i could only imagine what mrs. baldwin was thinking. she was the human version of switzerland. her husband and son would not talk face to face and they were staying away from each other while living in the same house. apparently, she was the intermediary.
in the end, mr. patrick baldwin jr bestowed a great honor to his parents. the 4th ranked basketball prospect in the country chose to play for his father, mr. patrick baldwin sr., rather than play for some of the top basketball programs in the country.
due to ncaa rules, which appear to be completely unsympathetic to parents of talented athletes, limited mr. patrick baldwin, sr,’s ability to have a father-son relationship. the reason being the mr. baldwin is also coach and he was shooting to land a top recruit, his son patrick baldwin, jr. ncaa rules limit coach’s contact with prospects during recruiting periods. per the chicago tribune, ” with the ncaa prohibiting coaches from “face-to-face” contact with recruits through may 31, the baldwins did something that reflects the times. pat, who is recruiting his sought-after son, interacted with patrick via a zoom video call. the father was upstairs, the son down in the kitchen with his mother, shawn.”
in the end, coach baldwin caught the big fish he needed, his son.
“it means the world to me,” baldwin [jr.] said. “my dad has been my trainer, he’s been my coach, he’s been my father. getting a chance to play for him, helping his team win next year, it means a whole lot to me, for sure.” jsonline.com
not only does the decision mean much to the son, it is reported that it may mean more to his father. it is reported, “In other words, baldwin wasn’t just choosing between playing for duke or for his dad. He was choosing between making his father’s job much easier or much harder, possibly between extending his father’s career or shortening it. and though i’m told things were never presented to him in such terms and that he was under no orders, baldwin is, by all accounts, a bright young man capable of understanding the repercussions of his decision. so this likely wasn’t as difficult of a choice as it might seem to some.” cbssports.com
while this is a great win for father and son, mrs. baldwin should get her credit for dealing with this period of institutional insanity. she kept her divided house together.
what the ncaa does not know that most teen children seem to have the instinct to run away from their parents and not listen to their advice. thus, a father/coach trying to recruit their kid to stay at home for college and play for him is in fact a greater accomplishment than landing another prospect. this particular signing was impressive in light of the son’s ability to attend a variety top schools. coach baldwin proved himself as a recruiter. the baldwins evidenced themselves as a great family.
best luck and success!!
be well!!
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