Dirtbag30 posted:cabbagedad posted:DCmom, you have the attention of a few of the most knowledgeable and helpful folks on the board regarding HA's. Be sure to take advantage of that. I will try to address more of this question...
"What does it really mean to have an offer from a D3? Is it different if it is a HA D3 where they don’t have pull with admissions? Or a D1 without scholarship?"
I have had the experience of sending several players to "somewhat HA" D3's. Many of those schools, particularly some of the ones that are consistently successful on the field, will "over-recruit". They will encourage as many good players as possible to enroll and come play baseball. Lots of decent to average players will find themselves either cut in the Fall or buried on the bench or JV squad. The schools/coaches have motivation to build enrollment and add talented players and with no athletic $ to offer, often it is the coach showing interest and asking if the player will come and be part of the program that helps fulfill both of those objectives. They have very little to lose. So, if you sense this may be the case, the player must ask pointed questions about where the coach sees him fit and when. There are ways to really dig down... "are there any circumstances, barring of course grade or behavior, that would I NOT be on the Spring roster and competing for PT?".
This has been my concern about the whole D3 thing and seems to present a real dillemma, particularly since any coach answer to these suggested questions is non-binding and unenforceable. In other words, if he tells a kid "absolutely not; you'll be on that roster absent something like that" but then isn't, the kid has no recourse.
Seems the only way to avoid this is due dilligence on the coach to determine whether, historically, his answers to questions like these are reliable, right?
Yes, some research on the coach's history of being a man of his word, specifically contacting previous players, is a good step. Also, honest evaluation of the player by qualified neutral parties, preferrably ones that have some knowledge of the program/s the player is considering. Watch games of that program. Do roster and bio research. If the guys getting innings are all first team all-state guys and you aren't... well. Don't allow the entire process to be communication with the RC only. Make sure there is an in-depth conversation with the HC at some point, again, asking specific questions as to where he sees you on the depth chart coming into the program and why. The more detailed the questions, the more likely one will be able to extract some accurate assessment between all the "rah-rah, we love you and really want you to be part of the program" stuff.