Does it matter?

By time they're in college and playing, it probably means not much more than filling a player's bio, recognizing past success.

It's probably has more meaning while the player's in high school. Usually, the top players who are sought by D1 schools are starting varsity impact players by their freshman or sophomore year. The sooner they play varsity, the more opportunities to get recognition and to get noticed.

When you make it to college athletics they will ask you to fill out a bio.

You have to start somewhere on developing a sense of each player, their personalities, etc.

Whatever you put in your bio will appear on the website of your school sport and also in the Media Guide that your school produces for each sport.

Some guys put way more in their bio than others.
I was actually disappointed that my son did not put all of his high school achievements in his bio.

When I asked him about it, he didn't really think what he did in high school was relevent anymore.
I disagree, he should have put more in there.

I will say this though, on any of his recruiting visits, the main conversation was about games they had seen him in person. He never attended showcases, just a scout team (that was free).

But, he was not a high profile guy.

NO it doesn't matter. College coaches often don't know about a recruit's high school achievements until after the player signs and he happens to read them in the college media guide or on the website --- unless of course that player uses his HS bio as a recruiting tool. Even if a coach knew a player didn't start for his HS team until he was a junior or a senior I doubt that would make a difference. College coaches recruit "talent" and with a slower developing player that talent may not come to the surface until the latter part of his high school career. College coaches look at prospective players as to what they CAN do --- not necessarily what they HAVE done.
Fungo

It also doesn't matter from the perspective that not all high schools are created equal!!! Some teams are always near the top of their leagues and/or are very large - and as a result not much if any room for underclassmen. Other teams have trouble getting 9 guys out and as a result if you have a pulse you will make varsity.

Using 08Son's high school as an example, they typically have 80 guys out for three teams (school has about 350 guys). Freshman were sent straight to the freshman practice - and sophomores to the JV field. The old coach (who retired this year) did not believe in having younger players sitting on the bench - so if you weren't going to start, off you went to the lower levels. Not sure about the new coach.

Colleges are interested in what you can do for them over the next 4 years - not what you might have done for your high school 4 years ago.

08

Just to add another element here... don't always believe everything you read in those bios. Son had a hs teammate who went on to play at a DIII. Nice mid-level high school player, but on his bio on their website we were AMAZED to learn that he was our varsity MVP for three years, (we only remember him being ON the varsity for two, so that's QUITE an accomplishment) AND team captain for all four years! Since #2 was actually team MVP and team captain for two of those three years, it came as quite a surprise to him! He's waiting for them to come and take his plaques away! This guy also supposedly led the team in BA his senior year (since he had a .180 BA, that would have made for a pretty poor season, were it true!) and stolen bases... not.

#2 ribbed him about it when he saw him over the summer and the player claimed he had no idea where that stuff all came from, so who knows. Fact is, it's still up there for all the world to see... and believe, if they don't know any better!

The situation in my HS is this. Next year we have 4 returning players from the JV roster(1 that started) and one of those returning players happens to play in the OF. He can't field, he can't hit, he honestly isn't very good at all but because he is a Sophomore he will start PERIOD. Theres no talking about it, theres no arguments, thats how it works with the JV coach. I have heard rumors that this coach was promoted to Varsity for the upcoming year making our 8th grade coach our JV coach. He has seen me play, he likes how I play but he also plays the same way, SOPHOMORES START OVER FRESHMAN. No matter how good or bad they are. It somewhat worries me in the long run because of lack of reps.

I know our institutions of higher learning should be beyond reproach, but I wouldn’t be surprised if a school’s media dept stretched some of the things in the media guide just a bit, for effect. If you were looking at a school to go to, would you be more impressed to be courted by a coach who had 30 players on the roster who had all been their HS team’s MVP, lettered 3 or 4 years, had all of its players listed at 6’/2” or above, or whatever, or one that only had players who played on the HSV 1 or 2 years, weren’t all everything, etc.?

There’s also something that should be kept in mind. Not all schools award letters equally. Some school’s might require a certain percentage of games or innings to have been played in. We have one near here who have a requirement of having made any kind of appearance in any conference game.

quote:

Originally posted by SKeep:
I know our institutions of higher learning should be beyond reproach, but I wouldn’t be surprised if a school’s media dept stretched some of the things in the media guide just a bit, for effect. If you were looking at a school to go to, would you be more impressed to be courted by a coach who had 30 players on the roster who had all been their HS team’s MVP, lettered 3 or 4 years, had all of its players listed at 6’/2” or above, or whatever, or one that only had players who played on the HSV 1 or 2 years, weren’t all everything, etc.?

Honorable mention all-conference high school awards turn into "All-conference in high school" in the college media guide.

Along the same lines, how do you letter in college. Is it being on the roster, or is it number of innings played, innings pitched and at bats.