Joe Bauserman is a talented high school quarterback and a star pitcher in baseball. He's been in the news since his recent decision to accept a scholarship to play football at Ohio State. The one thing that might change that plan would be a high level of interest by professional baseball scouts, which would result in a high draft position next June, and a big bonus check to sign and play pro baseball instead.
But whatever becomes of Joe Bauserman, it sure doesn't seem like the kid is calling the shots. Following his sophomore year, his parents relocated the family from Virginia to Florida so that he could play against better competition, get more national exposure, and presumably have a better chance at a professional career. Except that Joe didn't want to go. Joe liked his small school and his friends in western Virginia. He hates the hot weather in Florida. His Mom and Dad talk about the "sacrifices" they are making in the interests of Joe's sports career. I wonder.
What's wrong with this picture? Joe's father apparently knows best, "It's been a very good move for him, even though he might not think so". Okay, Dad.
I realize that parents of talented athletes do make sacrifices, and that often the kid benefits from the "pushing" that is done by the parents toward a goal of excellence and achievement. But I also know that uprooting a high school kid from his home, school, and circle of friends is a traumatic thing. I've seen it many times when a parent's job change or transfer dictates it, and most any parent that goes through it will tell you it was extremely difficult emotionally for the kid. In fact many parents turn down such opportunities just so they can avoid putting their kids through that trauma at that crucial time in their adolescence.
And we've all seen examples of overzealous, overbearing parents who take their "support" for their child's athletic pursuits to an insane level. Perhaps they are frustrated or less talented athletes themselves, serving some need to thrill vicariously through their children. To the point where the questions become: Whose interests are being served? Whose "goals" are being pursued? At what point does the kid's opinion count for something?
Joe's parents are both retired teachers, so there wouldn't appear to be a selfish monetary incentive to make sure their son gets rich in a pro career of one kind or the other. And I don't presume to impugn their motives on the basis of one article. The scholarship to Ohio State would seem to indicate that their mission has been accomplished, at least to this point. There are no plans for any of them to stay in the Florida weather that none of them really like. And maybe Joe didn't really know as well as his parents did what was best for Joe.
It just seems like nobody paid much attention to what Joe said he wanted. Maybe he'll thank his parents someday. Or maybe he'll turn out to be another Todd Marinovich.
Posted by dan at August 19, 2003 10:56 AM