A letter from....

mom...It is ok to be be excited. You should understand, however, that few, if any recruits that get any playing time at LSU are from California.

Go to their site and look at the 2004 roster for some clues.

The money that they spent on mailings to our house, with the obligatory 3 signatures on each mailing, could have provided my family with 2 ducats to the BCS Championship Game!

I love the school because they have talented players and are in the SEC; and, I remember some of the LSU/Mississippi State matchups at DNF and the Box.

Unless he's a fireballer with size, I wouldn't count on planning a dinner for the coach when he visits the Island Empire.

They have 13 signees already for the Class of 2008. In the context of the article about the early signees, they talk about 18 draft eligible players...think about that...18 draft eligible players at one school!

It's definitely a good sign if LSU is sending letters. That can only mean one thing, other premier school letters will follow! I would love to hear about your son's baseball attributes to put it all in perspective. Sounds like a top pick.

Knowledge is Power! Thank you Mavens and HSBBWEB!

Just to temper this a bit here and I am sure I will again be called on the carpet for raining on someones parade--so be it

Your son sent the letter of inquiry---LSU responded which is good--being proactive and getting a response

Was the letter a form letter?
Have they seen your son play?
Was there a questionnaire included?

Just a few of the questions that need to be answered

Also as Beenthere noted check their roster and see how many out of state players they have.

TRhit

I agree with TR and Beenthere.

If you sent a letter first, they will put you on their list and mail to you regularly. That is how they do business. Grad asst's fill out everything and make copies of articles and you will receive them until signing period.

If you are serious about going there make contact, give a summer schedule, ask when they will get to see him. It costs them nothing to send mail. It keeps your son excited and you will not have to fetch the mail for the next year..

"I love the HSBBW"

After having gone through the recruiting process last year (including LSU) I think I can possibly give you some insight into what you are experiencing. If you want to compare "recruiting notes" please send me a pm or email me...my email address is in my profile. Good luck to you and your son in the recruiting experience!


Ann

fspmom,
I agree with the others but.....You have every right to be excited. One of the schools my son had on his “wish list” was LSU but after researching the roster and trying to estimate fit, I suggested he not consider LSU. We never sent any mailings to any schools but he ended up getting letters from every SEC school except LSU. He ultimately signed at another SEC West school and has played against LSU. A great experience! Back to your letter…Allow the letter to represent what you want it to represent and go from there. The HSBBW provides a lot of insight to the recruiting cycle but there are no real cut and dry answers. It is difficult to judge whether an ember of hope should be fanned into a flame or snuffed out and ignored. You need to make that call. I think everyone agrees it is difficult to find a “fit” at LSU for a number of reasons. The odds looked stacked against my son so I suggested he “snuff out” LSU and move on.
Fungo

Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level, then beat you with experience.

My son has received mail from about 100 D1 schools, and nada from LSU. I'd stay excited, but until an offer is made and accepted, keep looking.

If your son is a junior this year, start an organization system, received mail, mail to be returned, we went as far as organized it by school. We ended up with a whole drawer full of stuff. Once the "real" recruiting started, that drawer of letters meant very little. It was nice to have them, but the fact is they have little value. Until a school sees your son play in person, and makes a phone call after July 1, then you can actually say the school is interested, and he is actively being recruited. Most big schools have a significant mailing system that starts out with 500 on the list. You have to keep grounded, this coming year will be a roller coaster ride. You have to keep the peaks and valleys as even as possible. When the offers come in the fall it will get worse, then finally when the recruiting is over, you can take a breath, the get back in the roller coaster for the next phase in the life of a baseball parent.

NCBB,
I believe her son is a senior and he's received the letter after attending a camp.
Letters are nice, and you can be flattered, but I agree with the general concensus here....until it's followed up by a phone call, don't get too excited or you'll be in for a big disappointment.

FPsMom, Just keep doing what you're doing. He's going to camps, writing letters. Make some calls too. Things will happen.
Good luck.


_______________________
"People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring." Rogers Hornsby, Hall of Famer

Very good advice, NC and Mr. and Mrs.

I agree.

Calls and officials visits are what ultimately matters.

Good advice all.

quote:

---

I'd stay excited, but until an offer is made and accepted, keep looking.

---

...and the offer today may disappear without notice.

Geaux Cajuns!!

The problem is the vast majority of people are not prepared to know that a letter means...not much. Even the letters that give specific information. That is why this message board is valuable for folks who need to know that the "recruitment process" for baseball is a flimsy process.

A true example.


I know someone who believed their son was getting recruited...that they were only one to be on such a list...for football.

When they found out that my son and some others were also being 'recruited' by same school...that is by a flattering letter...

they began to take notice...especially since mine and a couple of the others had already hung up the football...playing last year. Nice to have initial contact...but it must move ahead to be valid...

Now so far, this player has one visit set up but no other calls coming in...for football! And it's with another college...other than those with the first letters.

nocal baseball is right. Our experience was that serious interest involved lots of phone calls (with the once a week limit for D1s), emails, a call from the college to the high school coach, sometimes a request for a videotape and then an invitation to visit, followed by more phone calls if the player hasn't made a commitment to the program after the visit.

I think that it can be pretty exhausting for a kid to get his hopes up every time one phone call, or one form letter, is received. Most of these go nowhere.

I think that as a parent, you have to be supportive, and make sure that your son follows through and answers inquiries, but also be careful not to make things even harder for your son by making evaluative comments (or screams) when something is received from a baseball program. By acting that way, you will get his hopes up, and most of the time, they will be dashed. That can be really exhausting and confusing for a kid.

Regrettably, the recruiting process is not fair; in most cases, it is disproportionatley weighted in favor of the recruiter. The "recruiters" hold more cards than you, the "recruitee" (there are some exceptions, everyone who has been through this process knows this). The recruiters shuffle their "cards" constantly, and you, the shuffled "recruitee," never know when you will hit the discard pile. You are often left to deduce this harsh reality by circumstantial evidence. A "recruiting letter" from a program, particularly one like LSU, is worth less,IMHO (but educated opinion), than the cost of the postage...even though the cost of postage keeps going up.

Well said, pen.

fps, congrats on the letter and the attention your son is getting - keep him working - & I'll look forward to hearing more - and if LSU is meant to be - that's great -


ps-
keep in mind many (all?) those throwing "ice water on you", also insited Labron was a "stiff"



lefties? - - - they just aint right!

Bee...I "resemble" that remark!

Surely you thought that LeBron was going to be scoring 60 points a game! Of course, with the stiffs on his team, he has a long way to go. Figure 25 ppg next season and then competiting for the playoffs in a few years. And then...

A "form letter" from LSU does not mean your son is on any "recruiting" list. More often than not, the next letter is an invitation to one or more of their "camps".

Hello???

BEE

Your LeBron feelings aside , I do not think ANYONE called him a "stiff", it is not ice water being thrown it is tempering the enthusiasm to be realistic and not go off the deep end.

Keep in mind the letter was in response to the boys inquiry-- an asst coach did his job and responded--I am not sure they,LSU, have even seen the boy in action--the boy was pro-active and that is great but one needs to look at it all realistically and that is not to say that LSU may not be where the boy ends up but for now keep the enthusiasm under control.

Happy New Year

TRhit

TR - your "facts" are a little jumbled - it happens?


I'm happy to help -

a> fps's '04 rhp/of son attended a Thanksgiving break prospect camp at UNLV

b> the very first unsolicted letter he recieved from that exposure was from LSU Tiger's coach Smoke Laval

c> her son then reponded with his letter of interest and league schedule (just as he should)

d> mom screamed and damaged her throat

e> helpful websters threw a gatorade cooler of ice water on her (figurativly)



** I'll suggest a cup of warm tea & lemon with a dash of "spirits" for the throat -
or - if necessary, a cup of "spirits" with a dash of tea & lemon -
or maybe just forget about the tea & lemon alltogether



Beenthere, it's 20.2 ppg -
TR in the recent "hummergate/throwback jersey" thread, stiff was one of the nicer opinions expressed by many on Lebron



lefties? - - - they just aint right!

Bee...I stopped paying any attention to pro basketball when Michael retired the first time.

I'm not expecting any of today's new "mopes" to be saints, but "puhlease"...enough with the police blotter stuff.

Bee, you're probably right, it was a bit of ice water, and soothing herbal tea would be better. On the other hand, as someone who can identify with this parent's reaction, I have had people use both methods with me, and frankly, the ice water route was the one that worked for me.

I will stand by my experience, and the advice I have been given as well: an initial letter, even if written in response to having been seen, means nothing unless it is followed by personal telephone contact and consistent expressions of interest. LSU has probably used up its quota of official visits already, furthermore.

Reams of us here on this board can tell stories of the "come on" letters our boys have received, after having been seen at a showcase, that made it sound as if the coach had our home telephone number on speed dial and was just sitting by the phone, drumming his fingers until he could push that button on July 1st: only to never hear another word from that school, except, as BeenthereIL so rightly points out, requests for money (in the guise of "prospect camps"). When I think of the hours my son spent, dutifully filling out those dang questionnaires, only to hear nothing or very little more, I'd like to...well, now that you mention it, scream!

I firmly stand by my belief that parents do not help by overreacting to these initial letters, even telephone calls. They tell you nothing, nothing mind you, about whether you are in a database of 1000 or an A list of 10 (even then, the odds aren't great).

In the kid's mind, it goes something like this: "Oh, Mom/Dad is SO excited about this letter, they would be so happy if this school offered me a spot". Then, kid gets not much else from school. "Oh, I must have really let Mom/Dad down" by not making it.

What we as parents are supposed to convey is: warm support, organizational help (making those folders, etc.) and a sounding board for the boy's questions. We are not supposed to be screaming as if we got a letter with a winning lottery ticket.

I would be absolutely delighted if this boy makes it to LSU or any other baseball program and I truly wish him and his parents the best. But it is important for parents to really understand the process, and to know that the first contacts mean very little. TRHit said it best, probably, and most gently. But I think that the point really needs to be made.

What board members should remember is that every college is different in the time, $$$'s, and personnel they will allocate to baseball recruiting. Getting a letter or any other form of contact will not mean the same thing from every college. Some colleges spend a great deal on recruiting and send out tens of thousands of letters and e-mails. The original posting mentioned one of many of these colleges. Great school, but an amazing recruiting machine that will flood mailboxes all over the country. Then there are some colleges who have told us that they do not have the budget or personnel to do this type of mass recruiting. That they will rarely send mail and only to those they are seriously interested in. You will also find that each college will start recruiting at different times, some sending letters as early as freshman year while others won't start contacting you until your junior year.

So, how will you know what a letter REALLY means? You won’t know until it counts. Relax and enjoy the letters and contacts when they come. Hopefully your player will use them as motivation to continue to improve on his game. But the only contact from a college that will be important is the one that comes after July 1st of your junior year with an offer to play baseball at a college your son really wants to attend. All the rest is only worth the entertainment value it provides you and your player.

hey I've been thu it also,

but, getting a great 1rst letter could also go like this - - -

wow, someone (besides mom) thinks I "got the goods" - I know I can play & am gonna keep working my but off so I'll be prepared to make choices when the opportunity comes -

lefties? - - - they just aint right!

FPSMOM - Congratulations! It feels great to get that letter, doesn't it - particularly from a program as good as LSU's. My advice is (if you haven't done so already), to take this as an opportunity to establish personal contact with the school, so that the recruiting coach begins to put a 'face to a name'. I would suggest having your son respond by writing an email to the coach (you can usually find their email address on the college website), thanking him for the letter, expressing interest in their program, and asking what kind of information would be most helpful to him (the coach) as he makes his recruiting decisions. Also ask how often the coach would like to hear from him. My son did this last year and received very positive responses. Good luck!

-----------------------------
Pay attention to the feedback that takes you where you want to go!

Gees...What nonsense from some of you!

In the name of being "politically correct".

I agree with URKillingMeBlue,
if your interested in the program continue to follow it up and try to determine where you might fit in and go from there. Just because it is a top and competitive program doesn't mean you will not be a part of it someday.

Knowledge is Power! Thank you Mavens and HSBBWEB!

BeenThere -

You talkin' to me ?

-----------------------------
Pay attention to the feedback that takes you where you want to go!

mom...Go to the LSU website and see how many players are substantive contributors from the State of California.

Again...It is way late in the recruiting process for the Class of 2004; and, unless he is a fastballing pitcher with size, don't hold your breath for dinner with the LSU coaching staff.

I submit, if he was a fireballer with size, you would have committed already.

Enough said.

Why do so many of you say things to people to make them feel good when you really don't believe what you are saying or you know from experience that that information which you are conveying is not true?It helps no one and actually gives them a false sense of "hope".

BeenthereIL,

You may remember some time ago that I made a rather pointed remark concerning what I thought about LSU's recruiting practices based upon some very real events that happened to my son during the recruiting process. I was chastised by at least one staunch supporter of that program and I offered to discuss the situation in either an email or private message because I didn't want to publicly present all of the details. Well, I never heard from the other party so I guess he didn't want to hear what I had to say. I made the same offer earlier in this thread....I don't mind putting facts on the table but I do believe that sometimes it is better to discuss some topics in one-on-one conversations and that can best be accomplished by private topics or emails or phone calls. I think the mom who started this thread has actually gotten some pretty good advice and she can decide where to take it from here. I really don't think anyone here has purposely tried to deceive her about the meaning of the letter.



Ann

UKMB gives good advice. As I said before, they mail 'em by the wheelbarrow. Pick up the phone call the coach, put a voice to the face, make sure they know where you will play. If you do that and they are even mildly interested, they will come to see him at one venue or the other.

That is why we play top notch travel teams and showcase. That gives the coaches we want to have see us the opportunity to do so. My son got lots of letters from LSU. I also know that they saw him. That is all you can ask for. All any of us want is to get in front of these guys. I would never tell you that your son is not good enough. I don't know him. I remember that Debbie Kazmir came on here and asked about agents and many regulars here laughed at her.

You also never know when someone will watch. During the summer one team saw my son and he did not have it. That same school saw him in the fall and made an offer on the spot. Ya never know.

Hey Ann, I am posting after you. Good Post!

"I love the HSBBW"

Keep in mind there are three distinct groups of parents that post to hsbbw at this time of year. Those with talented sons that have not yet reached college age, parents with talented sons that have not yet reached college age but have signed a NLI, and parents of college/pro aged players that have developed some long term perspective.

What might be described as "politically correct" might also be described as "euphoria" for parents that have not yet dealt with the realities of college and/or pro baseball. There is a certain euphoria that parents experience when their sons first experience recognition at the next level. The realities of the "business" of college and, to an even greater extent, pro baseball, have not yet been experienced by many posters.

Letters, then phone calls, then scholarships, and even pro contracts become meaningless as players compete for the reality of playing time. It can be a cruel world out there- enjoy every step of the journey.

fpsmom,

IMO - Its great that your son is getting attention from any school. It is always very exciting to get interest in any form - and they should all be followed up on by your son. Dont count anything out.

However, it is important to keep a level head during the process. Try to minimize the highs and lows. If you cant do that - buy alot of Rolaids.

Most importantly - look at the facts wherever you can find them and think realistically about the various programs and where your son could fit in academically and athletically. Personally - I like numbers - so I always asked myself "what are the odds that etc..."

IMO - Beenthere delivers the steak rare - but it is Grade A stuff in my opinion. TRHit puts a little sauce on it so it goes down a bit easier.
Either way - its grade A stuff from folks who have gone through the process very successfully IMO.

Sorry for the lame steak analogy (LOL) and best of luck to your son.

I remember when the websters cautioned me about getting too excited about anything...especially regarding initial mailings of anything.

Best advice we could have received.

--

its...Moving up from hot dogs to steaks, huh?

IMO any contact is great and gives you the opportunity to keep communicating. This is especially so as you never know what's going on through this process.

My son has received letters from about 50 schools. Some have lead to more and more contact. Most have lead to nothing. But, again, you never know.

For example, one school wrote constantly, sent media guides, junior day invitation/visit followed by phone calls, hand written letters and then...... nothing. Still nothing, despite several follow up attempts by my son.

Another school sent a form letter. It was addressed "Dear Prospect". They crossed out prospect and wrote in his name. My son sent back a thank you letter, mostly out of courtesy and heard nothing further (for about 8 months) and then without any further contact, recieved a hand written note "inviting" him to the team (no scholarships at this school so none to discuss). Apparently they had seen him at a camp, never spoke to him, no other contact and then an "offer". We've got no idea what took place.

I have found the college baseball recruiting process to be the most inexact science I have ever encountered. If I recall, I think I said in one of my first posts that it reminds me (in the worst sense possible) of high school dating.

I don't get most of any of this, except to keep trying, keep contacting schools you're interested in, keep getting seen and who knows what this LSU letter means. Don't get too high or too low, just use it to keep in contact and best of luck!!!!

Hey batter says it so well. It is way less than exact. My son received letters from about the same numbers of schools. He got duplicate letters each week from two or three different schools addressed to his given name, his "nickname".

July 1 came and he heard from 4 or 5 schools, a few more as the summer and fall went on. The school he signed with sent 3 letters including the one congratulating him for signing.

Some of the heaviest "mailers" never called. My point is that mail may, or may not, be the first step by the school, in the process. An inexact one for sure. Enjoy it while you can as there are many highs and lows just getting to the NLI.

Geaux Cajuns!!

Hey Batter, is this the same team your son is most interested in? If so, our experience with the same school has been a tad different, since I believe they heard about mine through word of mouth. So the same school may be different in its recruiting methods depending on where the kid is geographically (close versus ****her away)and how the school got his name. Just a cent's worth...

And oh for heaven's sake these filters are silly. "more far away" I guess I should have said, grammatically challenged though that is....

Cal2004-sent you a PM.

PM back atcha, Mr. Batter. We were not talking about the same school, btw, sorry for any confusion. But I would guess that my point might be valid anyway: that the schools may recruit different players differently. Anyone with more experience could comment....

No one wants to burst anyone's bubble here, but I think hearing from parents who have been through the process is something to listen to and take advice from.
As far as LSU, I agree with most who have given advice regarding their recruiting. Here is another one. My son never returned any of the questionaires from them. Both coaches saw him play in June and they called on a weekly basis starting on July 1. We set up an official visit, but along with that did our homework and decided that this would not be a good fit for him, some for reasons stated in these posts. My son decided not to waste one of their alloted visits, and they appreciated his honesty. Some can't believe he turned the visit down, it just was not right for my son. We know of two players they took from our county, I doubt whether those players will see any real playing time for awhile, my son wanted to go where he would be an impact player starting in his freshman year. The coaches are some of the finest in the country, the program is excellent, no one can take that away from them. It just didn't sends screams out of our mouths, because you have to be realistic.
Schools send out hundreds of questionaires. It is a preliminary screening, IMHO the word recruited means being pursued after July 1. Be realistic in your expectations, be excited for your son, but don't go overboard. We kept it all low key and mom just filed all of the letters so that someday he could look back on this time and show his kids or grandkids.
What worked for the decision was that my son established a very nice relationship (with the school he ended up signing), early in his Junior year. This was done after he researched his top choices, a very necessary process for you to do. The academic program should be scutinized as well as the baseball program. Those letters are great to get, it does improve the players desire to do better and is most flattering. Reality is the day you get the offer (I have said this before).
You can take all posts for what they are worth, but I think a lot is said here by those of us that have been through it. There are a lot of really good players out there, unfortunetly there are more than top D1 schools have a spot for, so be realistic in where your son stands in his class before you think a letter means you will get a call, visit, offer. Every once in a while you hear of a story of a kid who was unknown and got a great offer. However with more and more coaches relying on the scouting services, this doesn't happen too often.

Baseballs50


Nice post but I do not agree about your thoughts on "more and more coaches relying on the scouting services" --they still want to see the player in person---

TRhit

TR,
Stand corrected, they want to see the player in person after they have done their homework, eg, my son's experience with LSU, they heard about him, then saw him play before the phone calls were made.

Baseball50]s -

It was our experience that none of the D1 schools that actively recruited our son used a recruiting service, all but one school saw him in person play, the other school contacted us thru a Regional Scout.

Recruiting services have not yet become a proven way to be recruited (based on many reports here and interviews with coaches (also posted on this site) and I would hate to see a new poster think they are the best way to be recuited and spend all the money the cost when there are better ways.

_______________
"Baseball, it is said, is only a game. And the Grand Canyon is only a hole."

"JustMom"

I guess LSU having a successful program puts a bulls-eye on their back - as many seem to be taking shots at it

- it seems it must be a "good fit" for some players -
the proof? their roster is full of fresh, soph, jr, & srs from all over the south and a canadian & kaliforian -
some freshman and sophs got significant playing time last yr and I see they are preseason top 10 -

I can see why some might not consider it a good fit but where's the sense in bad-rapping someone else who does -

much has been made of the view that a player should go where he can have an impact as a freshman - I couldn't dissagree more, some are looking for a challenge to rise to

lefties? - - - they just aint right!

quote:

---

Originally posted by Bee:

much has been made of the view that a player should go where he can have an impact as a freshman - I couldn't dissagree more, some are looking for a challenge to rise to

---

Bee,

Agree with FNG (and you). That is a fantastic comment IMO. You wont hear that too much - but for some fellas - it is very true.

It would make a great topic IMO.

A local Orlando pitcher, Justin Meier, had a great freshman year for LSU...and a nice summer on the Cape this all this past year. He's got a "wicked hahd slidah".

Geaux Cajuns!!

FNG, I agree with Bee's statement about kids looking for a challenge. Any player that is interested in a tough D1 school like LSU and is thinking about making an impact as a Freshman, is setting himself up for disappointment.

Along with many on this site, I have always encouraged a player to check out who is ahead of him at the college he likes. If you are a middle infielder and there are two sophs ahead of you who had good years, the chances are not very good that you will get much playing time as a Frosh.

FNG,

With all due respect, being LSU is interested in your son.

Please call LSU and ask them if they use PG as a recruiting tool. If not, they sure are wasting a lot of money following us all across the country. Most all LSU recruits have played in PG events.

FNG,

Was wondering how LSU got your son's name.................

Agree with PGStaff. Letters son has received from LSU specifically mention seeing him pitch at PerfectGame events. I'd watch out for any coach that says, "they do not recruit players they have not seen in their camp" ... unless they are truly a small school with no recruiting travel budget, this is a sales pitch for camp $$'s.

PG Staff LSU was at the AZ Fall Showcase a couple years ago.

Maybe LSU wasn't one of the two schools FNG was talking about.

PASSION - "There are many things in life that will catch your eye, but only a few will catch your heart...pursue those."

FNG - I saw several of those types of letters last year (son is 04). Funny how he got recruited by those same schools that said they wouldn't if he didn't attend their camp. And he didn't attend their camp.

Having said that, there are some college camps that are well worth it. Those are the ones who invite other colleges in to participate and help coach/run the camp (Stanford camp is one example). But I'd pick one but no more than two of those.

As for the PG comment - I cannot tell you how helpful attending PG events were to our son. That was the single best thing he did. It led to all sorts of other things that will be unforgettable for a lifetime. And I can tell you also that when the school that eventually signed our son came into our living room, the FIRST thing they said was about how well he performed at a PG event.

Get your knickers unbunched, PG.

I read that as 'they wouldn't use only a showcase performance to recruit'....hence the "one time performance" mention. That does not suggest that they don't use showcases to identify guys for more attention.

With the FL & AZ October Wood Bat tournaments, however, I would be willing to bet the majority of quality players have played in a PG event, wherever they might be playing now.

---------------------------------
From 'Nice Guys Finish Last' by Leo Durocher:

Baseball lives at the center of a never-flagging whirl of irreconcilable opinions.

FNG, Your nickname is interesting ......did you serve in Vietnam?

FNG,

I apologize for the snappy remark.

I only meant to say that I know many schools have offered scholarships based on one showcase performance, including LSU.

Orlando, I should add, LSU first got interested in Justin Meier at (you guessed it). We had many discussions with LSU recruiters about that outstanding pitcher.

Not thin skinned at all, just always interested in getting to the truth.

Best of luck to your son FNG.

Not rushing to anyones defense, as I didn't see that FNG mentioned LSU specifically, but my son attended a top 10 in-state ACC school's camp as a freshman and the recruiting coordinator repeated the same thing, "We only recruit from our camp."

I have since seen him at every showcase and a bunch of tournaments we have been to, still working there. Maybe he was following up on his campers, or looking for new players to invite to camp.

Geaux Cajuns!!

I have no doubt that "We only recruit from out camp" gets said.

But how many kids go to the camps? Come up with any number you can that's reasonable.

Wouldn't that put a pretty severe limit on their recruiting from even a regional recruiting base point of view?

FO
A good point which makes the statement less than credible. Maybe 300 Jrs. a year at a top 10 program with multiple camps, hardly a recruiting base.

Geaux Cajuns!!

Is it true that many assistant coaches at the the D1 level have their salaries supplemented with camp profits? I'm sure all of this income is above board, and within the law. But it has to make you think that letters out of the blue from significant D1 schools may be a "shot in the dark" recruiting effort, but, more likely a way to get max numbers into the camp and is endorsed and supported by the head coach as a way to keep the staff happy and costs down. .

Thanks PG for the clarification. I was not talking about recruiting services I said scouting services and I should have just said PG or Team One, etc.
PG is correct, we got lots of exposure from them and that is where LSU saw my son and so did 20 other schools who were there. I am not saying that you HAVE to attend a showcase or wood bat, playing on a great summer team helps also. But you can sure bet lots of exposure comes from attending.
Please note, my son's decision not to attend LSU was because it was NOT the right fit. Isn't that what it is all about? We would never let our son choose a school because the baseball program (even football) WAS the main reason for attending, there are lots of other factors to consider. Every player, every family has there own personal reasons and in my son's case being a sat/sun starter instead of a tues/wed starter was important to him. I don't believe in this talk "it's sets up for failure" to want to be an impact player from the beginning. If you go to a school, eg. LSU you better know from the very beginning there is no such word as failure. Players are from the best in the country in the top D1 schools so you better think about the big/little fish theory before you decide whether you want to play or sit. If you don't believe me or anyone else go to the site on PG for biggest NLI list and then compare that with top 200 in the country.
It is wonderful to get a letter from any school. Just be realistic.
I am not out to throw the ice water on, please, this is an exciting time, just put all in perspective. Because when the phone call doesn't come, the visit, the offer, then you have set yourself up for failure.
I know of a situation where the parents were so disappointed in no offer, the kid became a mess, it does happen.

Just to clearify, PG is not a recruiting service despite having helped many players go on to college programs.

We work very closely with most all DI schools. The last thing we would do is downplay the importance of College Camps. They can be valuable both as a learning experience and possibly even from a recruiting stand point.

The player is showing interest in the program when he attends the college camp. This helps the college coaches decision a bit.

Now being interested in the truth lets look at the facts.

For the most part, most DI schools have rosters full of scholarship players who never attended their camps.

Is one to believe that the DI coach that sees his potential #1 pitcher at a showcase or tournament will not recruit him because he failed to attend the schools camp?

Are we suppose to believe that those top players who make 5 official visits have attended all 5 of those schools camps?

If a college had no scholarship money left for next year would they cancel their camp?

I could go on, but somewhere along the line common sense should kick in.

That said, I am a strong supporter of several college camps. Some are great experiences for young players and potential college players. But next time one of them tells you they have no interest in your son unless he attends their camp you should know this... They don't really think your son is a top caliber prospect because the top guys don't have to attend any camp tp get extreme interest. Or perhaps they think you won't attend without a little incentive. In most cases it's not the same for everyone, sometimes they really mean what they're telling you in your specific case.

Bottom line... Many college camps are great for the player. It can be a very positive experience. But if they find a better player some place else, they're going to recruit him.

Someone correct me if I am wrong. Isn't the main purpose of college camps to make $$$ to support their programs? I do know from talking to a coach that out of 200 players they might find one, two that may be worth a follow up.

Things are not always as they appear in the complex world of a very simple process called RECRUITING. The recruiting process is a highly emotional experience for the parent, hard work for the player, a business for the colleges, and a source of revenue for many others. Everyone in the loop is fully aware of where everyone else stands, with the exception of you, the emotional involved parent. Only after you have completed the process, read the showcase evaluations, and watched a few college games, does everything start to really come into focus.
Go back and review the process, look at your receipts, the college recruiting letters, the NLI, read your diary, count your grey hairs, count your change, and count your blessings. Pat yourself on the back because he made it!
Fungo

Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level, then beat you with experience.

Counting my blessings.....daily

Geaux Cajuns!!

My son is only a soph. this year but I took him to a advanced camp put on by the Longhorns, the information we received from the coaches was great. With select ball they really harped on summer ball and the recruitment process. They want you to send a roster and a schedule of your HS games, but they will mostly scan the large select tourny's in the summer. My son is 6' 160 and threw the BB 84mph from short to first and got some attention but we are a ways away.

As someone posted above, college camps are definitely to allow staffs to make money. Every school takes a different approach after that starting point.

Some are very recreational, others quite intense. The Stanford camp was interesting to me. My son received a letter from them and they said that if he is interested in Stanford he must come to the camp. They went on to state that they don't have the ability to travel etc. to see all the recruits they'd like. Frankly, I didn't truly believe that. If it's someone they want, they'll go see 'em. the Stanford staff used to work the Cal Poly camp until CP recently changed head coaches. I've seen the Stanford coaches at the Area Code games and other events. So do you have to go to a school's camp, NO. But if you want to guarantee they'll see you, YES. Otherwise your left to hope they see you elsewhere.

Getting seen is critical. Although my son has gotten some contact from several schools from seeing a tape, interest has typically come only from those who have actually seen him play and that has usually been at a camp. From the Stanford camp he has been contacted by 6 schools that were there, although, none were Stanford

Fungo,
We are thankful and patting our son on the back, good post.
I am going to refer to a suggestion I posted a year ago, a must read "Official Visit". Puts lots in perspective to a parent who is beginning the process, going thru the process.
My posts regarding LSU were not meant to be derogatory in any way, I was using them as an example of the excitement of getting a letter from a school from that calibar. My point was advice to parents to keep the process in perspective and recognize your son's talent, capabilities and limitations from an outsider looking in. Once that is achieved, the process becomes so much easier and less stressful. Discuss early on where it is that your SON wants to go, not where you think he should go. If it is his desire to play in one of the bigger D1 schools, make a plan (which may be attending the camp), research, anything and everything from baseball, academics, player graduation, coaching staff,injuries, roster size, living arrangements, meals, training, study hall, etc.
We found that after doing that some of those letters, camp invitations meant nothing.

HeyBatter: My son's an '05 and just got the camp invite to Stanford. He also got a questionnaire and HS Transcript info. form in a separate mailing.
Is this the same as you got?
Is it live or is it Memorex?

We tell our son that the letters are cool, but the truthkeeper is who calls on July 1, or shall we say who offers an NLI. (And what the scholarship offer is, if anything).
We did high five him after he got the Stanford letter and questionnaire. Just because it was fun and he did not have that school in his collection yet. He also checks all the letters to see if the coaches really sign them.

Son e-mailed and no response and knowing him, he will call and call until someone answers. He has been following up all questionnaires with periodic phone calls and e-mail updates to coaches about schedules and such. It has been good, because he has got to know some of the coaches a little by calling them. Plus, this early who knows what will transpire? This and a ton of research about the schools' programs and educational facilities helps.
As long as his grades are good and he works hard and has a good season. Who knows...

lhpmom- if I remember correctly my son received an introductory letter from Stanford. He wrote back and then I think got a second letter with questionnaire, grade and transcript request. Sent that all back.

I think he then got a few other form letters and a camp invite. this was all back when he was a sophomore. He had other committments and didn't go to the camp after his soph year, but did send them a letter explaining why. Around December of his junior year he got a letter and camp invite and sent it in immediately. Got a few other letters until the summer camp and attended this summer '03.

Overall I think the camp is a must. The exposure you get to dozens of colleges is amazing and my son has been seriously recruited by several schools that saw him there and I believe (hope and pray) will be ending up at one of those schools. He's waiting to hear from the admissions office.

Best advice I could give, don't think of this as simply the Stanford camp. If Stanford wants you, they'll find you IMO. I think they might take 1 or 2 kids from the camp (if any) and they are typically high profile kids that were known in any event. I didn't see the camp as being about Stanford. It just happens to be held there.

nice site casey, easy to manuver, understandable, and well written. But........hang on to your socks, this site is not what you may call "recruiting services friendly" at times. But welcome aboard.

HeyBatter: Thanks for the info. I know son would love to attend camp.
The only thing is that he is playing on a travel team that doesn't let the players go to a showcase or camp if it conflicts with game schedules. That makes sense. He's already committed with said team and they do an excellent job of getting their players exposure. So is this camp more of an exposure camp for several schools? Who all attended the one your son went to?
He would mainly be interested in being seen by Stanford, as he was seen by some excellent ACC, SEC, Big East, Big 12, MVC, Col. and IVY League Conf. Schools this past summer that appear to be interested in him and have been sending out questionnaires and mailing follow-up letters and e-mails. It's too soon to tell where he'll end up.
He's been researching schools that offer a good balance between baseball and academics.
He'd love to attend all camps, but time and $ won't permit.

Thankx for giving us information and your own experiences. We are very grateful to HSBBWEB posters for their views and experience and wisdom. We have learned a lot from this site and continue to learn more.

I have a cute story about a kid receiving a letter from a top baseball college. My son was a Junior, and had just started getting a few letters in the mail from schools and we were quite pleased. One day a letter arrived for "Billy McMillon" and since my son's name is Brett McMillan, he was a little put off with the school. I came home that night and he showed me the letter (form letter) and I started laughing, and he asked why? I told him that Billy McMillon is an outfielder who is black, 31 years old, 5'11" and went to college at Clemson and signed in 1993. Brett still did not laugh,but I thought it was funny, and he received at least 6 letters from that school before he graduated.

Take in to the fact that if your child does attend the camp the likelyhood of him applying is better then 50%. .That's added revenue for the school.
Some schools admiision application fees are 60 or 75 dollars each.
20,000 applicants for 1200 spots... Hmmm do the math.
Even though the perentage is small it still adds exposure to the school which generates revenue for the school.

lhpmom- more about the stanford camp-

my memory of who was there included (officially working the camp and unofficially in the stands): all the Ivies except Penn(who may have been there), William & Mary, all the services academies, Centenary, Kansas, Hawaii, UC Davis, several MLB scouts, Saddleback JC (from SoCal). I know there were others, the names just escape me.

If your son's interest is only Stanford, they have in the past held camps with just their own staff, in addition to this all-star camp. Check their website.

If there was a "downside" to this allstar camp, there are about 300 kids there and you get seen in lots of "bits and pieces". Coaches are assigned to run different teams. Also, obviously, every coach is different and each camper will therefore have a different experience.

In any event, chances are a particular coach may never see your son play if his team's schedule conflicts with your son's team's schedule. There are other coaches that just work a certain skill station. they might see you hit in the cage, for example, and nothing else.

But, ovverall you're likely to get the opportunity to at least meet just about any coach there, connect a name with a face etc.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, about 6 different schools have contacted my son from that camp and I am hoping he'll soon be "officially" committing to one of those schools, he's just awaiting word from their admission's office.

bottom line- with every situation there is good and bad, but this camp IMO is definitely worth it and as I mentioned in an earlier post, I really only saw it as the "Stanford" camp, 'cause it's at Stanford. there are so many, many schools represented that it really is a showcase and I think the Stanford staff does an amazing job in organizing and running this and it gives an incredible opportunity for alot of exposure. I think it was very reasonably priced and, simply, absolutely worth going to. It taught me and my son much about the good and the bad of competing and also attending school at the college level.