2019 - When do we start?

Relax and enjoy your son's freshman year.  See what level he attains there and have a fun summer.

 

If he turns out to be a super-duper star, throwing high 80's or hitting bombs at the HS varsity level, then attend a showcase next summer.

 

Slow down...and smell the roses.  It goes by too darn fast!!

There is a recruiting timeline list on the front page of this website.  Take a look at it.  Its provides a good outline to start with.  Number 1 thing to worry about right now is academics and improving your baseball skills.  If you have not attended a showcase you may want to do that.  Not so much for the recruiting but more to get your son's measurable.  That will give you a good place to figure out where you need to target on the baseball side.  

 

Also, I would not worry so much about playing for the "best travel team in our area" or for the age up "bump".  I would make sure you find a team dedicated to getting the kids in front of the right folks for recruiting.  I have posted this often on here but there is a very big difference between good travel teams and a college showcase team.  In the past my son played for one of the better travel teams in our area.  Won about 70% of all tourneys we played in.  Including state level championships and always had a decent showing at the regional level as well.  Thing is the organization had no idea on how to get the kids noticed for college.  They assumed that having a powerhouse travel program was enough.  In reality the showcase teams in the area are not playing in the normal tourneys and if they are, are not always playing to win.  It sounds funny but many of them have a particular way of doing things and will stick with that even at the tourneys.  For instance my kids team has 2 players at just about every position.  They swap out every other inning.  The reason this is done is the majority of our games are played in a local association that is closed to all but 4 or 5 other programs.  Its run by the local college and MLB guys with these organizations.  The majority of these games are attended by multiple recruiters and we want to give every kid a chance to be seen. When we go to "normal tourneys" we still take the same approach to the game.  Also, we play everything with wood bats.  Do the same thing in the normal tourneys as well.  

 

One thing that I have really come to discover lately is the physical development of the kids.  I would say 95% of all kids can use some physical development to get them ready to play at the next level.  At 6'1" 160 pounds you son will need to beef up to play at the next level.  One of my sons teammates played in the underclass area code games this year.  He is a decent sized boy.  First thing he said when he got home is, I need to put on more muscle in the right areas.

 

Finally, don't stress over the process. Somedays you are going to think things are going well.  Other days you are going to be ready to give up on the process.  Its normal.  The best thing you can do is sit back and guide your son.  Its more his journey then yours.

Let's work backwards a bit:

-The majority of high caliber, highly ranked players start to commit towards the middle/end of the summer between freshman and sophomore years.

-To do that, they gain the 3rd party recognition before that time frame.

-To get that recognition, they could participate in showcases during early summer (or in some cases where the weather is warm, February).

-They create a record of accomplishment during their freshman year of Spring ball.

-To do that, they work their tails off during the winter.

 

So to that end, should your son have the qualities by the end of the winter to be considered high caliber, then you'll want to establish beachhead during the winter months, before the college season begins in earnest (January practices):

1) Create awareness during winter with targeted schools via email (be sure to include references).

2) Update during HS season as to tremendous performance on the field and in the classroom.

3) Attend a showcase and receive 3rd party validation and forward to targeted schools.

4) Communicate summer schedule to schools when released.

5) Keep targets updated as to summer progress.

6) Kick ass during WWBA in Atlanta.

 

It helps to be a part of a nationally known program, e.g., Canes, US Elite (formally Chandler), etc.

 

Baseball Camps? Execute on the aforementioned flawlessly, and it's not necessary.

justbaseball is on the nose, here. You are not behind. You start the process when you have reached a level where it makes sense. If you don't have a product anyone would want, then you wait until you do. A freshman LHP who is throwing 82+ would garner some early attention. By "attention" I mean someone seeing him would take note to follow and see what he looks like in a year or so. Now, a freshman LHP throwing 87+ would cause salivation and possible talk of early commitment, while a frosh lefty throwing 78 wouldn't even get a glance. So, when you have something to sell, get out there and start pushing it.

Appreciate the comments!  The plan is we work hard and put some weight on this winter...being on the young side I can see physical development beginning...has a good strong core and seeing things starting to thicken up a bit.  We have been blessed to have good baseball people around us and have been good guidance up to this point.  Our summer organization is pretty well respected and place kids at D1 schools every year...Ohio State, UNC, LSU all have freshman from our program this year, as well as numerous D2's and 3's so I think we have the right people around us.  We know we need to build velo and that is the goal between now and next fall, along with the weight.  GPA is solid and son has bought into the fact that it needs to be 3.5 and up to give  him opportunities. I will review the recruiting timeline...that's probably what I'm after.  Son has a very good "baseball and pitching IQ" for a 14 year old...and takes this seriously, but enjoys the fun of competing most of all!  Thanks for the comments...appreciate ti all!

Begin the process or researching colleges in which he may be interested: large, small, close, far, rural, urban. Take a realistic look at your finances, that may winnow down the pool. Begin discussing your progress with the family so S can understand the various options (and the reasons for the options). Create a list (which will be always evolving) and pay particular attention to the academic requirements (recognize that at most D1 schools [Cal Tech and MIT are exceptions] athletes have lower requirements) so that he burns the fewest number of college options due to academics. 

 

Make sure he understands that classroom performance is at least equal to baseball development. 

 

It's time to introduce physical conditioning - it doesn't need to be even what HS seniors are doing, but creating that work ethic now (the ethic that a lot or preparation is accomplished away from the field) will allow him to gradually increase the intensity over the next few years.

 

While others may disagree, I don't feel that you lose anything by focussing on his pitching skills and forgo competitive play if major changes are introduced - in the summer between his ninth and tenth grade. So, make sure he has a PC who can develop him for HS and, perhaps, beyond. I feel that developing and maintaining the best mechanics he can develop - with the best velo - trumps pitching during that summer. If he gets recruited it won't be because of the team he's on, it's because of his individual skill set.

 

Keep your finger on the pulse of his life; many outside influences appear and he is going through his teens - over the next year he'll get his drivers license (and then comes the discussion of "why are you driving me ... . "), girl friends, other potential distractions, etc. if you're regularly playing catch with him, continue because it won't be long until you can't as he gets stronger and stronger (gee, can you tell what I miss the most). 

 

Be be prepared for the twists and turns of HS ball - in our area at the public high schools, multiple travel teams funnel players into ninth grade programs and there simply isn't enough room for all those players. Even if there is enough room for all the players, don't get caught up in the angst of varsity/jv/freshman ball; this is a marathon, not a sprint; at that age there will be huge disparities in physical development; a kid going through a growth spurt may completely lose coordination until the nerve ending catch up. All you/he can do is get a little better every single day.

 

 

 

+1 for this post.

I will add that I have felt the same way as you over the last year. I have a 2018 LHP who is a good player, but is definitely not yet at the same level as some of the other 2018 players whose parents are on this board. I have reached out to some of those parents through private message and gotten a little more information and a good grounding in reality. We are projecting that next summer, between his Sophomore and Junior years, will be a key time for our 2018. Right now, we are working on gaining muscle and strength and increasing velocity. Some have suggested that LHPs have a little more time than a position player or a RHP just because lefties are in such high demand. We are hoping that is the case as our 2018 has just recently started picking up his velocity and can use a few more mph to really get on the radar.

 

Good luck!

If you don't have a product anyone would want, then you wait until you do....a freshman LHP throwing 87+ would cause salivation and possible talk of early commitment, while a frosh lefty throwing 78 wouldn't even get a glance. So, when you have something to sell, get out there and start pushing it.

This!

A few points where I would depart from some of the comments above:

 

First of all, your son is not really "young for his class."  April is a normal time for a birthday.  He'll be 18 when he graduates.  In any event, you should know that this kind of talk is to be relegated to the dustbin now that your son has entered high school and is thinking of a future in college.  To get recruited, he has to compete with players in his grade.  Talking about a few months' difference in birth dates here and there starts to take on a "loser's limp" character at this stage.  I urge you never to utter these words ever again, and if you catch your son echoing your thoughts, impress upon him that he should never give himself that excuse to come up short.

 

BTW, the aging date was August 1 for a long time, it's been May 1 for only a handful of years, and it seems the movement now is to undo the change and then some.  By the time your son leaves high school, he could well be right smack in the middle of his age grouping.  Not that it matters, but just so you'll know.

 

Second, even with the seemingly ever-accelerating recruiting time table, very, very few players are committed before they start their sophomore year in HS.  There tend to be special circumstances for those players, e.g., a younger sibling of a player already in the program, or else they are truly among the very top players nationally.

 

What I would tell your son is, (a) you may well have to make a college decision much, much sooner than your school friends will, so maybe you should start formulating your thoughts on what you want out of college in terms of the type of school, possible majors, etc.; and (b) unless you want to narrow your options substantially, the best thing you can do right now is kick butt in the classroom.  So many guys don't wake up to (b) until they have half or more of their HS grades carved in stone.  Your son hasn't had a semester grade yet, so if he's one of those who's just floating through school, now's the time for his wake-up call.

 

See how his spring season plays out.  Varsity or JV?  Playing a lot or riding the pine?  You may get a reality check here.

 

Then go out there and bust it all summer and see where people think you fit in the scheme of things.

 

By this time next year, revisit (a) in view of what things have come more into focus.

As for choosing your travel team, play for the highest caliber team that offers substantial playing time.

 

It's a fact that the higher caliber teams are scouted more heavily, for obvious reasons.  That's where you want to be -- unless you cannot crack the lineup.  You have to temper your choices here with a dose of reality.

So far reality is that he has been a Sunday pitcher for his travel team throwing against the best competition successfully in several PG tournaments.  Through 17 1/3 innings of high school ball he has 34 strikeouts vs 5 walks. As the competition has gotten older during his 14 year old year, his pitching has gotten more swings and misses as batters are more apt to swing at off speed pitches than younger kids who hope for a walk. He makes no excuses for his age and competes hard. In his last high school outing he was brought in with bases loaded and 1 out and finished the inning on 8 pitches for 2 strikeouts. He has skills, he is working out on core and lower body strength with the high school and has a strong shot at making varsity in the spring!  Purpose of my post was for some direction on how to begin the recruiting process. We have started to develop lists of colleges, coaches, opportunities and degree programs offered. Just was curious where to go between now and next winter! Thanks for all the comments thus far!

 

OK, so he's a left handed freshman pitcher? Height, weight? Fastball/offspeed MPH?

 

If he's 5-7 throwing 78 then yeah, what everyone else has said. If he's 6-1 175 throwing 83 with good command, your behind the curve a little. On the other hand if the latter is true you'll have coaches eating out of your hand so no worries.

 

In collage pitchers first, then catchers, middle infield, etc. Left handed pitchers with "projectability" are like a unicorn to a scout.

He's 6'1 1/2" 160 fastball 78-82 changeup 70-73 curveball 65-69. He has command and late life on the fastball. To this point tho we only have very limited exposure on a gun in one showcase event. Mechanics are very repeatable and the comment we heard most from that showcase that the mechanics were solid and the same on all 3 pitches. Because of the fact that was a one time thing didn't wanna make a lot of noise about his skill level than to say that if he continues to grow and work and learn, he has the skill set to get his shot I think, but I'm a dad that has caught him for 5 years now....those days are done! I have looked at LHP on various college rosters and if he grows any over the next 4 years and we can add 5-7 mph to the 4 seam he should have the physical attributes that fit just about any D1 school....just gonna b a long hard climb to make that reality! We know that

True that, but I'll stick by what I said. LHP's with projectability rank. Enjoy the ride. 

 

 

I would start yesterday its never too early if your son wants to play at the next level, im not a fan of shut downs we train every week at least 1 hard day(but he still has his rest periods and lots of sleep ,  I feel you should always been doing something, arm care doesn't mean throwing ,train for baseball not football ,LHP are Diamonds if they can really pitch, being on the best travel team doesn't always mean good things, but it does help you to be in front  of some of the top programs. Get him a good diet, when my son was at a Area code camp , they told the boys they need to gain weight (for the Skinny kids)and they need to eat  healthy all the time,

 

my 2 cents

Thanks...when we say shutdown, just talking about throwing and giving the arm a rest. We continue other baseball training just no throwing for about 6 weeks. Been a part of our regimen for years and we have been fortunate enough to have not had any arm issues even after throwing 90 innings this season. We will start back up throwing on flat ground and long tossing and work our way back to the mound 2 or 3 weeks later

This is a great site, by far the #1 place to go for information.  With that said...the timeline is outdated and antiquated, even talks about recording a tape...obviously written prior to invention of youtube.

 

The rule of thumb is don't bother showcasing until you have $600 worth of something to show.  It is my naive and uneducated opinion that he doesn't have that yet, so why spend the money?  There are cheaper options, such as local college camps and things like that to get his name out there without spending the huge showcase money to start the mass chaos.  I would say, update this thread with his stats after Spring ball and let the board know if anything has changed stats wise.

Sounds reasonable....probably the plan of action at this point! Thanks!

 

I'm always a fan of velo , maybe it's  just me !...but at our first HS open gym last week , the varsity coach pulled out his radar  and timed everyone ,all  30!kids that were  there . He Wrote it down and will tell everyone later on .
He didn't tell my 2019 his score , but I asked and was the 2nd highest .. The top was a Sr
. For my son he loves to compete on all levels .also speed kills the other teams . At the next level they measure everything ! Do your research and homework and you will be fine ..
Pm if you have any questions .

"We" never went to a showcase but if you can afford it and want to attend, i think you could learn alot about where he stacks up and probably a bit more than this board. Enjoy HS, everybody says that and its true, it flies by. Im sure he will work hard and compete and i wish you guys the best, it is a fun ride...can be a bit stressful if you do get into the recruiting part but well worth it. Good luck.