Are you Marketing or Selling your son?

Fungo,

It's a combo of marketing and selling, in stages. We did the things you suggested to market, "my son" did the selling.
By the way, this was accomplished over a 4 year period.

Good post.

Great post, Fungo.

Instead of saying, "My son", would be better to start of with his name or something else?

When a coach asks for info I always use his name. I try not to say "my son". But, if I do it comes out as me being proud that he is.

Any thoughts?

I think that in using "my son" when talking to coaches, scouts, etc, it gives the impression it is about you the parent and not the player.


Always refer to son by his first name when speaking to those who have interests.

quote:

"my son" did the selling.

I doubt that your son did much "selling". You son's ability is why he’s where he is today and will determine where he ends up. If your son was out "selling" himself he would be telling everyone about how good he is, what he's accomplished and few players do that. Excuse me for assuming but I think you are saying his actions was what "sold" him and I think his actions are the coupe de grace of your marketing efforts.

Great topic and great points. Heres how I see it. If your going to market something in order to sell it you have to make sure that you know your product inside and out. You have to be honest about its value and you have to target those that will want it. For example - If your son is a D-3 level player then target the D-3 market. As a HS coach the last thing I am going to do is call UNC and tell them about a kid that I know is not a top level D-1 player. I have to be honest with the player and the parents and then I have to work hard for that kid in his market area. Now sometimes a player and or parents might feel that there kid is a level that the coach does not feel he is. This can cause some hard feelings for the player and or parent. But a coach can not afford to put his reputation on the line for a product that he does not feel will sell in a particular market. All this does is hurt the coaches credibility and may cause a deserving player to be overlooked in the future. The more credible the coach is in the college coaches eyes the more weight his recommendation carries. I have had kids sign with college programs based solely on my word because other kids have been exactly what I have said they would be. Most of the time coaches will see the product first either at a HS game or showcase event or Legion ball. Parents need to make sure that if they are going to market their kid they truly understand how important it is that they target the schools that there kid can actually play at. There are many sources available in order to get a true read on this. I have a son who plays for me. He is a Soph. I stay completely out of the marketing and selling of him. I do not want to in anyway seem that I am conflicted. I leave it up to the other coaches on staff and his summer and fall coaches. In my opinion what they say and other HS coaches say about my son carries much more weight because they are not his dad. Just my opinion. I do believe that parents should take an active role. Talk to the coach and get his opinion. Take him to showcase events and get their opinion. ETC ETC. Dont rely solely on your opinion because this can be disastrous. I took my son to a PG event to see what their opinion was. I allow others to (took his horn so to speak) and I stay out of it. With my other players I take a totally different approach. I tell them up front what I feel is the level they can play at and I tell them up front what they need to do in order to elevate that projection. Great topic I hope I have not rambled too much. PS I have called coaches before and told them about a kid that really wanted to go to there school. I have told them that the kid was a great young man and probaly was not talented enough to make an impact in their program. But the kid loves the school and just wants to be a part of the program. I have actually had coaches tell me to bring the player for a visit so they could meet him. Some of these kids have gone on to these schools and were part of the team. They did not play much but they understood this going in. One did eventually end up getting significant playing time at a D-1 school his senior year. Alot has to do with what the kid really wants. Some want to have a chance to play right away. Some just want to be a part of a particular program regardless of the situation. I guess thats another topic What does your son want? Sometimes its different than what you want for him. And sometimes what you think you want is not what you really want a few months down the road. Alot to think about.

I believe "marketing" would be be the stepping stone of "selling".

Here's a suggestion, talking to a scout/coach that is interested in the player, give them stats, camps and/or showcases he has attended, team schedule, and players's coach name and number. That is the marketing part. And hopefully the player will do the selling on the field.

Good or bad?

quote:

Originally posted by Fungo:

quote:

"my son" did the selling.

I doubt that your son did much "selling". You son's ability is why he’s where he is today and will determine where he ends up. If your son was out "selling" himself he would be telling everyone about how good he is, what he's accomplished and few players do that. Excuse me for assuming but I think you are saying his actions was what "sold" him and I think his actions are the coupe de grace of your marketing efforts.

Fungo,
You are correct. I naturally assumed you meant the "actions".
It's funny, I look back at all the recruiting and such, it seemed that the coaches had to "sell" their programs, school to son. That is the way it should be, for any player, get to teh place where they will tell you they want you, not you tell them you want them. JMO.

tasmit,
Good point. If a coach "asks" I think the situation changes completly. Selling in my opinion is an unsolicited action by parents. Parents try to "sell" their kids all the time and not just to coaches. Give you an example. I was watching a young girl about 9 years old at a softball clinic. I was sitting beside the proud mother during her pitching and just to make conversation I told her he daughter was doing a good job and then I just commented how I really enjoyed watching girl’s softball and their pitchers. I made reference about how good I thought girl with all the braids that pitched for Tennessee was and she told me her daughter was very similar to a girl named Cat Osterman in Texas. Having never heard of Cat Osterman I looked her up on the internet when I got home.
This mother is "selling" her nine year old daughter as being very similar to Cat Osterman. Here's Cat Osterman's bios.
CAREER ACCOLADES
• 2003, 2004 and 2005 U.S. National Softball Teams
• 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist (Softball)
• 2003 Pan-Am Games Gold Medalist (Softball)
• 2005 Honda Award for Softball and finalist for 2005 Honda-Broderick Cup
• Two-time USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year (2003 & 2005)
• 2005 ESPY Award Winner: “ Best College Female Athlete” and “Best Female Olympic Performance”
• 2003 ESPY Nominee: “ Best College Female Athlete”
• 2003 & 2005 Big 12 Female Athlete of the Year
• Three-time NFCA First-Team All-America (2003 & 2005 First Team, 2002 Second Team)
• Three-time NFCA First-Team All-Midwest Region (2002-03, 2005)
• Three-time Big 12 Pitcher of the Year (2002-03, 2005)
• Three-time First Team All-Big 12 (2002-03, 2005)
• 2002 Big 12 Freshman of the Year
• Two-time Women’s College World Series All-Tournament Team
• 16-time Big 12 Pitcher of the Week
• 2003 Verizon/CoSIDA Third-Team Academic All-America and First-Team Academic All-District VI
• Two-time Academic All-Big 12 (2003 First Team, 2005 Second Team)
• Four-time Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll honoree
• First softball player to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated
• Holds three single-season Big 12 pitching records
• Holds 10 UT career pitching records
• Holds 12 UT single-season pitching records

So, was that a bad thing or a good thing for her to do?

It does give a scout/coach some expectations. And if he/she doesn't deliver, then it may end up hurting them. I've never compared my son to any player. I'll leave that up to scouts. I just don't want to hurt him if he was to have a bad game.

Excellent topic.

There is a term out there and it is called "puffing" or puffery. I think it possibly describes the selling idea you may be trying to get at. It is often the concept we associate with the characature of a used car salesman - where the particular car you may be interested in can do no wrong. The lady from Tennessee was clearly puffing about her daughter. Either that, or I have been grossly under-selling my son all these years.

So if and when the time comes I should market my younger son as the next Lovieanne Jung?

Can this be right

tasmit,
The mother told a lie. It was a lie so in my opinion it was bad. I think Coach May and I are on the same page here. He sees it as a coach and as a parent.
Thanks ClevelandDad, while I've never heard the term "puffery" I do associate the action similar to the caricature of the used car salesman.
I’m not sure but....Could it be that if we fail to “market” our sons properly that we are forced into “selling” them?

.

IMO, in the end...It comes down to this....it is my sons job is to get ready....my job is to get him seen....It is up to a college coach to decide if he is a fit for that program...then the recruiting dance begins.

I never felt that I should have to Sell him just get him seen.

.

Simply Marketing is the execise you go throungh to create interest.
You have to establish your market Target. In general you have to target the schools that have a need for your product.
Once you have the Target established you start selling and go for the close.
I our case as I have said we were interested in schools far away and the likelyhood of a coach seeing my son was slim.
Marketing got the phone to ring and I did the selling. The only thing the coach was interested in once sold on him was did he want to attend that school in his own words. His job was to be honest and explain why he liked the school.
My son is not a marketing expert and has never sold anything but he loves the game and chose the schools to go after. I know lots of people want their son to do the marketing and selling but we are trying to sell a kid without ever beening seen in person and extract a large amount of money from that school. We also negotiated from a position of strength in that we were prepared to sit out a year inorder to do further marketing.

Fungo, good topic.

I think you're absolutely right in your approach. We have a rule at our house: "never tell them, always show them."

Never tell them because they don't want to hear it (they either don't care or, if they do care, they want to see it for themselves).

Always show them (always hustle and do the best you can every time you step on the field) because you never know who's watching.

Marketing is then making sure that the right people are watching at some point. I visit this web site to help figure out the best way (and time) to do that.

Mike F

Good thing you havn't heard that term. It is usually used when you are in front of a judge and ranks right up there with BS.

This is great--especially in light of a D-II visit/workout "my son" is attending Friday. Here is how I look at it:

MARKETING is getting your product out in the public's eye--trying to stimulate INTEREST in the product. I think this is part of a parent's responsibility--and part of the concept behind showcases, camps, videos, and websites.

SELLING is what is done once the "customer" is in the door. The PRODUCT (our sons) are the ones that need to do the sales job, through their performance on the field, and in their dealings with the "customer."

Of course, this is just my concept, as I agree a pushy "salesman" is going to turn a customer off, so parents (IMHO) need to back off once the product and the customer meet.

This being said, a coach's job is to be the SALESMAN for his program.

Having just concluded Phase 1 of this exercise (college recruiting and the NLI), it's hard to summarize how much we learned through this process, largely with the help of the quality people here on HSBBWEB.

My thoughts on this: everything first has to start with your child's dream and how that translates into tangible goals and his/her own passion for those goals. My job as a parent is to support the logistical aspects of his striving for those goals and to mentor my child to stay centered on a value system that transcends those goals. His job is to work hard, live by those values, and earn the attainment of those goals through his own effort and accomplishments. I don't own his dream, he does.

Yes, I don't want my son worrying about how to 'market' himself at this age ... I want him thinking about how to keep improving as an athelete, student, and human being. So, that means I did help with identifying and scheduling important events and venues, helping get college 'form' letters filled out, building a website that summarized his accomplishments and made photos, videos, and game schedules easily available ... and putting lots and lots of miles on my vehicle. There was no 'right' or 'wrong' ... just some things were more effective than others. In the end, what some might call 'marketing' was simply a combination of logistical items to help him get on the radar screen of the right people, who could then assess him in their own way against their own needs. To the extent that 'marketing' makes it easier for 'buyers' to perform an initial quick evaluation of a product before determining if they want to invest more time and energy into fully assessing that product.

Ultimately it boils down to it's all about his own capabilities, projectability, and fit within any particular program ... and that's where Sean had to assume the front-and-center role in interfacing with the various college coaches himself. Generally, my conversation with coaches was limited to "Sean's cell phone number is ..." when they called and he wasn't home. I would never talk to a coach about my son's baseball abilities. I always consider my opinions of my son's baseball abilities as something of value only to myself.

The 'selling' goes both ways, and it's a complex dance of a player demonstrating his abilities, a program's needs, personalities, values, projectability of both the player and the program. My only contribution in that process was to be a sounding board when my son needed one, and to help educate him on what key questions and issues for him to consider in the process. The 'dialog' was all his.

The one thing I learned is that there is no one easy answer or 'right' way to approach college recruiting. It's a combination of things, some may work better than others for different people, and it depends much upon a kid's particular goals. You don't necessarily have to spend a lot of money ... we did a couple of expensive events that turned out not to mean much in his college recruiting process, so we stopped doing that and focused more targeted events, some of which didn't cost much if anything. In the end, he just played ball and people saw him ... and it helps living in an area where there's a lot of quality colleges and programs nearby. It's easy for coaches to show up at a spring game, summer tournament, or summer Connie Mac game, so if you're talented there will be people watching.

Well, anyway it all worked out. I probably worried too much, like any parent. But, as proud as I am about the accomplishment of the signed NLI ... I have to honestly say that every day I look at my boy, I'm proudest of the young man he's becoming. After signing the NLI, he never slacked off or thought for a moment that he was 'done' having achieved that goal ... if anything he's working that much harder now because he wants to win a CIF championship, go to Fresno ready to contribute at the next level from day one, and who knows, maybe develop some interest for the June draft. Sure, I'll always be happy when he succeeds in the batters box or on the mound, but it's the character and values I see exhibited that make me glow inside, and I know he'll carry that with him off the field when his baseball career is over with.

marketing selling? As an old school kind of guy nothing like talent and that needs no pitch man.

As usual , very good post Fungo!

Parents are ALWAYS going to sell their kid...if a parent DIDN'T try to sell me on how their kid is the greatest thing ever, I don't know what I'd do!
I think the key to selling the kid to college coaches is the high school coach. I work very hard to get our kids exposure and to get our kids a chance to play at the next level if they have the tools and the heart for it. Not enough coaches do that - I think it's a shame. A coach like me can say things in almost the same manner as the parent could...but it's interpreted from the coach's perspective and not the "rose-colored glasses" viewpoint.
High School Coaches, we need to step up. Players need your guidance, and they have every right to expect you to help them if they have proven themselves worthy of your support.

Marketing is creating awareness of a product or service.
This would be 'taking' your son to showcases or other type of tournaments for his exposure. Creating a web page with your son's profile, etc. Trying to get exposure is not the same thing as selling.


Selling is explaining the features, functions, benefits of the service or product.
This is part of the "politics" thing...but in the selling profession it is sometimes called gladhanding (shaking a lot of hands) and talking about the thing most dear to your heart...your son. As so many here do speaking about their son and his attributes, good performances, etc.

There is "unselling" which is reverse psychology where a coach or marketeer plays down a product or service...eg, points out all the negatives. A lot of that sort of thing goes on here.

I try to do a lot of unselling, then when the product is actually evaluated in person the expectations are usually "surprised" at how much more a "positive" impression they are left with and have a more level and realistic sense of things.

It's always better to undersell then oversell (puff) a product.

With all due respect, I’m uncomfortable with terms like “marketing” or “selling” your son in hopes of a college baseball offer. The baseball college search is a process and this site provides a reasonable timeline of activities to follow that may help your son find a good college fit. IMHO the term that best describes good parental involvement is “facilitating.”

Facilitating suggests that parents limit their involvement and carefully guard any instinct they have to control situations. They can provide resources and information for their son, but should stop short of taking over the process. They can help their son develop his gifts and talents, but need to remember that those are still emerging and may change in time. They may support their son’s efforts to expose his talents and provide information to interested institutions, but should remain in an advisory role.

They should facilitate the process, but never attempt to control it.

Coach Mays says.Players need your guidance, and they have every right to expect you to help them if they have proven themselves worthy of your support.[/quote]

coach

you make a good point. the big thing is if they have proven themselves and this is not according to them or their parents but to the coach.

As a coach I wanted to help all my kids. I always told them I was always there for them and not just for baseball. But as a coach you have to be honest. There are times when being honest sort of gets you in hot water but in the long run it is the best thing. What parents sometimes dont see is that coaches have credibility. If they are not honest about a player's ability or character it comes back to haunt them or more importantly haunt kids in the future.

I once had a player who wanted to go to a certain school and play baseball. He wanted me to write a letter reccommending him. I did not think(and I know that was my opinion but I was the one who saw him in the baseball setting everyday)he was up to play at that level. Now I had a decision to make. Do I say no? Do I write a reccommendation and puff it up? I decided the former after a long talk with the player. Was it callous and mean? Or the tough thing to do? I know the easy thing to do would be to write a letter. It was not an easy call.

Coach Knight post is right on the money!

I recently spoke to a college head coach about a player that did not play for me during the HS season, but was on our scout team in the fall. I sent him an e-mail and phone call and the young man has already had his visit and a scholarship. I was very pleased for this young pitcher. His HS coach did nothing in the process. There are deserving kids out there that deserve a chance, sitting back and waiting for a phone call is not the route to take. Be proactive, and professional.

I can share my personal experience being a HS Head Coach and my son's senior year. I am glad that college coaches noticed him and I was spared the experience of having to be the "Head of Marketing." When the colleges called the house after he had an outstanding weekend showcase performance, I let my son speak to the respective coaches and based on his discussions, we followed up. I did not want to be the know it all coach... Fungo's points are right on the money! In the case of a HS coach that is not helping with the process, it is important to help your son. Send out notes via e-mail, snail mail and let the respective coaches know who your son is, the fact he is interested in their program and if they have camps. During this process, attend showcases to get exposure. It's a process, not an easy process, but one if you make the right moves, will benefit your son in the final analysis.
Summer and fall are the best times to be seen. It's tough on college coaching staffs to cover HS games as they are in season already. Long story short, market your son, get on the radar screen, get the HS Coach to help your son and enjoy your son's HS baseball career!

I just have never cared for the words like marketing or selling. Ability and grades are what counts… Without those two things there is nothing to market or sell!

Parents need to think in terms of GUIDANCE and SUPPORT not MARKETING and SELLING!

Something else to think about…

Those who are drafted by MLB Clubs and those that sign with top 50 college programs… Did that happen because of good marketing or great salesmanship? Over the years, we have noticed that most of the very best players have parents who do the very least marketing or selling. College recruiters and scouts notice those things too.

Truth is… those who require the most marketing and salesmanship… are not usually among the best players. College recruiters and scouts know this too.

“Marketing” that we talk about is simple… get the player seen! “Selling” doesn’t play a part!

Call it what you want but the player needs talent and exposure first and then support from his coaches and parents

We look at it as "working" with player and parents during the process.

Perhaps our phone call or email to the coach at the school(s) the player is interested can help him.

Perhaps we can find out how much the coach is truly interested in the player.

Perhaps we can make the coach aware of little things regarding the player in the dugout and on trips--things perhaps not see by the coach

Every little bit helps--call it marketing--call it selling-- we call it assistance during the process

My role as a parent is more administrative when it comes to my kids recruitment. Thats the easy part. I'm not the one in the batters box with all eyes on me having to produce.

Marketing and Selling isn't really needed as long as the player is on the right stages when performing.

A lot of the debate on this thread centers around parents "selling" their kids if their own talent is not up to par for them to succeed in getting noticed with a more subtle and supportive "marketing." My dumb question is, if most baseball parents are as uninformed as I am, how do you know whether your son is good enough? Statistics don't necessarily tell you the whole story. My son could have a fanastic batting average if facing poor pitching. He could have a great ERA if he's backed up by great defense, etc., etc. Do you sit back and wait for people around you to tell you if he's good or not. How can I trust my own observations if 1)I'm a biased parent who loves my kid and 2) I'm no baseball pro. How do you know? I've seen kids who are not so good (in my opinion and others too) who really push their kids on the coach. I want to be supportive but I don't want to make a fool of myself!

I have a son in the midst of recruiting process {2007}. I took it upon myself to contact a few schools outside of our georgraphic area just to let the coaches know that even though we live in Southern California my son was very interested in their programs {SEC, ACC & Big Ten}. In addition I sent them my son anticipated summer schedule as well as summer/HS coach and scouts cell numbers in case they had any questions. I did not embellish this with any statistics or accomplishments as I do not believe they are of much use to college coaches.

I think that this strategy makes sense as it simply lets the staff know that there is interest on the players side where they might otherwise not take a look at player assuming that they had little chance signing a kid from across country.

By letting schools know where my son will be playing in summer/fall it gives them an opportunity to take a look if they care to.

I view the first part as marketing or making the market {schools} aware of his interest in their program and the second part as my son selling or not selling his ability based upon his performance.

I've never felt that touting (selling) my son was in my "job description." Why? Because I carry no...zero...nada...credibility with the decision-makers in his chosen field of pursuit.

Why? (1) Because, regardless of how much I might love and revere the sport, I'm not a "baseball person." (2) I am, by definition and out of a sense of responsibility, prejudiced in his favor.

On those rare occasions when I was asked to speak to my son's capablilities by someone who "counted" in the process, I routinely referred them to one or more of his coaches.

As his father, the role I have and will always see in my "job description" is that of "resource." My responsibility, as I see it, is to be there for him with whatever information and insight I can provide to help him achieve the goal he's set and is working so hard to achieve. Of course, as he matures, he requires less and less; but, I'll always try to be there for him when he needs me.

quote:

Do you sit back and wait for people around you to tell you if he's good or not. How can I trust my own observations if 1)I'm a biased parent who loves my kid and 2) I'm no baseball pro. How do you know?

Izzismom,
Your confession that your opinion is flawed puts yourself well ahead of the majority of parents. You obviously have an understanding of human nature because of the way you characterize your own evaluation of your son. This will help you determine the worth of others’ opinions when it comes to your son. Your son will be exposed to many “baseball people” along the way. You need to ask their truthful opinion of your son. Explain you are not looking for a “good” answer, but an accurate answer. While your son may or may not be a pro prospect, pro scouts are very good at judging talent. Ask them. The other and most common methods of evaluating talent are the reputable showcases and the scouting services. These are fee based but allows you to get the most comprehensive and thorough evaluation. Remember the “reputable” part! These evaluations are well documented and most are available for coaches and scouts to access. Keep asking questions and things will fall into place.
Good Luck,
Fungo

I totally agree with you Fungo. A parent that can admit that they are biased and understand that they need other informed people to give them an honest assesment of their kids ability is a great step in the right direction. Also someone earlier mentioned the fact the a coaches comments about a player carry weight and a parents comments about their kid is just a parent trying to sell their kid is right on. But to add something to this I would like to also say that a coach's comment about a kid that does not play for him carries more weight as well. I have called coaches about kids that I have seen or we have played against and the response is almost immediate. College coaches understand that coaches will try to pump their kids. It is only understandable just as parents will pump their kids. One of the best recommendations a kid can get is from someone respected in the game that has no affiliation with the player. But as PG stated the fact is the kid has to be able to play. And the kid has to have the grades and the other intangibles as well. You can wrap up a bag of s*** in a nice beautifull package and sell the heck out of but when I look inside I wont care about the package and I wont want to hear anything else you have to say about it. Im not going to buy it. A great product will sell itself.

Thanks Fungo and Coach May. Your answers always make a great deal of sense. But like the recent thread on whether or not the coach is telling the truth, there are a lot of people out there who had interests and agendas - some obvious and others hidden. Others find it easier not to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. I really feel for coaches with parents pestering all the time, most unwilling to listen to the truth. Then if you do impose on someone to give you an honest evaluation, how much can they actually see in the small slice of time allocated? I understand professionals can probably tell quite a bit, but I've noticed over the past few years that there is something else. Some players look very smooth and accurate in routine drills, but under game time pressure do not perform as well as they look in a practice situation. I'm sure you all know what I'm trying to get. It's like situational, mental type of presence in the game that is really kind of rare.

izzismom,

If you go to the right places with the right people - they can tell in a very short period of time where you son stacks up with very good accuracy. IMO.

quote:

Some players look very smooth and accurate in routine drills, but under game time pressure do not perform as well as they look in a practice situation. I'm sure you all know what I'm trying to get. It's like situational, mental type of presence in the game that is really kind of rare.

That's just the parent in you. My son never made errors in pre-game, never struck out or made outs in BP but in game situations. Man, that's a different story. It seemes as if he made outs at least seven of the ten times he came to the plate.
Fungo

I've been thinking about this...did I (we) market and sell our son or not? I suppose it depends on what you think those words mean.

I know we sent letters to 20 or more colleges expressing interest early in Junior year. We included a little "baseball resume." We also sent him to a camps at a few of the colleges he was most interested in. Why did we do that? A friend who had played high D1 suggested it...just to get his name in the files. I'm not sure it resulted in much...a few questionnaires...the real attention was generated by him playing in some high profile tournaments, camps and showcases. The friend had suggested that as well. I didn't even know what a showcase was when my friend mentioned it.

I know I always asked a lot of questions as was suggested by other posters above. I really just wanted that "accurate" assessment...always figured I'd know what to do if I just knew what a real assessor thought.

I tried hard not to be a pest...but if I had a friend who had a friend who might know how to evaluate 16-year old talent...I asked them what they thought. I know at one tournament in SoCal I happened to be standing next to PGStaff's son...didn't really know who he was, but he sure seemed to know a lot. So I started asking him questions...maybe he thought I was a pest?

Then to my surprise (in that game), our son came into pitch late in the game...I felt kind of embarrassed, so in the interest of full disclosure, I told PGStaff's son that it was my son on the mound and if he didn't want to talk to me anymore that was fine with me. He was kind/nice and had a lot of helpful comments...those really helped me to try and gauge things.

I asked the head of NorCal a lot too...and a former D1 pitching coach. I just kind of followed the map laid out by all of them. It mostly involved getting him to the "right" events or tournaments. I figured however it turned out would be just fine...that it would end up the way it should.

I don't know if any of that is marketing or selling...I just think it was learning everything I could and listening to the advice of those with experience. I didn't really know about this site then...that would have been helpful. None of this would have worked without some flicker of talent...we were ready to live with that...thankfully it worked out fine.

Marketing? Selling? I prefer to call it finding the right place to compete...and let the chips fall where they may.

Prepster comments I've never felt that touting (selling) my son was in my "job description." Why? Because I carry no...zero...nada...credibility with the decision-makers in his chosen field of pursuit.[/quote]

This is the reality of the situation. Even in high school. the basic fact is the coach makes the lineup out everyday.

Write letters e mails send tapes or whatever else goes on today the bottom line is it is not your call. As they say the proof is in the pudding.

Over the years I came into contact with college coaches from my area. One day I was watching a game and ran into one. He said he was there to see a kid pitch. He was reccommended. It does not matter who. We watched as his control was less than stellar. He commented to me you are watching the same game as me? Bad day maybe but he saw what he saw under "game situations"

Players have to produce and all the "marketing and selling" or whatever name you put on it means nothing between the white lines.