Attend Fall Headfirst Session?

Welcome to the site.  It sounds like you're looking at high academic D3.  If that's the case, there's no reason, other than more experience, to get back to HF until next summer, when D3's will be looking recruiting your son's class.

But if he's serious about Ivies, Patriot League, and/or other HA D1 options, he needs to be out there now.  

In either case the AZ Fall Classic is a great event for him to attend.

One other thing. Get an ACT or SAT score ASAP. HA schools need to see those.

Thanks, all!  There is an October test date for the SAT, but son wants to have more time to prepare so plan has been to take it in Nov (and again in Dec if needed).  Even if he took it in Oct, score return date is Oct 19, so the day after the Academic Game at AZ Fall Classic.  He will take the PSAT at school in early Oct so we should have that score.

One question on the AZ Fall Classic--If he doesn't get on a team, is it still worthwhile for a 2020 to go just for Academic Game tryout (and without an SAT score)? 

Yes, go for the academic game tryout.  In my experience, lots of schools at that event. 

Both my guys both did HF in the Fall (in Jupiter, FL).  One was clearly a D1 talent, the other D3.  I definitely agree with JCG that if HA D1 is a possibility, 2018 HF Fall is a very good event for a 2020. 

IMHO, even for a D3 guy, HF Fall is a really good event.  We saw mostly Juniors and Sophs at the Fall events with some Seniors.  The late October and early November dates mean that Early Decision applications are almost due...and many D3 coaches were already narrowing down to those Seniors who would be applying. 

The coaches listed for both Jupiter and Phoenix look great.  It depends on which schools are on your son's target list.

I think it is. The attention my son got at that event all came from the academic tryout, even though he wasn't selected. 

BTW -- I believe that students should take both SAT and ACT and then prep and retake the one that gets the better initial score.  Kids usually are better at one or the other.

Just make sure you're not relying solely on HF/big showcase events.  My son received multiple HA offers, without ever attending any such event (wasn't strong enough as rising Junior, offers came in summer of rising senior).

The offers he received were from us reaching out to the schools he was interested in, going to their camps and showing a true interest in their programs.

When you attend the  AZ Fall Classic you'll see a lot of the same coaches at the HF or Showball Nov events.  Which is great...make sure he's really prepared.  My 2018 did this and we found it helpful to get that exposure prior to going into winter and HS season.  The coaches remembered him easily in the following June, and the coaches had a face to match up to the emails.

I called AZ Fall Classic people asking for suggestions of which teams to reach out to for an invite to play with them over the weekend.  Team Canada offered my 2018 a spot.  The end result was son had to take the ACT that same weekend, so we flew out just for the Academic day.  It was very worthwhile.  

CTbballDad posted:

Just make sure you're not relying solely on HF/big showcase events.  My son received multiple HA offers, without ever attending any such event (wasn't strong enough as rising Junior, offers came in summer of rising senior).

The offers he received were from us reaching out to the schools he was interested in, going to their camps and showing a true interest in their programs.

I think this proves it's not a one-size fits all, even for HA D3.  

My son, and those of several others playing D3 that I've talked to, never did a single school camp.  During his rising senior summer, my son did Stanford and HF, and either one would have been enough for him to find a good home. However, in the end it turned out that the only event he really needed to attend was a local showcase, the NorCal World Series.

.... but of course we know that only in hindsight, so I have no regrets about sending him to the others.

2020Hopeful posted:

Thanks, all!  There is an October test date for the SAT, but son wants to have more time to prepare so plan has been to take it in Nov (and again in Dec if needed).  Even if he took it in Oct, score return date is Oct 19, so the day after the Academic Game at AZ Fall Classic.  He will take the PSAT at school in early Oct so we should have that score.

One question on the AZ Fall Classic--If he doesn't get on a team, is it still worthwhile for a 2020 to go just for Academic Game tryout (and without an SAT score)? 

I don't think your son has to take the SAT/ACT this Fall for HA schools. My son took the ACT in February of junior year, and that worked fine.

Also, you might consider the AZ Senior Classic, too -- lot of the schools will be at both, so it's a chance to get in front of them twice in a short time frame. 

Lots of great thoughts, as always. 

Son took a half-ACT and a half-SAT exam offered at his school last year (as a way for kids to see which one they liked better) and he preferred the SAT.  He has spent much of the summer prepping for it so I think he feels like better to take it this fall while all his prep work is still fresh.

I agree with not relying solely on HF/big showcases.  We are trying to plan a balanced fall/winter to give him a variety of exposure.  He is going to a college camp in early Sept. at a CA school that he is very interested in.  We think they have only seen him once, so he wants to be sure to get in front of those coaches one more time and show them he's highly interested.  He's gotten more personalized camp invites to a couple of local D1 camps (in response to follow-up emails my son sent after attending a showcase).   They are not top of his list, but being local, they are easy to go to, so we may add them to the schedule as well.

Being from the West coast, we've also talked about the importance of doing an East coast tour if he continues to be serious in or gets interest from the Ivies.  Such a different vibe, weather, etc. between the two coasts, so we want to be sure he visits before taking interest too far.  We are tentatively looking at attending a camp there in January and visiting several schools on the trip--will be cold, but better for him to see the reality of what it could be like for several months out of the year!

Gov, I did not know you could call the AZ Classic folks to get suggestions of teams to play with.  That's a great idea!  We are waiting to hear back from a local team, but I think it makes sense to call and see if they have any other suggestions we could be pursuing simultaneously.  I also did not know you could play on the Senior Classic as a junior, as 2019DAD suggests.  So much to learn!!

JCG posted:

CTbballDad posted:

Just make sure you're not relying solely on HF/big showcase events.  My son received multiple HA offers, without ever attending any such event (wasn't strong enough as rising Junior, offers came in summer of rising senior).

The offers he received were from us reaching out to the schools he was interested in, going to their camps and showing a true interest in their programs.

I think this proves it's not a one-size fits all, even for HA D3.  

My son, and those of several others playing D3 that I've talked to, never did a single school camp.  During his rising senior summer, my son did Stanford and HF, and either one would have been enough for him to find a good home. However, in the end it turned out that the only event he really needed to attend was a local showcase, the NorCal World Series.

.... but of course we know that only in hindsight, so I have no regrets about sending him to the others.

Full disclosure, we intended on going to HF in August, but didn't end up needing to.  I didn't intend on shooting it down.

I think a lot of it is based on timing of the players maturity.  My RHP  is a slow grower and was sitting 83 during summer of rising Junior year.  I figured those numbers, plus his smaller frame at the time, were not going to turn any heads.  The we decided not to go this year after he received the offers he was looking for.

If you can afford it, I would definitely have your son go to a Fall event to get on the radar of coaches who are largely done with 2019s -- as Gov said, one is just fine, they tend to be the same coaches at HA events.  Then I'd suggest going to Spring/early summer events in California.  Don't wait until July or August before senior year.  

Fellow Arizonan here and 2020 hopeful. May I ask how the acceptance to tryout for the academic portion worked?  My son doesn't have the GPA yours does, but it's decent.  We have also considering having him take the SAT/ACT early. Didn't know if that helps in any way. Would be nice to get it out of the way before they are in season in spring though. 

MOM2, you mean for the AZ Fall Classic, right?  You just sign up online. The min requirement is 3.7 GPA or 27 ACT or 1200 SAT.   I read somewhere that they start turning down players when they fill up, so I signed him up a few weeks ago and got confirmation that he’s in. 

By the way, looks like he secured a spot on one of the teams for the AZ Fall Classic so we are happy about that!  But likely means he will not do HF since the AZ session of HF is the weekend after the AZ Fall Classic (too much travel during school) and the Jupiter session is the weekend he takes the SAT. 

Thank you so much for reply 2020hopeful! His GPA is 3.55 and he hasn't taken the ACT or SAT yet, so AZ Fall Classic is out for now.

No need to do HF again this year. AZ fall Classic Academic game try-outs are important. If he wants to stay on the west coast and play at an academic school he needs to get on campus at individual program camps. UCSD, Pomona-Pitzer, UC Davis

It's very difficult to secure a roster spot at a high academic school on the West Coast. If he were open to the east coast it would be easier. Much wider margin of academic schools . For High Academic, The west coast is Berkeley, Stanford, USC, UCLA, Pomona -Pitzer, UCSD, UC Davis.

Unless your son projects for the 2020 Draft, don't waste your time with Stanford, USC or UCLA. Berkeley is also difficult. But UCSD, Davis, Pomona are options.

This is a numbers game. You need to cast a wide net D1, D2, D3 . Preferably , East Coast , South, Mid-West.

StrainedOblique posted:

 

  For High Academic, The west coast is Berkeley, Stanford, USC, UCLA, Pomona -Pitzer, UCSD, UC Davis.

 

I would add CMS, UCSB, UCI, Caltech, Cal Poly, Washington, maybe Oxy and a couple of the NWC schools, and arguably SD State honors program.

Following up on SO's point, coming from the West Coast, and with a kid who wanted to play D1 baseball, I found this map (D1 programs as of 2014) eye-opening: