Ask Doug: Higher Education vs. Baseball
Baseball Factory
April 1, 2008
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, when you were graduating high school, what factors did you weigh for baseball and academics when choosing UPENN?
A: No one can put a price tag on the value of getting an education. Looking back at the options I had as a high school student-athlete, I realize that I was very fortunate to have parents who were able to give me a choice in colleges. There are so many people who cannot afford to make that choice or just are not exposed to the power of getting an education after high school.
I was recruited by a lot of schools for baseball on the East Coast. Along the way, I heard from the University of Miami and Clemson, but I had decided, if given the chance, I would go to an Ivy League School. So how did I make that decision?
My parents taught me the value of education from living it right in front of my eyes. My father came from another country in Trinidad when he was 31 years old and my Mom grew up in North Carolina. Both were the first in their families to go to college.
In their experience, college was their ticket to a new world. It opened up doors, it expanded their minds, and most importantly, it helped give them the power to think and solve problems.
Now maybe you are not faced with this type of situation, and be thankful for that. Many players have a choice, and now it comes down to “where should I go?”
First, you have to understand the importance of going to college. I know your parents may be on your back about it, but trust me, college is a great opportunity.
It is important to commit to the idea that college is a place that will help you and open up your world. It is important to really understand that even if you want to be a pro baseball player, the college experience will still help you. Do not see it as a four year detour from your dream. It actually can help your dreams and give you new dreams to follow.
Second, it is important that you know yourself and understand what type of subjects you enjoy. Many of you are still young and if you are not 100% sure of what you would study if you did go to college, do not worry about it. It takes time to figure that out and you need to trust that you will have experiences in your future that will help you find your sweet spot.
Do not be afraid to make a decision in what you will study! Most likely, you will end up doing something a little different than what you major in. You can change down the road to fit what you find to be your passion. You have time!
In my case, I had a chance to go to Yale University, a top school. But Yale did not have the type of engineering programs that I was looking for… I wanted to be an engineer and the University of Pennsylvania gave me more options.
Point being that it does not make sense to go to a school that doesn’t have good programs in the areas you want to study. Now, if you aren’t sure what you want to study, then make sure your choice is a well-rounded place and has the other ingredients that are important to you so that you will have good options in whatever subject you find interesting.
Third, visit the school! One way to get a feel for schools is to go visit them. Ask students on campus about their experience. Spend some time in some classes. Do you like a big school? Maybe you want a school that is near the water? Maybe you want a great Debate team? Maybe you don’t want to go far away from home?
Spend some time and make a list of the things that are important to you and make some questions from that list. Take it with you on your visit and get some answers!
Now I haven’t forgotten about baseball. You have to feel good about your coach and feel good about your chances of playing. Find out if your coach is planning to leave soon. Does he plan to be there for your four years? Ask him a lot of questions!
So why did I pick Penn?
1) Great academics and Engineering School – I found a school that had good classes on a lot of subjects and the engineering school had a lot of choices. It took me until my sophomore year to figure out what type of engineer I wanted to be. So be patient!
2) Head coach – The coach and I got along well, he was a good recruiter and even though it was an Ivy League school, we had a strong schedule. I was still able to get exposure to pro scouts.
3) Campus – To my surprise, when I visited the school, the campus was very green. Penn is in the city, but the campus had its own personality. I also liked cities.
4) Close to home – I was only a two-hour drive from home or I could just jump on a train and be home in the same amount of time.
5) Network – I knew when I graduated, other people who went to my school would help me find opportunities and that is exactly what happened. Steve Sclafani from Baseball Factory and I played college ball together! Does your school have the power to connect you to everything you want after you graduate?
Your reasons may be a little different than mine so take time to figure out your own list.
Baseball was a wonderful life and I had a good time, but you should always plan for the whole picture. What do you have if you don’t make it all the way? What will you do when you finish playing? To me, getting an education is the best ticket you can have in answering both of those questions. It is a great tool. Take advantage of it!
Doug
Republished from The Baseball Factory
