Some surveys seem like a good idea at the time. But the only real results are in the indication that many young players and their coaches just don't get it. We wanted to learn what we could about the goals and aspirations of players - for college and the pros.

While the results can be nicely charted, they don't tell the real story - individual responses do.

Ultimate Goal... College Expectations... Min. Years in Minor Pros... Gaps in Knowledge... Positional Focus... Admitted Weakness...

Please don't take these results as how you should think about the process. Instead, we strongly recommend you read through the Scouting Center on WebBall and pick up a copy of any book by Ray Lauenstein.

• Dreams not goals - every respondent admitted to some weakness even while aiming for Division I schools. And of those with pro aspirations, few expected to spend more than a couple or three years in the minor leagues before getting to the show.
• The real weakness - while many listed power hitting and running as a weakness, few by their comments understood that all six tools must be developed early on. The transition from contact hitting as a concern (at younger ages) to power hitting problems is telling.
• The gap in knowledge - Most voters (except at the youngest ages) failed to understand the trickiness of these choices. In fact, your focus should not be on the negotiation process or the like. Sure, it's good to understand how coaches evaulate prospects and what they expect of them. But the most important thing for you is the 'prep-tryouts' category - knowing what you need to do to prepare yourself for tryouts and peak performance - training, conditioning, being game ready all the time. Many other factors are out of your control anyway.

Some of the comments (there weren't that many) baffled WebBall...
"Every college kid on a baseball scholarship has basically been demoted to positions that require less skill than their chosen one." (Maybe their skills aren't as perfected as they thought.)
"My son is a solid player, his main problem is that he does not recognize his weak areas and doesn't work as hard as he should." (Then is he truely 'solid'?)
"How do I get the right attitude?" (The passion for baseball and desire to succeed must be born in you, the skills can be developed.)
 "I don't really understand how to get noticed." (Prep hard, stay focus, play well. There's no magic to this, just hard work.)