MidAtlanticDad posted:Buckeye 2015 posted:If you want to "fix" the early recruiting issue, it's simple. ANY offer to any kid at any age must be IN WRITING!
I'm on board with this idea, but it still doesn't solve the problem of the coach telling the high school senior who didn't develop... "you can show up, and you'll get your 25% scholarship, but you'll never get any playing time here." Are you lumping that kid in with the "just because" kids? I suppose that would make a 14 year think long and hard about signing an NLI, but doesn't it let the coach off without any repercussion?
Nope, in that case, the scholarship money is still there, that's all any "offer" is....money....so the kid is still on the hook for his commitment. That can happen with a kid who committed the summer before he starts college or a kid who commits as an 8th grader. You don't delvelop, you won't play. There are no guarantees of playing time anywhere. That's one of the things kids/parents need to realize before committing early. If you're willing to commit to Vandy as a HS sophomore throwing 84....and you're still throwing 84 when you graduate HS, that's on both the kid and the coach who made the offer. The kid didn't develop...that's his problem.....but the coach who took the chance should have to hold up his end of the bargain too, which was "scholarship money". He never offered "guaranteed playing time"....and if he did, it's the parent's problem for believing that. The "in writing" part of my idea would solve that. No coach in his right mind is going to give a "written" offer to a HS freshman and include playing time. Again, I just don't think that parents of younger kids realize how tough it is to play top level D1 college baseball. The fast that you're a stud as a 14 year old playing against 14 year olds means NOTHING. You get to college, you may be an 18 year old playing against 23 years olds.
As far as letting the coach off with no repercussion, I'm assuming these kids committing at 14 are getting more than 25%.....if not, that's on them for commiting to that with 3+ years of HS and development ahead of them. If a coach is going to offer 50%+ IN WRITING, he may be a little more hesitant to make offers to 14 year olds...knowing he'll lose that 50% for at least a year if the kid doesn't work out.