A Parent Speaks Out

RT Staff Note: In our week long series titled Foul Play two weeks ago, a reader commented on our part 4 article. His comment is posted in the comments section, but we thought it was profound enough to re-print for today's posting. We really feel for parents like this. We also really are very sympathetic to the plight of the collegiate baseball player that has a year round practice and game schedule that is the most grueling in all of collegiate sports. We have stated in many posts that their schedule is the equivalent of a low minimum wage. Our reader below goes a step further and says it's like a third world countries wage structure. We agree. Any comments?

From Bulldogdad
A friend told me about your site and this weeklong rant you had against the NCAA. As a father of a NCAA D-I baseball player, your proposal is the most sensible I have heard to date.

My son will more than likely get drafted, but it is unlikely that he will graduate with a meaningful degree due to the time constraints of baseball. Summer school was not an option due to his assignments in the Cal Ripken Sr. League and Cape Cod after his freshman and sophomore year. He felt he had to do it to secure a spot on the team, increase his draft status and improve his game.

In the meantime, my wife and I have struggled to keep up with the $9,000 tuition that was left over from what the scholarship did not cover. Other parents that are in our financial situation have their non-athlete students do work study and have college jobs to help make ends meet. Our son is unable to do that due to his 24/7 schedule.

It would really help if colleges would help baseball players a bit more. My son says that football players don't have nearly the time demands that the baseball players have, yet 100% of the teams players are all on 100% scholarships, even the kickers!!!

As much time as my son spends with baseball, he IS getting the equivalent of a low third world minimum wage. The system is really messed up and NCAA baseball really needs to get its act together and reward these players for all of their hard work.