Let the Results Speak for Themselves

Julie Thompson – A Baseball Factory Parent’s Perspective

College acceptances have started to roll in—an exciting time, as our sons look forward to playing at the next level. As parents, we see the effort, the hope, the joy, and the disappointment that accompanies the quest to play baseball in college. We delight in our sons’ good news, and try to remain stoic when the results aren’t what they wanted. It’s a time for both celebration and perspective.

Inevitably, we begin to hear comments from friends and family. Most of them carry heartfelt congratulations or at least, good intentions. Sometimes, though, one player’s good news triggers insecurities in others. Comments and speculation arise as to why a player made a particular choice, and what that choice implied about his other options. The comments can be surprising and hurtful; transforming the perception of these boys as individuals we know and care about into faceless beings, evaluated as impersonal competitors. Most of us teach our children to rise above negative remarks. Some comments are easier to pass off than others, though, and sometimes both parents and players stoop to a perpetrator’s level. I’m not talking about the crazed parents who start physical fights on the field. I’m talking about the quick and snippy leading comments that can come from someone who until that moment, you’d stood with on the field for hours and thought you’d shared a reasonably good relationship.

I try not to get outclassed by my children too often. Sometimes it happens, though. Like most parents, I get riled-up if I think my child has been overlooked or short-changed. Kyle always seemed to be able to take a higher road. He was particularly good at ‘taking things from the source.’ While he might have gotten annoyed, he always held his tongue. ‘How do you do it?’ I asked. His reply was simple. ‘I let the results speak for themselves,’ he said. I think of those words and the dignity my son maintains as a result, when I’m ready to counter a comment with something I might regret later.

Results ‘speaking for themselves’ is a fluid process. There’s always another result after a result that’s already taken place, and you never know what’s coming next. The acceptance doesn’t reflect a deadline for success, but instead an accomplishment for all who achieve it. For those parents whose sons got into their top college/baseball choice, savor it. For those who had hoped for different results, it isn’t the end of the line; it’s a step in their life (and often ours, as well). Hopefully, your son thrives where he has decided to go. Life is dynamic, though. Coaches change, injuries happen, and sometimes actually being at a school makes your son realize it wasn’t what he thought it would be. He may start out in one program and finish in another. And fortunes can turn quickly. I’m always taken by the way the world can fall out from under you when you think you’re about to soar—and fortunately, also by the way life can improve when it looked so dark just a short time earlier.

So, as the acceptances roll in and the conversations commence, remember the effort our sons have put into playing the sport they love, and the hope each one has for playing baseball at the next level. The results will speak for themselves. With their effort and a bit of luck, hopefully, they will speak well.


Julie Thompson is a parent of a former Baseball Factory Exclusive Program player. She has volunteered to share her opinions, observations and general thoughts regarding the college recruiting and player development process. She will share what worked and what didn’t for her son, in the hope that other parents and players may benefit from her experience.