My son and I were having a discussion recently about his social life in college. Regarding his freshman class, he says a group of 6 players, all from out-of-state, hang out together. Three players from in-state hang out with a group of their friends from HS and there are a few stragglers from the team who do their own thing, not socializing with the baseball guys.
I was wondering what your son's experiences were that first year in college. Did he find time to socialize beyond the ready-made baseball circle of friends? Does staying within this group help "team chemistry" during the season? Did their circle of friends change as the college years went on and they moved out of the dorm? Do they need to branch out and take a break from the baseball group, or is it just natural to bond with the guys who are going through all this with you (misery loves company at 5am conditioning!)?
BTW...Girls weren't even in the picture! He claims there isn't time!
Posts: 322 | Location: Kansas City | Registered: September 18, 2005
kc, these are my observations from my sons experience and those of some x-hs-team-mates ... they may or may not apply so take 'em or leave 'em.
the frosh experience is a mix of how they are housed, the personality of the frosh class, & the personality of upperclass team leaders. some will chime in with their experience or their ideal preference - - fact is ... every class is different & each yrs team chemistry is different ... but imo guys hanging with hs friends for yrs most likely won't be impact guys (unless they're hangin' for fishin or texas hold 'em)
hope that helps - working so I may add more later . . . I got stories ya wouldn't believe
Posts: 3616 | Location: NE Ohio | Registered: December 27, 2002
My son and I were having a discussion recently about his social life in college.
You were ONLY discussing SOME of his social life. The part about not having any time for girls should be a dead giveaway that he is not telling all!
I think you just let the chips fall where they may. During my sons college the baseball team would hang together for the most part. Seemed like a natural thing. At son’s college the players were never required to stay in dorms they could live wherever they wanted. The coaching staff did volunteer to make living arrangements if the player was from outside the area. They would place them in an apt with other baseball players (4 total) the first year and the following years the players would select their own roommates and live wherever they wanted. There could be one or two “outsiders” that were former high school friends of a member of the team and they would join in the social events. Never know who's going to show up on the couch!!! I’m not sure all this socializing builds team chemistry or not. It could go either way --- you know familiarity can breed contempt. Players do come and go and the scene is always changing. When my son’s pro season ended this fall he stopped in Tennessee for one day, said hi, and left for Auburn, AL and back into his old apartment with three of his former teammates. The college social life is very important for most baseball players and if you come to understand it, be sure and write a book ---- I'll buy a copy! Fungo
Posts: 4779 | Location: Spring Creek (Jackson),Tennessee | Registered: December 26, 2002
KC, One of the reasons son chose his school because he didn't want to know anyone from HS.
My son goes to school in the middle of nowhere, with many out of state players, his teammates are his family and that baseball fraternity you hear about. As a freshman, his close friends were those of his freshman class, but he knew some of the older players so he did hang with upperclassman. This fall, he spends time with the drafted players that have returned for training and classes, mainly because they are his closest friends. Many of them live in the same apartment complex just to be close. They all look out for one another like brothers. I have never heard him tell me he was out with anyone other than his teammates. Last year there was ONE player who did not socialize much with team members, he no longer is on the team. That's just the way it is where he is at.
I think the way the coaches recruit players at sons school has a lot to do with how a class or a team gels.
I do beleive that a close bond outside of the field with teammates helps to create better chemistry on the field.
Many of the team players have girlfriends, but son does not, so you will often find him with the other team "bachelors".
Posts: 10707 | Location: South Florida | Registered: July 28, 2003
I feel son fell into a good situation as far as socially. He said with in 1 week that the team was already gelling. And had good chemistry. There's a baseball house that the upper classmen rent with like 8 player's. So I'm sure there's plenty of socializing? LOL
EH
Posts: 2428 | Location: northern california | Registered: December 17, 2005
My son said early in freshman year that his college team was the best group of guys he had ever gotten to play with - no prima donnas, almost all fun guys with good values. He did also become friends with others in his dorm and classes, but teammates have been his closest friends every year. He's a junior this year and still feels very fortunate to have such a great group of built-in "family". His girlfriend of 3 years has transferred to his college this year, but that is working out great also. She has become friends with some of his teammates and their GFs, but she has also made good friends on her own. They agreed upon some ground rules before her transfer, about the importance of having their separate friendships and time apart in addition to "shared" friends.
Posts: 3612 | Location: Minnesota | Registered: January 04, 2003
TPM... "the middle of nowhere"? I only live 30 miles from CU. You saying I'm a hick? I resemble that remark. My son is a freshman at a community college so I guess his experience is different from those at a traditional college, but virtually all of his social contacts at school are baseball players, and curiously, he's tight with more of the sophomores than the freshmen. When home he spends a lot of time at CU because girlfriend goes there, a good friend from high school plays football there, and a friend he played summer ball with is a freshman on the baseball team. Having played football in college in the leather helmet era, I think athletes tend to hang with other athletes because there schedules are similar, and their problems, concerns, etc. are common to each other.
Posts: 127 | Location: South Carolina | Registered: January 10, 2003
Son's social group is, and has been since freshman year, his team mates. First, I thought it was great that he had this ready-made fraternity of guys. Especially on a campus the size of Penn State...you can easily get lost in the numbers, so I felt this was a real benefit. Sophomore year, I started to get a "little" concerned that perhaps son was missing out on some valuable college experiences by hanging with the baseball team pretty much exclusively. But, I soon realized that the benefits and valuable experiences he gained FROM collegiate baseball greatly outweighed what he would be missing if he stretched out his social circle. Senior year, his social group has expanded somewhat, thru his girlfriend and HER social system....the girls lacrosse team . So, life is good!
Posts: 2634 | Location: Pennsylvania | Registered: December 30, 2002
My son is a freshman. All freshmen live in the dorm and are housed next to each other (roommate is another baseball player). Upper classmen live off campus. My son didn't know his roommate or anyone else going to his school. At move-in, some upper classmen came to the dorm to introduce themselves and invite them over to their houses that evening and it has been that way ever since. There are 7 freshmen on the team and, while he is friendly with all of them, he hangs out with 4 regularly (in fact, they are already getting a place to live together next year off-campus).
The upperclassmen were great at easing the transition to college for my son.
Socially, again, he seems to hang out with other athletes (female). In addition, they do socialize with some sorority girls.
Posts: 190 | Location: Chicago | Registered: September 16, 2005
