone on a player....and if they did they would get a rude answer....I do not believe this to be common

piaa_ump,

And they would deserve even more than a rude answer. I have never heard of this and find it hard to believe that any scout would even consider it.

I have talked to umpires about players before. Other than that, scouts don't communicate with whoever is umpiring a game.

Then again, there have been some strange scouts. So who knows?

I would just like to say that in this case I do not think the umpire changed his strike zone just for my son. I believe he was calling the game as he saw it.

Also, the scouts we have come in contact with have been very friendly, helpful and professional. If there is any other kind out there then I guess we have been very lucky so far.

HowUbe,
Thanks to TxMom for putting it all in perspective and sharing her feelings!! So true. I think all parents “feel” the pressure and the pain more than the players. This is NORMAL because you wouldn’t be a caring, supportive parent you are if you didn’t feel the way you do --- and they wouldn’t be great players they are if they couldn’t handle it any better than you.
I’m in the process of converting all my VHS tapes to DVD and I “have” to watch all my son’s college games that were televised. I attended most of my son's games and I had a friend that would record the televised games and give me the game tapes the following week. Most of the tapes I would replay the following week. One game tape in particular I have NEVER replayed. As a freshman my son had a terrible game against the University of Georgia going 0 for 4 at the plate, a fielding error on a great throw from RF that allowed a run to score, and a passed ball that allowed another run to score and we lost the game by 2 runs. I watched this tape for the first time last night as I was copying it to DVD. How did that effect me then and how does it effect me now? At the time it was tough to be in the stands watching my son lose a game. Today I look at it as just another baseball game where he didn’t perform as I felt he could..... Whose “fault’ was it that the errors and the miscues made it tough for me to watch? Of course that was MY fault, not his.
Will this make it easier for you when you son fails to produce as you know he can? Probably not, but at least you might find a little comfort in knowing you’re not alone-----

I agree with TPM in her advice:

quote:

As a parent, the best advice is to let it go, and enjoy your son's last year in HS. Let him enjoy it too. You will look back someday and this advice will make better sense to you than now, but you asked parents who have been through the process to offer advice, this is the best I can give.

Fungo

Fungo,

Thank you for sharing that with me.

The fact that your son was playing as a freshman in college says a lot about his talent.