After a visit...then an offer.....

..how long would you be willing to give the coach?

WE do not know how long we should give the coach...How long do you normally give a coach in a situation like this.....Jan. middle of Spring season or the end...we do not know ...we have never been through this before........

I’m a firm believer in if everything is right, the player should commit, sign, and get it over with and don’t look back. But in many cases the player has some doubts and wants to explore more options. I’m not against that either but at the same time you do need to keep an eye on the “recruiting clock”. Not much jockeying goes on in the scholarship offer/acceptance portion of the recruiting cycle but you do have some flexibility here. The main goal is to get the offer as soon as possible and take as much time as you can to reply. This may only be a few days or a week or two. This allows you more options while essentially locking in their offer. If you say “no rush” then this allows them to continue their search with the possibility of finding a “better” recruit and spending the scholarship money and filling the roster spot they were prepared to offer your son. Trust me here. Coaches are always looking. I’m not advocating manipulating coaches and offers but I don’t think you should put yourself at a disadvantage either.
Fungo

Thanks for the advice...my son definitely wants to see how he does at Perfect Game this week. What is the general time frame?

I do not think there is a general time frame for either side

Bottom line for me is if there are no doubts and the player is sure in HIS own mind then you sign.

Let me give you an example:

We had a boy with us who had a great offer on the table at a school he liked BUT he was not totally sure about it all, mostly because it happened in a matter of days of his joining our team. I asked him to look me in the eye and tell me he had no doubts-- his answer was a simple "I Can't. I am all confused". A week later he visited another school, which deep down was his favorite,liked it and was given a great offer. He told me could now look me in the eye and tell he had no doubts. The rest is history as he this week signed his NLI with a major ACC school.

Also I always felt that if a coach pressured a player into accepting an offer when the player tells him he is not certain this is a coach I am not sure I want the player to play for. The good coach wants a player who is certain he wants to be there not a plyer who is "iffy" and may leave in 6 months.

The thing is this is the first school my son visited. He likes it, has friends there, it is a SMALL school,which I think he would do well in that environment...we do not want him to think this is the only place he can go. But we do not yet know what else might be out there for him with the up and comming events....

Flabaseball,

I always describe the signing process as a game of musical chairs.

Since the coach asked, it is an issue.

He is trying to get his roster set as quickly as he can so he will naturally want a shorter time frame than you will.

There is not a "normal" time frame because the music is playing and the chairs are filling up.

So, it is a very dynamic process.

But, the coaches are playing the music and determine the number of chairs.

Your son's position also affects the process. Pitchers get to hear the slowest music, for example.

My sense is that with an offer coming next week, the time frame necessary to determine the effects of your showcase events might be too long for the coach.

But, because he is an NAIA school, he probably completes his roster well into next spring.

And you risk offending the coach with a "let me see if I can get a better offer, then I'll let you know" position.

quote:

We took our son to a NAIA school for a visit and he pitched for the coach. The coach told my son that he would fit into the rotation next year and all the good things you want to hear. My son likes the school. After it was all said and done he said he will get with the head coach and call this week with an offer.

To me, that is a "normal" process for what usually works out to be a very good situation and I would be anticipating a very good scholarship offer.

Many times on this board the decision criteria used is "the right fit".

I think the "right fit" is something you recognize even if you have not been through the process before.

Others with experience on this board will begin to give you ideas.

With as complete of an understanding of the process as possible, many times it still comes down to,"Dad, this is where I want to go to school. I like the coaches. I like the campus."

Time frame can be as much of a parameter as money.

When the coach makes the offer, me may say, "I need to know by...".

Or, you can ask him when you need to repsond to his offer.

And if you can't give a decision in that time frame, it may not be the right fit for you.

I agree with TRHit. FormerObserver gives great advice. It is "musical chairs". I will give you two examples of the offers during my son’s recruitment. On the first offer the coach said: “You have until spring to decide”. I was shocked at such a long time frame when he said this. He then added, “But if you do decide one way or the other we would like to know as soon as possible.”
Another offer came in on a Friday and the coach told me we had until Tuesday to decide. I said we couldn’t decide by then because we had a few other coaches we were talking to. He said if we were going to take other visits the offer would be gone. I said “Thanks but no thanks!”
I might add that two other offers “dried up” because they were probably made to other players at the same time and the other players accepted while we were exploring other options.
I like Davy Crockett’s personal motto: “Be sure you’re right, then go ahead.”

As an addition to my post allow me to refer to my sons situation which I still think is typical of how a player knows if it is "right".

It was in May of his senior HS year, near the end of the college season and he still had not made up his mind or perhaps better said, could not or had not found what he wanted. He got the invite to visit New Mexico State, saw a DH with Cal State Fullerton where 11 dingers went over the wall and then called me that nite---"This is it !!! Make the deal Dad"

To this day I cannot tell you how he knew it was "right" but he did. He even accpted the redshirt in his frosh year before playing as a regualr for the next 4.

He never looked back !!!

I believe that honesty is the best policy, in this case the answer would be, son has only visited one school and is not totally convinced it is the right place for him.
If an offer comes this week, you can ask the coach what is the time frame he needs a reply by. He is making the offer to you, you should have the courtesy to respond within his time frame, or discuss what is reasonable.
Don't let anyone pressure your son into deciding, no matter which school it is. If your son has to think about one ofer too long, then it ma be a signal he is not ready to committ to that school.

Be very careful about falling in love with the first school you visit! Many teenagers are impressionable and under the pressure (both external and internal) that occurs during recruiting, they are easily influenced! Recruiting is a sales job which coaches do well. Everyone wants to be wanted and baseball players are no exception.
My son fell in love with EVERY school he visited! He came home from each official visit just sure that this was it!
His final decision was prompted by one school placing a time limit upon him. Amusingly, it pushed him to choose a different school who wasn't pressuring him.
Hopefully your coach will give your son some breathing room. If not, my son's attitude was that if a coach placed time restraints and didn't respect his need to think this through, then maybe that wasn't the coach for him. This is a HUGE decision and I'm proud that my son took it so seriously.

Considering the number of schools and scouts that will be at the tournament this week, I think you guys should wait it out a few weeks if Ryan does as good as I know he can. He's certainly got the size and stuff to go D-I, so there's no reason he should settle for a smaller school now IMO. Now, if he hasn't received much or any interest after the tournament, that's when you might want to consider signing. But don't listen to me, I'm the one here asking for all the advice possible... lol

Thanks Bobcats14.......seems as though you have gotten some help from this site......thanks again....good luck next weekend.....

I have... I love this site. But yea, considering the amount of schools that will be in Jupiter this week, surely at least a few will take an interest in him, and you never know who...

Well the offer is in......and the coach told our son to talk it over with parents and to call him back next week.......we kind of wanted to wait a little longer, as my son is going to some showcases the next couple weeks........Thank you everyone for the help...but I feel this is not over

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Former observer....great post!



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