'08 RHP Stuck in Seoul: Info + Vid

1. “Recruit Me” Book, http://www.recruit-me.com/Recruit-Me-Tools.html

2. College Coaches on-line. www.collegecoachesonline.com

3. Compile an access database- all the colleges you want to target

4. Complete the cover letter, athletic profile and questionnaire.

5. Establish an e-mail account for your athlete that will be used for college recruiting only

6. Create a photo album so college coaches can see what your athlete looks like playing their sport or sports. Provide links to web pages or player videos.

7. Print out the access database to use as a check sheet

8. Keep a list of colleges that have shown interest- in the order they were received

9. Always reply, respond and call back all colleges and coaches- they talk to each other!

10. The questionnaires and phone calls will start within a week or two after sending out the info. BE PREPARED. It will now become a daily JOB everyday to keep up with the e-mails and paper work. (assuming it is the summer after their junior year)

11. Some schools will want a copy of the ACT scores and or the current HS transcript- have that handy.

12. Some colleges will require the HS coach to fill out part of the questionnaire- your part must be completed, and then passed on to them in a stamped envelope.

13. D-I, D-II, NAIA, or D-III are all excellent. Be aware of the athletes “true” ability and don’t over-shoot their limitations. Like looking to buy a house you cannot afford.

14. I look at jjhuddle.com or hsbaseballweb.com; sections on recruiting and college sports. Very informative with a lot of good discussion. Two of the guys on the recruiting board are professional recruiters- use their advice.

15. Don’t forget to register with the NCAA Clearinghouse. There is no rush but all the info you need is on-line. Print off the recruiting dates and guidelines for your sport.

16. Mail baseball cover letter, prospect sheet, and then questionnaire with schedule(when they send you a questionnaire to fill out). Hand-write the envelopes; no labels.

17. Updates need to be mailed at least once each semester. The coaches are very busy and this provides another way to update them and also reminds them of their name. A copy of their current sports schedule can be mailed with this update; it is important to provide info at the bottom of the schedule so the coaches will remember who the student is on the team. (Name, position, high school name, coaches name and phone number- in case game is called to weather, or will the pitcher throw today kind of questions.)

18. Make documents with the following content: Baseball Letters of Interest (all), Baseball Letters of interest by State/Division (Sorted-easier for info in a glance) List of Coaches that have e-mailed/ called. We also made a column on the access database to put in how much annual in-state and out-of-state tuition is (can you afford it?).

19. I am sure there are many, many other approaches; this is what has worked for us, with excellent results. (we started on June 2006)
You can certainly pick up the phone and call the coaches and make many, many campus visits. Comparison is vital. The "right fit" is out there.

I already know you are attending showcases and with a great summer program.

July 1st should start it rolling. One more month.
All the best to you and your son.

Wow...if anything, your son must certainly have the most interesting and diverse pedigree of anybody I've seen on this site! The fact that he's had such an interesting life will certainly be a plus in any coach's final survey of your son..baseball, aside...any kid who has had this kind of unique life experience (living abroad and yet still seeking a baseball experience, too) would certainly pique my interest. Anyway, the Stanford Camp will hopefully get some interest going for him. I assume you have done all the usual things that this website recommends and are just not getting any nibbles yet. Besides the Stanford camp, can you get your son to any other college camps (at colleges he's interested in attending)? Seems like you've got to start meeting some of these coaches in person...not an easy task given your constraints. Best of luck, though. Keep us posted and tell me how Stanford went.

Krakatoa,
you have a PM

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Krak and Krakjr...

The only concrete suggestion I have is if you are around for the Stanford Camp, is is it possible to schedule in the Northern California Area Code Try Out's? Gets a turnout of nearly a hundred Radar Guns...

Beyond that...

I am absolutley sure that you are sophisticated enough to have made all the right moves to date...letters...showcases...travel...video...returning any interest...PG stuff...as best you can given the circumstances...so I can't help in that regard...

However I can say having been down this road twice...while being pro-active and working hard at it...you also have to trust the process...and give it time...even when everything is telling you that time is running out...

While at times it may seem that you may be somewhat out of the loop at this juncture...it oftens feel that way right about now just prior to July 1, when other players might be getting offers prior to the official contact date...

...after Stanford camp and the signing date things will begin to really come into focus...or just as importantly not...(they did for us)...at which point you re-evaluate your focus and your strategy...make adjustments and go back to working finding the best fit...perhaps adjusting geography, size of school, level of competition, academics, coach fit, perhaps even 2/4 year options...but you'll see all this soon...

Potentially there is a long, long way to go in this process, all kinds of things may happen, and as long as you stay nimble, keep doing your homework and holding up your end things will come into focus and let the process catch up to you.

In other words.....to make a long story short...I have great confidence that you'll see the thing come together very nicely at some point.

Good Hunting...

44
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Great comments, Observer44. As the mother of an '08, I am taking your words to heart. At a recent parent meeting for my son's select team, the director commented that everyone needs to be patient. He said for some, the big day may not arrive 'til next April. (Although I hope that's not the case for either Krakatoa's son or my son!)

quote:

...you also have to trust the process...and give it time...even when everything is telling you that time is running out...

Very well said.........

As gotwood is always joking about, being on the far side of the dateline presents unique challenges on a daily basis, and in the long-term as well, in planning things out.

Though I sometims forget, we have had some VERY interesting things happen to us in life (and I know everyone has - just need to be aware of when they happen) that appear 'coincidental' on the surface but there's got to be more behind it than that! (Though it's too long to post now, ask me about the Malaysian rain forest story sometime......it will definitely make you go 'hmmmmm.....'). So thank you all for reminding us to be patient, to stay diligent, and to then watch for the unfolding of the story, as obscure as some of its elements may be at this time......and to have faith. I think it was Dr. Pangloss in Candide who was always saying "All is for the best in the best of all worlds." Or was that Bob Marley? In any case....thanks for the reality checks, tips, and encouragements! Onward!!

KRAK

For those who had an interest in seeing video, I finally got new material filmed and cut. Link is in main post.

Thanks for all the wonderful advice, tips, and 'check out this school' replies. Appreciate it very much.

Woodsman, ever seen "Lost"?

Just kidding! He's e-mailed several coaches of schools he's very interested in and whom will be at Stanford and/or HeadFirst, sent them his vids, and they have all written back a "Look forward to meeting you at X camp". So at least he's got some people to meet and hopefully it'll go well. There's a good bit of solid mid-and-high DIII interest, and will see if the summer brings anything more. He's actively looking for a smaller school because it matches his life experience over here.....but he's never been to a big school during football season so has no idea how much fun he'd have! A few words from the right coach at a larger school and he'd flip.......so, going okay, and thank you for asking! We're working hard to have him sharp as a tack. We're "leaving on a jet plane" in just over a week! (there, a left a huge opening for your reply creativity by adding that lyric) Go for it!