Book explaining recruiting for a complete newbie?

http://hsbaseballweb.com/recruit_timeline.htm

The High School Athlete's Guide to College Baseball by Wayne Mazzoni

I have spent many nights under the low glow of my computer on this site.  Everything you could want is right here.  Search topics under the "Golden" thread.  Read everything from Coach May and JH (search their posts).  Ask questions on this site and you will receive answers from those that have "been there".  There is no better place to be than the hsbaseballweb.  Welcome!

If there is, I'm not aware of a book that explains everything.  This is a journey, and I think you'll learn that everybody has a different destination or goal in mind.  I think if you can tell us what you are specifically interested in, then we can direct you to the right resources.  I've read many great books on the topic but each one has a different viewpoint or goal in mind.  The topic is incredibly vast and comes down to your son's talents and your son's goals.  Everybody is different.

As keewart suggests, posting a specific question on HSBBWeb will typically get you many answers and perspectives.  From those answers and perspectives, you can further dive into a direction or topic.  Make sense?

I always thought that it would be a great idea to write such a book. But having gone through the process, I would agree with what others have said, in that this site is the best place to find everything you need. 

Everyone's recruiting process will be different, and here you can get so many different prospectives. From the timeline, to the lookup feature, asking about specific colleges, and to the ability to ask specific questions in a post (and trust me, you will get many different and useful opinions), it is all here for the taking. I completely relied on this site and to this day I still have many "cyber friends" that I rely on. 

Welcome to this site, and ask away!

FS - Sorry, I was writing my post at the same time as you. I guess "great minds" think alike!

Birdman14,

Ditto.    With us saying the same thing, I think we made our point.  If we were to collaborate on a book, it would have to be electronic because there would be so many chapters to cover everything, and things are constantly changing. 

BTW - C's 2014 schedule is out.  Looks like there is no Big Red vs Rams matchup again this year.

Speaking of the Cornell schedule, noticed the Cornell roster shows 12 incoming freshmen for a total count of 36! And 13 juniors.

The conventional wisdom here has been that Ivies have about 6-8 slots per year with Admissions, resulting in roster sizes in the high 20s.

And we recently saw that Holy Cross (not an Ivy) recruited 19 this year. Wonder if the conventional wisdom is changing.

(I realize this might be a bit of a hijack, but I bet we'll get a better answer here than in any book out there.......so that creates some shred of relevance)

How true! Even in the short period of time from 2009, when our boys were being recruited, much has changed in the college baseball world of recruiting. It seems there are many earlier commitments and lots more pressure to decide. Lots more "showcases" and tough decisions for parents to make the right choice on where to send their sons to "be seen" and how to spend the limited money.

Even still, having talent, getting in front of the right people, and performing will work almost everytime. Deciding how to go about doing this, is where this website comes in!

As far as the Big Red and the Rams getting together, we can still hope for a Regional or a Super Regional, can't we?

IMO, in the scheme of things, the basic concepts in recruiting have not changed.

There was just as much pressure then as there is now.  There were early commitments back then as well.  The scholarship rules that changed a few years ago have put pressure on the coaches which in turn puts pressure on the recruit to accept early.  The early signing period has become (imo) the signing period. Keep in mind that before the changes coaches could just invite whoever they wanted to and pay 5% or just books and keep a reserve of players in the wings if needed. It wasn't uncommon to see 45+ on the rosters.  I actually think that these changes have made programs better and brought about a more even playing field for all programs.

Of course these chances affected D1 programs,  but of course that trickles down and has affected D2,D3, NAIA as well as JUCO.  There just aren't enough spots to go around anymore. Money is tighter as well and many programs can't fully fund.

College baseball has become big business and as long as that remains, so will the pressure.  Baseball  in general also has become big business, so that adds pressure as to where to go to be seen by the right people. There are all types of things going on where people want to take your money to make your player a better player, so be careful and always ask (you can here) before you spend.  As your son grows up so do the expenses, so keep in mind that those very expensive travel programs for 8,9,10 year olds has nothing to do with his recruitment at 16, 17, 18.

Everything that has been written here comes from people who have had ALL types of experiences. It's just not one point of view.  The wisdom and advice is priceless.

If you are willing to spend money to buy some type of guide, you really don't have to , but I know that this free site, will gladly accept your donation!

Thank you for all the replies everyone. I will check into the book mentioned above and also start putting together some questions.

Also, I did a search for an old post that had a list of questions to ask recruiters, but couldn't find it. I lost the bookmark, too. Can someone provide me with a link to it?

Thanks again.

A book would be great! I found this site last year and truly wish I would of found it 4 years ago. So much time and money wasted on BS tourney/showcases/elite(not so elite) teams. I found out the hard way the truly expensive  showcase/tourneys were the biggest disappointments. Our absolute best exposure came from the invite only free tryouts. (catch 22 on those is you likely need to go to the paid ones to get the invite)

 All that and we are still not done yet. My 2014 has now 3 offers with 2 more pending all the while I thought we would be done/decided by the end of July.

 Its like I told my son he is our test baby for the other 3 on what to do and not to do. And he still is going  to be for a while yet!

OK, I have a pet peeve when it comes to recruiting information.  It's about parents of 14 - 15 year olds that have it all figured out and gladly give out information to advise others.

There are books out there that explain recruiting, but there might not be a book that pertains to your situation.  I don't know how many thousands of young players being recruited we have been involved with over the years. Don't know how many conversations we have had with college coaches about players... But it is a lot! Not very  often do we see things being the same.  You could say, each individual is his own case.

Often people want to know about recruiting, but when you know nothing about the players ability, what can you tell them.  He is only a DI player if he has DI ability. He is not a DI player because mom and dad believe he is. If he has DIII ability the whole recruiting scene changes.  Nothing wrong with DIII, but it can be a very high level to the very lowest level.  Each case is different there, too.  A good player can pretty much name his DIII college. No need to go to a bunch of showcases or highest level tournaments, unless you just are interested in finding out what others think about your ability... To see where you fit in. If you don't believe that, contact 10 random DIII schools that don't know you.  You will be surprised by the interest there is in you If you qualify academically. Not sure I would call this recruiting.

DI, DII, DIII, NAIA, JC, all have different methods of recruiting.  Even within their division they go about things differently.  Much pertains to a filtering process... what is left after the top dogs are done. Time lines change, as well.  There are a few DI programs that will have their 2015 recruiting class full before they actually sign their 2014 class. That is the competitive nature of the highest level. Check out how many   underclassmen UCLA has had commit over the past three or four years before winning the National championship. 10 years ago we had very few college coaches attend underclass events.  Now days most all the top DI programs attend.  It has turned into the... Early bird gets the worm.

Anyway, I do think this is the best place to get information.  Many here have been through it, some at the highest possible level, others at other levels.  But I just want to make one thing clear, your situation is likely to be altogether different than someone else's. So soak up all the information these experience people here have to offer.  It's all good whether it pertains to you or not. No book, no person, especially me, could ever cover everything involved in recruiting.  But if they know exactly who you are, your ability and situation, there are people who can be very helpful.

PGStaff I hope you didn't think my comment on tourneys/showcases were directed at your organization as it was far off from that as every one we attended has been well organized and first class. I can honestly say that I do wish they were cheaper though. (but that is me being naturally born cheap)

 I agree with on you that any said book would likely never be able to handle all given scenarios. All the differences such as demographics and geographic alone would make it impossible.

mech1978,

Actually I was typing that post while you posted. I didn't even read your post before hand.  Don't worry about me, I try to respect everyone's opinion.  Once in a great while someone comes on here with an agenda and I don't always respect that.  You sure haven't ruffled any feathers as far as I'm concerned.  In fact, I agree with much of what you said. My only point is, just as others have said, every situation is an individual one. What is good advice for one could be bad advice for someone else Or vise versa.

Also, I did a search for an old post that had a list of questions to ask recruiters, but couldn't find it. I lost the bookmark, too. Can someone provide me with a link to it?

Questions to ask (coaches, Team Members, admissions):

http://www.hsbaseballweb.com/questions_to_ask.htm

Another great post: 

Coach May's 11 Rules

http://community.hsbaseballweb.../coach-mays-11-rules

There is another post that I printed out but I can't find the link.  Posted by Coach May on July 24, 2010 on "What Makes a Good Baseball Player" .  (I did a date search, but that feature doesn't appear to work?)

A book that addresses every nuance of the recruiting process would be impossible; the process is not cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all but very personalized.  Granted, there are major themes which can be explored, and anecdotal support offered, to help hone a message or two about the process, but the fact remains that every recruiting journey will generate its own particular twists and turns reflecting the unique profile (“Recruiting DNA&rdquo of each student-athlete.  This website has been invaluable from Day One in helping scores of families (mine included) learn the ropes of the process! 

On an individual player-by-player basis, there remains an information gap; with recruiting dynamics subject to change, that gap can widen.  College coaches are very good at what they do—they go through this process every year, but we don’t.  Now add in all the factors that can impact a family’s decision-making—from a player’s academics to his talent, from college costs to college location, from how much a family can afford to spend navigating this journey to the playing opportunity a young man desires at the next level, a single master plan that works effectively for everyone simply cannot exist.  

What is critical to one family—aspirations, goals, values, ambitions, budget—may be meaningless to another.  When I started tutoring families one-on-one over five years ago, I had the benefit not only of my family’s successes but our mistakes and failures too.  Then, witnessing the explosion of the amateur sports industry including a glut of opportunities (confusing, costly, and not all created equal) becoming available, I realized that many families did not have a convenient, hands-on resource or direct conduit helping them to connect the dots week after week.  Parents were spending money going here, there, and everywhere, many folks buying the latest gadget or signing up for twenty more hitting lessons—lots of good stuff to pursue for sure but perhaps futile if families were simply doing what the family down the block was doing without seriously considering “is this really the best decision for our family?” 

Customizing a recruiting plan for each family begins with a thorough talent evaluation of the player along with a comprehensive student-athlete assessment; this baseline helps provide an educated jump start (or complete redirection in some cases), but the reality is that many student-athlete profiles will emerge over time, and families need to remain proactive, flexible, and open-minded as the process evolves.  To facilitate this approach, an individualized recruiting plan should be be supported by ongoing mentoring (private, confidential, accessible) so parents and players can pursue the best choices at a moment’s notice, and more fully grasp the potential pros and cons of each decision and challenge that may be confronted. 

To paraphrase recent comments from one family I know regarding all the considerations (showcase and travel team selection, academic guidance, baseball academies, player training and development options, financial aid, communicating with coaches, etc.) it had to weigh during the journey—“it’s about taking all the gray in the process and making it more black and white so the choices in front of us are clearer.”  Another parent said to me just yesterday, “you have to do it yourself…your own plan, not someone else’s, and you can’t take your eye off the ball!” 

Thanks for the great responses to my question. I think, right now, my main question is about the different types of monies that are available at the different levels (D1, D2, D3) and what kinds of expenses could possibly be included in a scholarship?

TIA

Financial aid can generally be categorized as athletic-based, academic (or merit)-based, and need-based.  For NCAA Division I baseball, 11.7 full scholarships for the entire program can be available but not all Division I programs are fully funded, and the number of players that can receive this aid is limited as well (27 players).  A survey a few years back by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) indicated that nearly half of the nation's Division I schools are not fully funded.  At the Division II level, nine full scholarships can be available but, again, not all programs will see this allotment completely funded.  I attended a college recruiting seminar during the winter and a Division II coach who spoke at the event---the school has been a top ranked DII program in recent years---told the crowd that he has just 1.5 scholarships funded for his program.  Division III schools do not offer athletic-based scholarships but other forms of financial aid (academic or merit-based, and need-based) are awarded, and this aid can be generous depending on the school and your personal circumstances.  An athletic-based scholarship can be in the form of a percentage of tuition or total costs (tuition, R&B, fees, etc.), or it can simply be a dollar amount. 

Having tutored dozens of families from across the country, there are few subject matters that generate less initial attention than financial aid, and I strongly encourage any family who may seek aid (any aid) to do its homework early; with the new Net Price Calculator tool mandated to be part of every school's financial aid website, a family can now reduce some of the guesswork involved upfront.  This tool won't reflect a potential athletic-based scholarship but it can help families in other ways do a better job of predicting college costs at specific schools; armed with this information, families can drive other decision-making more effectively, and target time and resources more wisely as a result.