The meaning of high school sports are about to change. The whole idea of going to high school, playing sports, and having fun with friends is about to change drastically because of one individual. His name is Bryce Harper and he is from Las Vegas, Nevada. Tom Verducci calls him “Baseball’s LeBron” (2009, p62). Harper is a 16 year old sophomore that is dropping out of high school. He plans to drop out, get a GED, and enter a junior college so that he can enter the Major League Baseball draft in 2010 (Verducci, 2009). Sounds crazy right, not to him or his parents.
"People question your parenting and what you're doing. Honestly, we don't think it's that big a deal," Ron Harper said. "He's not leaving school to go work in a fast food restaurant. Bryce is a good kid. He's smart and he's going to get his education." (Verducci, 2009 p67). This was a quote from his father when they decided to pull Bryce from high school. I understand that this kid must be something special. If the kid gets to be the first pick in the draft he will be set for life. He can return to school when his time is up with baseball. All of this I’m ok with. The problem that I could see arising is other parents trying this with their kids and then end up scaring their kids for life. Their kids might not have the potential that Bryce Harper has. These individuals will miss out on their high school memories, friends, and life experiences.
If this kid is as good as they say he is, he will do just fine in the Major Leagues. There are just a few concerns that I have. First, what if he gets hurt? I guess that if he gets hurt after he signs his contract he will be alright. Another thing that concerns me with this decision is his maturity and how will he get along with the other players. If he gets drafted he will be 17 or 18. He won’t be (legally) allowed to get into bars with the other players. His social interaction with other team members concerns me. The final thing that I wonder about is how he will handle the transition from high school player to a major leaguer over night. He will be playing with men not boys.
I really hope all goes well for the very talented Bryce Harper. I hope that this decision doesn’t scar him for the rest of his life. I also hope that other parents don’t try and duplicate this. I think that he will miss out on a lot of experiences that his fellow classmates are experiencing. On the other hand, if I was in his shoes, I would most likely do exactly what he is doing because he chasing something that he loves.
Verducci, Tom. “Baseball’s LeBron.” Sports Illustrated 8, June 2009: 62-67
"People question your parenting and what you're doing. Honestly, we don't think it's that big a deal," Ron Harper said. "He's not leaving school to go work in a fast food restaurant. Bryce is a good kid. He's smart and he's going to get his education." (Verducci, 2009 p67). This was a quote from his father when they decided to pull Bryce from high school. I understand that this kid must be something special. If the kid gets to be the first pick in the draft he will be set for life. He can return to school when his time is up with baseball. All of this I’m ok with. The problem that I could see arising is other parents trying this with their kids and then end up scaring their kids for life. Their kids might not have the potential that Bryce Harper has. These individuals will miss out on their high school memories, friends, and life experiences.
If this kid is as good as they say he is, he will do just fine in the Major Leagues. There are just a few concerns that I have. First, what if he gets hurt? I guess that if he gets hurt after he signs his contract he will be alright. Another thing that concerns me with this decision is his maturity and how will he get along with the other players. If he gets drafted he will be 17 or 18. He won’t be (legally) allowed to get into bars with the other players. His social interaction with other team members concerns me. The final thing that I wonder about is how he will handle the transition from high school player to a major leaguer over night. He will be playing with men not boys.
I really hope all goes well for the very talented Bryce Harper. I hope that this decision doesn’t scar him for the rest of his life. I also hope that other parents don’t try and duplicate this. I think that he will miss out on a lot of experiences that his fellow classmates are experiencing. On the other hand, if I was in his shoes, I would most likely do exactly what he is doing because he chasing something that he loves.
Verducci, Tom. “Baseball’s LeBron.” Sports Illustrated 8, June 2009: 62-67
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