A twist (for us) on recruiting letter

Coach is a "networker" & marketing his program, opening a door to communication.

Son did rec'vd a couple business cards in his recruiting pkgs. Some hand written letters included personal phone...
And, I'll say this...be mindful of NCAA contact guidelines...

Use the number. Even if this is not your son's dream school, it is good practice for him to pick up the phone and see how it feels to speak to a college coach. The coach may not be able to call you back, however, if you leave a voice mail per NCAA guidelines. But you can start a lively email correspondence!

Take him up on the offer to attend a game on campus

It will give you a chance to see the campus and get a feel as to what it is all about---the more campuses the boy sees the better he will be in making his decision---the campus is a key element in the final choice

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IMO...

Obviously the more personalized the better the communication...

TR is right on it as well...you can only gain the perspective you will need to make a good choice by the experience of seeing a number of schools.

Dream School? You'll be interested to see how the concept of "dream school" often shifts on the basis of campus...but also on the basis of coach, program interest, offer, weather, girls...

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hey jbbaseball, I sent you a PM

The best way to get a "feel" for the school is by using tickets that have been given to you. This can be accomplished by killing two birds with one stone, an unofficial visit and watching a sporting event.
If you are a strong consideration, coches will spend as much time as they can with you will on your visit.

My son’s number one choice out of HS was the University 45 minutes down the road. When my son was a recruit, he used the tickets to football, basketball and volleyball all the time. He was only able to go to a few actual baseball games because of conflicts with HS games.
Most of the time, I went with him. It was real nice to get tickets to a sold out basketball game.

I recommend that you enjoy the experience. My son did choose to attend the school that provided the tickets.

I know I didn't mention it in my original post, but the school is about 1,000 miles away from us.

The offer of tickets distinguishes this from other approaches expressing more casual interest.

But 1,000 miles means air fare, rental car and hotel bills. So you would be justified in e-mailing or calling a few times to discuss the program with the coach first. Also, have your son check out the school's web site, including those virtual tours, and also look at the baseball site for all the info you can gather.

If you are thinking you want to make a decision in the next few months, then if this school is one you want to consider, you may need to bite the bullet and pay to visit.

If you're willing to wait until fall, you can consider requesting that they keep you in mind for an official visit in the fall. The downside to that is, they may move on to someone else at your son's position in the interim. So it really comes down to, how hot are you for this school? And what other choices are on the table for you?

From our experience some schools send out tickets pretty freely knowing full well that many of the kids can't make it to the games. Our son received tickets for Baylor games but we are from the Northwest. Other schools that sent them were more serious about him and were closer to home.

Make sure in the long run that the school is a Financial Fit, meaning, assume a small grant and can you afford the difference?

jbbaseball - Getting back to your cell phone comment and questions.

I think it is a really good sign that he gave you his card/phone number. I would use it. Not overuse it, but use it. Its time for your son to start building a rapport with this coach if its a school he's interested in.

My thoughts are that coaches see 1,000 potential recruits out there. If one of them shows more interest in their school, then as a coach I'm going to be more interested in him. Its hard to wade through those 1,000 candidates and mutual interest is definitely a filter that gets your son closer to the the "good list" for that school.

I would call to set up an unofficial visit in the Spring...since there is distance, go to a practice on Thursday and a weekend of games if you can. And then I'd call shortly before that visit to reaffirm...and again after that visit to thank the coach. And if your son is really interested in the school, I'd tell the coach just that.

As an 08... coaches can't call you directly... Until July 1st... but YOU can call any time... Thus, why he sent the card with his contact information. USE IT.

The tickets are just a perk... Being 1000 miles away, it really doesn't mean a lot, as the coaches knnow you won't be there every weekend but that you will be VERY serious, if you do go and use them.


Hey JustBB... You know this kid is probably tied up Mon thru Sat every week on his own BB team, from mid Feb until early May.... when can he get a thurs thru Sunday off to visit a college a 1000 miles away...

My son also recieved a business card with a cell number. He called and spoke with the coach and really got a good understanding for there feeling about him. He also aranged to attend a camp the coach was giving and got a good look. Make the call it can provide some great insite.

You do have a window of opportunity in early February, to go see the college teams practice and play games before your son's commitment to his high school team starts. I think in VA the rules prohibit practices or tryouts before Feb. 19 or 20, but most teams are playing games for 1-2 weeks before that. Depending on where you're heading, it can be a cold time to visit, but if the college players can handle it, your son can, too.

I think the NCAA has a rule going into effect in 2008 to prevent schools from starting games before around Feb. 20, but you can still see games this year, and even next year there will be practices you can watch.

Wyliedad:
Was his from SFA?

No it was OSU.