Ya but you have to use man tan to get a tan.
Are you talking about walking on at the programs which had the camps he has attended?
Seems to me that a lefty throwing 84-86 and getting guys out can find a place to play, but he might have to go where they want him, not where he wants to go. How are his secondary pitches, CB, change, etc? How does he field his position? You need to take his strengths and market that, if not, if he really wants to play, go try out at the nearest JUCO, get some school in, mature, get in innings to improve, he will have two years to do that and find a scholoarship opportunity, why not ask HS coach for help?
Seems to me that a lefty throwing 84-86 and getting guys out can find a place to play, but he might have to go where they want him, not where he wants to go. How are his secondary pitches, CB, change, etc? How does he field his position? You need to take his strengths and market that, if not, if he really wants to play, go try out at the nearest JUCO, get some school in, mature, get in innings to improve, he will have two years to do that and find a scholoarship opportunity, why not ask HS coach for help?
If you have a LHP throwing with the velocity that you claim why are not schools talking to him ?
RHP's throwing with that velocity get offers all the time
Something does not jive here--- has he played for Hi Profile summer and fall teams/ And what coach is telling a kid to walk on when he has that velocity/
What is wrong here
RHP's throwing with that velocity get offers all the time
Something does not jive here--- has he played for Hi Profile summer and fall teams/ And what coach is telling a kid to walk on when he has that velocity/
What is wrong here
TPM: This afternoon he started talking about going the JUCO route. He is a late bloomer physically so a year at JUCO would help in that area. He has a 4.3 GPA (AP classes) so is having a tough time giving up academics for baseball. Not many academically rigorous JUCO's around here.
As far as the thread goes, I do believe we got our answer. We wanted to know about the realities of walk on spots. I asked because I thought it would be helpful for not just my son but for all the other unsigned players out there that are being told "Don't worry, you can always walk on".
Knowing that walk-on spots are a lot riskier than he thought, is helping him decide his priorities. Thanks all for opening our eyes to the realities of walk on spots.
TRhit you have a PM
As far as the thread goes, I do believe we got our answer. We wanted to know about the realities of walk on spots. I asked because I thought it would be helpful for not just my son but for all the other unsigned players out there that are being told "Don't worry, you can always walk on".
Knowing that walk-on spots are a lot riskier than he thought, is helping him decide his priorities. Thanks all for opening our eyes to the realities of walk on spots.
TRhit you have a PM
I am not sure I get this either.
Is this a case that the schools he is interested in just aren't interested in him? If so, the player has to decide which is more important.
There is life after baseball, if he has a specific career path that is what is most important. JMO.
Is this a case that the schools he is interested in just aren't interested in him? If so, the player has to decide which is more important.
There is life after baseball, if he has a specific career path that is what is most important. JMO.
TPM: Yup. The schools he is interested in aren't interested in him for baseball. He is limiting himself, knows it and is ok with it.
Thanks to all for giving us the heads up on what the walk-on situations were like.
Thanks to all for giving us the heads up on what the walk-on situations were like.
Sometimes if a coach believes a player has been accepted at a school and is going to attend the school they will tell the player to walk on. What have they got to lose by doing that if they are fairly certain the player is going to attend the school?
I have no idea what the situation actually is but it could be as simple as your son letting the coaches in question know that he has multiple options academically and that he's going to go to the school that gives him a roster spot. That isn't advice, that's just an option.
I have no idea what the situation actually is but it could be as simple as your son letting the coaches in question know that he has multiple options academically and that he's going to go to the school that gives him a roster spot. That isn't advice, that's just an option.
quote:son is having a tough time giving up academics for baseball. Not many academically rigorous JUCO's around here.
Students don't have to "give up" academics when attending a JC. The value of a school is what your son makes of the opportunity, whether its UCLA or a local JC.
In fact your local JC probebely offers a lower division Chem 1a class with 20-25 students, while a school like UCLA offers the same class with 900 students. Sure UCLA's got a big name, but is it absolutly the best place for your son to take his lower division courses?
Don't sell JCs short. The JC route offers many oppourtunities for those willing to take advantage of them.
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And if you are high academic it is possible to be enrolled at a 4 year AND play JC ball...the unit load is heavy as you are enrolled at both, but the academic kids do cut it. It is done.
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And if you are high academic it is possible to be enrolled at a 4 year AND play JC ball...the unit load is heavy as you are enrolled at both, but the academic kids do cut it. It is done.
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I agree with CollegeParent.
JUCO's are a great place to start. As long as the peliminary courses transfer to the Big school of his choice. That is easy to find out by talking to admissions. I dont know the situation there but some JUCO's have specialized programs also.
Advantages include
Smaller class size. Personal instruction if needed. Very hard to get an instructors time when he has over a 1000 students to teach each week.
Closer to home in most cases to help with housing,meals,laundry,homesick,maintaining current friendships,tuition.
A chance to continue playing Baseball if he wants. And giving him some experience so maybe he can continue playing at the big school of choice.
Not being tempted into the party atmosphere at most large schools. Or not getting lost in the shuffle of 20,000 member student bodies.
Drawbacks...... Not playing at the big school..Frankly thats not the issue if they are not recruiting your son.
So I see no disadvantage at all.
FYI My son has attended both. And liked the experience at both.
JUCO's are a great place to start. As long as the peliminary courses transfer to the Big school of his choice. That is easy to find out by talking to admissions. I dont know the situation there but some JUCO's have specialized programs also.
Advantages include
Smaller class size. Personal instruction if needed. Very hard to get an instructors time when he has over a 1000 students to teach each week.
Closer to home in most cases to help with housing,meals,laundry,homesick,maintaining current friendships,tuition.
A chance to continue playing Baseball if he wants. And giving him some experience so maybe he can continue playing at the big school of choice.
Not being tempted into the party atmosphere at most large schools. Or not getting lost in the shuffle of 20,000 member student bodies.
Drawbacks...... Not playing at the big school..Frankly thats not the issue if they are not recruiting your son.
So I see no disadvantage at all.
FYI My son has attended both. And liked the experience at both.
O-44,
To play at a JUCO, I am assuming you need to register for minimum of 12 hours. Then, you are saying, a kid is also enrolled at a 4 year....for one course...maybe, then ok. But, more than that....I think it would be very hard to do.
Think about the actual practice time and the off-field workouts that most baseball programs require.
I guess there would be some who could do it, but it seems like it would be very tough.
To play at a JUCO, I am assuming you need to register for minimum of 12 hours. Then, you are saying, a kid is also enrolled at a 4 year....for one course...maybe, then ok. But, more than that....I think it would be very hard to do.
Think about the actual practice time and the off-field workouts that most baseball programs require.
I guess there would be some who could do it, but it seems like it would be very tough.
Have seen several kids in CA do this. Yes, it is really hard but as I remember they get credit @ the JC for a baseball class that I think was 4 units. It's worth checking into as each college probably has it's own requirements.
I'm not particularly experienced in these matters, but if your son is that good a good student,with the skills you describe, he might have some options open to him. I exchanged some PMs with a parent from this board whose son got some great interest from a large D1 school last year when he attended one of the uncommitted showcases (I think it was in May or June) following his senior year. He was planning to walk on at a BigEast school where he had been accepted and had some contact with the coach there, but after his showcase visit, was contacted by a coach of a large D1 program and was admitted there in the early summer.
Its up to you and your son to provide the initiative here. Although its not the same sport, I enjoyed reading this story about Cornell basketball's guard. A similar moral. And a feel-good story.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03...20temple.html?src=me
Its up to you and your son to provide the initiative here. Although its not the same sport, I enjoyed reading this story about Cornell basketball's guard. A similar moral. And a feel-good story.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03...20temple.html?src=me
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I am not certain on the concurrent enrollemnt Requirements...and I would check on this...
...But that being said...I know that when my son was at CA JC, there were at least 2-3 kids doing concurrent classes between the local high end (academic and athletic) DI and playing ball at the JC. To the best of my knowledge (and I would check with 3FG) that in order to stay eligible/enrolled at both, they were doing in the neghborhood of 21 units. I know that is really a load but some of those units were baseball and PE and the players who did so were both highly academic and highly moivated...and well respected for doing so. Not for the weak of heart but do-able if you have a mission/passion/plan.
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I am not certain on the concurrent enrollemnt Requirements...and I would check on this...
...But that being said...I know that when my son was at CA JC, there were at least 2-3 kids doing concurrent classes between the local high end (academic and athletic) DI and playing ball at the JC. To the best of my knowledge (and I would check with 3FG) that in order to stay eligible/enrolled at both, they were doing in the neghborhood of 21 units. I know that is really a load but some of those units were baseball and PE and the players who did so were both highly academic and highly moivated...and well respected for doing so. Not for the weak of heart but do-able if you have a mission/passion/plan.
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During the season a player has to take 9 academic units at the JC along with the 3 units for the baseball class. During the fall I don't believe they have to take anything except the baseball class at the JC. I think they have to manage their classes such that they don't take difficult classes at the JC in the spring and a minimum load at the 4 year. It happens a lot.
quote:Originally posted by observer44:
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And if you are high academic it is possible to be enrolled at a 4 year AND play JC ball...the unit load is heavy as you are enrolled at both, but the academic kids do cut it. It is done.
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I heard a player who was attending a 4 year school and wanted to play at the JC, had to enroll with full time units at the JC to play, so he took full time units at both schools. Was that needed or was he just a over achiever?
He also had a problem when trying to play at his 4 year school that he had to have his AA degree, even though he never left the 4 year school.
One thing to keep in mind which many overlook is that not every D-1 school operates the same way in terms of academic admissions--you need to do a lot of homework here or you can be left out in cold
quote:Originally posted by sandlotmom:
Lefty that throws 84-86. He's not going to be recruited for his velocity nor his size. He's a situational pitcher that can hit his spots and gets guys out. Very low ERAs. Usually brought in as a closer. I'm guessing there isn't any room on a college roster these days for a situational pitcher.
It's been very helpful to hear the realities of the walk on situation. We've heard of "recruited walkon" but didn't really know what it meant.
sandlotmom,
One thing to keep in mind, pitchers tend to get a lion's share of the recruited athletic dollars on the baseball team. Left handed pitchers who can throw strikes and has decent velocity like your son are not easy to find.
If they are not interested in your son, he may want to expand his search to a program which wants him and has his academic choices vs taking the chance and walking on to a program that is not interest in making a commitment to him.
Good Luck and enjoy the ride!
quote:Originally posted by Homerun04:quote:Originally posted by observer44:
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And if you are high academic it is possible to be enrolled at a 4 year AND play JC ball...the unit load is heavy as you are enrolled at both, but the academic kids do cut it. It is done.
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I heard a player who was attending a 4 year school and wanted to play at the JC, had to enroll with full time units at the JC to play, so he took full time units at both schools. Was that needed or was he just a over achiever?
He also had a problem when trying to play at his 4 year school that he had to have his AA degree, even though he never left the 4 year school.
1st, in order to make this work the JC must be near the 4 year school.
Second, depending upon the JC, many of the d1 classes will count towards JC graduation, so its not like the kid has to take 4 semester of calculus to graduate at the JC (Students can graduate from a JC in CA with just one semester enrollment)
Third, they need a good JC counsler/coach work them around the transfer rules.
I think this path is really for the kid who just wants to be on a team. IF the kid is a potential player the D1 coach will redshirt him and sweet talk him into staying in the program. if he not a potential player the coach just cut him. Generally speking, the kids chances the second time around at the D1 won't be much better, from what I have seen, however the kid did get to play for two years.
One way to play at a JC while continuing to take a full load of courses at a 4 year school is to take on-line courses at the JC. If the player makes sure to take JC courses that he is already well-versed in, the time commitment for JC classes in quite small.
This scenario can play out fairly easily if a sophomore believes he can get more playing time at the JC. He can then enroll in JC courses that are substantially similar to courses he took the year before. A freshman that does well academically probably also would find this to be not time consuming.
He does does use a year of eligibility. I doubt that the NCAA rules would consider this player to be a transfer (because he isn't "transferring from a collegiate institution", since he's been enrolled full-time at the 4 year school all along) but it even if he were deemed to be a transfer student, it wouldn't matter. He'll be eligible to play as soon as he completes a year of full-time enrollment-- and that would be immediately!
Obviously the JC athletic facilities need to be close to the 4 year school.
This scenario can play out fairly easily if a sophomore believes he can get more playing time at the JC. He can then enroll in JC courses that are substantially similar to courses he took the year before. A freshman that does well academically probably also would find this to be not time consuming.
He does does use a year of eligibility. I doubt that the NCAA rules would consider this player to be a transfer (because he isn't "transferring from a collegiate institution", since he's been enrolled full-time at the 4 year school all along) but it even if he were deemed to be a transfer student, it wouldn't matter. He'll be eligible to play as soon as he completes a year of full-time enrollment-- and that would be immediately!
Obviously the JC athletic facilities need to be close to the 4 year school.
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IMO, That is true for some but not all...depends upon the player, the nature of the coaching staff, and the profile of the JC program...
A case study...
...4 played JC with mine and were attending 4 year DI's...two were highly recruited and high academic out of HS. One went to 4 year and did not play becasue he had decided not to play ball and just go academic, when he got to school changed his mind and still wanted to play ball and there were no openigns on the 4 year team....one had been seriously injured out of HS, lost the "love" from DI programs and now felt he could go back to playing. All who had "Dual citizenship" were intregral parts of a highly sucessful SoCal JC program that won two league championships and made the state playoffs twice.
One of them only played one year....had a great JC freshman season, and the JC coach approached the DI coach (of the school he was attending) about the player and was told to forget it again, that they still had no spots available. He walked on anyway had a great fall, made the team and began the season as a starter on a team that went into the spring expected to seriously challenege for a league title and trip to Omaha.
One had two great JC years and transferred to a quality NAIA and has done well.
One had two fair years but realized that the HS injury was indeed DI preventing and stayed at the 4 year.
One fit the "just wanted to play ball scenerio" had two fun years, saw the writing on the wall, gave up the glove and stayed at the 4 year.
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quote:Originally posted by CollegeParent:
I think this path is really for the kid who just wants to be on a team. IF the kid is a potential player the D1 coach will redshirt him and sweet talk him into staying in the program. if he not a potential player the coach just cut him. Generally speaking, the kids chances the second time around at the D1 won't be much better, from what I have seen, however the kid did get to play for two years.
IMO, That is true for some but not all...depends upon the player, the nature of the coaching staff, and the profile of the JC program...
A case study...
...4 played JC with mine and were attending 4 year DI's...two were highly recruited and high academic out of HS. One went to 4 year and did not play becasue he had decided not to play ball and just go academic, when he got to school changed his mind and still wanted to play ball and there were no openigns on the 4 year team....one had been seriously injured out of HS, lost the "love" from DI programs and now felt he could go back to playing. All who had "Dual citizenship" were intregral parts of a highly sucessful SoCal JC program that won two league championships and made the state playoffs twice.
One of them only played one year....had a great JC freshman season, and the JC coach approached the DI coach (of the school he was attending) about the player and was told to forget it again, that they still had no spots available. He walked on anyway had a great fall, made the team and began the season as a starter on a team that went into the spring expected to seriously challenege for a league title and trip to Omaha.
One had two great JC years and transferred to a quality NAIA and has done well.
One had two fair years but realized that the HS injury was indeed DI preventing and stayed at the 4 year.
One fit the "just wanted to play ball scenerio" had two fun years, saw the writing on the wall, gave up the glove and stayed at the 4 year.
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