Does it help you?

quote:

Originally posted by xbaseballkidx11:
Do top tier grades, National Honor Society, and many other scholarship opportunities for academics and ethnicity help you get noticed by colleges, or at least entice them to offer you a spot, since they do not have to use any baseball money or a scholly on you? Do coaches like that?

Yes of course, all that is true.

IMHO, grades are more of a disqualifier rather than a qualifier. Coaches look for baseball talent first and then check to see if the grades are a fit for their respective schools. Sure, if they like someone's talent and see they could save a scholarship by academics great but it starts with baseball first. If they see poor grades however, they might pass on a talented athlete since they are afraid of the risks involved.

One of our members once said and he was right, if grades were a qualifier, coaches would go to the library to recruit baseball players. Obviously, that is not how it is done. Get good grades to keep the absolute most options open but at the end of the day, you need to have baseball talent that some coach will covet someday.

quote:

Originally posted by xbaseballkidx11:
Do top tier grades, National Honor Society, and many other scholarship opportunities for academics and ethnicity help you get noticed by colleges, or at least entice them to offer you a spot, since they do not have to use any baseball money or a scholly on you? Do coaches like that?

This would put you in the same category as a player who comes from a low income family and would qualify for a lot of financial aid.

The only place were the really good grades you describe become a major issue, is at an higher academic school where the coach needs to get the kid through admissions. Average grades just will not get by admissions at some schools.

Put it another way, two kids of near equal baseball ability, one with the grades you talk about, the other with more average grades. The coach will choose the player with the better grades every time.

grades played a big role in my sons recruiting....he was stuck between a lower D1 whose Athletic program only supported 8 of the allowed 11.5 scholarships and a high academic D3 that could only be made possible through academic monies..

In both these situations if he hadnt had NHS level grades and test scores, he wouldnt have been considered or we wouldnt have been able to afford the schooling....

Just to echo what birdman said...given players of similar ability, the coach would take the higher grades player everytime....rather than wonder if the other will stay eligible....

quote:

Originally posted by piaa_ump:
Just to echo what birdman said...given players of similar ability, the coach would take the higher grades player everytime....rather than wonder if the other will stay eligible....

I used to believe the above to be true, but not necessarily, a lot depends on the program and their expectations.

Reread CD's last paragraph.

I certainly agree that it would depend on the coach and the program expectations, but I wasnt trying to make a blanket statement to cover every level of player talent and all levels of college baseball.....I qualified my comments to relating to my sons recruiting experience......and what the coach told us directly...

first of high grades annd strong academics will never hurt you

with todays budget crunches and srinking rosterstrong academics are critical college coches want solid students