Advice For The HS Freshmen Who Wants To Later Play College Baseball

Everyone's situation is different.  My son did travel ball from 11U-13U.  Once he hit high school, we actually played legion his 14 and 15 seasons.  Our thinking was, he was a slow grower and based on his measurables, we was not going to wow any college coaches.  Even though he won the "Golden Arm" award on his 13U travel team and lettered as a Sophomore.  Plus, I was going to save money.

We went back to travel ball the summer after his junior year to showcase.  He received multiple D1 offers.

Now, a college coach asking for a 2022 summer schedule seems like a great first step.  Maybe your son is already a bigger kid and has promising measurable and has the potential to be offered early?  I think it's important to understand realistically where your son is and where he will project to be, to help you decide which team to join.  I'm not familiar with teams in GA, but others might.

Francis... sent you a PM.

Yes the top guys will have college scouts and perhaps MLB scouts at some of the HS games...saw that last season..particularly in playoff time.

CTbballDad posted:

Everyone's situation is different.  My son did travel ball from 11U-13U.  Once he hit high school, we actually played legion his 14 and 15 seasons.  Our thinking was, he was a slow grower and based on his measurables, we was not going to wow any college coaches.  Even though he won the "Golden Arm" award on his 13U travel team and lettered as a Sophomore.  Plus, I was going to save money.

We went back to travel ball the summer after his junior year to showcase.  He received multiple D1 offers.

Now, a college coach asking for a 2022 summer schedule seems like a great first step.  Maybe your son is already a bigger kid and has promising measurable and has the potential to be offered early?  I think it's important to understand realistically where your son is and where he will project to be, to help you decide which team to join.  I'm not familiar with teams in GA, but others might.

Thanks for the reply.   Believe me he is not huge.  He is 5'7" 125 pound skeleton with clothes on.  It really was a shocker when he told us what the coach said.  He has quick hands and is smooth when he moves.  Where he stands was really the only thing we were after.  I really thought he was holding his own.  The coach must of seen more than what I saw.  I am very proud of him.

IMHO HS baseball doesn't really matter. The thing I learned.... get on the best travel organization you can and make their top team, don't worry you will know which one is the best. I've seen these guys make a phone call and see 3 P5 coaches show up at a game....it's ALL about connections. 

When you hit numbers...85 for a RHP or 83 for a LHP and sub 7 60s and EV over 90 mph for hitters start going to camps and showcases. And hope the right coach sees you.

Spot on.

Alanj posted:

CTbballDad posted:

Everyone's situation is different.  My son did travel ball from 11U-13U.  Once he hit high school, we actually played legion his 14 and 15 seasons.  Our thinking was, he was a slow grower and based on his measurables, we was not going to wow any college coaches.  Even though he won the "Golden Arm" award on his 13U travel team and lettered as a Sophomore.  Plus, I was going to save money.

We went back to travel ball the summer after his junior year to showcase.  He received multiple D1 offers.

Now, a college coach asking for a 2022 summer schedule seems like a great first step.  Maybe your son is already a bigger kid and has promising measurable and has the potential to be offered early?  I think it's important to understand realistically where your son is and where he will project to be, to help you decide which team to join.  I'm not familiar with teams in GA, but others might.

Thanks for the reply.   Believe me he is not huge.  He is 5'7" 125 pound skeleton with clothes on.  It really was a shocker when he told us what the coach said.  He has quick hands and is smooth when he moves.  Where he stands was really the only thing we were after.  I really thought he was holding his own.  The coach must of seen more than what I saw.  I am very proud of him.

The coach sees some potential talent. But more than anything he sees you spending more money on his camps.

Nonamedad posted:

When you hit numbers...85 for a RHP or 83 for a LHP and sub 7 60s and EV over 90 mph for hitters start going to camps and showcases. And hope the right coach sees you.

I disagree. Not that it can't work, but spending $300 for a camp is expensive. Multiple camps + travel/lodging/food is a lot of money. We have been to 4 or 5 camps. At each camp the head coach gave his morning welcome speech, half heartedly watched for a little, then left for meetings/facilties tour with the actual recruits. The only real purpose of camps is to make money and gets the actual recruits on campus so they can offer them (as per NCAA rules) 

 I once sat in the stands of a program’s “camp” and watched the players hit. When the hitting session was over I walked over to an existing player I knew helping the coaching staff. I commented there were only four legit D1 hitting prospects. The player laughed. He told me the four players I pointed out were discovered at a PG East Cobb. Everyone else was a local, paying, delusion wannabe. 

Everyone’s experience is different.  We Went to two (SEC) camps, uninvited, without prior contact and they were beneficial. At one, they sent him to get me right after he pitched his inning and we toured the facilities and sat down to hear about the program with the PC. They started weekly calls.  The other ask us to stay after and tour facilities and they started weekly calls. That can’t happen now with new rules but I don’t think camps are a waste. I think you can definitely be seen. Some camps are better than others for sure.

As I’m reading through the replies to this post, one thing strikes me.  It’s a theme that I’m seeing, and maybe mis-interpreting, that college guys are just going to show up to a tourney, HS game, or camp and look for players. With a few exceptions, PG/Jupiter, college coaches do not just show up to tourneys and look for players.  They are there to see specific players.  Most of these players have already had contact with that school and are on their recruiting radar. They will show up, watch that player play and then leave.  When that player is not playing they will be barely paying attention to the game.  Unless a kid really stands out they will not be paying attention to anyone other then the kid they are there to see. 

Here is a real-world scenario.  In Chicago the HS coaches hold a showcase for the better players at the end of the year. There are a lot of college coaches there.  Say 30 to 40 schools represented.  The same weekend the showcase is held there is a tourney being run that promotes the fact that these college coaches will be there watching that tourney.  They are partially right.  Some of the guys will show up to watch a few players they have already had contact with.  Most of the college guys over at the HS showcase will not attend the tourney.  Instead they are over watching a couple of teams play each other.  4 to 5 of the best travel teams in the area hold a separate set of games against each other.  These are the best travel teams in the area.  They are playing showcase games against each other.  If one of the college guys are not out watching players they have on their radar they are here, not at the tourney.  The games are not played like normal tourney games.  Pitchers are rotated in and out each inning.  Batters will be skipped in the batting order if they are scheduled to pitch the next inning.  Players are substituted in and out all game without becoming ineligible once they are removed from the game.  Players will play on more then one team, ie pitch for their programs A team and they play a position for the programs B team.  As I said in an earlier post these teams are less worried about winning the games (yes they want to win but that is secondary) then they are about showcasing their kids. 

Please do not think players are just discovered by college coaches just walking around a tourney. You need to have a marketing plan in place for your player.  There are many posts on here on how to do that.  In addition please do not think anyone is going to do that for you.  You need to take charge of that plan.  Yes many travel and HS programs can help, but they are not going to go at this with the same intensity you and your son will. Finally, as I demonstrated above playing in the right travel program is a major plus.  These programs have deep ties with many schools and will exploit them to get their players into the right colleges.

PABaseball posted:

Nonamedad posted:

When you hit numbers...85 for a RHP or 83 for a LHP and sub 7 60s and EV over 90 mph for hitters start going to camps and showcases. And hope the right coach sees you.

I disagree. Not that it can't work, but spending $300 for a camp is expensive. Multiple camps + travel/lodging/food is a lot of money. We have been to 4 or 5 camps. At each camp the head coach gave his morning welcome speech, half heartedly watched for a little, then left for meetings/facilties tour with the actual recruits. The only real purpose of camps is to make money and gets the actual recruits on campus so they can offer them (as per NCAA rules) 

Don't go before you hit those numbers, my son went to 5 camps of schools he was interested in and 4 asked for transcripts and remained in contact for a while, they never offered. Also there are usually smaller D1s/D2s and Jucos that attend and those schools also started recruiting him. 

And yes these are money makers for the assistants and one camp was a joke. But you have to get in front of coaches. If you can combine the camp with a vacation or visit a family member all the better. Don't go without something to show.

Joes87 post is right for how a kid should plan. Build interest -- video, metrics, etc -- and then have them come and see you play at XYZ tournament. That said, it definitely happens that coaches will see a kid do something and get in contact, even if they had no idea who the kid was before. It happens, but you shouldn't plan on it working out for two reasons: (1) it probably doesn't happen all that often; and (2) the school may hold no interest for the kid for a variety of reasons (location, academics, level of baseball, etc.), so the inbound interest ends up being meaningless -- for example, as a result of the AZ Junior Classic last year, my son got phone calls from RCs at  a couple schools (a mid-major D1 and one of the top D2 programs in the country) he had never contacted, but he wasn't interested in the schools so he politely declined the invitations for visits. Put another way, the chances that a kid will get random inbound interest from one of his target schools are not high. Much better to reach out to the target schools in advance.

I found that taking video was invaluable...I was at nearly every one of my 2019's travel games, HS games, showcases, tournaments over the last 4 years and had my tripod and video camera set up and recording as much as I could get..yes, most of the other parents made some snarky comments and didn't bother putting the work in that I did..I edited it all down to a 5 to 6 minute youtube video that my son attached with every email to a potential college match...it paid lots of dividends in receiving offers, the coaches told him so...they had his 60 yard dash, POP throws, in game hitting, base stealing, runner throwouts, everything you can imagine at their fingertips..and by the way, some of those parents who laughed at me and thought the HS and travel team coaches were going to do the legwork and get their sons recruited, well they found out that was a pipe dream and are scrambling right now trying to find a school that will take their 2019 and having no luck...smarten up and get those videos going.

Not going to embed the quote out of respect, catcherdad!

I agree 1000%. You don't see nearly enough parent rolling the cameras when Johnny is up to bat, on the mound, or in the field. You HAVE TO HAVE video because the number of opportunities to get in front of the schools on your target list are finite. You will play countless more games that they will not be at than they will be at, so video those and edit it down to highlights only. At bat video I edited down to just the swing where he made great contact. Fielding, every ball my son has fielded in the past 2 years is on video. Every at bat recorded. These are things that the parents have to carry the water on. Don't think for a second that hiring a recruiter to do it will have the same impact. They are getting paid whether your kid gets an offer or not. You are the best proponent for your kid, start shooting and editing.

Agree 100% with GaryMe and Catcherdadny! Take video in case something good happens!! If it doesn't, just delete the clip.

I haven't always done it, and often regretted not pulling my phone out. Funny story on that. First travel game after sophomore year my kid homered, it was a really good shot with a wood bat. After the game we had this exchange:

Son: That's going to make a great clip for a highlight video.

Me: Uhh . . . um, actually, I don't  think it will.

Son: What do you mean? I got all of that ball.

Me: Yup, but I forgot to video it.

Mistakes like that made me take the position that, if you don't get it on video, it didn't happen.

My 2020 committed early this Fall.  We lucked into a great situation. With the benefit of hindsight, my advice for 16U and 17U is to realize that the coach is going to be the salesperson for your son.  He will represent him to potential schools.  Does he have connections?  Are his connections at schools you care about?  Is he enthusiastic about the process?   How many other kids does he have to worry about? Where is your son in the pecking order?...These are all the questions I would consider if I had to go through this again.

Be careful about putting your son's future into the hands of a coach...that may be true in some cases but realize that coaches have lives beyond baseball and most don't have the time to be promoting your kid...and college coaches know that travel team and HS coaches oversell their kids and are hardly objective...they view a lot of what they say with a fine filter...you have to be your kid's primary promoter and teach him how to be the same...learning how to speak to coaches, showing lots of hustle and proper body language on the field, demonstrating maturity and coachability etc. 

You need to find the right team. If you're playing for a travel team where the coach isn't promoting your kid, contacting schools on your behalf, and having realistic conversations with him about his future you are in the wrong travel program. Get out immediately, there is no point of being there. College coaches put a lot of stock in what a reputable travel coach says - because if the player they're hyping up turns out to be a bust, its their reputation on the line. And travel programs can't survive if their players aren't playing college ball. 

Never completely trust anybody with your sons future, but finding the right travel coach can go a long way and save you a lot of money/time editing videos and driving to $500 showcases where nobody knows your name. If you find the right coach/program, you may never have to send an email, make a video, or attend a showcase. He can bring them right to you

GaryMe posted:

Not going to embed the quote out of respect, catcherdad!

I agree 1000%. You don't see nearly enough parent rolling the cameras when Johnny is up to bat, on the mound, or in the field. You HAVE TO HAVE video because the number of opportunities to get in front of the schools on your target list are finite. You will play countless more games that they will not be at than they will be at, so video those and edit it down to highlights only. At bat video I edited down to just the swing where he made great contact. Fielding, every ball my son has fielded in the past 2 years is on video. Every at bat recorded. These are things that the parents have to carry the water on. Don't think for a second that hiring a recruiter to do it will have the same impact. They are getting paid whether your kid gets an offer or not. You are the best proponent for your kid, start shooting and editing.

What type of camera or device do you guys use to record the videos?

Alanj posted:

GaryMe posted:

Not going to embed the quote out of respect, catcherdad!

I agree 1000%. You don't see nearly enough parent rolling the cameras when Johnny is up to bat, on the mound, or in the field. You HAVE TO HAVE video because the number of opportunities to get in front of the schools on your target list are finite. You will play countless more games that they will not be at than they will be at, so video those and edit it down to highlights only. At bat video I edited down to just the swing where he made great contact. Fielding, every ball my son has fielded in the past 2 years is on video. Every at bat recorded. These are things that the parents have to carry the water on. Don't think for a second that hiring a recruiter to do it will have the same impact. They are getting paid whether your kid gets an offer or not. You are the best proponent for your kid, start shooting and editing.

What type of camera or device do you guys use to record the videos?

Phone. Hold it sideways. When your kid is batting, follow the path of the ball (slowly pan the camera), and then pan to what base he ends up on. Don't talk.  Pitching is pretty easy to video, but you need to be able to get the batter and the mound in the same shot. Fielding is hard, because a lot of time goes by with no action -- just video each inning and if he gets no action, delete the video after the inning. OF might be impossible to video well, I'm not sure. IF isn't too hard.

I use a mix of video camera and/or phone camera...in either case it's good to use a tripod mount for steady quality...practice is important to obtain consistent results..I upload into my laptop and use Windows Movie Maker to edit and assemble video..it's important to structure the video properly..the opening should include name, DOB, year of graduation, positions, height, weight, school, GPA, travel team, coach's contact info, players contact info and hometown...include highlights thereafter, don't exceed 7 minutes if possible..avoid adding music..coaches despise that. 

We use a sony handycam, right up against the fence so you don't see fencing in the shots. I edit it on mac using IMovie. Certainly a longer process than using a phone, but we are happy with results. Handycams are dirt cheap now and if you throw a 64Gb card in it you can record an entire weekend tournament on one card. We try to keep our videos to 2 min and under

I hung a Flip HD camera on the backstop fence at his games and recorded his starts. Uploaded them to you tube and an inexpensive recruiting site that allowed you to track email views via ip address so you’d know who was watching and how many times they viewed it.

i believe it helped as the one coach who consistently viewed and responded to his emails was LeCroy at Clemson.

The most value in my sons recruiting was having a "trusted source" that supported him.  The "trusted source" is an affiliate scout.  The scout picked up the phone and RC's were at the next game to watch him throw.  

The reality is my son was/is a late bloomer.  He didn't receive the trusted sources "support" as a RHP until he was 85+ off the mound (mid summer before senior year).  That was the magic number to bring out lot's of interest.  No it wasn't lots of D1 interest, but that wasn't a priority for my son.  We knew what pond to fish in to catch what he was looking for!  

You will hear that the difficulty for position players to get D1 attention compared to pitchers is more difficult.  From my observations, that's not true if you are top D1 material.  I think the problem for most parents is recognizing what a D1 position player looks like.  Make sure you find someone you trust and get a good evaluation of his skill set.  Than fish in that pond and things will work out fine.  We have watched many players who aspired to play D1 spend a lot of money fishing in that pond.  Solid players but not D1 prospects.  

D1 position players separate themselves from the pack of GOOD HS varsity players the second they walk on the field.  They look different in size, the way they move, confidence in the box, and speed.  They look like they are men playing with boys even if everyone on the field is a good HS varsity player.  

My points:

1.  Get bigger, faster, stronger.

2.  Find a trusted source.

3.  Fish in the right pond.

4.  (Repeat)  Good grades will keep doors open

Also, I used a free video-editing software called Shotcut. Cut out the deadtime, keep the videos short. Put the best stuff first. No music. Start with relevant info -- name, school, position, GPA. Also, if you have a link to a site with other highlight videos (in addition to the one you're sending), that can't hurt.

I had thoughts of creating a pitching highlight video showing success against specific kids by name - like, Top 100 PG players, draft picks, etc. I never did that, but I think it could be valuable. If I were a coach it would be more meaningful to me. Even for a hitter, if a kid's highlight clip has him driving the ball against high draft picks -- e.g., a highlight of batting against first round pick so-and-so, followed by a highlight of batting against second round pick so-and-so -- I would think that would be really valuable. 

Consider how many videos the coaching staff at a quality program receives. These programs can pick their players. They’re not looking at every video if they look at any.

If a coach is going to look at a video he’s not looking for highlights. He’s not looking to see if the ball went over the fence. He’s looking at the swing to see if it has college (at his team’s level) potential.

In terms of camps it’s much easier for pitchers to draw attention. 90+ is 90+ no matter where you throw it. Position players  are harder to judge. There are so many more variables. Camps are typically a waste of time for position players. 

You need to find the right team. If you're playing for a travel team where the coach isn't promoting your kid, contacting schools on your behalf, and having realistic conversations with him about his future you are in the wrong travel program.

 Bingo! Credibility and contacts are more important than teaching skills in 17u.

I know schools look at videos, you can track it. That said, for pitchers, put your velo in the subject and put all measurables in the body.  I kept videos to under 2 -3 minutes.

RJM posted:

Consider how many videos the coaching staff at a quality program receives. These programs can pick their players. They’re not looking at every video if they look at any.

If a coach is going to look at a video he’s not looking for highlights. He’s not looking to see if the ball went over the fence. He’s looking at the swing to see if it has college (at his team’s level) potential.

In terms of camps it’s much easier for pitchers to draw attention. 90+ is 90+ no matter where you throw it. Position players  are harder to judge. There are so many more variables. Camps are typically a waste of time for position players. 

RJM,

I agree with you as a general rule college camps are money makers much more than recruiting tools for the school.  

BUT 

If you are fishing in the right pond, make contact prior to showing up.  Find a third party "trusted source" to vouch for you.  Your odds will go up 10 fold!  

Whew, glad I'm done , it's a jungle out there. 

real green posted:

RJM posted:

Consider how many videos the coaching staff at a quality program receives. These programs can pick their players. They’re not looking at every video if they look at any.

If a coach is going to look at a video he’s not looking for highlights. He’s not looking to see if the ball went over the fence. He’s looking at the swing to see if it has college (at his team’s level) potential.

In terms of camps it’s much easier for pitchers to draw attention. 90+ is 90+ no matter where you throw it. Position players  are harder to judge. There are so many more variables. Camps are typically a waste of time for position players. 

RJM,

I agree with you as a general rule college camps are money makers much more than recruiting tools for the school.  

BUT 

If you are fishing in the right pond, make contact prior to showing up.  Find a third party "trusted source" to vouch for you.  Your odds will go up 10 fold!  

Both kids played for coaches who presold them on the phone and mailed videos for them. This is what I felt I was paying for more than coaching even though they knew the game. One of the coaches on my son’s team was a former D1 coach and current scout.

When it comes to video most college guys are not looking for game highlight films.  They are looking for film of pitchers throwing a bullpen or batters taking BP.  They want to see the player from multiple angles. Im traveling right now for work and my internet is not the greatest.  If I remember I will post some example videos when I get back to my hotel.

baseballhs posted:

I know schools look at videos, you can track it. That said, for pitchers, put your velo in the subject and put all measurables in the body.  I kept videos to under 2 -3 minutes.

We inadvertently conducted a little experiment this year with the email subjects. 

The first batch of emails we sent out had a very bland subject: "John Doe, 2020 OF".  Using the video log on Vimeo we saw basically a 0% viewing rate. 

Later we changed it to: "John Doe, 2020 OF, 6.6 60, 91 EV" and got about 33% viewing. 

Lastly, at the urging of son's coach we used: "Referral from Coach X, 2020 OF, 6.6 60 91 EV" and got about 75% viewing rate.

I dunno guys. My kid sent out video with game action only and (1) on his UVs almost without exception the coaches said they appreciated getting them and that they were valuable; and (2) some other schools (where he didn't UV) called/texted (went through a travel coach when he was a sophomore) based on video. Not every school. He emailed video to maybe about 40 schools and got phone/text interest from over half. Maybe some coaches don't watch them, but many do.

Agree with BaseballHS  and K9 that the subject line is VERY important -- it needs to have something in it that will pique a coach's interest. 

There's more than one way to attack the recruiting puzzle, but video can be useful to spark interest. JMO 

I'll throw in some balance to the video discussion as it relates to the OP...  love the new technology tools and think video taken of your own kid has it's place as some have pointed out.  

On the other side of the coin, however, I have seen too many parents get wrapped up in trying to get every possible video shot of their kid at most or every game, with the idea of compiling the ultimate recruiting video.  Neither they nor their kid are really enjoying the moment, the game, the competition for what it is supposed to be.     

As Joe and RJM said, college guys aren't looking for game highlights.  They are looking for mechanics and physical makeup that will translate.  The other "intangibles" will come via references who are not parents.  

Since this thread is a request for advice for the freshman who wants to later play college ball, my advice to the parents in regards to video would be as follows...  Yes, maintain some current video clips, once they have skills worth showing.  It can be done by you, a travel or training organization or other.  Follow the general guidelines provided here and elsewhere on how to assemble and what is important.  But, don't let this consume you.  A handful of game rep clips and a couple of training/pen/cage sessions is plenty.  Most often, try to put the darn cameras away and enjoy the game!  

K9 posted:

baseballhs posted:

I know schools look at videos, you can track it. That said, for pitchers, put your velo in the subject and put all measurables in the body.  I kept videos to under 2 -3 minutes.

We inadvertently conducted a little experiment this year with the email subjects. 

The first batch of emails we sent out had a very bland subject: "John Doe, 2020 OF".  Using the video log on Vimeo we saw basically a 0% viewing rate. 

Later we changed it to: "John Doe, 2020 OF, 6.6 60, 91 EV" and got about 33% viewing. 

Lastly, at the urging of son's coach we used: "Referral from Coach X, 2020 OF, 6.6 60 91 EV" and got about 75% viewing rate.

K9, What you say is absolutely true.  But there is a bit of irony here...  If you are a good player who 1.) has a reputable connected coach who will be a reference and strong advocate, 2.) has top 1% foot speed and 3.) has top 1% EV, you probably don't have a whole lot of need for a video 

(Don't know exactly about the 1% accuracy, just making a point )

A coach needs to see more on a video than swing mechanics, physical makeup etc..those are eye candy things as there is more than one way to hit a baseball or else we would all be doing it the same way..just as valuable is to see how an outfielder sees the ball off the bat and closes on a deep hit, whether he takes a proper angle to the ball, how a first baseman scoops a low throw, how quickly a third baseman fields and throws to the bag and if footwork, mechanics and accuracy are there, how well a catcher blocks and frames and how quickly he throws to the bag on a steal in a game... I fail to find the relevancy of exit velos off a tee or BP hits over the wall off 50 mph pitches in a showcase...it needs to be live game footage.  

There's a lot of great advice here with regards to video, and I think CatchdadNY, RJM and Cabbage's comments were particularly good.  Waiting for a player to get to the maturity, physicality and skill level is probably most important IMO, followed closely by getting the correct viewing angles to show off mechanics (look at PG videos of hitters and catchers and it's clear what the pros want to see).  We used a mix of cage BP for mechanics and game ABs to highlight his ability to hit quality live pitching at JO's, WWBA, Jupiter, etc.

A second point I'd emphasize is to know your target audience.  Video is highly valuable to some programs (mid-lower tier or HA D1, D3) that don't have huge travel budgets, and perhaps less valuable to P5 schools who can see most recruits live.

In my son's case, he targeted HA schools.  In a conversation I had with an Ivy coach (who offered my son) I asked him how he found kids.  He said that's the hardest part of his job, like finding a needle in a hay stack. He said if my son hadn't sent him a video there is no way he would have ever found him (we're in California).  Of course he subsequently went to several tournaments to see son play but the video is what got the ball rolling.

What's HA?