do you have to be on a travel team to get noticed?

Welcome Ruby and make sure to cruise the other boards because they are packed full of great information about all aspects of the game.

As for your question the overall answer is no but with exceptions. Most players will be seen during the summer instead of the high school season. Reason being is college coaches are playing at the same time and it's very difficult to get out and see kids during high school. Coaches will go watch high school games but it's more of a situation where they want to see guys they have their sights set on. They probably won't go fishing for talent.

As for paying to be on a good travel team you need to be careful and make sure it's legit and you can afford it. Some teams are just money makers and that's all that happens - you pay them money and the coaches take a vacation. Do some research and find out which teams are legit and do what they are advertised to do. Check out their schedule and see if they are playing at East Cobb, Jupiter FL, PG events and other things like that. If they are then the players will be seen - if not then it's a toss up as to if they get seen or not. Your money is valuable and so is the exposure your son needs / wants - make sure you get the most out of each.

Other ways to be seen is get out there and do some camps, showcases and PG events. Most of the time colleges have camps they put on and it's a good way to be seen. But don't forget they are out to make money so don't just show up at one and hope that's enough. Make a list of schools that your son would fit academically and athletically and start seeing when they have camps. Sometimes they will be expensive and sometimes they are affordable so factor that in as well. Once you get an idea of what schools you want to attend and their camps contact the coaches. Make sure it's your son doing the talking and not you because it's your son wanting to play - not mom and dad. Have your son email the coach(es) and tell them a little bit about himself, he's interested in the school and would be attending the camp. Do this about a week before the camp so he's still slightly fresh in their mind. Day of the camp walk up to the head coach or position coach or recruiting coach and introduce himself. Then go out and perform.

Also, you can find out which showcases they will attend and go there. Do the same thing - contact them about a week ahead of time, introduce himself at the event and then perform.

Finally just ask them if their interested if you're not sure. Be respectful and see if you're wasting your time and if they aren't then move on.

This is about it really. You need to understand the leg work needs to be done by your son and you. Don't rely on the high school coach or the travel coach or the college coach to find your son. Get out there and do the leg work to be seen. Most people think colleges get out to be seen but that is far from the truth. Even the studs have to get out there. I got a kid right now who will probably get drafted in the first round or two and reason he's in that position is his dad got him on good quality summer teams. He was noticed and he performed well so he started to get noticed.

One last thing if someone tells you they got a full ride for baseball ask them to clarify. They might be full of it and blowing smoke. Baseball teams only get 11.7 scholarships to fill out a roster. Nobody and I mean nobody gets a full scholarship for baseball. They might get a little bit of money from baseball, a little bit from academics, a little bit from grants and things like that that lead to a full ride but they will not get one from baseball only. Keep that in mind when you're finding schools he may want to go to. The cost of the school could affect whether he wants to go there or not.

Best of luck.

Wow...thank you for sharing all that information with me. Another question...do you have to be on a team in order to go to a showcase?

No problem - that's what we're here for. There are some people on here way smarter than I am.

Depends on what it is. There are showcase events where it's individuals basically going through some sort of tryout process and there are showcase tournaments / games.

Overall don't get caught up in the names of things. Look at what they're offering because the name doesn't matter. It could be showcase, AAU, all star, primetime, or super duper - doesn't matter. Look at what they offer and who will be there to see if it's worth it.

Great, great post, Coach! That's one of the best, most helpful summaries of how to go about the recruiting process I've seen.

The only thing I might add is to make certain that your son understands that baseball recruiters are recruiting student-athletes. Players who don't require that the coach try to "shoe horn" them in with the Admissions Office advantage themselves tremendously.

In addition, if they've applied themselves in the high school classroom, they'll be that much better prepared to tackle a demanding college academic schedule while devoting considerable time to baseball.

Best of luck to your son!

I'm guessing you're talking about Arsenal or Cust and Super 17's. If he goes that route only do it if he's on the A team. What are you calling very expensive? There are other acceptible opportunities. If you don't want to discuss finances publicly PM me.

There are individual showcases he can attend. There are showcases he can attend as an individual and be placed on a team. One event to look at is SelectFest. However he will need a strong recommendation from a coach and better a pro scout. Another is Atlantic 100. All-Star Baseball Academy in West Chester, PA runs a lot of individual events by conference or in front of a large group of college coaches. He can also select camps of colleges he might be interested in attending.

Another good person to talk with is MadDogPA.

Ruby - If you are talking about Northern NJ, I can give you some guidance. Please feel free to drop me a PM with specific teams you may have in mind.

Long story as short as possible.... This summer my son (2012) played with a PG recognized team, but was put on the B team for some unknown reason. They played alot of tournaments both winning and losing. Coach was just hired by organization and coached for extra money. He saw very few scouts if any, almost all low D1 and Juco. D1 umpires and other always talked to him afterwards and would say man you pitched well enough to have won that game....keep it up. One month later he got picked up by a top notch travel team who was making a statement to win..win..win! Played with the best and against the best especially at Fort Myers and Jupiter. 0.00 ERA in games pitched. Was recruited by several D1 SEC colleges and ended up commiting. Same kid, same talent, same everything...just lucky enough to have been playing with an elite travel team to get noticed. They did not come to watch him, but ended up following every game he pitched after that. Did not hurt that most colleges are looking for LHP. ERA great thru high school and other PGA tournaments, but did not matter till he played on a nationally ranked team against the best competition. He also picked a few colleges and did some showcases. Got an offer from each one he attended which made us feel that that was worth the money spent. What worked for him was,
1. find a good travel team
2. make the PG tournaments summer/fall
3. try to showcase with PG
4. set up with skillshow.com and send out
to colleges he may want to attend and
follow up with schedule. Almost all
colleges will attend PG events.
5. Attend showcases and camps where he
would consider going to school. Several of
the colleges recruiting my son stated that
he should not waste the money on camps that
this was a way for the lower guys on caoching
staff to make income. So be careful.
Most of the colleges that wanted to see players
invited team to a weekend tournament at the
University.

Naturally practice and study hard to be a qualifier. You can spend way too much money on all these things mentioned so plan it out like an investment. Be smart with the money you spend and try to limit the ridiculous waste of money involved with baseball. We spent several thousand dollars follwing that summer team that got him zero recognition. Spent less than around one-third of same money this fall that helped land him a scholorship. This can be a wicked game! Good Luck.

Do not go broke with this stuff. If it is going to put a major financial burden on your family do not do it. There are many other ways to accomplish what you are trying to do without putting this type of strain on your family.

How good is your son? Many people and I mean many people spend a ton of money trying to get something they are never going to get regardless of the amount of exposure they get their kid. Its like opening up the best ice cone shop in the North Pole. Good product wrong location.

Know what level your son is capable of playing at and what the academic fit needs to be and then focus on getting exposure to the schools that meet the best fit for him. If that means he is a Major College level talent then attend a camp or two. Play on the best team in the summer you can afford. And if you can not afford to do that play legion or whatever level is available.

How many times does a 6-4 pitcher who throws 95 need to be seen to get opportunities to play at the next level? How broke do you need to get to get him seen enough times? Now if he is a 5-11 pitcher who throws 85 why go broke running around the country trying to get him seen by LSU Miami etc?

If you have the money to get him the most exposure possible then no problem. But unless he has what they want its not going to matter. And if you have serious talent but dont have the money to run all over the country being seen no problem either. Take him to a couple of showcase events close by and you wont have anything to worry about.

The blue print for the most exposure is obvious. Attend PG events, get on a strong showcase team. Go to college camps. Etc etc etc. If you can not afford these things dont stress about it and do not go broke trying to do it.

The first thing you need to do is get a real idea of what caliber of player he is and who is going to want him once they see him. And then target the level of play and programs that he fits in with. That will save you money, time and head ache. And it will give you a return on your investment. I have seen kids travel all over the country hoping to get in front of the FSU Auburn LSU's of the world and the local D3 was by far the best fit for them as a player and a student. But they never got in front of those coaches or made an attempt to get in front of those coaches. And once the credit cards were maxed out, the house had been refinanced, the bank account was dried up, they couldnt understand what went wrong.

The only players that need to be playing high level showcase baseball are the ones that the have the ability to show what the coaches attending those events want to see. Unless you have all the money in the world and just want to enjoy the play and the travel. Otherwise get an honest opinion of your sons ability. And then specifically target the schools that are a good fit for your son. Fairly good baseball players can accomplish what you are trying to accomplish by just targeting those schools that fit your sons ability. And attending a couple of camps at the local schools in your area will give you some feedback that is needed. If your son does not stand out from his peers he does not need to travel with players who do. You will be throwing your money down the drain.

Just some thoughts.

On your thoughts.



Outstanding!

Great Posts by All!

Ruby,

I would ask another question, which you don't have to answer for us but probably should answer for yourself.

How bad does he want it?

Your original post said:

"He is a fairly good baseball player and would like to play at a college level."

Most guys who do play in college are not at the "would like to play" level of commitment. They are at or near the "baseball is the most important thing in my life" level of commitment.

SwampBoy,
The "flip side" is the desire to play college baseball overshadowing the quality of the college they attend.
IMO, baseball is secondary.

coach may hit the ball out of the park...it's hard not to want to do all you can. Coaches of the expensive teams aren't neccessarily the best judges of talent, especially when there's $$$$ signs beside your kids name. There are a ton of good alternatives in the posts within this website!

Stage4Survivor,

That's why I qualified my comment by adding the words "most" and "or near."

quote:

Originally posted by stage4survivor:
SwampBoy,
The "flip side" is the desire to play college baseball overshadowing the quality of the college they attend.
IMO, baseball is secondary.

We all know what the flip side is. This is a baseball site and it seems reasonable to assume people are interested in baseball. I don't think people need to feel guilty about that and not sure why people hang around a baseball site if academics are the main thing.

Some kids can satisfy every need - high academics plus high-end baseball. Some kids can satisfy one or the other. In my son's case, he would have attended a Community College on Indian Reservation in North Dakota if that's what it meant to continue his career and I would have supported him. An education can always be obtained from whatever level a student is capable. Unless your son is as talented as Josh Hamilton, and as far as I am aware there are only one of those, then there are no do-overs in baseball. Some kids are going to make their careers in baseball and I am not talking necessarily about the big leagues. In many cases, baseball is more important than academics.

Why do people think "if they do" that you have to sacrifice a quality education to play college baseball? If a kid can go to Stanford but will not get to play baseball there so they decide to go to a D2 to play college baseball how is that a bad decision?

You can get a great education with going to a high end academic school. And the benefits of being a college athlete and learning what it takes to do it are priceless. And not having to look in the mirror when your 40 and wondering "what if" "could I" is priceless as well.

If a young man has a dream of playing in college and that is his goal and he chooses a school of lesser academic standing to do it I say "There goes a young man that loves the game and he is going to be OK."

I dont understand this thought process that somehow your going to tell a kid NO you cant follow your dream at that school just to play a game. Your going to force him to go to the school you think is the best fit for him and tell him to put up the spikes. Hel when he shows up at your door step and says "I quit school because I want to play ball" dont be surprised. Or he ends up resenting you the rest of his life because you took something from him he truly loved. NO way I would ever do that to a kid who loved the game.

Mine left a pretigeous academic school as well as an outstanding baseball school because it was not the right fit for him. He was miserable. He is now doing great in school, getting a very good education, and as happy as I have ever seen him. And I am just fine with that.

Baseball is so important to some young men. It is what drives them to get an education past HS. It actually can be what drives them to get a HS diploma. It also drives them to sacrifice many things kid their age have or never will sacrifice. It drives some to forego the college experience and go in the draft. It is a passion to those that truly love it. It is in their blood. They will play for BFE in the middle of BFE if thats what they have to do to continue to play the game. It ticks me off when I think people are trying suggest that these same young men should just quit because a better academic situation can be met without the game they love. BS on that one.

If a kid wants to give it up fine give it up. If a parent wants to force this decision on a kid dont be surprised if it doesnt blow right up in their face. But to each his own.

Maybe some would be better served to join the academic high school web?

liner I have coached in some fine showcase programs. Many times we take care of some of the financial needs. Like kids staying with coaches etc. Some of the best people I know in the game coach these types of teams. But if you can not afford it or your son is not a kid that will stand out on the field with other top players its not the right option for you.

Stage who says you have to be secondary in any of them? You can be the best student you can be and be the best player you can be. Baseball is not secondary and neither is your education. But if you want to TELL a young man he has to hang them up go ahead. I am going to help them keep them on as long I as possibly can.

Certainly have received some "food for thought"! I guess I'm thinking a good academic school vs a poor academic only to play baseball.
I realize being happy is a major part of any college but, we have received inquiries from a couple D3's that the HS counselor doesn't recommend based on their academic reputation.
BTW, I'm not referring to any high powered programs either academically or baseball wise.

Hi Ruby:

Before I begin… there have been some awesome posts here … kudos!

We are in a similar situation - our guy is a 2014. This summer, we decided to go to a number of elite team try outs – all of them just north of 10K a year. It’s normal for kids here to go to these teams in their sophomore year but, he attracted one of these teams as a pitcher. We opted to just do fall ball and winter development this year and so, the cost is about half for this year. All-in-all this will amount to about $35K by the time he’s off to college. Having looked closely at this program, I can see where the money goes. The organization is well-connected and the kids get in highway coaches and travel a lot into the south. In their senior year, they take three different weeks off school in the fall and travel to play D1’s etc. They maintain a 45,000 square foot facility. They are connected with PG. They are in front of just about everyone you want to be in front of at multiple levels. I’ve listened to them say it and indirectly I’ve learned this from many sources including the schools themselves.

The question: is it really necessary to go to such teams? It’s a complicated answer. If your school choices are in-state, there’s an argument that would say – go to the prospect camps for the schools that are proximate. $10K a year buys a lot of training, hotel rooms, and gas… In our case though, City Rep baseball waters down with numerous elite travel programs starting up at 16U. Arguably 15-20% of the best players in the province leave for elite. If that’s the case in New Jersey, then there’s an argument to go to elite travel. For us, the choice is playing competitively south of the Mason Dixon line or playing in a cannibalized league.

We have shotgun-blasted beRecruited for the past week. One of the posters on this site made a comment recently: it's WHAT SCHOOLS WANT YOU and not necessarily WHAT SCHOOLS YOU WANT. So far, as the gun-smoke is clearing, there have been ten distinct coaches that have looked at my son’s profile and there have been three that book-marked him. In that lot are some schools that are at my son’s dream-school level already. In truth though, he is physically big and has enough mechanics to warrant a “Follow”. All we have here is a validation that IF (and it’s a BIG IF) he continues to work and he his genetics allow it, he can continue to play the game at the next level.
I was fortunate enough to find an article on this site about the various angles to video a pitcher and did so. Knowing what I know now, I will capture more game video next summer, particularly demonstrating my son’s pick-off moves. If you have some footage, put it up on a free beRecruited site and test the waters for WHAT SCHOOLS WANT YOU. As other have mentioned here, get that independent Pro Scout evaluation.

In our case, the payment for that elite program is a tough one every month. I’m not so concerned about the W’s, as much as I am concerned that this organization can play competitively with the best, which it can. The program itself and the training that the staff bring are superb. The pitching coaches are second to none and my son has trained all over on both sides of the border for a number of years now.

My son and I travel an hour twice a week to the facility to his work outs. He is with about 15 pitchers a year or two ahead of him in school. The work outs are tough enough that some guys throw up. Prior to September he didn’t know any of these guys but, since then he’s been on a bus down to South Carolina with them – so he knows them fairly well now. The only guys he knows are in a younger group.

Ask the players that are in this program what is good about it? I think if you asked my son, he could talk quite a bit about the value of the program he’s in. Very little would be about wins or about being with his friends (although he's made new ones there).

Our plan is to continue.

ruby...my 2011 just did the showcase tour last year with a team from PA so I have recent experience:

As RJM mentioned, the best showcases for a NJ player are SelectFest and ASBA Mid-Atlantic Top 100, however, they are expensive and I would wait until your son is a Junior. Getting an invitation is very competitive, so you either need to know someone, or you son has to already be on the radar screen based on HS/travel success. When evaluating travel teams, find out how many of the kids went to these showcases in their junior years. Ask if the coaches have connections with SelectFest or ASBA.

There are showcase teams in the Mid-Atlantic area that don't charge an arm and a leg, but are run by coaches who have jobs or are retired and don't need to make money off the baseball program. They are more interested in the process of helping players get to the next level. In our case, the coach gave all of the families a "fund-raising" letter to generate some revenue for the program and reduce the costs. You could do as much or as little as you wanted. We reduced our costs by roughly $700.

We chose the showcase team route to maximize exposure and only went to one camp because son was invited and we did not pay. Many folks on this board recommend going to college camps, but I think they are a **** shoot, because you never know what your going to get.

Good luck...