Ask Doug: College Decisions

Baseball Factory

January 28, 2009

By Doug Glanville
 

Doug Glanville is working with the Baseball Factory and Team One Baseball as a Special Consultant. He will be writing articles and looking for your questions and feedback. If you have a question for Doug, please email him at askdoug@baseballfactory.com
 

Q:  Doug, I wanted to ask your advice.  My son has been asked to play baseball at West Point.  He does want to be an Officer and feels like it would be an honor to go to West Point, but he also loves baseball.  He has offers from two Pac Ten schools and Big West schools.  As a dad what is my job to advise him…take the for sure education and be set for life or go to the baseball schools and hope for the chance to play after college?
 
A: It is not an easy choice between good choices. No one tells you that part, but it is still a good problem to have...
 
I think you have to flush out what your son really wants and try and give him a big picture perspective about the next steps. To serve his country is a tremendous honor and responsibility and I am sure there are longer term commitments down the road. Is he prepared for those commitments? Or would he truly be happy with having the chance to play baseball after college?
 
Either way, no one has a crystal ball. Baseball is not a sure thing even though he is talking to some college powerhouses. So would he have regrets if it doesn't work out one way or another? I played at Penn when the Army was in our division. Gorgeous campus, good team so he would get solid exposure at West Point, but baseball would have to be lower on the depth chart than at a high powered baseball program. His service and his studies would come first. That is a good thing, but tougher for baseball.
 
I managed to go to an ivy-league school with a high focus on class and only a small baseball schedule, but players still get the exposure to be seen by scouts, but that is nowhere near the commitment of the armed forces. So he has to really think it through. In time, I think something will rise to the top of his hopes. I only have a seven-month old son, so I cannot claim expertise with teenagers, but be supportive, show him what it takes in either scenario and make sure he understands the long-term dedication required even if it works out a little differently than how he would like.
 
Republished from The Baseball Factory