You never know what someone is going through.
Sometimes even people with a tough exterior can be enduring some type of personal trauma that impacts their day-to-day. JJ Palumbo, a 2023 graduate of Clarke HS and an All-Conference player (.388 AVG, 1.068 OPS, 22 RBIs) was riding high in the summer of 2023.
Mid 6: JJ Palumbo rips a go-ahead 2-R double to left field and Clarke leads 3-1 pic.twitter.com/GW8GytCoOt
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 29, 2022
He had just helped lead his team into the Nassau County Class A County Finals where his go-ahead RBI double helped them win Game 1 at Farmingdale State College. Over the summer, he hit the game-tying RBI double to help his team win the LI Boys of Summer College Division Championship at Holy Trinity HS.
He was prepared to begin his collegiate career at SUNY Purchase. Fast forward to today, that collegiate career has yet to begin. While it would be easy to assume he simply lost his desire to play baseball, the reality is life can throw you curveballs unexpectedly, and this one was particularly painful as his younger sister was diagnosed with cancer as he was preparing to begin his college career.
Clarke 12, Wantagh 6
Clarke captures the Nassau A-IV Crown
JJ Palumbo: 3-for-4, 4 RBIs
Tom Roche and Dylan Vikara each had 2 hits and 2 RBI
AJ Bardi hit a grand slam for Wantagh pic.twitter.com/TyhR3cNUn6— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 11, 2023
“One day I just woke up and said, you know what, I just don’t want to play anymore,” he said. This was one week from starting his freshman year of college. “I need a break, I need time away,” he added.
It’s one thing to make that decision, but informing your parents could be a whole different story.
“I went to my dad and my mom and told them that I don’t want to go to college this year. I want to go to work. My dad asked me, ‘are you sure?’ and I told him ‘the love is not there right now.”
His next step was taking classes to get his real estate license so that he could work with his dad. He called that process grueling and very similar to being in college. During that time, he admits that he fell into some bad habits in terms of his diet and his workout regimen.
“I kind of lost who I was a little bit,” said Palumbo.
It was during that time that he realized that going into the real world was not what he truly wanted to be doing at 18-years-old. The schooling was from 8am-2pm in Hicksville and required plenty of studying.
He also received the best news he could’ve imagined on April 5 when his sister was deemed to be cancer free by her doctor.
One evening in May he was scrolling on Instagram and on his “memories” his RBI double in the Counties came up. At that moment, he came to a realization.
“I’m not finished. I still have a lot more in me. This is not who I am – I belong on a baseball field.”
All those memories of excelling on the diamond since he was 5-years-old can be too much to ignore. He decided to speak with his father once again, this time telling him that he was ready to come back.
“He asked me – ‘what’s one thing you’re good at?’ and I said playing baseball.
And so the process began. This time without the showcases and tournaments and social media posts trying to get noticed by colleges.
One thing was for certain – he was looking to stay close to home. God forbid there was any bad news regarding his sister, being close was the priority. He kept his options limited and was looking for a place he could realistically play. He informed Coach Taraska about the situation and that he was looking to stay within a small radius to home.
“I think the school is great, the coaches are great. And I’m thankful for them taking a chance on me.”
Fortunately, there was a mutual interest with SUNY Old Westbury and he decided to announce his commitment to play there.
In the time since he made his decision, he started taking swings 5x per week and working out at 1MR. He also has been playing for the Long Island Empire in the Boys of Summer College League.
The rest remains to be seen. For now, Palumbo feels fortunate to even get a second chance.
“When you do get back, it’s a different kind of back. Failure is necessary to understand who you are not just as an athlete but as a person. You need to fail if you want to succeed. And you have to say, “I’m never going back”. Once I get back to where I was, or better, I’m never going back. Second time around will always be better. Not everyone gets a second chance. I’m thankful for Coach Rod for this opportunity to play at the next level for him.”
His father, Joe, had the following to say:
“I was rocked, like any father would be, when he made his decision. His last game was a double to tie the game. We won the championship. When you’re standing there, you can’t write a better script. To hear after that that he wants to take a year off – it was a punch in the guy. But I love my kids, I love my son. What made me happy more than anything is that this was his decision. Two quotes I like to live life by are “Man plans and God smiles”. And “it’s not where you start, it’s where you finish.” If any quote sums up his future it’s that. I deliver his story is not done yet. I think he will be an inspiration for kids that wrestle with this decision.”
