College Fund Raising

My son's school does that as well as I think many do. They also go ut to businesses and solicit funds.
80+ BB recruits seems a little over the top.

Thats the way it is done at a lot of colleges. I was talking to my son about it and he said the coach told the players from the beginning that a majority of the funds come from fundraising and everyone trying out has to do it. if they felt they werent going to make the team then to not do the fundraising.They started with over 100 players and about 40 have already dropped out. My son said most of the players that have dropped had no chance of making even the fall squad.
I dont know about the moral part of it but the schools are feeling the financial crunch, my son has had to do a lot of fundraising this fall. He has sold 90% of what he has needed to. Its his choice , he wants to play on the team.If someone supports a particular player and then that player gets cut,at least your helping the team. Is it fair? Is being over recruted and then cut fair? a lot of things in life are not fair. But I think the kids who left on their own accord knew they wouldnt make it and decided not to go ahead and continue with the fundraising.Part of the under budgeted baseball programs .

Someone's gotta pay for the players' scholarships. Someone's gotta pay for the facilities, the travel, etc. One way a school could prevent some expenses is to be satsified with their stadiums. Why do colleges need to have minor league-quality stadiums? Why do colleges need to have locker rooms and clubhouses that are as good if not better than many minor league teams? Why do teams need to have 8 different uniform combinations?

I for one do not feel sorry for those schools who expect any and all baseball try-outees to fundraise. If you want to have all the extras, you gotta get the money..

FOG

What level of college ball is your son at? 100 players trying to make a team. WOW! It is easy for those that see the writing on the wall. They will not fundraise. It is a bit unfair is those on the edge or just beyond the edge have to fundraise to support a team they may not be on. Is the amount of money raised by a player taken into account on deciding if he makes the team or not? In my simple mind it seems a bit more fair to fundraise after the team has been established but your are correct many times life is not fair.

Looks like you son has a great head on his shoulders and is putting in the work on and off the field. Good luck to him. Would love here updates on how it is going.

Most coaches think it builds character. They also take care of the diamond whcich builds character. One summer my sonwas supposed to come home and he said he would appy for a landscaping job for the summer. Its hard work but he liked it. Part of learning about yourself.

gimmages,

My son is at a Ca. JC. I imagine it would be tough for those on the edge. Their is the redshirt that many JCs do. If you arent a qualifier out of hs or need to take remedial english or math classes to get up to college level classes a redshirt year at a JC isnt a bad idea.
The one thing I am grateful for even though my son is at a JC after getting a release from a D1 scholarship due to financial and other reasons is that he is a qualifier. He can take 48 units and transfer to a 4 year. Everyone going through the HS years really make all attempts for your son to be a qualifier.
Thats off topic,I guess its a chance to take for some of the kids. I think the schools dont have a lot of choices if they dont receive a lot of money. remember CA. JCs arent allowed to give scholarships out as other states.
Gimmages Ill let you know how it goes. So far so good. Hes hanging tough. He was strongly recruited by the coach so that helps also, To go out there with that many kids as an unknown would be close o impossible if you didnt have a stellar tryout. But there have been no cuts yet, they have all had a fair amtof time to scrimmage and show what they have on the field.

Are you sure that this is what is done at many colleges. recruiting 80-100 players, expecting them to raise funds and then not keep them? Was this discussed beforehand?
I understand that small D1 schools and other divisions as well as JUCOS who do not have rich athletic departments or alumni funds NEED to raise funds other than what is alloted to them, but using players for the soul purpuse of fundraising then letting them go is not acceptable IMO.

I never said all these players were recruited. At any college you have walk ons especially at junior colleges. Some of the kids that showed up fro the tryouts had never played HS ball they just thought it would be fun to try out I guess. Do not know their motivation but they were not recruited.

And also if you read all the posts up until this time no one had been let go. They have left on their own, as said before they were told upfront about fundraising. did you read all the posts TPM? Coach told them all upfront was was going on with fundraising, I am repeating myself, COACH said if you dont think you have a good chance to make theteam then dont do it. how much clearer can someone be. If you show up to an open tryout with no skills and there are a ton of good players would you stay and fundraise as ALL the others have to or would you walk away. Choice is there. Whether or not anyone agrees or not its the way it is.I would rather have my son sell 50 raffle tickets than show up at --- SCHOOLS and you fill in the blanks, and be told you were recruited and then cut and no where to go, because they over recruited, and yes many of the good JC programs in Ca. have 100 plus players show up. not the coaches fault he didnt recruit all of them.

It's true - many CA JC's have 60-80-100 kids show up for tryouts.. Most are not recruited, and even when they are, they are not told that they will make the team, but rather that they will have a fair shot! The coaches explained that to us - some kids just give it a shot to see how they do.
We are very lucky we have great weather to play all kinds of sports in. I would guess it happens in s****r and football, track and tennis too. My son's JC has not asked for any fundraising yet.
And I agree with the qualifier info. It's another key to transfering, whether you go on to play ball or not!

mikamom,

After fall teams are chosen maybe our boys will be on the same field playing each other. Send me a pm if you have a chance.

It is my understanding that most of the 80 kids are there on book money. Which really isn't anything at this school, they have to turn the books back in at the end of the semester. My son wrote several schools and, due to an injury, had little interest, so we took the chance. We had heard they brought in a number kids and it was implied that it would be 15 to 20 freshmen, not 50, and most either quit or couldn't cut college. My son was told "we like what we see" and they wanted him to attend. I'm starting to think that they wanted him to attend, they needed the money. Only time will tell.

obrady, good luck to your son.

FOG,
I understand that JUCOS bring in lots of players because they aren't always sure who is going to show up and who isn't. Who qualifies and who doesn't.
But in O'Brady's post he's questioning whether they were asked to come to play baseball or help raise funds and he has concerns.
My response is, if a coach brings in players primarily to raise funds, gives them all book money then cuts them after making them think they have a fair shot) that's wrong. If that'snot eh way it goes, I have misunderstood, however, 80-100 is a bit excessive to me. JMO.

I guess there is some confusion. Here in Ca. they are called JC. There is no book money, no money given to athletes at all in any shape or form.I know some states they do give monies but not at Ca. JCs.
The other point is did the coach bring all those kids in. As an example my son said there was a kid the first week, my son knew him from LL, he never played in HS at all, he comes out for team. was he invited by the coach?NO.
AS far as ethics of fundraising we all have different opinions, but my son wants to play and that is part of it so hes doing it.
And as mentioned earlier will the player who brings in the most money make the team? They all have the same amt to sell. And I would hope the BEST players would make the team at the college level.So far it seems that the coach has a pretty good grasp on the talent level.
A lot of what happens is kids want to play close to home its a JC so its less expensive . the school close to home is one of the nations top JCs. He thinks Ill go out I was an all league guy at the HS level , well he gets to the local (GOOD) JC and now your competing with All section players, some D1 drop downs, some all state guys who didnt get the looks etc, etc, its not just a litle town JC. Its a college baseball team.And a very good one. If that same kid would of went out for a smaller JC, not so competitive maybe he would of had more of a shot.

I don't see a problem with it at all as long as the coach is up front and honest with the people from the first second. Now the ball is in the "player's" court to make the decision to try and stay or not.

If a ooach lies to a kid then that is wrong.

I don't think any college coach is in the business of fund raising. They also don't do it because they are short of cash. Many do it because the college requires them to contribute to the team money.
Our college is holding golf tournaments and other events to raise funds for capital projects that the coach wants to undertake. The college could easly cut a cheque but they feel the team grows by working towards their non BB goals. My son has fund raised on every elite team he has played for. They like his college do charity work like most colleges.

This brings up a good question to ask the coaches recruiting you. How much fund raising does the team do if any?