It’s All About the Fit

Julie Thompson – A Baseball Factory Parent’s Perspective

Rob’s blog, “You Can’t Handle the Truth,” was so true. What parent hasn’t eventually had that discussion with a teacher or coach? Most of us know it’s coming, but we’re sure it’s down the road. And when it comes…it almost always feels like a kick in the stomach.

We all have to recognize our children’s strengths and weaknesses—hard for us, but it’s what’s best for them. Sometimes, though, an evaluation really does reflect the fit between the student/player and a particular teacher or coach, rather than an absolute ‘correctness’ of that child’s abilities. Teachers and coaches are all unique—personalities, backgrounds and styles—and human, with good days and bad days. And sometimes the evaluations reflect that. If, after a hard cold look at your child’s abilities, that evaluation remains significantly different than your own, it may be time for a second opinion. That’s where an independent assessment from a knowledgeable third party comes in. It’s one of the reasons we came to Baseball Factory when our younger son got to high school.

Here’s what happened to us. All three of our children were accomplished student/athletes. Our older son was a basketball player. At 5’10 and change, and struggling to hang on to 170 lbs, we knew the NBA probably wasn’t going to be in his future. High school and college basketball probably could be though, at least in our opinion. By high school, Matt had played a lot of basketball. He’d loved the game since he was five, and had been successful on the teams on which he’d played. He’d also gotten awards at some highly regarded camps, and had been sought out by a couple of the better AAU teams in the area. As Matt’s parents, we thought he was pretty skilled (of course!), which seemed to be supported by outside feedback.

At high school Captain’s Practice and Tryouts, Matt was encouraged by the team’s captains and upper classmen. Some players told him he would probably play varsity as a freshman. Then, when the teams were posted, Matt didn’t even make JV. He was on the freshman team. Disappointed and a bit ticked-off, the assignment showed in Matt’s game. His attitude and work ethic fell off significantly. As parents, we emphasized the importance of continuing to work hard and play smart…basically, to keep caring. It didn’t work. And while I’m not justifying the decline in Matt’s attitude, we knew there were questions about the varsity coach’s overall direction with the school’s basketball program. Further, Matt’s dad and I weren’t entirely comfortable with the assessment our son had gotten, as well as the overall quality of the program. We didn’t seek out a second opinion, but I wish we had. Thankfully, one was about to come our way.

Matt’s friend, Bill, ran into a similar situation at the school (he made the JV team, but didn’t play much). The boys were AAU teammates and pushed hard there, attracting the attention of a prep school coach with a strong basketball background. As juniors, both Matt and Bill transferred schools to be with the new coach. That year, the prep school team won their league and took second place at Regional Championships in their division. Senior year, they won their league again, and this time took first place in Regional Championships. In contrast, the school the boys left had several disappointing years, eventually posting a 50+ game losing streak.

There was no doubt in both my husband’s and my mind, the coaching ability and basketball experience provided by Matt’s new coach far surpassed what he would have gotten at his original high school. The new coach was more knowledgeable about the sport, was more engaged with his players, and he could mold and develop individual styles. His players were motivated, wanting to develop and perform to the best of their abilities.

Matt played two years of college basketball before opting to stop to devote more time to academics. In our opinion, he attended a more highly ranked college than he ever would have because of the exposure and confidence that a successful high school basketball experience gave him.

As parents, we learned three lessons from Matt’s experience: (1) Get a realistic, independent assessment of your child’s abilities; (2) Know the forces that drive him/her and (3)…It’s all about the fit. Find the best one for your son or daughter, and do it early enough to make a difference for high school and college.



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.