We are a baseball family. It runs in our blood- Well, not mine- I was kinda afraid of the ball- but I did fall in love with a boy in tight white pants that played Division 1 baseball at our college. We spend our weekends praying for sunny skies and good weather, loading up a wagon, schlepping to the fields, buying sidewalk chalk and hoping it entertains our youngest so we don't miss too much of a game, eating at way too many concession stands, and loving every minute of it.
I have spent my last month reading every online article I could find about early commitments to college and wishing baseball had the same rules as NCAA softball which prevents college recruiting until a student's Junior year. I've read the statistics about early commitments being risky and not coming to fruition. My hubby has made charts about every college that interests our son and how many commits they have for each year. He has had lunch and dinner with people he trusts to gain knowledge and advice.
Our son has made calls, visits, attended showcase events, camps and everything in between to hopefully "get noticed" and hopefully land on a coach's radar to achieve his goal of playing college baseball. And somewhere along the line, it became stressful, exhausting, and more of a job than something kids dream of. The fact of the matter is recruiting starts younger and younger and until rules and regs are passed, it is what it is.
Last night, before ever playing a high school baseball game, our son committed to play Division 1 college baseball at a team currently ranked #15 in the country. We couldn't be more proud. Am I here to say that our son is some stud that is going to make millions one day? Nope. Far from it. As a mother and his biggest fan, I am here to say that my son is a kid. He is a kid that is going to strikeout more times than you can count, slump, make boneheaded plays that leave me in the stands thinking, "Good Golly son, what in the heck are you doing?" He wasn't offered a scholarship for being this great standout, but rather for the potential that he is projecting. It's a gamble. As parents, we are just like any others- We have even told him not to wear his high school baseball team's gear until he makes sure he makes the team because that is not a given. He is a kid that is going to make mistakes, live, and learn. And he is a kid that wants to be just that, a normal kid.
Trust me, we know that a verbal commitment means nothing and can be extremely one sided. We know coaches can leave a school (and we aren't dumb- We are well aware the amazing coach he will hopefully one day get to play for played at Clemson, was a coach there, and could very well end up leaving the school he is at to return to his alma mater). We get that. We have already seen a coach unfollow him and drop interest in him thirty minutes after he announced his commitment so we know with this decision colleges won't take notice of him. We agree we think it's crazy to commit to a school when our son doesn't even know what he wants to major in- Although might I point out I had no clue when I was 18 and went to college either.
So with all of these negatives and red flags, why in the world did we make such a huge decision? I guess, we have realized what the stress of college recruiting can do. Yes, this may not work out- but this decision is just like life. If our son chooses not to work hard, then things will change and he knows that. He has what he dreamnt of- OPPORTUNITY.
Chris may drive us batty, but from the beginning, he has been very clear about things. We raised him to be a Hokie. He was dressed in orange and maroon the day he was born and we have attended games his entire life trying to brainwash him to see how amazing "our school" is. When he had the guts to look at my husband and I and say, "I like Tech, but I just don't want to walk in your footsteps. I want to do my own thing," we were crushed. We were also SO proud that he felt comfortable enough to say that.
After visiting a huge school, being treated to the full schmoozing of seeing their amazing facilities, for real being escorted by a girl to the team locker room, getting a uniform, seeing everything down to the "athlete's only barber shop" he could use at any time, he said to us, I just don't want to be that far from home. It was very apparent, he knows what he wants, and doesn't need the excitement of recruiting visits and being catered to.
So, long story short. We weighed options. We are in a situation where if all the stars align, with the scholarship we agreed to, the cost of college will not be a burden. He will be at a school where the head recruiter does his job well and has formed an amazing relationship with him- with whom he feels happy and content. He's at a school that is close enough where if we want to make the drive for the day to watch a game it is close enough where our daughter's aren't tortured. We can go to games this summer with a little more ease and not be tense thinking, "Oh my gosh there is a college coach here. Please don't mess up. Please notice him."
So many more reasons weighed into our decision. It may backfire and we may be scurrying and attending every showcase and camp in two years because things fall through. He may end up liking football more, have an injury, or just not want to play anything in college. And that is okay. But for now, we made a decision that is what suits our family best. The ball is in our son's hand and what he chooses to do with it is up to him.
We are a baseball family. We are a family where we try and instill in our kids that hard work pays off. We are a family that knows failure is a part of life and that this decision may end up coming back to bite us. But we are also a family that wants a kid that is not stressed out. We want a kid that is playing for the love of the game and only if he wants to. We are a family that knows we only have our son for a few more short years and we want his free time to be filled with kid things and not big life decisions. Go to the dance, hangout at McDonald's, go to games and cheer against your rival. We can't wait to travel to tournaments this summer with our amazing travel team and watch the boys play. We are a baseball family and we are so thankful that our son has been given this opportunity. And let me tell ya- watch out Kohl's because this is a Mama that is so excited to add some blue and gold to our wardrobe and to learn to cheer Let's Gooooooooo Mountaineers.
We are a baseball family. But above all that, we are just a normal family and the day that baseball comes to an end, we will still be cheering for our boy and be his biggest fans.
PS- We also value education. His college offers merit scholarships so don't you worry- We'll be nagging him about his grades now more than ever. :)
