Recruitment Thoughts?

[TradinUp BH]

There was a debate yesterday amongst some parents about recruiting at baseball practice. One side said that incoming freshmen are too young to start the recruitment process because coaches can't talk to them and the other side was saying that they are attending prospect camps to hopefully get on someone's radar. Does anyone have any experience or input on this debate? What's too early or too late?

[wackpack]

Need to Go to as many camps as you can afford to go to.....  Being on someone's radar is a good thing.. The longer you wait the harder it is to be seen.    

[Peppermint Patty]

Play in events against good teams. Don't play in events where your team is winning 15-0. Scouts/coaches do not want to see you dropping bombs against some donkey. They want to see you play against other prospects.

Perfect Game is a nationally recognized showcase sponsor. I would attend and get graded at at least one PG showcase. They have them in Texas throughout the summer.If you can, play in a PG tournament in Georgia or Florida. The amount of exposure you receive there will be well worth the expense.

Don't let your high school coach fool you, players get recruited in the Summer.

[IT'S IN THE BONE]

Here is my personal experience...Very few high school coaches can be depended on to shop your kid around to various college programs and the few that are willing are limited in their contacts. Very very few high school coaches can be a big factor in recruitment unless its playing a negative role so my advice is to try an include the coach or at the very least keep them updated as to the progress of the recruitment.  Now...playing in the right summer program can be a big factor. So many programs out their make a bunch of noise about playing in this showcase or that showcase and how many scouts or recruitment coaches your kid will be exposed too...ask the program director for a list of reference (other parents that have had success in the program) you find out in a hurry if its about what they say it is or if its about a paycheck.  Second, stay regional in your camp attendance with maybe two that are further way.  Make a wish list and then fit it to your budget.  Camps can give college coaches an up close assessment of your kid and many times can help them find the player that fits the roll they are looking for...start these camps the summer after their Freshman year.  This will allow your kid to become used to what I call "the pressures of on the spot performance demand". The So. and Jr. years are the most important in this process. Third make a skills video (hitting, fielding, throwing, catching, pitching...ect) and link it to a youtube account and send it to as many college coaches as you can...if you take time to put a video together and then research contacts...it shows coaches your serious and you will be surprised at the response you get...not a big fan of recruitment firms, but some do have success so I won't say they don't work. This is a time consuming process and you have to be dedicated to seeing it through to fruition.  ON THE PLAYERS SIDE YOU HAVE TO WORK HARD...you are working while your friends are at the beach or the lake...you are playing ball sweating your butt off all summer long on a diamond while your friends are maybe laid up in the A/C...Before anybody says it...I'm sure not all kids are laid up, many are working hard for their own desires. LOL Best of luck!

Edited July 6, 2015 by IT'S IN THE BONE

[643]

It's like a woman who wants to get pregnant....if she don't expose herself its NOT happening......

[Peppermint Patty]

It's like a woman who wants to get pregnant....if she don't expose herself its NOT happening......

Not quite true, because I know some ugly women who ain't getting pregnant  no mater how much they expose themselves.

[IT'S IN THE BONE]

A little nicer way of putting it...the more hot lead you put in the air the birds you take...even if they are ugly birds!LOL

[Guest]

Getting with the right summer program, Teams like  the Heat, College Station 12, Kyle Chapman,Banditos Black, South Texas Sliders  all get exposure and all have a good history of getting kids seen, there are  few more , some teams  getting started but the more established teams already have a relationship with colleges and have a good process of getting kids seen.  Most of these really start the Freshman or Soph summer, get you some exposure or noticed in the early HS years, but your Jr year and summer is the most important one though it really starts your soph summer now days, , should be playing Perfect Games, College Prospect Camps, , Premier Baseball organization tournaments every wknd, email coaches your kids schedule but be with a team that you trust to get your kid seen and advertise him, research the team and see how many kids have gotten scholarships playing for them, if not many in the past there is a high chance it will not happen for your kid,. .  Try to stay away from brand new teams and ones that pay their mortgage on your dues.  Have the grades and yes no  matter what program your with have to have the talent to get to the next level,, be realistic on your kids talent, some think just because their kid plays varsity baseball they will get a scholarship,    Just my  experience .

[Mustang11]

I have coached several teams during the summers since my son was 8 years old. Without a doubt, the summer is where the experience comes from. The more games you play, the more exposure to the way the game is supposed to be played. Hence, the "Old Days" of just being a good team in high school and the word gets out to where 30 scouts are in the stands watching you just because they "heard" about a good player...are gone. My son played extra games every summer and did not reach the exposure stage until the summer after his sophomore season. Perfect game, Premier, etc. are all okay but are expensive and the scouts are not always out in flocks. The exposure this year at the 2dsports tournaments is considered "Unmatched" in my experiences thus far. Of course, there are many organizations out there, but 2d has paved the way for my son to have several coaches from colleges see him perform. The main thing the 2dsports addressed were to state to my team that GRADES are a major issue. SAT and ACT tests are a must. I definitely agree with EAGLE011's quote, " Try to stay away from brand new teams and ones that pay their mortgage on your dues.  Have the grades and yes no  matter what program your with have to have the talent to get to the next level, be realistic on your kids talent, some think just because their kid plays varsity baseball they will get a scholarship..." Take the initiative as a parent and invest the time in your son, it is definitely worth it. unless YOUR SON HITS THE BALL LIKE GRIFFEY OR BRYCE HARPER AT 15, work at the pace that is necessary for your son to be seen. Simply put.... "If he doesn't love the game, he shouldn't play!"

[coachhooker01]

all have said great things, for me coaching at a small school what I tell my players and the parents it is simple they are not coming to watch us play at the small school unless some kid is throwing in the 90's.  It just does not happen anymore, I tell my players and parents I will do whatever for them but they need to get out and go play outside of high school ball, go to camps and I will do my part on my end and make phone calls and try to set up any tryout I can for a kid.  Also, dont be afraid to send video to schools up north, the small schools in Kansas love Texas kids most of them will take kids from down here.  It takes effort and like someone says make sure your kid takes care of everything in the classroom and do not wait until December of their senior year to take the ACT and SAT, make sure your son works hard in school because if a college coach calls me they normally ask what type of student is your son, how is his attitude, what type of family does he come from.  Always hustle when you go to a camp or a try out I have seen it first hand a college coach will take a kid from a smaller school that is equal in talent to a kid at a big school but the small school kid will hustle.  Last when you go to camps and try outs be professional, if a college coach comes in talks to you or your son they want to see a good appearance (doesnt mean dress in a suit and tie), but they want to see the kids shirt tucked in hat on right have the right equipment (flats to hit in the cage, spikes on the field, shorts and baseball pants, baseball belt).  Do not be afraid to ask questions to the college coach about their program or university they want to know your family is interested and most of the coaches want to make sure your son wants to come get a college education and stay they do not want to waste their time on someone that is only going to be their for a year.  If your son is lucky enough to play at the next level the biggest thing is for kids to be patient because the chance of them starting as a freshman at a 4 year school does not always happen, most kids that go on to play at the next level have been on varsity for 3 or 4 years or were a starter for 3 or 4 years.  my rant is done take it as what you want it is just my experience I have delt with, I hope it helps if you have any questions PM me  

[westend1]

All this for a partial scholarship?  Save your money and pay for a good school.

[Guest]

Some good post, But as Mustang11 said, if they don't love the game, they don't need to be playing, at least the summers.  Westend 1, is correct  don't waste the money, save it for college.  Average scholarship is 25-40%, the avg summer of playing is about 4k, if you add travel, food, gas, hotels,   I did it because 2 of my kids loved the game, and one is playing in college, made 1st team all conference and I still pay for his school , the majority of it.   He loves playing, makes him happy, keeps him focused in school and just is good for him, but not for everyone,  My other one has offers on the table, but same thing,, he will play at the next level, but Baseball will pay a fraction of it, his grades will bring just as much.  If I would have saved all the money I spent on summer baseball, it would have paid more then baseball did, but I did it because they dreamed of playing college ball, and most parents want it for their kids if their kids want it,  If you want your kid to get a really good scholarship, play football.  I hate to hear someone say they got 75% or more, maybe combined with grades  My last advise is pick the school for the school not for baseball,  Don't fool yourself you will be paying, so ask your kid, if you were not playing baseball would you still go here?  If not, don't go there, I bet you will be transferring in a year,  I know, My oldest went somewhere for the baseball and left a year later, hated the school, 2nd time around he looked at the baseball after finding the school he wanted, does not matter if D1, D2 or D3 you will pay so find the perfect school for your kid, unless he is a legit draft prospect and you will have a feel by his Sr year..  My last comment, players are always on the hot seat from losing their scholarship, Colleges are always looking for the best players.  Its their job.  I know 1 SEC school had  4 starters this year that  had their scholarships cut prior to the season, to help with recruiting.  They have you going into your Jr year, unlikely you will transfer, lose too much school credit and money,  Pick the Schools 1st, baseball is a bonus. 

[Rake1]

Lots of good info here already but there is a huge hole in this that nobody has addressed yet and that's the JUCO option. So many kids and parents get caught up in the "I signed D1" race to really take a look at just what they got into. More often than not these kids end up being cheer leaders for a year or two while getting only a handful of AB's, innings pitched, or games played while they wait their turn. If you are not careful and don't research the rosters and commitments you can get yourself buried on the depth chart before you even start. Too many times the bright lights of "I signed D1" gets in the way of making a rational choice. Signing up with a quality JUCO and getting 150-200 AB's a year while playing 60-75 games is not a bad option. Couple that with the fact that you can get a 100% full scholarship and it's hard to deny the fact that JUCO is a very good option. Another thing to consider is that you are taking the exact same classes at JUCO as one would at a D1 without being just a number. For example take freshman english at Texas, A&M, U of H or wherever and you are in an auditorium with several hundred other students, good luck getting to know your teacher. Same class at JUCO and you are looking at a "big class" of 30 people. It's just my opinion but I'd take the chance to play for 2 years and go to a bigger school with a legit shot to be in the lineup over being a practice player and cheerleader for a year or 2. Now don't get me wrong, some situations are different and some freshmen walk in and play from day 1 but those are far fewer than the ones who sit and wait. You have to do your homework before you jump, check the rosters to see how many returning players are at your position and what class they are in. At times D1 coaches are much more apt give a JUCO transfer some scholarship money than they would take a chance on an unproven high school guy, especially after a JUCO guy puts up some good numbers in the classroom and on the diamond. This shows the JUCO has taken care of his business and proven himself, almost like being on probation at a job. Each and every kid has a different set of circumstances and no one route is best for everyone, take your time and explore all the options.

 

Respectfully,

Rake1

[Guest]

Your are right, nothing wrong with JUCO,  some quality baseball, some can beat D1 schools,  If you are not a true D1 prospect or just want to play now, D2, D3, nothing wrong with those, get playing time and experience college baseball.  San Jac, Blinn, Alvin, top JUCO programs,  Trinity, Concordia , UT Tyler all very good D3 programs and have kids drafted almost every year,   Agree D1 is not the be all, there are lots of other options and good baseball at other levels,  Good point on Rake1 post.  Some JUCOs have the All Americans that play one year and get drafted in a higher round than what they were out of HS, so never see college past that and the cost is nothing, get full ride from JUCO for 2 years if they stay.  It is a very good option...  

[IT'S IN THE BONE]

JUCO IS AGREAT WAY TO GO...many talented kids have gone that way and have gone on to big things and at the least got an education...as far as not playing and saving the money to just pay for school...lol...thought about that many times, but no price tag can be put on the time I was able to spend with my son and allowing your kid to chase a dream...WORTH EVERY CENT! 

[MalakoffMan]

1. You have to play in front of scouts.

2. You have to be good enough to play at the next level. If you're not good, you ain't going anywhere. If you feel like you're a big time guy or you have a big time kid, go to Perfect Game. If you're legit, somebody will call.

You have to go in to jucos with the mindset that the coaches aren't there to develop guys for 3 or 4 years, it's a "what can you do for me now" business at the juco level. They only have you for 2 yrs max...

[TheSportsJunkie]

I film prospects of all sports for many Texas & Lousiana Colleges & put portfoilo film packages together w students resumes , so ive been around the block w this issue.  Speed kills !  Many open tryouts prospects are asked to line up and are timed , if after 2 sprints your time did not meet their standard you are asked to leave before pulling your glove and bat out !  Size does matter, fastball cant be overlooked, athleticism, grades,and attitude. How to get noticed ? Reputation of high school program and its coach , select ball at certain large forums, college camps, film packages mailed to colleges that meet that certain prospects abilities and intelligence, and sometimes it is who you know or right place at right time !