DIII Pre Read

Have you sent video to interested schools? Not a highlight video. A sound mechanics video with measurables imposed on the screen. 

@BaseballDad72 posted:

Hi All,

After a recommendation from his travel org GM, a great HA school is doing a pre-read on my 2021 RHP son. This just happened today and it's the most serious interest he's gotten so far. If he gets the green light from admissions, does this mean the coach will support him/offer him or is that another stage that comes down the road? Not sure if they ask for a pre-read only for kids they would offer. I'm excited for him but who knows where it goes from here.

Yes. IMHO he is definitely on their board.  He isn't necessarily at the top of the board, but he's there.

In a normal world, after getting a positive reply from admissions, the coach would invite your son to campus and would be likely to make him a ED slot offer at that point, though in some cases coach might only say that he's on the team if he gets in RD. 

Congratulations!  Schools that do pre-reads usually have some sort of slot system with their admissions department.  They do the pre-read to know whether they would be able to offer a slot (or whatever term they use) that would be essentially guaranteed.  So it doesn't mean that they will offer him a slot, it means that they will know whether or not they can.  An offer is the next stage. 

When your son gets the result of the pre-read, try to make sure that he tells you exactly what the coach says.  As BOF said, "I have three slots for (nearly) guaranteed admission and I'm offering you one" is different from "I'll support you with admissions but ultimately it's up to them" which is different from "if you get in on your own, we'd be glad to have you on the team."  All can be positive, and all can change after December, too.

AnotherParent, why might things change after December? I would assume DIII core recruits would be locked in by then via ED and most recruit classes would be full. Do you mean the dead period ending?

On another note there are a few really strong Ivy and Patriot type prospects from our area that are still uncommitted. I’m wondering if there’s a bottleneck of kids like this out there toggling between HA DIs and DIIIs and once they start coming off the board if that will open the floodgates some?

As anotherparent said, the pre-read is a good sign, but it doesn't necessarily mean an offer will immediately follow even a good pre-read. 

It might mean your son is their first choice and they just need to make sure they can get him through admissions.  If that's the case, an offer will probably come with the call telling him the pre-read went well.  You usually know this is the case because they tend to be pretty enthusiastic with their first choice.

Or it might mean they are starting to get nervous that the player above your son on their board, who hasn't yet accepted their outstanding offer, is going to slip the line.  If that's the case, they'll probably try to stall your son while they try to nail down the kid with the offer.  Rather than wonder, your son can ask them.  They won't necessarily volunteer the information, but generally they will be honest about it when asked.  My son asked something like -- can you tell me where I stand in your recruiting or can you tell me where I am on your board.

As FenwaySouth told me, keep your foot on the recruiting gas pedal.  Don't sit back and wait for the pre-read results from this one school.  Keep communicating with all of the coaches who have expressed interest in your son or that your son is interested in. If he is still playing, he should update coaches with new video and results each week. 

As far as struggling with mediocre results from showcases, this is where the GM of your travel organization and/or your son's coach can help.  If they have not yet, they should email the coach that is doing the pre-read (and any other coaches expressing interest) to talk about your son's in-game abilities and any other intangibles to fill in the rest of the picture.

Try to stay positive.  You've got a school taking that first step!  In the next few weeks you may see more come forward as the musical chairs really gets going.  Good luck!  Fingers crossed this pre-read goes well and comes with an offer!

@BaseballDad72 posted:

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On another note there are a few really strong Ivy and Patriot type prospects from our area that are still uncommitted. I’m wondering if there’s a bottleneck of kids like this out there toggling between HA DIs and DIIIs and once they start coming off the board if that will open the floodgates some?

There is always a bottleneck (and a bunch of recruits toggling between Ivy/Patriot and D3 HA) and this year it is a delayed bottleneck.   Once the traditional D1 scholarship $$ offers are off the table then the focus turns to Ivy/Patriot recruits and then it cascades down to HA D3s.   However, this game of musical "recruiting" chairs can be trumped with a firm verbal commitment prior to the normal course of events because of Covid-19.   This year, it seems like more people are taking any offer and not waiting to be asked twice.   Certainly, it is not because they want to, but more they have to.  If I'm a HA D3 HC, I'm going "fishing for talent" because I got nothing to lose.

LuckyCat, that’s exactly how this shook out for the pre read. GM sent great recommendation for my son and that was when this coach hopped on it and literally fivE minutes after the GM shared the coach response to him the coach emailed my son directly. So my gut says he jumped up the board but isn’t the dude at the top. I’d like to see how serious the school is because we haven’t seen campus and it’s a serious trip for our family to get there.

on the flip side some HA DIIIs have been totally silent, which seems odd because my son is a fit metrics wise and academically but it’s been crickets from some schools.

We have my son registered in three states for second SAT attempt. He’s been canceled on four times. Been a nightmare for him. Fingers crossed the one this weekend goes off and he does well...

Good luck on the SAT.  Your story about the travel coach recommendation is why playing on a team where the coach can make those calls is invaluable, even for D3 players.  What I meant about December is that some players on ED lists don't get admitted, or maybe they get a last-second D1 offer, and some kids can't go ED because they need to know financial aid that comes out in May, or about academic scholarships.  So, there is some activity after the ED decisions come out.

@BaseballDad72 posted:

on the flip side some HA DIIIs have been totally silent, which seems odd because my son is a fit metrics wise and academically but it’s been crickets from some schools.

This was true for my 2021 as well.  I thought if one NESCAC school was really interested in my son, most of them would be, but the response ranged from "you're on the top of our board, we love what we see, can you do a zoom" to crickets.  I think each coaching staff has their own way of going about recruiting and sometimes that meant my son got a hard look early and sometimes that meant he did not get any look at all.  If it makes you feel any better, my son did pretty well at Showball and Headfirst, but he only got a bit more interest afterward.  They did not all come knocking his door down.  So, I guess some coaches see something in a kid that other coaches do not.

Another crack at the SAT might help.  At some schools, the coach only gets one or two slots, but he needs 6 or 8 new recruits.  The easier it is for the admissions staff to give him the other 4 to 6 players he needs, the better.

This series in the New York Times is over a decade old but I think still gives a pretty good idea of what goes on behind the scenes at many HA D3 schools.  I highly recommend reading the whole series, but these two in particular relate to my point above about needing kids that don't need a slot:

https://www.nytimes.com/2005/1...ap-of-rejection.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2005/1...rd-every-little.html

The Times reporter got unprecedented access at Haverford, but I think similar things go on at other HA D3 schools.

I feel for you, as this is truly an unprecedented year.  My 2021son, certainly encouraged by my guidance looking over the landscape, leaned into fully pursuing an HA D3 path by June.  It was clear that the combo of 5th year seniors, transfers, extended dead periods, showcase restrictions, furloughed RC's and other factors would make the D1 path almost impossible.  In fact, our estimation was that D3 would almost equate to a normal D1 process given that many of these HA D1 prospects were seeing their options dwindle, and themselves were turning to D3's as their best option.  Compounded by the fact that even if you got through this year's D1 gauntlet, you were looking at at least 2 years sitting as opposed to normal 1.  So D3 it was, and we didn't really look back.

As for pre-reads, its certainly a good sign but as others have said, its just a step in the process.  We did about 5, and one came back quickly and with no problem, 2 came back just under where we expected them to be, and the other two ended up being moot.  But I will tell you it didn't play out necessarily as we expected so as all of the experienced guides have stated here, play EVERYTHING out.  Especially this year!  Keep pressing, and don't stop until a Coach asks you to commit.  And even then, understand what your commitment to them means, as at the D3 level that isn't a standard issue. Good luck, keep going, we all wish you and your son the best.

Be prepared to wait on the pre-read, we found it was taking schools ~2 weeks to get it complete. Maybe that changes with school in session but in the summer is was slow. Good luck.