What do I mean by an Emotional Roller Coaster? Your son’s friends will be getting letters from colleges, phone calls from coaches, verbal and written offers, etc. Your son will hear who’s getting what offers, where, when and how it all worked out. Your son may also be getting letters, phone calls, offers, etc., but maybe not as many as his other friends are. There are players and parents that are going to brag about what they have received and what options they have, etc. You know these families. They are proud of their son’s accomplishments but tend to brag a bit. Here are 3 ways to navigate the emotional roller coaster!
- Be Conservative
I encourage you to choose a conservative position and not brag or tell many people you are receiving letters, phone calls, offers, etc. unless someone asks. And even then, water down the amount of information depending on the person you are talking too. Understand that everyone is on the same journey to Play College Baseball, and something you say may affect them in a negative way or discourage them or their son.
- Understand Your Path is Different
Every players journey to playing college baseball is different, and, let me tell you, every player is in a different situation which causes the emotional roller coaster. You are going to be in contact with a lot of parents during this process and know, like you, they all have different connections and backgrounds. You will know players who are PG All-Americans and the coaches find them. You will know friends who know someone that know someone. You will know players who are early bloomers and hit 90 or a bunch of homers their freshman year. You will know players that have siblings already playing a college sport. Your path to Playing College Baseball will not be the same as the people around you, so don’t let their recognition deter you from your plan and process.
- It Affects The Player
If you as the parent get caught up in the emotional roller coaster ride, believe it or not, your son will get caught up as well. This process is stressful enough on everyone involved, but your son should be the focus of this process because it is really all about him. The more stress he feels, the more his play on the field is affected. There are a lot of factors that go into the recruiting process and those factors differ drastically from player to player. Don’t let those factors affect your plan and the ability for your son to compete at a high level during these times.
- Trust the Plan
You will encounter plenty of other parents going through this process with their child. All of whom have a different plan and way of going about this process. Don’t deviate from the plan you have in place because you think their idea is better than yours. I encourage each of you to have a plan and stick to it. The focal point of your plan is your son. Realize that the focal point of the other parents out there is their son. Your son is not the same athlete or student as the others out there, so don’t treat your process like theirs!