The D3 that is recruiting my 2021 kid told him today that everyone is on varsity, but they do have the players that aren’t getting playing time play 3-5 JV games just to get them at bats. Team carries 40-45 players in Fall camp. He likes the coaches and the academics at the school a lot and his measureables compare favorably to the other players they have recruited in recent years at his position.
3-5 JV Games a Red Flag or not?
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@3and2Fastball posted:The D3 that is recruiting my 2021 kid told him today that everyone is on varsity, but they do have the players that aren’t getting playing time play 3-5 JV games just to get them at bats. Team carries 40-45 players in Fall camp. He likes the coaches and the academics at the school a lot and his measureables compare favorably to the other players they have recruited in recent years at his position.
3-5 JV Games a Red Flag or not?
IMO it’s a red flag for any school that has a JV. It’s a revenue generator disguised as athletic recruiting. Just a way for the school to over recruit.
RedFlag. Do not get involved anywhere that has a jv unless you plan to be satisfied on the jv.
JV is an enrollment tuition revenue booster disguised as athletic recruiting.
Above 40 players is enrollment tuition revenue booster disguised as athletic recruiting.
Current players should be screaming this far and loud.
OK. Appreciate the replies.
Every program has players that don’t play though, right? And is 40-45 players in Fall Camp really that much as compared to a lot of programs? (Especially D3 & JUCO programs?)
@3and2Fastball posted:OK. Appreciate the replies.
Every program has players that don’t play though, right? And is 40-45 players in Fall Camp really that much as compared to a lot of programs? (Especially D3 & JUCO programs?)
40 - no
45 - yes
You can justify bringing in 40. That number can easily be trimmed down with an academic issue here, an injury there, homesickness, etc. 45 means kids who were recruited are going to be cut/sent to JV.
Is it common? Yes. Is it a redflag - also yes. You really have to sit and think about it, why does a coach need 45 guys for a game that requires 9 to be on a field at once. D1s have a roster cap of 35, but only 27 get to travel so 45 on one roster is a ton.
40-45 is in Fall Camp. Roster is 35 in the Spring. In 3 of the last 4 years, Roster was less than 35.
If you never read it, here is a classic thread on D3 and JV:
@anotherparent posted:If you never read it, here is a classic thread on D3 and JV:
Oh, I’ve read it. So, considering the program has a 35 man roster in the Spring:
The thought is that it is better to literally never play, if you are at the bottom of the roster, than to get 20 AB’s in some JV games?
Sure, having a JV or carrying a huge roster is a big red flag. But in the case of the team in AnotherParent's thread, this is a recent national champion who was ranked #1 (I think) when the 2020 season was stopped. If there is anything marginal about your game, think twice about entering a program like that. But if you are a dude -- so what if they have a JV squad, or a long bench, or they add D1 dropdowns and Juco players every year? None of that makes a difference to a guy who is so good that coach has to put him in the lineup.
The JV kids rarely move up to varsity. The JV kids are #30-45 on the roster. As mentioned it’s a college recruitment scam. Some coaches get bonuses for convincing X number of players to enroll.
The following season an entirely new class will come in and get a better shot at varsity playing time. It’s weird to even refer to varsity in college. I wouldn’t consider the program unless I was a borderline D1 prospect who is sure to play and/or the coach is going to walk my application through admissions.
"Some coaches get bonuses for convincing X number of players to enroll."
Bingo! And THAT is why you can't get a straight answer or trust any suitable answer you think you got. Fact of the matter is you are often not dealing with a trust worthy person to begin with.
And that's the sad state of affairs in baseball recruiting now. Its all progressively changed for the worse and there is less than zero integrity running thru the system. As a new normal.
"Some coaches get bonuses for convincing X number of players to enroll."
Could additionally be rephrased as 'get bonuses for recruiting X number of players Over a certain number' 500 bonus for each player above 40 up to 50. 1000 bonus for each player above 50, etc
Or 2000/or 5% of tuition additional to the baseball team budget for each tuition paying player over 50.
Its a seedy world at these places recruitng over 40 players.
I've always been of the mindset that if you can get your foot in the door, you can prove you are worth it to play.
I also know that that's not how the world works. As much as I'd love to tout, like the above, "None of that makes a difference to a guy who is so good that coach has to put him in the lineup." it's not always like that. I threw 85 as a lefty and walked on to a community college and a D3 and was cut from both. Shit happens. Ofc if I was throwing 92 that'd probably be different, but not everybody is going to be at that point right from the get go. People develop at different times and in different situations.
For your son, you don't want to be stuck with a coach looking at you like, "I guess I'm going to have to really fill this position because he isn't ready yet," and then be lost in the crowd. A D3 having a few JV games, in the grand scheme of things isn't much. If he thinks there's a clear path for him to be getting a solid amount of playing time, then go for it, especially if he really likes the school. If not, find a place where you're going to play that also ticks the boxes of education and all that stuff.
This team had a 31 player roster in 2020, and a 32 player roster in 2019. No actual JV Team. They had 5 “JV Games” scheduled in 2020 for the bottom of the roster to get some live at bats, but of course the pandemic shut things down.
To me, such a scenario seems a lot better than the JUCO or D3’s that actually bring in 75-80 players in the Fall, but don’t play JV Ball.
If I was focused on attending a specific school and told. “There’s a JV team that plays five games,” I would be thinking, “Is there a club team that plays twenty?“ The odds of ever making varsity (slim) are about the same. I wouldn’t ask the coach. But I would investigate.
JV just means they are transparent with their over recruiting and instead of denying the claims or lying, they dress it up as - we get our guys who are struggling a few extra games here and there until they're ready.
It is normal for a freshman to struggle and sit towards the end of the roster his first year. But there is a big difference between a freshman who is #26/27 on a roster and can expect to be in the top 20-23 his second year and a freshman who is #39 and might be looking to be #31 his second year.
I wouldn't consider this school unless the coach was very clear about an admissions guarantee and said something along the lines of once Johnny graduates next year I plan on you becoming my starting SS. That or it has to be a great school and there aren't any better offers.
Look at the roster and stats for the last 3 years. Look at how many ABs hitters get (or IP if you have a pitcher). Look to see if the ones who got almost none freshman year are on the roster the next year or two. It will give you a sense of how the coach uses players, and whether freshmen who don't play much do eventually get into games, or not.
I've found that D3 baseball recruiting is a very interesting beast. Son will be soph in a decent D3 program this year and, while they do not have a JV nor the large roster sizes mentioned, he will struggle to get any PT, probably for the rest of his time there, though I doubt he'd ever be officially let go (bullpen always needs catchers right?). What I've found, and this is just my opinion based on observation of this and other similar conference programs, is that most of these coaches already have their "guys" in each recruiting class (and/or returning) and playing time is essentially theirs to lose. My kid was not one of those so he has to significantly separate himself in some way or decide it's time to channel that time and effort into something else he's interested in. A third option would be to choose the perseverance route and just try to outlast everyone. If your son is looking at a program like this out of state, be wary. These guys all have local contacts and some of them, even at the D3 level, have been talking to these kids/parents/coaches/etc. for a long time and many things are solidified before they ever even apply to the college. Fortunately for my son, he chose his school because he wants to be there with or without baseball. This was quite possibly the most important piece of criteria in his entire recruiting journey. Also, for what it's worth, the sentiment I shared in this post is not something I discuss with my son. It's based on my personal observation of his time there. He's never complained about any of this, other than some issues around his HC, has gotten very close to some of his teammates, and is 100% behind them as they are all striving for similar goals in the program. Good luck!
@3and2Fastball posted:This team had a 31 player roster in 2020, and a 32 player roster in 2019. No actual JV Team. They had 5 “JV Games” scheduled in 2020 for the bottom of the roster to get some live at bats, but of course the pandemic shut things down.
To me, such a scenario seems a lot better than the JUCO or D3’s that actually bring in 75-80 players in the Fall, but don’t play JV Ball.
I'm re-posting the above since many are focusing on JV teams and large roster sizes, even though you've explained that this school doesn't have either.
However, my concern would be the potential for 45 in the fall, down to 32 in the spring. How confident is your son that he would survive those cuts? Many kids who get cut in the fall of freshman year immediately start looking to transfer (all divisions). That's a really disappointing and disruptive situation.
Also, the 5 scrimmages against JV sounds very unusual to me. D3 allows a regular season of 40 games, and 2 scrimmages during the spring. So this school would play 3 scrimmages that count toward the 40 game limit? I guess that could make sense if their normal regular season schedule is something like 35 games, but many coaches save those slots for late season games that could help them with an at-large bid.
@3and2Fastball posted:This team had a 31 player roster in 2020, and a 32 player roster in 2019. No actual JV Team. They had 5 “JV Games” scheduled in 2020 for the bottom of the roster to get some live at bats, but of course the pandemic shut things down.
To me, such a scenario seems a lot better than the JUCO or D3’s that actually bring in 75-80 players in the Fall, but don’t play JV Ball.
I'm with you in the sense that this sounds like a bit of a different beast with that size total roster and limited JV schedule. I would be more concerned that the recruiting dialog with your son included the fact that players who don't get V AB's get a few in the JV games. Was that dialog an indication of where they see your son? Or was that just general background and they have been more clear that they see him legitimately battling for a specific starting spot (along with, perhaps, more specifics around who is coming in, comparing his strengths, etc.).
You are also correct in that playing time and position battles exist at any college, regardless of existence of JV or not and regardless of numbers brought in for fall (although some definitely over-recruit). As I'm sure you are aware, the warnings from others are with merit (although, one of the posters has nothing but a steady stream of negativity toward the whole process). It is more important to really try to determine where the player most likely fits in a given program and if it isn't vying for a starting spot early on, is the player likely to develop more so than others and will the player still be happy if not getting significant playing time over the course of his playing career.
If your numbers are correct, that would mean there is some overlap with V and JV. You may also want to dig deeper into any stats/history with the JV games and whether players who got time there ever ended up with significant PT at V later in the season or subsequent seasons. JV stats and info can be very elusive, though. Talking with players who are upperclassmen or recently graduated could be very helpful.
@tequila posted:I've found that D3 baseball recruiting is a very interesting beast. Son will be soph in a decent D3 program this year and, while they do not have a JV nor the large roster sizes mentioned, he will struggle to get any PT, probably for the rest of his time there, though I doubt he'd ever be officially let go (bullpen always needs catchers right?). What I've found, and this is just my opinion based on observation of this and other similar conference programs, is that most of these coaches already have their "guys" in each recruiting class (and/or returning) and playing time is essentially theirs to lose. My kid was not one of those so he has to significantly separate himself in some way or decide it's time to channel that time and effort into something else he's interested in. A third option would be to choose the perseverance route and just try to outlast everyone. If your son is looking at a program like this out of state, be wary. These guys all have local contacts and some of them, even at the D3 level, have been talking to these kids/parents/coaches/etc. for a long time and many things are solidified before they ever even apply to the college. Fortunately for my son, he chose his school because he wants to be there with or without baseball. This was quite possibly the most important piece of criteria in his entire recruiting journey. Also, for what it's worth, the sentiment I shared in this post is not something I discuss with my son. It's based on my personal observation of his time there. He's never complained about any of this, other than some issues around his HC, has gotten very close to some of his teammates, and is 100% behind them as they are all striving for similar goals in the program. Good luck!
Tequila, great post and I admire your honesty, objectivity and support of your son! Number one take away for the OP - is this a school that your son would be interested in, with or without baseball? If so, it may be fine to assume the "risk" of a large roster size/JV games. If not, it should make you more wary and perhaps be the tipping point if you are choosing between a couple different opportunities.
I share other posters' disdain for JV teams in general and large roster sizes and coaches who are compensated for "recruiting" a certain number of student athletes. Weak sauce!!
@Qhead posted:Tequila, great post and I admire your honesty, objectivity and support of your son! Number one take away for the OP - is this a school that your son would be interested in, with or without baseball? If so, it may be fine to assume the "risk" of a large roster size/JV games. If not, it should make you more wary and perhaps be the tipping point if you are choosing between a couple different opportunities.
I share other posters' disdain for JV teams in general and large roster sizes and coaches who are compensated for "recruiting" a certain number of student athletes. Weak sauce!!
Thanks Qhead, and highlighting that point was absolutely the intention of my post; it just took a little background to get there! If 3and2's son loves the school, with our without baseball, the risks mentioned about the program may be worth taking. I'll add that, in my son's case, at another school in the same conference he was one of those "guys" but he couldn't see himself there without baseball, despite the full-court press they put on him. I've spoken with him about this since and he said even if he knew he would have been the starter, or split starting time, he very likely still would have made the same school choice. That's a big reason I'm not all broken up about how everything is going down. Although it's not over yet, I can sort of see the end but I've been there before after we thought an injury he had would take him out permanently. Will I miss seeing him play? Sure. Would that have happened at some point anyway? Yep. Roll with it and be supportive.
CABBAGEDAD: thanks. This was more of added background info towards the end of the first phone call my son had with the coach. This Coach (RC) has made it clear that there is an opening at my son’s position and they are looking to fill it. They’ve invited my kid for a visit in September.
Would my Kid go there without Baseball? I think in our case that’s a loaded question. I’m not sure if my son would go to college without Baseball. He may be a Baseball lifer. I could see him becoming a coach once his playing days are done. Having said that, the school and campus and culture fit my son well. It’s not a HA D3, however it is a very good school and I think he’d get a good education there. He’d have no problem with admissions and it looks like he’ll qualify for a 10%-15% academic scholarship for freshman year.
There have been other D3’s that have been in touch with him, had a few phone calls with him and some follow up texts, but this school’s RC has been the one that has contacted him the most.
Early on, 2 years ago and last summer, there were some mid-major D1’s that took some initial interest in him, because he showed an ability to barrel up some D1 commit pitchers at a few big tournaments, but it was clear that his measureables needed to improve to D1 levels. While his exit velocity is now in the 90’s, his 60 time (7.5) and throwing velocity (80) are not D1. He has shown that he has some burst with some laser timed 1.6 10 yard dashes.
He’s 6’2” 195 pounds and looks like a skinny teenager. Plenty of room to put on muscle weight.
He’s consistently gotten 3rd Party feedback from people we trust (former pros, former college players and coaches) that he might make a D1 roster but would likely never play, however if he continues working hard he’ll have a good shot at getting D3 playing time and being able to hit D3 pitching.
He’s never been the D1 or bust type of kid. He’s been humbled plenty playing alongside some Power 5 commit kids and even a couple of kids a year older than him that have been drafted. He loves the game and wants to keep playing.
When he followed up with the RC asking “I don’t remember exactly from our conversation, is there a JV team or do you have some kids on the roster play some JV games?” the answer he got back was that “everyone is on the varsity roster, we just like to get some of the players who aren’t playing some at bats and innings pitched in a few JV games.”
There are a few schools that this team regularly plays in non conference games that DO have JV teams. My son isn’t interested in those schools.
Pure numbers are a good starting point, but not all rosters or Jv teams are created equal.
My sons team in college had 3 or 4 JV games in Florida every year. It gave the coach an opportunity to see players in game situations he regularly would not see.
So JV in itself is not a fed Flag. Many teams I am aware of do this. It gets some players, playing time. Varsity coach was at all the JV games. One of the assistants coached the games, and was 3rd base coach and another assistant coached first.
All the players were at Varsity practice. All of them git the same coaching.
It all depends on the program.
40 to 45 is not good. However depending on Academics. I know many schools that lose a lot of kids after the first year, because they cannot handle the academics. That goes for starters and backups. So take that into consideration.
Take a look at the churn on the roster. How many players stay for 3 or four years. If many do, they most likely like the program.
Take a look at the churn on the roster. How many players stay for 3 or four years. If many do, they most likely like the program.
This is huge. I've been shocked by how many players on certain teams return year after year despite getting little or no PT. If you find a roster where there are some seniors who didn't play much as juniors, you know that players love being part of that program.
It all boils down to finding the right spot that fits academic, baseball and coaching profile. If you and your son (and someone who is not biased) believes he can make the team then I would not worry about it. If it is a stretch then think about it. My son played on one of the top D3's in the country and they had a JV team that played 3-7 games a year. Kids moved back and forth depending on the Varsity teams need. One third of the kids on the team would have likely been on D1 rosters somewhere so the level of play was pretty high. That said the full team practiced together and they played a lot of scrimmage games so they needed the extra kids and every one got "playing time" in scrimmages. It was a very inclusive environment. There were some kids who did not make Varsity for 2 or 3 years, but that one year of playing for one of the top teams in country and going to regionals and world series are priceless. So it just depends.
Many the things discussed fall into the Red Flag rule. Remember for every rule there is an exception. You still need to do you homework to make sure that school is not the the exception, and your son passes on a good oppotunity.
Identifying red flags is just part of the process. Once the the reg flags are identified, there is still work to do.
This is such a good discussion. This is why I hang out here. So grateful for all the folks here who are willing to share their expertise and help others get some perspective.
So "Identifying red flags is just part of the process. Once the the red flags are identified, there is still work to do. "
So when you sit in the coaches office and your final three questions and discussion topics (Player discussion......parent silence) are:
1.) I want no part of anywhere that has a jv team. Do you have one? Answer: we did away with jv due to where we are headed see question 2.
2.) I want no part of a 40+ player roster. You had 60 last year but are saying that this recruiting class will only be 12 as you move thru attrition and reduced recruiting to a roster size of 40 in 2 years? Do I understand correctly? 40 max by Fall 2020? Yes.
3.) I'm turning down full academic scholarships at semi-premier institutions to come play baseball here. Are you sure that this is the place I can do it, and compete for a spot from the get go? Absolutely. You are our man, we will see that you get considered for full academic here. Plus baseball.
Great where do I sign!
Fast forward...... yes did get full academic, but 72 players, 62 on list for Fall 2020, JV team still exists and in fact got to play 1 game on it last year. 12 recruited turned into 18 plus 18 more juco transfers for a total influx of 36.
So that work to still do after id'ing the red flags? How can it be done when almost nothing is truthful?
This is a great thread given the currnt D3 recruiting timeline and the Covid-19 situation. Under normal circumstances it is fairly easy to objectively evaluate your son's skills in contrast to a specific college's D3 talent level and the talent level at various large D3 specialty showcases. The challenge right now is the D3 showcases are few and far between. So, I think you have to be extra clear & vigilant in your communications with coaches. Don't be afraid to ask tough questions. Their willingness to answer tough questions may be a sign of your son's status in their recruiting plans. If you ask yourself "is my son the buyer or seller" (http://www.tier1athletics.org/...a-buyer-or-a-seller/) for every recruiting situation, you've pretty much got your answer. If your son is the buyer he is probably among the slotted athletes the HC is recruiting in earnest. If your son is the seller, there is a possibility he could be brought in to compete for starting roster spot or among the JV pool if there is a JV program. You have to know where you stand in the college's recruiting plans at all times...ask tough questions. The buyer vs seller question tells all whether it is D1, D2 or D3. Coaches don't do things in a vacuum. If your son is the buyer, use that leverage. If your son is the seller and he isn't getting answers to his questions or something seems off then it is a huge red flag and most likely your bull$hit meter is blinking red.
JMO
@Showball$ posted:So that work to still do after id'ing the red flags? How can it be done when almost nothing is truthful?
You can't control being lied to, and there is really no way for you to vet these as they are future projections, but I have to believe this is the exception and not the rule, as unfortunate as it is. I can't imagine any head coach of a reputable program telling lies of this magnitude on a regular basis. It would come out sooner or later. The college baseball coaching community is a fairly small world from what I understand.
@Showball$ posted:So "Identifying red flags is just part of the process. Once the the red flags are identified, there is still work to do. "
So when you sit in the coaches office and your final three questions and discussion topics (Player discussion......parent silence) are:
1.) I want no part of anywhere that has a jv team. Do you have one? Answer: we did away with jv due to where we are headed see question 2.
2.) I want no part of a 40+ player roster. You had 60 last year but are saying that this recruiting class will only be 12 as you move thru attrition and reduced recruiting to a roster size of 40 in 2 years? Do I understand correctly? 40 max by Fall 2020? Yes.
3.) I'm turning down full academic scholarships at semi-premier institutions to come play baseball here. Are you sure that this is the place I can do it, and compete for a spot from the get go? Absolutely. You are our man, we will see that you get considered for full academic here. Plus baseball.
Great where do I sign!
Fast forward...... yes did get full academic, but 72 players, 62 on list for Fall 2020, JV team still exists and in fact got to play 1 game on it last year. 12 recruited turned into 18 plus 18 more juco transfers for a total influx of 36.
So that work to still do after id'ing the red flags? How can it be done when almost nothing is truthful?
Anyone who just takes a schools word for it, could be in a world of hurt. Work is not just asking the coaches questions. My sons Schools team played JV games. However there was never a JV roster. This was usually 3-5 games. We never thought to even be concerned with JV teams. However if we were tht would have been a red flag.
The biggest thing a player needs to understand is his capablity to actually play at the school. We talked to several people familiar with the program, and familiar with my son. They all confirmed that he had the abilty to start there early.
Yes this is more difficult if the schools that are far away. And the work is not always easy. If you are solely relying on the coach for information, you most likely will be disapointed. During recruiting my son's future coach, had this to say to him:
"Understand it is my job to get you to like the school enough to come here. Because of that I have been your friend and been very easy going. Understand if you come here, My job is to win. I will be tough on you and the rest of the team to get the best out of you. You may not like me as much then as you do now." (Paraphrasing)
All recruits need to understand that the Coach they see duringg recruiting will most likely not be the coach they see when they show up in the fall. With that understood, you need to look to other resources in addition to the coach.
They are out there you just need to find them.
The coach is at a tremendous advantage. He recruits for a living. The player not only doesn’t have recruiting experience, he’s young and impressionable. His BS meter isn’t tuned. It’s just out of the box. The kid barely understands the instructions. If this is the first kid in the family to go through the process the parents aren’t skilled in recognizing the flags.
I was fortunate with my oldest a teammate’s dad had helped out two previous girls in college softball recruiting. The travel team helped. But the dad read the tea leaves for us.
Then, when my son’s turn came up my BS meter was far better tuned. I knew the questions to have him ask. The “operating in the dark” stress was gone. Then he got injured. This site walked me off the ledge. It all worked out.
@fenwaysouth posted:This is a great thread given the currnt D3 recruiting timeline and the Covid-19 situation. Under normal circumstances it is fairly easy to objectively evaluate your son's skills in contrast to a specific college's D3 talent level and the talent level at various large D3 specialty showcases. The challenge right now is the D3 showcases are few and far between. So, I think you have to be extra clear & vigilant in your communications with coaches. Don't be afraid to ask tough questions. Their willingness to answer tough questions may be a sign of your son's status in their recruiting plans. If you ask yourself "is my son the buyer or seller" (http://www.tier1athletics.org/...a-buyer-or-a-seller/) for every recruiting situation, you've pretty much got your answer. If your son is the buyer he is probably among the slotted athletes the HC is recruiting in earnest. If your son is the seller, there is a possibility he could be brought in to compete for starting roster spot or among the JV pool if there is a JV program. You have to know where you stand in the college's recruiting plans at all times...ask tough questions. The buyer vs seller question tells all whether it is D1, D2 or D3. Coaches don't do things in a vacuum. If your son is the buyer, use that leverage. If your son is the seller and he isn't getting answers to his questions or something seems off then it is a huge red flag and most likely your bull$hit meter is blinking red.
JMO
This is a great post. I think the single biggest problem in recruiting (at all levels) isn’t the fact that coaches are disingenuous. IMO the problem is on the other end. Too many players and parents don’t get a good read on the situation. They (players & parents) tend to not be realistic about their level of talent and think they are bringing more value to the table than they actually are. Some also think they can negotiate their way into a college lineup. When reality hits them between the eyes the default position is to blame the coach. I’m not saying some coaches don’t stretch the truth. They do. I’m not saying RCs won’t tell you what you want to hear. They will. I’m saying it’s your job as parent and player to take off your rose colored glasses, make an accurate assessment of your sons ability, and get a good read on how he fits into any prospective program. When all that is done properly better decisions tend to be made and things tend to work out better.
All recruits need to understand that the Coach they see during recruiting will most likely not be the coach they see when they show up in the fall.
“It was two years before I saw him smile again. Freshman year I had to look in the mirror to be sure I existed.”
- My son describing his coach during recruiting and playing for him.
@RJM posted:All recruits need to understand that the Coach they see during recruiting will most likely not be the coach they see when they show up in the fall.
We've deviated a bit from the OP, sorry for that, but I couldn't agree more with this after my son's first year experience. I would add that liking the head coach is not a requirement for having a good experience in a program. I do believe respect is a requirement or a player can't fully commit to 110% all the time. I can't think of anyone I like that I didn't respect but I can think of people I respect that I didn't necessarily like (some I have worked for). If you have neither then you can start counting your days in the program. The problem is, in most cases, respect is developed over time so a player may not know until they've already showed up and seen the coach for who he/she really is.
* Edited to add that this may not apply in cases where athletic scholarship money is in the picture.
@BishopLeftiesDad posted:My sons Schools team played JV games. However there was never a JV roster.
So, how do you figure out which schools have JV teams or have some V players play a few VJ games?
I actually didn't know this was even a thing until this discussion.
@tequila posted:We've deviated a bit from the OP, sorry for that, but I couldn't agree more with this after my son's first year experience. I would add that liking the head coach is not a requirement for having a good experience in a program. I do believe respect is a requirement or a player can't fully commit to 110% all the time. I can't think of anyone I like that I didn't respect but I can think of people I respect that I didn't necessarily like (some I have worked for). If you have neither then you can start counting your days in the program. The problem is, in most cases, respect is developed over time so a player may not know until they've already showed up and seen the coach for who he/she really is.
* Edited to add that this may not apply in cases where athletic scholarship money is in the picture.
This gives me pause. I know it's good advice. My son has had some positive and negative vibes from some of the coaches recruiting him. In normal times, I think he would get more information with a campus visit, but those aren't likely to happen now. As a result, I think his decision may turn in part on those initial vibes. I've been trying to help him get additional information about the coaches, especially from current and former players, to "cross-check" his impressions so he doesn't regret his decision later.
@LuckyCat posted:So, how do you figure out which schools have JV teams or have some V players play a few VJ games?
I actually didn't know this was even a thing until this discussion.
Sometimes it's buried on their website. If you go to the baseball homepage, go to the baseball page, click on "More", then click on "Additional links," it will sometimes come up. Some will post their full JV schedule, which tells you what other schools have JV teams. Or you can just google the "[name of the school] baseball JV", and see if anything comes up.
We act on here like baseball is a kid's profession (in fact, it's often said that playing college ball is like another job), that playing on a college team can never be considered as "just" an extracurricular activity. Clearly, at colleges (especially D3s) with large teams or jv teams, there is a certain sense that it IS an extracurricular. Those who have the talent and give it 150% are going to be the ones who play - how is that different from high school? In which case, a JV makes some sense. The question for any individual player is, how seriously do you want to take it, and how seriously do you want your coach to take it?
JV is part of the equation. You might also ask what baseball players do in the summer - do they play in collegiate leagues, or get jobs? Is this different between starters and the rest? Does the coach help with summer placement? Those things can tell you how seriously the coach takes his players' interest.
