Tagged With "committing"
Reply
Re: Early Commitments at Son's Dream School
My plan B is to call you. My son has no plan B, just a plan A. It's the same plan he has been working on for four years.
Reply
Re: Early Commitments at Son's Dream School
Well, Coaches always have a plan B, C, D...some of the big-name programs that have a large recruiting class out of high school, and then announce a highly ranked JUCO recruiting class are tipping their hands, especially if that class is loaded with pitching. Respice finem....
Reply
Re: Early Commitments at Son's Dream School
There is no hand to tip, all the cards are on the table. They have been since he committed. Son is all in, there is no thought of “plan B” or “what if I’m not good enough?”. As a coach, would you want a kid who has one foot on plan A and his other on plan B? Or a kid that says “I choose your smaller program because I didn’t think it would be as hard as that big, competitive, scary school.” Incendite Naves! Besides, it’s just baseball and school. Neither are required for a happy life.
Reply
Re: Early Commitments at Son's Dream School
Glad you have that outlook, of course go full steam ahead. Just know, that once that ship starts burning, knowing where the life raft is located is an important element of survival. Good luck
Reply
Re: Early Commitments at Son's Dream School
Couple of Latin scholars going at it!! Has to be a first here.
Reply
Re: Early Commitments at Son's Dream School
It's not me with that outlook. I'm the one who carries all the worry. I'm the one who counts recruits, looks up velocity/scouting reports, counts transfer rates and looks on the horizon for storm clouds. If he flames out, academically, athletically or life-wise, I'll offer to do whatever I can for him, if he wants the help. And call Adbono for a JUCO. Or get him into a trade school. Or assist him with moving on with his life however he wants.
Reply
Re: Early Commitments at Son's Dream School
I’m right there with you. There is no way I’ll put doubt in his mind and I would be disappointed if he was thinking plan B. That said, life has thrown us curves before and we have always adjusted and moved forward. Many times it’s ended up better, just different. Life is rarely what you plan.
Reply
Re: Early Commitments at Son's Dream School
I embraced my role as consigliere/Yoda. Some of the off spring's choices will test my ability to stave off ulcers. I Am grateful to have an internet group therapy session to help me get through this.
Reply
Re: Early Commitments at Son's Dream School
Brought back some good "Diner" memories right there. Thanks
Reply
Re: Early Commitments at Son's Dream School
Agree with this. Having a Plan B means that you have an understanding of risk. My boy lacks the perspective needed to evaluate multiple risks, he is 17 yoa. We have effectively provided for a Plan B by making sure that he understands the importance of doing his best in whatever he attempts, school to baseball and beyond.
Reply
Re: Best Details about Exposure?
You've come to the right place. Sure you will get a lot of advice. Remember, exposure TO and interest FROM coaches is not a cause/effect relationship. Exposure TO, is something you can definitely control, but the interest FROM is out of your hands.
Reply
Re: Best Details about Exposure?
BaseballCoach2, College baseball is pretty vast. Let's not try to boil the ocean all at once. Let's start with something a little more manageable and targeted.....what does your son want to do, what is he capable of doing and who do you think will be interested in his skills? If you can answer those questions it gives the board a starting point. BTW...don't concern yourself with other's receiving offers at this time. It's really not worth your time thinking about it.
Reply
Re: Best Details about Exposure?
Academically he's an A-B normal with about a 4.0. But athletically He's capable of being an all-conference and all-district player if he continues to work. He wants to play college baseball and even beyond that if given the opportunity regardless of what level it may be. He's more of a contact and speed rather than a power player. I don't know if that means much to coaches so that's where I'm kind of lost. I know he won't just come straight off the bat with D 1's so I'm guessing just the...
Reply
Re: Best Details about Exposure?
I realize this is a baseball site but I have to open up the academic discussion since Fenway tried but it was overlooked. While playing baseball should be a consideration it should not be the primary consideration. What does your son want to be when he grows up if the baseball thing doesn't work out? Someone who wants to be a teacher may go to a very different school than someone who wants to be an engineer. I know most of our kids don't want to consider that baseball will end for them...
Reply
Re: Best Details about Exposure?
Sounds like a smart kid. Does he have an idea where he wants to go to school academically? Casting a wide net in hopes of catching interest is a crap shoot unless he has strong tools. I would make a list of colleges that he would like to attend and start a campaign of emailing those coaches to start the process. What position does your son play? and what are his measurebles? You also need to be realistic in your sons abilities whatever they are.
Reply
Re: Best Details about Exposure?
The 2018s and 2019s you see committing are mostly outliers. The big recruiting year is the year after your junior year of HS ball. It doesn't hurt to get exposure before then, but most of the attention at exposure events will be focused on the incoming HS seniors. I have a 2017 and we are fortunate that we are in a very good program designed to get kids exposure. My biggest advice would be to take a hard look at your travel program. Make sure you are in one designed to get kids exposure.
Reply
Re: Best Details about Exposure?
Oh okay. Thanks. He's talked about wanting to be a physical therapist or something in the field of sports medicine once he gets older. I know that some of the kid's change their minds about what they want to be when they get older as they progress through school. He has made a brief list of schools that coincide with the path he wants to take. I'll remind him that it's not always 100% baseball and academics do come first because he seems to get carried away. Thanks alot once again.
Reply
Re: Best Details about Exposure?
Welcome. It is not too early and in fact the next two summers are critical for your son. Start with CACO3GIRL's assessment of what his academic interest are and then merge that with baseball. You need to get an independent assessment of his projected baseball skill level and then build a plan around the two elements, academic and baseball. Make up a list of 25-35 schools that fit the profile and start researching, use the USNews, and other college ranking books to get a good profile of what...
Reply
Re: Best Details about Exposure?
A teenage boy got carried away thinking about his baseball dreams??? NO WAY!!!! LOL, just keep being the voice inside his head telling him to focus. It has been said by many on this board that baseball ends for everyone eventually, some sooner than they wish due to injury or life in general getting in the way. While it is great to shoot for the stars eventually he will come back to earth and live a life that doesn't center around baseball. THAT is why choosing a school based on academics or...
Reply
Re: Best Details about Exposure?
"I have a 2020 and I took him through Manhattan after Cooperstown just to walk around the streets of New York. To say he HATED it is a massive understatement. He's a Georgia boy who loves baseball and wants to play in College but the city buildings, the smell, the lack of nature, just the vibe of the city in general made him very uncomfortable. Inner City Colleges will be off his list no matter what the baseball program is like." Its never too early to begin creating college possibility...
Reply
Re: Best Details about Exposure?
very good advice above. I'll echo and try to stress the importance of creating a target list of schools - based on whatever criteria is important to your son- location, city, rural, big, small etc. and choosing the right type of travel team that will get you exposed to those schools. I've seen kids in our area play for legion, or some travel team a dad put together, no colleges see them play, and everyone wonders why they aren't getting noticed by colleges.
Reply
Re: Best Details about Exposure?
We started emailing potential schools the fall after my son's sophomore season (actually sat watching the World Series while shooting out emails). He had hopes of playing D1...but at that point he was still the smallest/youngest kid in his class and didn't "look like" a D1 kid, though he was capable of playing with any kids his age...even some who already had D1 interest. He emailed about 40 possible choices. D1's from a 3 state area (not the Power 5 schools...we knew they likely were out of...
Reply
Re: Best Details about Exposure?
BaseballCoach2, Ok, so you've been given some great advice about the importance of academics and academic fit with college baseball. We've only scratched that surface, as that can be a whole separate long discussion by itself. Your sons take away should be took look at physical therapy (or similar majors) schools in the context of baseball. You can get a listing of majors by school, location and other dynamics here: http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/ The good news is your son shouldn't...
Reply
Re: Best Details about Exposure?
A couple good points about exposure and travel teams. My son played on a very good team at 15U and 16U. Myself and another coach had put it together....just kids from NW Ohio that we personally knew or had met over the previous 4 or 5 summers. We carried 12 to 13 kids most of the time. Of those kids, there are now guys pitching in the ACC, B1G and MAC (2) with other playing at all levels throughout Ohio and Michigan...10 of the 13 are playing in college. Funny thing is, we played in the best...
Reply
Re: D1 Recruiting Rule Changes
See topic "NCAA announce re fruiting rule changes" already in discussion.
Reply
Re: Questions about early commits
I can't answer your questions, but I have been wondering about 2020s I have seen who have committed this summer (after the end of April, but before Sept. 1). Is the only change effectively that coaches can't have recruiting conversations in person? So the process prior to Sept. 1 of junior year is essentially the same, except it happens over the phone, instead of on the sidelines or on an unofficial visit (and the player has to place the call)?
Reply
Re: Questions about early commits
Having a 2020 who recently (a few days ago) committed, I can say that it didn’t change anything for us. My son was fortunate enough to take several UV’s before the new rule was in place. I would think it would mostly affect those who haven’t taken UV’s before the new rules took effect.
Reply
Re: Questions about early commits
Well, you can't take a visit now before Sept. 1 of junior year. I think it makes it a lot harder to commit without being able to visit.
Reply
Re: Questions about early commits
I can't see it making much difference at all. Coaches will still get players to call them through their HS and travel coaches. Unofficial visits will still happen in some form or another. Parents will still feel panicked to take the first offer from a name school...and then tweet about it. And much of this will still happen before September of Junior year. Our 2nd son was recruited almost entirely by phone and email. What will change about that from this new rule? IMO, the rule (like most...
Reply
Re: Questions about early commits
I'm with justbaseball mostly. Won't make much difference. And the rule change wasn't done for the "kids". NCAA rules don't change how hard a kid throws, how much he spins it, how fast he runs or how hard he hits the ball. The model has moved to PG / others collecting the data for them, then they go watch the ones that fit their program. Still mostly in the same state / geo. Why would the NCAA make the date September 1 when the kids are in school? Why not Aug 1 or June 1? Again, it has...
Reply
Re: Questions about early commits
Go44Dad is exactly right, these rule changes were just for show. If they had been serious about stopping early commits, they would have banned them outright or removed the time restrictions from the LOI. Instead, the NCAA in their infinite wisdom has done nothing but make it worse for the student athlete. The coaches are still heavily recruiting and making offers to the young kids, which takes the kid off the market. However, the kids can't even tour the faciliy or meet their future...
Reply
Re: Questions about early commits
It was bad timing for us. My son has had a few unofficial visits but got more interest and offers once summer started. The coaches have been good about not giving him a deadline but have also said they are still recruiting. There is one school that is far from us and there is no way we get there this summer to visit (btw, they work around the no unofficial visit thing. They see the facilities they just don’t meet the coaches or get the guided tour). The coach told us he should visit but also...
Reply
Re: Questions about early commits
PedalDad, You said it all in the first line of your OP....the NCAA is a self-serving organization. Contrary to the commercials they run, it is not about the student athlete. So, don't look for any help there. The NCAA is as helpful as a hemorrhoid....always keep that in mind. The concept of an early commitment is always going to fall on the shoulders of the recruit as well as its risk. The process is set up that way, and it will continue to be unless there is a major change in college...
Reply
Re: Questions about early commits
The new rules probably won't change anything for the elite programs, but will slow down a bit for the mid, to lower D1s. I think the rule proposed and accepted by the committee was to stop the early recruitment of freshman and sophmores, even younger. As Justbaseball mentioned, a lot of panic goes into the process, not all decisions are well thought as to the consequences of recruiting early. Making September 1 the start date and not June 1, July 1 is because coaches are not in their offices...
Reply
Re: Questions about early commits
Especially with the elite players, I also think it might slow down some who can now take official visits as juniors. Before the change, with official visits only coming after school starts in a kid's senior year, official visits were almost always reserved as a sort of "gift" to committed players and their families. Now, they become a true recruiting tool. I do wonder, though if this change pushes baseball even further toward the recruiting practices of football and baseball, where a player...
Reply
Re: Questions about early commits
I don't foresee a lot of official visits for juniors coming. I do think people have tapped the brakes this summer, not sure exactly what the landscape is now. Whether that lasts, we'll have to see.
Reply
Re: Questions about early commits
I have a peripheral baseball relationship with some 2021s and 2022s. They are not happy with the rule change. They are planning to commit before junior year. If they do that, it will be without a sit-down with the coach on campus. Less information to make the decision. Maybe this will end up causing them to wait, but I doubt it. In the context of these recent changes, I think softball probably did the right thing by not allowing any direct contact before junior year. It's not perfect, but I...
Reply
Re: Questions about early commits
As far as I know, players cannot show recruits around unless on an official or unofficial visit. Recruits can attend camps. Some programs do not run their camps on the field but use practice fields. Players can go on campus visits thru the school. There are online videos of player facilities. It really doesnt matter what the player wants, but more what the coaches are looking for their program.
Reply
Re: Questions about early commits
My son was recently told that if he wanted to make a visit he could schedule it through the school and then send a text when he was coming to the athletic facilities and they would leave and leave it unlocked for him to go through
Reply
Re: Questions about early commits
I have to agree with you since a coach is only allowed 25 OVs per grad year and players only allowed 5. They will grant juniors an unofficial visit and their committs official as seniors before they sign. That hasnt changed. I do know that top tier prospects will committ and for the rest of the 2020s, mid tiers dont have to rush and some still recruiting 2019s. JMO
Reply
Re: Questions about early commits
I dont think that I would tell anyone which program that is.