Have you ever asked the question “Is my son good enough to play college baseball?”
At the end of my son Ben’s sophomore year in high school, he came to my husband and me and stated, “I want to play baseball in college.” As soon as he said it, I asked myself, “Could my son be good enough to play college baseball?”
I started to think back to Ben’s first organized sport—soccer. At the age of six he played multiple positions, and by age nine he was a confident goalie. We thought for sure we were always going to be soccer parents. And then, one fall baseball season he came to us and said, “I think I’d like to try baseball.” Finding it necessary to stifle a laugh, we thought, “Okay. Are you sure?” The last thing we ever pictured was Ben being a baseball player. When he stepped onto the field for the first time, his coach asked the team if anybody wanted to catch, and Ben raised his hand. He, and we, never looked back. Our son was a baseball player.
We enjoyed watching him progress through Little League, Little League All Stars, local travel baseball, modified, freshman, Babe Ruth, Babe Ruth Travel and junior varsity and then, boom! There we were, standing on the field face to face with Ben, at the end of his summer season following his sophomore year, as he proclaimed, “I want to play baseball in college.” This time, we actually didn’t stifle a laugh. We could see he was serious and undoubtedly determined.
Ben was playing the game and playing it well. But until that time, he had had no exposure to other teams outside of the local high school and travel teams in the Capital Region. How could we find out if he had what it took to actually play collegiate baseball? The answer? He had to be objectively evaluated by a qualified coach who had never met him or seen him play, and he had to play against competitive teams he’d never faced previously.
Getting an objective, unbiased evaluation by a qualified coach was key. In taking this step, Ben had to prepare himself for the possibility of receiving and integrating negative feedback. Preparing himself for negative feedback ahead of time was key so that he could figure out if he was capable of learning what needed to get done, and if he was going to be able to commit to the work that was ahead of him.
While playing under the “local bubble” for five years, it was very easy for Ben to get comfortable, playing with the same teammates and playing against the same opponents. It allowed for familiarity and predictability, thus giving him the edge in anticipating the competition’s next moves. This resulted in wins, and led to a feeling of being great at what he did. But we had to ask ourselves… What happens when he steps outside of this bubble? Will he be able to tackle the unknown? Will he be able to be coached by a new coach? How will he stack up against the competition?
It’s very easy to shine in an arena where one is comfortable. Taking the plunge into the unknown and succeeding there takes a new resolve, hard work and dedication. So when you ask yourselves, “What do college baseball coaches look for in a player?” you have to be willing to expose your son to a whole new level of game, have him evaluated by an unbiased, qualified coach, and have him be truthful with himself by having him answer these questions honestly:
“Do I believe I have what it takes to…
- dedicate myself to this sport,
- exercise the discipline that will be required of me, and…
- be willing to fail first so that I can learn from it and move forward?”
Dedication, discipline and fortitude are three key elements that a collegiate student-athlete must possess to succeed. If your son is committed, has the skills and talent that set him apart from his peers, and inherently carries the three key elements, then yes, your son could be good enough to play baseball in college. He just needs to be willing to step out from under that bubble first, be willing to hear the truth … good or bad … and then proceed accordingly!
