College life:

[redhotcoach]

The United States is the only country in the world that hosts big-time sports at institutions of higher learning

I just remember that qoute from the Schooled documentary.

 

[sluggers]

My DD#3 was constantly on the verge of tears. She would practice until 7 or 8 PM every night, then eat, then go to the library until midnight and do homework. On games during the mddle of the week, she would be in the back of the bus doing homework. That was her routine for from November to March, (with one day off at Thanksgiving and 2 days off at Christmas).


DD#1...loved playing softball. She didn't have the love for scholastics as DD#1.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

Shoveling snow off of the field, is a little extreme, I think.

 

[slingnit]

Shoveling snow off of the field, is a little extreme, I think.

When coaches' job securities are based on performance and the snow is hindering the field drying out in order to practice. I would say that is probably very common. Not every school has the funds to employ grounds crews large enough to do that kind of job. I would say very few would have the resources. But 20 kids with shovels and a trailer pulled behind a mower or gator can move some snow pretty quick. In many schools the kids and coaches are the field maintenance crew.

 

[Jojo]

For what it's worth, my daughter (who doesn't play ball) has called up more than once from college in tears. I keep reassuring her it will be worth it. It's tough for many of them to move away and start this new stage of life, while everything they know is miles away. I am learning that she's not as independent as I previously thought. She's still my little girl.

*sniff*

Luckily my DD never had problems balancing her academic and sports life. I pretty much trained that into her by the time she went to college.

But that doesn't mean there weren't those call homes.

1st time was when she was a freshman and she had a flat on the freeway. We didn't have roadside assistance back then. Luckily a good Samaritan stopped to help and we stayed with her on the phone.
That summer she learned to change a tire, which was good because later on when she had a boyfriend she had to change his.

The most gut wrenching was right after she got back from Christmas break. It was like 5:00am and all I can hear her on the other end crying uncontrollably and she just wasn't like that. My heart just stopped and I wanted to reach through the phone and grab her! Then I started recognizing words like "died", and I just wanted to panic myself. I finally got her to calm down enough and tell me that she got a phone call that her roommates fiance had just been killed in a car accident. Her roommate was pre-med and was from near where we lived. Her fiance worked at a local hospital here and had fallen asleep at the wheel after a long all night shift. My DD was a good friend of his as well. He was just one of those people that you know is going to do good things in the world. And her roomie and he had been high school sweethearts.
I had to tell her to hang up the phone, and call coach. Then put her roommate in the car and drive her home. I can't even imagine the misery of that drive home (6 hours). Coach gave them a week off, DD mourned here at home and also cared for her roommate/teammate.
Then coach put the whole team on a bus and drove them here for the funeral, it was a beautiful gesture.

 

[BobInMadison]

Really sad. The hours that some health care professionals have to work is absurd, and is unhealthy for both the providers and their patients. My condolences.

 

[1696]

I'll share. DD#1 is a college freshman. Sep-Jan weekdays up at 5:45 for 1.5 hours of lifting plus 3 hour afternoon skills. Best shape of her life. After hitting .600 last 2 summers against mostly D1 pitching, .700 at ASA Nationals, 1 error in 200+ balls defensed (CF), she's rarin' to go. Yet not 1 freshman has reached the field except to pinch run (her, 5x) in 8 games. Starting junior CF is batting sub .200 with maybe 3 errors in 15 balls defensed. They tell her she's great, to 'pay her dues' and accept her role as a support player this year. Very, very frustrated. Angry. Hasn't sat since she was 10.

On the plus side, all A's first semester for a HS B student. She's totally focused on academics in her limited downtime. Lots of stories about other girls drinking. She can't. In bed at 10 to get up at 6 for doubleheaders on Saturdays. And she wants to coach HS ball. These coaches are teaching her unintentional lessons...

As a dad that loves watching her play, if softball gets her tracking the right way freshman year... maybe it's all for the best.

 

[redhotcoach]

Thank 1696, I was just thinking about that all weekend watching SEC games on TV. Benches full of players that were always the superstar on their team, and now may never see a pitch. I've been reading Reille-Bouche's book about Bama and it sounds like they work hard to make it a great experience for every player, but I have to think that is the very rare exception.

 

[Bouldersdad]

Shoveling snow off of the field, is a little extreme, I think.

Happened all the time at Valpo my daughters first 2 years in college. His mentality was if you can play out doors in that weather you can play anywhere. Did I mention he was a tool?

 

[RetiredCoach]

God Bless America!!!