My son started getting recruited between 8th and 9th grade. Had first offer as a 9th grader from powerhouse mid-major D1 which took some pressure off but he had no clue where he wanted to go other than SEC and top of ACC. The recruiting process matured him greatly. We implemented the 7 word answer rule where he could not answer any question from a coach without at least 7 words. He learned to communicate with adults and began to know what their coach speak meant. By the time, he was offered by the first SEC school he knew for sure what he was looking for in a college/coach (I'm one of those who disagrees with most and the coach plays a large part in it. I don't think you can separate the two in recruiting because it is the coach not the college that is recruiting you). He had the communicating thing down pat and feel comfortable talking to grown men about baseball and life. He knew how to answer and it flowed because as he said "they all ask the same questions every time. They are not that creative." By the time it was time to commit before junior year he was mature enough to decide with a little help, which I think parents are supposed to give. He knew early what he wanted to do and it was play pro ball and/or coach. He has built some great connections with MLB teams in the process as he has met and spent time with a couple of MLB general managers and upper level guys on various teams. He was also recruited solely by several HC of SEC/ACC/B12 schools so he got to spend a great deal of time with them. Which as I told him at the time was, if nothing else, a great tool for jobs later in life. Maturity comes in most cases if you work the system and give it time. I don't think the what do you want to be question is as big as people make it. I wonder how many on here ended up doing what they went to school for as a freshman in college. I think overall it is a very low number.