Does the kid know more than me?

Does the picture on his PG profile and the fact he has a PG or PBR profile matter? Probably not. Can playing their events be beneficial? Sure. IMO PBR (especially in our area does a very good job on social media. Playing in our PBR state games helped my son, as did playing certain PG events. Personally I think playing a PG showcase is a waste of $700, especially if you're on a team that plays their events already. Again, none of this matters if you don't have the tools.

Sounds like he us mentally preparing himself for not playing college Baseball.

If he’s not potential D1 material he doesn’t need to participate in PG events. If he’s one of the best players in his high school conference he can sit back and wait for the local colleges to come to him. If he aspires to more he better get off his ass. 

Whatever level he aspires to play he better have a strategy of how he’s going to get in front of his targeted schools and execute his plan. He should also be playing for coaches who can sell him to college coaches. If his travel coaches are telling him to wait for colleges to find him he’s getting very poor advice. He needs to find a new travel team with contacts. 

Also, as a catcher he needs to make sure he’s being recruited as a potential starting catcher and not a non scholarship extra catcher for the bullpen.

3and2Fastball posted:

Sounds like he us mentally preparing himself for not playing college Baseball.

Not really. It's his goal. I just think he's being shortsighted and thinking they will find him and there's no need to get yourself out there.

I presume your son is talking specifically about D1 recruiting?  If so, he would be pretty accurate.  At least in SoCal, it is really about the level of travel team a kid plays for (unless they play for a really strong HS program).  And those kids on those teams who are playing in the bigger recruiting events really don't need to go to showcases because they are seen.  Many even get invited to specific weekend showcases at certain P5 schools that give them even closer exposure.

But for the kids who are not D1 (which are the majority of HS players seeking to play in college), must of them have to go to more events, including the big showcases, to be seen by the coaches in their pool-D2, D3, NAIA and JuCo.  And it helps to have PG, PBR and/or BF provide measurables from one of their events to be able to send to coaches in recruiting e-mails.  Unfortunately these things do cost money, but if they did not provide some results, they would not survive.  Sure, they may be "money grabs" from some kids who have little to no chance of playing college baseball, but at least the parent(s) and kid can say they gave it a shot by spending the money, and then seeing no interest, face reality.  

I've always wondered how many kids miss out on a chance to play college baseball because they mistakenly believed that the colleges/coaches would find them.  Yes, elite talent is found without much recruiting work on the kids end, but the lower divisions have limited funds to see recruits and the showcase events are the most effective way for them to find their potential recruits.

RJM posted:

He needs to find a new travel team with contacts. 

His coach now is very well connected.

Francis7 posted:

RJM posted:

He needs to find a new travel team with contacts. 

His coach now is very well connected.

That doesn't add up.  Then why would you write this:

When I suggested it to him, he said “No. If you’re good enough, you will be seen. And, if you’re not good enough to be seen, then you’re not playing college baseball.” (Sounds like, to me, that he’s probably parroting something that he’s being told by his travel coaches.)  ???

a well connected travel coach would never say that to a kid. 

A well connected coach would tell him to make a list. Then he would do a reality check with him on the list. Then they would create a plan for execution. It would involve planning how to get in front of schools on the list and pre selling contact by the coach. 

Is your son a sure to be drafted potential pro prospect? Otherwise where does education fit into the conversation? If Flunkie U offers a baseball opportunity is your son going to jump at it? 

3and2Fastball posted:

Francis7 posted:

RJM posted:

He needs to find a new travel team with contacts. 

His coach now is very well connected.

That doesn't add up.  Then why would you write this:

When I suggested it to him, he said “No. If you’re good enough, you will be seen. And, if you’re not good enough to be seen, then you’re not playing college baseball.” (Sounds like, to me, that he’s probably parroting something that he’s being told by his travel coaches.)  ???

a well connected travel coach would never say that to a kid. 

He's got more than one coach that he talks to...some others from a previous team who he still talks with very often.

3and2Fastball posted:

Francis7 posted:

RJM posted:

He needs to find a new travel team with contacts. 

His coach now is very well connected.

That doesn't add up.  Then why would you write this:

When I suggested it to him, he said “No. If you’re good enough, you will be seen. And, if you’re not good enough to be seen, then you’re not playing college baseball.” (Sounds like, to me, that he’s probably parroting something that he’s being told by his travel coaches.)  ???

a well connected travel coach would never say that to a kid. 

It’s something clueless parents say. Or old coaches a generation removed from the process. 

In 2019s case I saw players he was better than committing to strong baseball programs. He didn't need a team to help develop him, I could do that on my own and so could his PC, he needed to be with a team that could pick up a phone and get schools to come watch him. Figured I was already paying the money for travel ball, why not shell out the extra money so  the schools would come to us and we didn't have to spend $800 on a PG showcase. It ended up working out, and the well connected coach charged half the price of what the other academy or brand name regional teams were paying and I didn't have to pay for showcase after showcase. 

Outside of being a good baseball player, the most valuable thing you can have is a person who can get your son attention. Took him to a camp at a school he really wanted to go to. He hit 90 for the first time. Nobody noticed because he struck out three 15 year olds and it was the 4th scrimmage of the day, all but one of the host school coaching staff had left at that point. The next week the travel coach called a better school in the same conference. He was told he'd put him on a list of guys to watch. One game, a camp, and a facilities tour later he left with an offer.

Your son is probably right that PG showcases are not the avenue. They can be good, but I can find better things to do with $800. The PG profiles mean nothing. The only thing that matters to coaches on there is his contact info and velo if he's a pitcher. The camps can be good if you're invited but going to all these camps is going to be expensive and may fall on deaf ears. From what I understand, your son is a good player. I've sent you a list of some of the more reputable programs in the area, as he gets older it's probably time to get him on one of them. If his current coach is well connected then your son isn't at the level of the schools who are currently recruiting sophs. It might be time to have a serious conversation with the coach. 

PG Showcases, in my opinion, are a waste because coaches and scouts rarely come (often they are not during a time when the coaches can attend per NCAA rules). However, the PG tournaments are very worthwhile, especially the WWBA in Georgia. That's where you get seen.  Showball and Headfirst are great ways to get in front of coaches too.  I don't love the showcase format of starting with a ball and a strike. But, they can be worth the $$ if you play it right. I have become very leery of college camps that do not have other colleges there.  They can often be a way to pay the volunteer coaches and not as much about the players.  It's hit or miss as many on here have said.  But, if you're lucky, you will hit the right combo at the right time!! Best of luck!  It's a marathon, definitely NOT a sprint!!

To answer the Q posed in the topic post:

Yes 

adbono posted:

To answer the Q posed in the topic post:

Yes 

LOL! Ouch!

A well connected travel director and/or coach has gotten over 100 players into college programs, including SEC teams as well as at all levels, has had at least 5-6 kids drafted and at least 1 or 2 players in MLB.  That is well connected.  He can pick up the phone and text 50 different college coaches and get a text back within minutes.  He has colleges calling & texting him every single day.  He runs a Fall Scout team that has MLB affiliation.  MLB scouts stop by his office just to chat.

Those guys are not common.  There are only 2 of them in our entire state.

3and2Fastball posted:

A well connected travel director and/or coach has gotten over 100 players into college programs, including SEC teams as well as at all levels, has had at least 5-6 kids drafted and at least 1 or 2 players in MLB.  That is well connected.  He can pick up the phone and text 50 different college coaches and get a text back within minutes.  He has colleges calling & texting him every single day.  He runs a Fall Scout team that has MLB affiliation.  MLB scouts stop by his office just to chat.

Those guys are not common.  There are only 2 of them in our entire state.

Guys like that are who get your kid recruited. There aren’t many of them, and they are hard to find, but they are out there. 

In general those orgs exist to make money..last I checked they arent non profits....that said, my son  had experiences with both and they were positive

PBR: son attended a showcase annually beginning at 15.  Utilized profile in communication with coaches to illustrate verified velocity...also, as my son improved, pbr actually advocated for him...after a show case he was told by the state director to expect a call from a specific school..and they did within 24 hours.

Perfect Game: never attended a showcase (too much $$$) but attended wwba annually beginning at 15.  At his last tournament he had high visibility and was seen by countless coaches....some arranged  in advance, but the venue allowed for dozens of walk ups during his outing that led to opportunities, and ultimately led to his commitment

Prospect Camps - did several of those, but they never amounted to much....most were selected based on school interest and most were likely premature as he wasn't yet performing at a level that waranted him being there.....camps were the closest thing to a money grab - imo

adbono posted:

To answer the Q posed in the topic post:

Yes 

U beat me to it!

I also believe that if you have the talent, they will find you and you will get noticed.  But I also believe that going to a showcase or two can help (if you have something to show!).  After attending a showcase in May, the attention my son received kind of exploded over the summer.  The attention went beyond our geographical area, so I wonder if those out of state coaches would have known about him if not for getting in the PG system.  Maybe, maybe not.  We don't play for a national, well-known travel team.  They are a middle of the road team.  To my knowledge his travel coaches were not making calls on his behalf.  If you feel like your son has something significant to show, and attending is not going to be a financial burden for you, why would it hurt?  Of course, your son would need to be on board. 

I credit showcases big time in my sons recruitment. He didn’t play for a power team. That’s how he got his name out tgere. When there are 200 coaches watching the same game you are, you decide real quick if you want a kid because everyone is getting to see the same thing.  PBR Futures gave my son that opportunity. We had texts coming in immediately after he came off the mound saying. Xyz is offering, call ASAP.  We weren’t the only ones.  Schools that had recruited for months were suddenly ready to offer. We also knew if they didn’t, they probably weren’t going to. People can say its a money grab but what it is, is paying for a stage. What you do when you get on the stage is up to you.

On another note, because son was in the PG system and had done well, they tweeted that he was one to watch at WWBA and gave his game time and location.  On that stage, he bombed huge with a huge crowd.  First time seeing all those coaches and all those guns.  We thought the world had ended, but it didn’t

Francis - If your son knew more than you, he would know there are many ways to get recruited.  His understanding of the process is one dimensional and limited based on what you've shared.   His idea of college recruiting may work for some, but it doesn't work for all.   After spending time and asking questions on HSBBWeb, I think you understand this better than your son.   

Recruited = Passion + Skill + Persistence + Exposure + Luck

As always, JMO.   Best of luck!

I'm starting to feel like a veteran having discovered HSBW when my 2020 was in 8th grade...…. we have dabbled in several of the different recruiting channels over the last four years. We attended a free PBR event when he was a freshmen and watched him throw-up a 71 mph. Then we spent the next several months debating whether he should attend another event to erase that dang 71...….he didnt. We used Fieldlevel to create a free profile. This proved to be helpful. A lot of good information and his HS head coach used it to promote him. My son did the research, decided what was important to him and what he was looking for in a school. He narrowed down his list of schools and then we looked at their prospect camps. He attended a handful that were inexpensive, never paid more than $70, and obtained some good feedback. Two of these camps have resulted in serious interest. He did attend one that was put on by an organization that had 50+ coaches attend and 130+ players. I wont give the name but it was a money grab for sure. He played for a very good travel organization with a well connected coach. This resulted in some convos with different schools that he had never considered. The coach was a big help. Fast forward four years and he decided to do another PBR event. He does the event and a week later, the recruiting flood gates opened. He's had several schools reach out to him with interest and requesting he visit the school. Not one has asked him to show up to a prospect camp, they saw what they needed to see. The biggest lesson learned from all this...… be realistic about the players ability and know what pond you are fishing in. PBR and PG work for many players and the ones that it doesn't work for, most of them, probably shouldn't have been there in the first place. No two journeys are the same.

Recruited = Passion + Skill + Persistence + Exposure + Luck (I love this!) This should be on a T-shirt, FENWAYSOUTH

LUVMYKIDS wrote : “Recruited = Passon + Skill + Persistence + Exposure + Luck ; This should be on a T-shirt”

It already is and I see it all over the place : #jucoroute 

Adbono - Seriously? I came up with this several years ago (10?) with my son as a joke....he's a math geek.  He failed to see the humor.  I guess I missed a business opportunity.

fenwaysouth posted:

Adbono - Seriously? I came up with this several years ago (10?) with my son as a joke....he's a math geek.  He failed to see the humor.  I guess I missed a business opportunity.

Yes it’s a real thing.