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College Camp Confusion

W wedge10+ posts
Son(2014 6'3"OF) attended a camp over the summer for a college(D1) that was in his top 5. Son had a very good camp and the coach took notice of him on the first day of camp. After his bp session the coach wanted to know everything about my son. What school he attends, what he batted, where in the order etc. They played 2 games, son went 3 for 5, also broke a 7 in the 60. On the 2nd day towards the end of camp, coaches were talking to a few of the players they were interested in. My son was not one of them. Thats ok, son realizes that being a corner outfielder he is at the bottom of the "pecking order". But this one was tough due to the attention the coach gave to him on the first day.

Every camp he has attended the coaches encourage everyone to e-mail them and they will tell them what they thought. Son does that and got no reply. His travel coach reaches out to the college coach who tells him my son is a JUCO player. That he should attend a JUCO for a yr or 2, then he could be ready.

My son just received an e-mail from this coach stating that they have "x amount" of scholarships to give out and they hope my son is one of them.

A few weeks ago son attends another camp at another D1 in the same state as the first. Has another good camp, head coach tells son he likes his power swing and quick hands and tells son they will follow him. Monday at school coach tells him this college already called and asked for their schedule.

Now a couple of questions. Do coaches have a way of finding out what other colleges are doing as far as scouting players? Is it just coincidence that college 1 seems to have a "change of heart" after college 2 shows some interest? Is college 1 e-mail a generic one that we are reading too much into?

Sorry it is so long but I wanted to "paint a clear picture"
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jemazjemaz1,000+ posts
quote:
Originally posted by wedge:
Son(2014 6'3"OF) attended a camp over the summer for a college(D1) that was in his top 5. Son had a very good camp and the coach took notice of him on the first day of camp. After his bp session the coach wanted to know everything about my son. What school he attends, what he batted, where in the order etc. They played 2 games, son went 3 for 5, also broke a 7 in the 60. On the 2nd day towards the end of camp, coaches were talking to a few of the players they were interested in. My son was not one of them. Thats ok, son realizes that being a corner outfielder he is at the bottom of the "pecking order". But this one was tough due to the attention the coach gave to him on the first day.

Every camp he has attended the coaches encourage everyone to e-mail them and they will tell them what they thought. Son does that and got no reply. His travel coach reaches out to the college coach who tells him my son is a JUCO player. That he should attend a JUCO for a yr or 2, then he could be ready.

My son just received an e-mail from this coach stating that they have "x amount" of scholarships to give out and they hope my son is one of them.

A few weeks ago son attends another camp at another D1 in the same state as the first. Has another good camp, head coach tells son he likes his power swing and quick hands and tells son they will follow him. Monday at school coach tells him this college already called and asked for their schedule.

Now a couple of questions. Do coaches have a way of finding out what other colleges are doing as far as scouting players? Is it just coincidence that college 1 seems to have a "change of heart" after college 2 shows some interest? Is college 1 e-mail a generic one that we are reading too much into?

Sorry it is so long but I wanted to "paint a clear picture"


You ask great questions. Unfortunately, there are no clear cut answers. Things are different from place to place and from coach to coach. Things also change. He is getting attention; I view the JUCO comments as a positive. He probably will continue to get looks and ultimately opportunities. Best of luck.
T twotex1,000+ posts
Does the answer to the question change anything he will be doing?

There are plenty of players who can tell stories of coaches who paid a lot of attention at an event, then never followed up. There are also players who the coaches did not appear to notice, but a year later they have a scholarship offer from that same college.

I believe most parents will advise not to get too focused on any one school in a player's junior year. He should just keep working hard, get in front of colleges which are on his list. Things will likely heat up next summer. Sounds like your son is off to a great start.

Buckle up!
TPMTPMHSBaseballweb Member since 2003
quote:
Originally posted by twotex:

I believe most parents will advise not to get too focused on any one school in a player's junior year. He should just keep working hard, get in front of colleges which are on his list. Things will likely heat up next summer. Sounds like your son is off to a great start.

Buckle up!


I agree. The coach obviously at this time has no interest. It has nothing to do with another coach being interested.
E excoach110+ posts
You don't know what is happening behind the scenes. They may have had a kid they were looking at that committed to another school, so they shift their interest back to you. One of the biggest complaints I have had with the "process" is you never know where you stand. My son had a coach fly from another state (a big D1 program), to specifically watch my son play in a game during his junior year during the high school season. He wasn't allowed to talk to us or my son, but he did communicate with our high school coach and asked if they could have on field batting proactice before the game so he could watch my son hit. Anyway, my son hit a few out during BP, went 4-5 during the game and threw out 2 runners stealing (he is a catcher). This scout told our head coach that he thought my son could start for his D1 team now, which really helped my son's confidence. This scout communicated a number of times during the next few weeks with my son via emails and answering calls, but then it just stopped. I found out later that they signed another catcher. I just wish they would have told us then we would move on too.

These guys are juggling a number of things at once and you just don't know what is going on. Your son has to be upfront and ask them if they think they are a fit for their program, and then be proactive and communicate regularly (which is hard for must high schoolers).
fillsfanfillsfan1,000+ posts
Your son has good size, good speed (especially for a big guy) and apparent bat speed. All very good starters. If he just continues to progress and have success on the field and in the classroom this spring and summer, I would bet he'll get a good amount of calls come July 1st.

Trying figure out what recruiters are doing will drive you nuts. But if a school/coach really wants your son you will know it without asking many questions.

Good Luck!
slottyslotty500+ posts
I think that information coming from a coach during the recruiting process is like the tip of an iceberg--there is so much happening below the surface and behind the scenes that is not shared with you or your son. And all that stuff below the surface is subject to change at a moment’s notice. It is imperative that you and your son don't assume anything and keep the pedal to the metal until everything falls into place.

I've always believed that a prospect calling (not emailing, though that has its place in the process, too) a coach and asking direct questions is a great approach. It sounds easy but, agreed, teens are rarely comfortable doing this. Your son may not get the answers he wants but he will solidify his rapport with the coach, show that he has initiative, and help make sense of some of the puzzle pieces.

Good luck!
Last edited by slotty

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