Grades don't matter until they identify you as a prospect they're interested in. Or unless you're going to be a senior and are targeting Ivy/Patriots/HA D3s. Plus freshman year grades don't mean much so I'd trim that part out. 

Just - Hey coach I'm Jimmy John, a freshman pitcher from Central High in Nevada. I have always been curious about  ____ University and am interested in your program. I'm a 6'4 190 lb RHP. My fb has been as high as 84 mph recently along with a curve and slider. I play for _____ under coach _______. Attached is my summer schedule. Are there any other events in my area you will be attending this summer? Would love the opportunity to play in front of you and your staff. Thanks, Jimmy John. Southwest Sharks Class of 2022, email. 

And add PBR link (not the quote). 

Don't expect a ton of responses. The responses you do get will most likely be camp invites, just generic. He's in very early so just get the feet wet for now, maybe somebody comes to take a look, maybe not. Good to start early. 

Pabaseball stated it perfectly. Yes attach link to PBR.  He’s not bragging, he’s marketing himself.

What Pabaseball wrote and start a profile that you can cut/past int he emails. I would not expect this much detail for a Soph but start it now. You and your son are in selling mode and make the recruiting coach want to find out more. This is very dated but what was in my sons profile, plus any links to public information, videos.  Every player has a story find his and exemplify it, show organization and more than the 100's of emails coaches get, make the coach go hmmmm I want to know more about this kid.

My son pitched one inning in an early season collegiate summer league game on the call from a coach friend because the teams were waiting for arrivals, he happened to get the "win" so it became part of his "story" and that at least got him some phone calls. Find a story and make it his and stand out from the many emails these coaches get.

Good Luck!

XXX - 2011 - P/OF/

XXXX California

1. PERSONAL INFORMATION

XXX

Home Phone: xxx

Mobile Phone: XX

Email Address: xxx

Birth Date: March xx

Graduation Date: June 2011

1. ACADEMIC INFORMATION

High School: xxx

Address: xxx

xxx, xxa  9xxxx

Phone: (xxx)

Guidance Counselor: XXX

Phone (805) xxx

NCAA Clearinghouse number: xxx

SAT Score: xx

ACT Score:  xx

High School Core GPA: xxx  un-weighted, xx weighted

Class Rank: xx out of 605

Anticipated College Major:  XXX

III. BASEBALL INFORMATION

Height: x' x” Weight 185 lbs

Bats - R  Throws - R

Primary Position:  Pitcher

Current Pitching Velocity: 83-86, 88 MPH (Stalker)

Secondary Position: OF / 1^st

60 yd: 7.15secs

High School Baseball Honors Received

Led his high school team in batting for two years, was the number one starting pitcher as  a Jr, and number 2 as a Sophomore.  Batted 0.400 as a Jr. and had a 1.05 ERA, with opposing hitters batting 0.153 against him, and was starting outfielder when not pitching with 9 OF assists.  Two-time California Area Code invitee. Was named as a Perfect Game underclass pre-season All American Honorable  Mention and Rawlings California Region All American.  Picked up his first collegiate win as a High School Sophomore pitching in relief for the xxxx in the xxxxx League in June 2009. As a junior led his summer team to a 4^th place finish in the USA Baseball 16U Championships. Named to the all XXX League team and XXXxx County all team in 2010.

 Other High School Sports Played: Basketball

 Baseball References

Summer Team:  xxx

Coach: xxx

Home Phone: (xxx

Mbl Phone: xx

Email: XXXxx

High School Coach:

Team Website Address: xxx

School Phone: (xxx)

Mbl. Phone: (xxx)

Email: xxx

Pitching Coach

xxx

Mbl Phone: (xxx) xxxx

Professional Scouts

XXX

Organization: Cardinals

Mbl Phone: xxx

Email: xxx

XXX

Organization: Braves

Mbl Phone (XXX)

Email: XXX

XXX

Organization: Padres

Mbl Phone:  XXXX

Email: XXXXX

The content is meaningless unless the subject line makes them open it.  Make sure that you grab attention with the subject...we had best success with " Recommendation from Coach X".

I would disagree with PABaseball on one thing.  Grades always matter.  It is the one question that every college scout asked my son in some form from the time he was 8th grade on.  How are your grades?  How do you do in the classroom?  What is your GPA?  They all need to know this or there is no reason to scout you, not just HA.

I agree, include some reference to grades, but it doesn't have to be huge. We just put added it to the person description — I'm a senior at HIGH SCHOOL with a x.x GPA.

We also linked to a web site that had more details about both his baseball and academic career. I was honestly surprised at how much traffic we got on it once his velo hit 90.

PitchingFan posted:

I would disagree with PABaseball on one thing.  Grades always matter.  It is the one question that every college scout asked my son in some form from the time he was 8th grade on.  How are your grades?  How do you do in the classroom?  What is your GPA?  They all need to know this or there is no reason to scout you, not just HA.

I'll never deny the value of good grades, I'm just saying the grades do not matter until you can identify yourself as a prospect. For example, the coaches asking your son about his grades were only doing so because they liked what he could do on the mound. When LSU is recruiting a kid they look at his fastball range and his off speed pitches, not how many honors classes he's in. That comes after the determine they like what they see. There was a post somewhere on here from I believe the Illinois or Indiana coach responding to a parent where they mention the same thing. 

Now if you read at a fifth grade level and that is reflected in your grades you will get crossed off some lists. But so will throwing 81 at an SEC camp. That being said, nothing wrong with throwing your GPA in the email. I just meant theres no need to list all honors classes and how excited you are for your creative writing class next semester. That is a great way to have the email sent to the trash bin. 

Just like a magazine ad, or a resume cover, or a pickup line.  Hit your strong bullet points.  It's not an essay.

Hello Coach, My kid throws 93 mph and he's 6'4".  Call me.

PABaseball posted:

PitchingFan posted:

I would disagree with PABaseball on one thing.  Grades always matter.  It is the one question that every college scout asked my son in some form from the time he was 8th grade on.  How are your grades?  How do you do in the classroom?  What is your GPA?  They all need to know this or there is no reason to scout you, not just HA.

I'll never deny the value of good grades, I'm just saying the grades do not matter until you can identify yourself as a prospect. For example, the coaches asking your son about his grades were only doing so because they liked what he could do on the mound. When LSU is recruiting a kid they look at his fastball range and his off speed pitches, not how many honors classes he's in. That comes after the determine they like what they see. There was a post somewhere on here from I believe the Illinois or Indiana coach responding to a parent where they mention the same thing. 

Now if you read at a fifth grade level and that is reflected in your grades you will get crossed off some lists. But so will throwing 81 at an SEC camp. That being said, nothing wrong with throwing your GPA in the email. I just meant theres no need to list all honors classes and how excited you are for your creative writing class next semester. That is a great way to have the email sent to the trash bin. 

I agree on overdoing it.  I don't they care what classes you took as long as it is 3.00 or above.  I also have told people not to put SAT or ACT scores on there if they are not good.  Better nothing than bad stuff but they will ask if they are interested because unless you throw it 95 or hit tanks they will not work hard to get you in their school.  One HA school told my middle son they were strongly interested in him and they had one more exemption left to get a kid in but they were not sure they could keep him in.  We laughed.  Both of my sons got letters from Stanford and most of the Ivy's.  Great interest but no way my kids are making it those places.

As I have said before.  The easiest way to give them information is to build a free website that you can add stuff to, but not overkill so they can go one place to see all the information.  Put link in email.  It worked for us both times and since then I have kept them active so they have them as momentos.  My middle son called not long ago and wanted to know the website so he could show his college softball team that he was triple threat as football, basketball and baseball in high school. 

PitchingFan posted:

PABaseball posted:

PitchingFan posted:

I would disagree with PABaseball on one thing.  Grades always matter.  It is the one question that every college scout asked my son in some form from the time he was 8th grade on.  How are your grades?  How do you do in the classroom?  What is your GPA?  They all need to know this or there is no reason to scout you, not just HA.

I'll never deny the value of good grades, I'm just saying the grades do not matter until you can identify yourself as a prospect. For example, the coaches asking your son about his grades were only doing so because they liked what he could do on the mound. When LSU is recruiting a kid they look at his fastball range and his off speed pitches, not how many honors classes he's in. That comes after the determine they like what they see. There was a post somewhere on here from I believe the Illinois or Indiana coach responding to a parent where they mention the same thing. 

Now if you read at a fifth grade level and that is reflected in your grades you will get crossed off some lists. But so will throwing 81 at an SEC camp. That being said, nothing wrong with throwing your GPA in the email. I just meant theres no need to list all honors classes and how excited you are for your creative writing class next semester. That is a great way to have the email sent to the trash bin. 

I agree on overdoing it.  I don't they care what classes you took as long as it is 3.00 or above.  I also have told people not to put SAT or ACT scores on there if they are not good.  Better nothing than bad stuff but they will ask if they are interested because unless you throw it 95 or hit tanks they will not work hard to get you in their school.  One HA school told my middle son they were strongly interested in him and they had one more exemption left to get a kid in but they were not sure they could keep him in.  We laughed.  Both of my sons got letters from Stanford and most of the Ivy's.  Great interest but no way my kids are making it those places.

As I have said before.  The easiest way to give them information is to build a free website that you can add stuff to, but not overkill so they can go one place to see all the information.  Put link in email.  It worked for us both times and since then I have kept them active so they have them as momentos.  My middle son called not long ago and wanted to know the website so he could show his college softball team that he was triple threat as football, basketball and baseball in high school. 

This is my second time around, so maybe things are a little different now. Which free website to build the profile are y'all using? I used Field Level last time.

Thanks

I am an email marketer by profession.  I can tell you that the only thing you should worry about at first is the subject line.  Be concise, but put the most impactful info there.  Remember, they get 100's of emails a day, why should they open yours?

Then, organize the content of the email and be brief.  Not wordy.  99% of the time coaches will open on their phone, so you don't them scrolling and scrolling.  Focus on the facts and provide links to relevant articles and video.

My 2017 tested subject lines on coaches of schools who he wasn't interested in before sending the optimized version to the schools he was.  It's just good marketing.