I posted above, which is my primary response, but I did think about two more things to check:*
1 - Look in the spam folder.
2 - Is there anything that the coaches might have come across in checking up on the kid? Poor choice in a social media post, for example?
* I am NOT directing this to C5TX because obviously his HeadFirst kid would be smart enough that neither of these things would be an issue, but for future reference if someone else comes across this topic....
2017LHPscrewball posted:Getting recruited by a Power 5 school that regularly recruits 12-15 new players every year - AND being either #12 or #15 - is going to be tough. That player will be a great player and will get tons of love from lesser D1 programs while it feels like the Power 5 guys don't really care. Not sure what folks expect. If you are actually #20, or #3 or #4 for a specific position, then they will "string you along" because they currently have no room for you until those above you on the board fall off for some reason (they prefer the guys ranked ahead of you for whatever reason). Being on the bubble will be uncomfortable. Going Power 5 as the last guy picked up will be uncomfortable and may not be a great choice. But to shred the coaches because they don't spell it out in black and white ("Look, you are our backup pick and both Joey and Bobby have to fall off before we seriously consider you - so you chance are slim, but not none."), is short-sighted IMO. Also, some Power 5 programs are more business-like than others and may not be a good fit regardless (recent former head coaches at Auburn and Alabama would seem to bear this out nicely). Again, I think some of the information here is good, but I think there are other considerations that need to be addressed first before one chooses the "nicest" and "timeliest" of coaches.
You have some valid points, I don't think that changes lack of communication aspect. A coach and a program can choose to communicate anyway they want. The player has the choice feel it is what they are looking for or not. It needs to be something of 2 way street or it is destine to fail...what is good for one may not be good for another.
I don't see anywhere in this thread where "But to shred the coaches because they don't spell it out in black and white" was implied. People send and receive communication in different ways, if it isn't a match then so be it. The coach certainly isn't going to change, nor should you expect him too....so why bother with them just move onto somewhere that you are loved.
Travel teams focused on getting players to college ball should have team doctors. Chances are the players won't need them. But the parents need someone to write prescriptions for sedatives. This isn't a shot at the original poster or anyone else. It's just the reality of the situation. The process can be very stressful.
Just some advice ... If one D1 expresses interest late in the game (for D1's) and the rest of the interest comes from D3's where does your son probably fit in?
Is one D1 coach seeing something the other 299 aren't seeing? Or is he roster filling the back end of his roster after determining one of his primary recruits just bombed the SAT again and won't get accepted?
It's great to be able to say "I'm off to a D1." It starts to suck when you realize you're at the back end of the roster waiting to be replaced by new recruits over the next couple of years.
Know where you fit.
RJM posted:Just some advice ... If one D1 expresses interest late in the game (for D1's) and the rest of the interest comes from D3's where does your son probably fit in?
Is one D1 coach seeing something the other 299 aren't seeing? Or is he roster filling the back end of his roster after determining one of his primary recruits just bombed the SAT again won't get accepted?
It's great to be able to say "I'm off to a D1." It starts to suck when you realize you're at the back end of the roster waiting to be replaced by new recruits over the next couple of years.
Know where you fit.
a friend and former teammate of my sons is in this very boat, left a spot on traditional D3 powerhouse for a D1 slot that came open in the March of his Sr year...the D3 was on him early and often for good reason. I hope it works out well for him but I would be willing to wager his entire scholarship money that he is transferred out within 2 years and seldom if ever sees the field.
I see it in the 2018 recruiting for the local D1's people just don't realize where they fit it.
Two part. My son is an assistant college coach and I know his life has been chaos the past two weeks from sun up til midnight getting everything worked out and still trying to recruit. He probably has not had a lot of time to answer emails but he has his phone with him all the time. I also know there are a lot of players on his list that he is wanting and some are top of the list and others are somewhere down the list.
I will re-iterate what everyone has said. Have your son call him? If it is really one of his schools, go after it. I tell my players and sons all the time that recruiting is like dating. You wouldn't email a girl you liked after you knew she liked you back so why would you email a coach. Pick up the phone and call. Email today is snailmail 10 years ago. Text or call.
Regarding the e-mail silence, my 2017 had a very similar experience as the OP right after attending HF last Summer. We learned a lot from it, and while each kid's experience can be different, we saw some common themes from the 10+ schools (mostly D2/D3/NAIA) who engaged my son:
1. That first e-mail is sincere; they are not sending it to every kid at HF. But if they are a D1, they are down to the last few spots open and casting a wider net, and if they are a D3, they are really just beginning to fill their roster and will cast a very wide net to find out who might really be interested in their school and program. It is not unethical or shady--it is part of the process of getting the best players interested in their programs and improving their chances of landing some.
2. Your son's reply e-mail has to be very specific showing evidence of interest in that school. Addressed to the coach by name, specific to the prior contact, indicate why your son is interested in the school (i.e. major offered at the school) and baseball program, and shows some indication of a future campus visit to meet all of the coaches and tour the campus. If there are mistakes or it sounds generic, coaches will end it there. One coach told us he eliminates almost one-half of his candidates just from the way the player responds in the e-mails they send him.
3. The academic schools want the test scores and transcripts immediately via e-mail. It can go silent after you send them for two reasons: (a) it can take a little time to get somebody in the Admissions department to read and assess them, and (b) Admissions tells the coach getting the kid in is in doubt. Coaches at academics need certainty of admission before they will really be interested in a player no matter how much they like what they saw on the field.
4. By far the most effective e-mail response reads my son got were the ones he sent to the coach with the Subj.: "Name, Position, Possible Campus Visit Date of XX, XX-XX" As soon as he showed a sincere interest in the school by committing to a campus visit, the response back was very positive. Some offered to have him watch Fall practice or scrimmage. Some had school specific "student days" to tour campus and then the coach would walk him around. The sooner you narrow down choices and focus on visits, the better your progress will be. You need to show your interest is sincere before they will show sincere interest. And if the Head Coach is not there to spend time with you on the visit, drop the school immediately.
5. Once the campus visits happened, the e-mails ended and all communication was between the coach and my son, by text and by phone call. As much as it drove me crazy to not know every word that was said, that is how it worked with every coach. The coaches already met me on the visit--it was now between him and my son. I gradually accepted that was the way it was going to be. All the way to the very end when he was finally told he had a spot on the team, which happened very late for my son, I was not a part of the process or discussion. Fortunately my son communicates very well with adults, and I was confident I could trust him to do everything the right way. No doubt the coaches use that as a big part of their final evaluation process.
As others have said, don't be too alarmed yet by a non-response in mid-August. But be sure to follow up quickly and then reach out with the Fall visit interest and see if that revives the process. Applications start in October for most schools so that is when your son really needs to know where his most serious opportunities are.
Backstop22 posted:Regarding the e-mail silence, my 2017 had a very similar experience as the OP right after attending HF last Summer. We learned a lot from it, and while each kid's experience can be different, we saw some common themes from the 10+ schools (mostly D2/D3/NAIA) who engaged my son:
1. That first e-mail is sincere; they are not sending it to every kid at HF. But if they are a D1, they are down to the last few spots open and casting a wider net, and if they are a D3, they are really just beginning to fill their roster and will cast a very wide net to find out who might really be interested in their school and program. It is not unethical or shady--it is part of the process of getting the best players interested in their programs and improving their chances of landing some.
2. Your son's reply e-mail has to be very specific showing evidence of interest in that school. Addressed to the coach by name, specific to the prior contact, indicate why your son is interested in the school (i.e. major offered at the school) and baseball program, and shows some indication of a future campus visit to meet all of the coaches and tour the campus. If there are mistakes or it sounds generic, coaches will end it there. One coach told us he eliminates almost one-half of his candidates just from the way the player responds in the e-mails they send him.
3. The academic schools want the test scores and transcripts immediately via e-mail. It can go silent after you send them for two reasons: (a) it can take a little time to get somebody in the Admissions department to read and assess them, and (b) Admissions tells the coach getting the kid in is in doubt. Coaches at academics need certainty of admission before they will really be interested in a player no matter how much they like what they saw on the field.
4. By far the most effective e-mail response reads my son got were the ones he sent to the coach with the Subj.: "Name, Position, Possible Campus Visit Date of XX, XX-XX" As soon as he showed a sincere interest in the school by committing to a campus visit, the response back was very positive. Some offered to have him watch Fall practice or scrimmage. Some had school specific "student days" to tour campus and then the coach would walk him around. The sooner you narrow down choices and focus on visits, the better your progress will be. You need to show your interest is sincere before they will show sincere interest. And if the Head Coach is not there to spend time with you on the visit, drop the school immediately.
5. Once the campus visits happened, the e-mails ended and all communication was between the coach and my son, by text and by phone call. As much as it drove me crazy to not know every word that was said, that is how it worked with every coach. The coaches already met me on the visit--it was now between him and my son. I gradually accepted that was the way it was going to be. All the way to the very end when he was finally told he had a spot on the team, which happened very late for my son, I was not a part of the process or discussion. Fortunately my son communicates very well with adults, and I was confident I could trust him to do everything the right way. No doubt the coaches use that as a big part of their final evaluation process.
As others have said, don't be too alarmed yet by a non-response in mid-August. But be sure to follow up quickly and then reach out with the Fall visit interest and see if that revives the process. Applications start in October for most schools so that is when your son really needs to know where his most serious opportunities are.
There's a ton of great advice in this post.
smokeminside posted:Some of the folks on this board should be hostage negotiators.
Or suicide prevention hot line operators. (They have backed me off the ledge a time or two.) 
PitchingFan posted:Two part. My son is an assistant college coach and I know his life has been chaos the past two weeks from sun up til midnight getting everything worked out and still trying to recruit. He probably has not had a lot of time to answer emails but he has his phone with him all the time. I also know there are a lot of players on his list that he is wanting and some are top of the list and others are somewhere down the list.
I will re-iterate what everyone has said. Have your son call him? If it is really one of his schools, go after it. I tell my players and sons all the time that recruiting is like dating. You wouldn't email a girl you liked after you knew she liked you back so why would you email a coach. Pick up the phone and call. Email today is snailmail 10 years ago. Text or call.
Appreciate your comments....been trying to encourage this with my "know it all" 2018... 17's have the ultimate wisdom....
The fine line of encouraging, supporting, and looking forward to this being over with and he's out of the house. Can be brutal at times...
One other thing that has occurred to me -- If your son has good video -- and by that I mean that it's video that clearly shows that he's capable of playing at the level he's being recruited for, then your son should send links in reply to anyone who emails him. Coaches who see him at HF have probably only seen him once, along with a whole lot of other players they also liked. A good video will remind the coach what he liked about this specific player. This worked well for our 2017.
JCG posted:One other thing that has occurred to me -- If your son has good video -- and by that I mean that it's video that clearly shows that he's capable of playing at the level he's being recruited for, then your son should send links in reply to anyone who emails him. Coaches who see him at HF have probably only seen him once, along with a whole lot of other players they also liked. A good video will remind the coach what he liked about this specific player. This worked well for our 2017.
Video well worth while. Son sent one video to a group of new schools and got a call with an offer at a D2 a few days later — as in, we'll offer you this based on the video. If you come and pitch in front of us, we may up it.
Patience is a virtue! Update...my kid has heard back from the coaches. First visit soon...and two more invites to other schools. Exciting. I appreciate all the good advice and for helping me understand the coach's perspective. I am sure their job is taxing.
Now he will see which school will be the best fit. He said the coach on the phone yesterday was so excited he was coming out and he expected him to contribute right away as a freshman. Encouraging!
c5tx posted:Patience is a virtue! Update...my kid has heard back from the coaches. First visit soon...and two more invites to other schools. Exciting. I appreciate all the good advice and for helping me understand the coach's perspective. I am sure their job is taxing.
Now he will see which school will be the best fit. He said the coach on the phone yesterday was so excited he was coming out and he expected him to contribute right away as a freshman. Encouraging!
That's great news, a good topic here that parents and players have to be patient.
As far as telling your son he would contribute right away, I would question that because the really good coaches need fall and spring workouts and practice before they make up the roster. Contributing right away might be 5 innings, burning a year of his eligibility.
JMO
That's great news! Listen carefully on his visits, and have fun!
I found it difficult to let my son take the lead on these visits but it was the right thing to do.
