When and how should you reach out to California JC's letting them know you will be attending there school and want to play there since they can't recruit out of there area? Son is a 2016.
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While California JC coaches can't initiate communication out of their area, the player can. So there is still out-of-area recruiting that takes place and plenty of players who end up playing out of the area.
I don't know any other specific info about your son, so I don't know how set you/he are on him attending the JC in question but you may consider keeping options open. Since he is a 2016, I would have him contact the JC coach now. You may also consider having him approach the situation as if he were "interested" instead of as if he were "definitely going to" attend. This way, he opens the door for dialog and assessment. The coach may assure him he is wanted, tell him he doesn't see a spot on the roster for him or something in between. At least he will have a better idea if he is a fit for baseball at that school. And, if he is not a fit and is open to attending another JC, he will have time to make that adjustment.
Looks like you've been here for a while so you are probably already aware... Many of the better California JC's get a lot of capable players show up in the fall. For my son, the three years (one redshirt) at two different JC's, he saw on average 80+ players trying out each year. So, again, I think it would be beneficial to have that early dialog so coach knows who son is and is more likely to follow him when possible during senior season.
Putting my HS coach hat on, the local JC coach typically shows up to a few games during the season and asks us if we have anyone worth watching (who we think may be able to play AND is likely to go the JC route). But he would certainly welcome an earlier heads up.
Originally Posted by cabbagedad:
Putting my HS coach hat on, the local JC coach typically shows up to a few games during the season and asks us if we have anyone worth watching (who we think may be able to play AND is likely to go the JC route). But he would certainly welcome an earlier heads up.
This is definitely true. In my son's case, one of his travel coaches spoke to one of the local JC head coaches about him. My son is currently a freshman there now. Also, I think most JC baseball websites have Out of Recruitment Area Questionnaires or a First Contact form that you fill out on their website, then a follow-up email doesn't hurt.