College-Bound Pitchers Should Ask Tough Questions Of Their Future Baseball Coaches

Back-to-school means a lot of different things to a lot of different people. For senior baseball pitchers exploring the college option, the NCAA's early-signing period (where scholarship athletes commit and sign on to a school) is fast-approaching (November). And I know from personal experience that many tough decisions lie ahead.

For non-scholarship baseball players, deciding on which school to attend and visiting with the college baseball coaches can be daunting, too.

But in both cases the process of choosing a college and a college baseball program doesn’t have to be stressful... if you have an idea about what to expect and what questions to ask.

To start the process you've got to sit down with your college-bound son and first decide what your son is interested in studying at school (you know, what is your son interesting in becoming later in life when baseball is over?). And second: how does your son's educational interests match-up with the educational programs offered at the school?

For example, your son may be interested in Physical Therapy, but the school, though it may have a good baseball program, may not offer a Physical Therapy program. Those are some questions to get the college conversation rolling.

If you’re able to visit with a college coach, ask about study hall for athletes: Is study hall required, and does the athletic department provide free tutors for athletes, available anytime? The school should offer that, but some don't.

Ask about the graduation rate of baseball players. Ask how long it takes the typical baseball player to graduate. (Because some programs are so game- and travel-intense in the spring, athletes are required to take a reduced class-load, which makes it difficult to graduate in 4 years.)

Ask what most baseball players do after college: Do they play pro baseball? Go to grad school? Head straight to work? Is the answer the coach you're talking with in-line with what your son wants to do after college?

One thing to watch out for: Be careful of promises to play freshman year. 99% of non-scholarship freshmen DO NOT play freshmen year at Div. 1 schools. (And if they do play, it's many times limited and during non-conference games only.) Don't have playing right-out-of-the-gates be a determining factor in your decision: make learning the top-priority. (If you’re good enough to pitch as a freshmen, you'll pitch... BUT... you've got to be patient.)

The best rule of thumb for college-bound pitchers? Go with education, first, and baseball second.

Yours in baseball,

Steven Ellis
The Complete Pitcher®
www.thecompletepitcher.com