E-mailing

go to the recruiting tips section on this web site and then go to parents, players, ... there is a sample letter.

quote:

I hear from several people that a smart thing to do would be to contact the coach back directly, and probably the best way to do so would be through e-mail.

That is one way to communicate certainly. Congrats on the letters btw

My approach may be different than what you heard from others so take it as just my opinion. Why not call the coach? He'll take your call or one of his assistants will. You can say something like, hello, I would like to speak with coach so and so (or speak with you if you get the coach directly) regarding the recruiting letter that I have received. From there, be polite (say yes and no (or yes sir and no sir) not ya and nah for example), listen attentively, be yourself, and ask lots of questions that show enthusiasm and knowledge of his program. Go to their website and google them before calling so you can show some initiative and interest in the program. Ask him how it felt to win the SEC last year or go to the Super Regionals. What type of players he likes to recruit. What he expects from his players. Why they sent you a letter? and so forth.

That way you can guage his interest and establish a more personal relationship with him. It is hard to tell in writing sometimes (which is more formal) why they may have sent the letter. With a phone call, you can pick up on subtle things like enthusiam in their voice, attentiveness, interest, and so forth. Plus it is much more direct than e-mail. With the e-mail, you may not be exactly sure it was received. You may also want to follow up any e-mails with a written letter to ensure the coach has actually received any writings you have sent.

Cleveland Dad- Thanks for the advice. The first letter I got from this school was on September 1st and along with the other letters of interest I received I filled out the attached questionnaire and sent it back to the appropriate listed address. This letter was dated October 12th (I guess it takes a while to get up to New York) and was basically just a letter about the program, their fall season, the All-Americans on their team. They said to keep working hard in school and they look forward to following my play throughout the winter and into 2007.

If I were to call the coach, what is considered the best time to do so? For example, it is almost 6 PM now and I assume if I call he will not be in, but I am pretty much unable to call in the morning because the first bell in school rings at 7:40. Is there a time that is typically better to call or should I just be looking to leave a message? Also, should I wait until after Jupiter and maybe include that in a question or just call right away?

JH - if it were me I would call him as soon as possible. I think doing some research on them is a good thing but I imagine you have already done some of that I wouldn't worry too much about when you call because I am sure he understands you have school obligations.

When you call, leave specific instructions for how to reach you if you get his voice mail (i.e., Please call back anytime after 6:00 on weekdays or in the morning on Saturdays and Sundays). The coach may even call you back and leave a cell phone number so he would be expecting your call at just about any reasonable time.

Cleveland Dad- Yes, I've done plenty of research on the program though I think I'll do a bit more and call him tomorrow. Is he allowed to call me back? I thought that was July 1st of next year for me.

quote:

Is he allowed to call me back?

Good question which I am not exactly sure the answer of Maybe someone can chime in on that one.

Coaches can take calls at any time, they can only return the calls after July 1 after Junior year and there is a limit as to how many times per week.

So one thing I did in this situation. Usually you would get the secretary or someone there. I would ask, "ok, what time can I call back when Coach X will be there?"

That always worked for me. Should work the same for a player. Can ask the same question (when can I call you?) by email (my son used that method).

the coach cant call you back due to rules.. however, they have you on a list of follows for the upcoming year... i suggest finding a competitive travel team and be at east cobb the 1st week of july... every SEC and ACC school will be there.. about 400 schools total.... if you need any help send me a msg

Thanks to everyone for the responses. Catchaprospect- I'm pretty set with the tournaments. I'll be in Jupiter this weekend and most likely in East Cobb for two weeks next summer to go along with the NABF championships hopefully (my team was 3rd in Mississippi this past year). I'll give the coach a call tomorrow. Thanks.

which team are you playing with?

JH -
Good advice from all. The one thing I would add is to make sure that you notify coaches of your tournaments, showcases & HS schedule. Nothing better than to provide them the opportunity to see you play in person. I suggest calling this coach asap to let him know you will be playing in Jupiter this weekend. Good Luck.

RHP05Parent- Good advice thank you.

catchaprospect- New York Nine.

I am going to take another side to this.

If it were my son, I would not have him call the coach. Coaches are busy now with fall practice, recruiting for next year and other activities. They cannot call you and most likely no one is going to give out his cell phone number, those things come later on.
They all read their email. You are best to contact the recruiting coach, not the head coach.

Most likely if the recruiter is headed to Jupiter and interested, someone from staff will be watching. Or if he can't, he will try to get info on you from PG.

This is just the beginning of your recruiting season, if you have answered the questionaires and they liked what they read, they will be watching. SEC coaches have eyes everywhere.


I beleive in being proactive, but sometimes you have to realize these things have a way of working out and it's a process. JMO.

Good luck in Jupiter!

Thanks TPM. At this point I'm keeping my options open. People have been saying, "What's your number one choice" and I hoesntly say "Well I can tell you today but it'll probably be different tomorrow." So at this point I don't know if I should be so proactive with contacting coaches or just get out there and play baseball. Aside from all the side factors, such as learning how to drive, the incredible junior year workload and of course, girls, I just don't know what is too much or too little at this point. I just figure if I go out and play they might like it and if not, at least I'm having fun.

I would suggest generally coaches in the a.m. Generally practices etc. are in the afternoon.

haven't looked up how to change posts. Meant to suggest "calling" in the a.m.

JH,
I like your attitude! Cleveland Dad gives you good advice. As TPM alluded to in her post there is more than one way to address this situation and I agree. I personally like the phone call approach. Just like the letters you have received, the email is less personal than the phone call and therefore more difficult to establish a rapport with the coach. The phone call also provides other dimensions to the conversation – emotion and personality. Sharing this emotion and personality with a perfect stranger is usually a stumbling block for young athletes but it will disappear after a few seconds on the phone and will actually work to your benefit. I do think you will feel good about your conversation after you make the call. These coaches deal with these situations all the time and know how to make you feel comfortable. It’s their job.
I suggest that you call an assistant coach as the initial phone call. I would go to their website and look up the assistant coach’s name that does the recruiting and place the call specifically for him. Even if you don’t get a coach on the first attempt you can explain to whoever answers in the baseball office that you have gotten these letters and are trying to determine what they actually mean. This initial call will break the ice and give you a little more direction as to whom you should be calling.
My son played in the SEC and having been in the baseball office many times, a phone call is a very non intrusive and common occurrence. These assistant coaches are very easy to talk to. I think it will be a good experience for you.
What time should you call? Whenever is fine. They could be in the office anytime between 8:00 AM until 8:00PM. Maybe you could call from your cell phone during your lunch hour.
Best of luck,
Fungo

I understand that the coach can not return a phone call during the "black out" period...can he reply to an e-mail?

JH...I agree with Fungo...you have a great attitude, drive and determination! To me, it sounds like you would be perfectly comfortable telephoning a coach, and like Fungo and Clevelanddad...that is what we advised our son to do too. To me, I think it shows much more your desire to express an interest in a program by picking up a phone, taking the initiative, and calling either the head coach (if you can get thru to him) or an assistant coach. Just as you will be able to communicate more effectively by actually speaking to the coach, you will also be able to gauge more effectively THEIR interest....much more so than thru an e-mail.

Good luck..let us know how it goes

quote:

Originally posted by catcher09:
I understand that the coach can not return a phone call during the "black out" period...can he reply to an e-mail?

D1 coaches cannot make any phone calls to a recruit until after July 1 of their senior year.
Coaches can make phone calls to seniors deuring the "dead period".

JH,
Just like Fungo, I like your enthusiasm and refreshing to see a young player take on the responsibility for getting himself noticed and being proactive.

I still stand by my original thought for emailing and not calling right now. JMO.

Go to Jupiter and show them what you can do.

If you do well, you will get so many letters you will be amazed. It is an amazing time for a young recruit, but you have to do something to set yourself apart from so many other recruits. Then you can make all the phone calls you want.

JH

I would email him today and let him know that you will be in Jupiter and who you will be playing for.

Then follow it up with a call but also keep in mind that since you are a junior (08) and they are concentrating on '07 players now he may not get back to you immediately

Ok... the e-mail is sent. How do I know if he received it? Do they always write back, especially since you would figure they're busy with offers and such for '07's. Or should I just look for them in Jupiter?

JH,
You best be just worrying about your game in Jupiter. Just be patient.

Coaches are prohibited from contacting you face to face at such events (though it is done) and you them due to your grad year, you have to be careful. Bumps are permissible. A bump is when you "bump" into each other.

NCAA has rules in place for D1 recruiting for each HS year you are in.

This is why the good travel teams have the coaches involved

quote:

Ok... the e-mail is sent. How do I know if he received it? Do they always write back, especially since you would figure they're busy with offers and such for '07's. Or should I just look for them in Jupiter?

Welcome to email! Maybe they didn't get it. Maybe they deleted it. Should you re-send it or would that be too pushy? Maybe a popup blocker zapped your email. If you do get a reply is really from the coach or is it a "standard reply #7" from a student assistant? Hmmmm...

Ring --- Ring ---- Ring ----

And to avoid the "leeches", right coach?

Fungo,
I do beleive, knowing the HC, he doesn't want assistants reading and replying email but the guys he pays to do so. In fact, I'll bet he may be the one reading the recruiters email! JMO.

I just think JH needs to get over Jupiter first, then he can make all the calls he wants.

JH,
TR is right, he is your coach, he will guide you through the weekend.

TPM


We also have a great on field staff of 4 that can help him

And you are right--he needs to concentrate on this weekend and have success on the mound---then all other facets will fall into place

TR,
He's gonna settle in now for the game and get the letter thing off his mind.

Right JH?

TPM

He will be fine---by the way he is one heck of a pitcher--we are happy to have him on the roster

TPM- the letter wasn't even a distraction. The mind is always on game.

TRHit- Thanks for the vote of confidence. Let's see if I can back it up this weekend .

J H,

I like your attitude too! Good luck this weekend, and HAVE FUN!

quote:

Originally posted by Tiger Paw Mom:
D1 coaches cannot make any phone calls to a recruit until after July 1 of their senior year.

Sorry TPM I know its been awhile and its hard to keep up with all the rules, but D1 coaches cannot make any phone calls to a recruit until July 1 after their Junior year of high school. I know how excited our son/family was when the phone rang this past July 1, at 7:30am with a SEC school calling, one of the high points of the recruiting roller coaster ride!

JH, Like MN-Mom and others have said have Fun and Play Ball!

Still learning,
I meant after junior year, going into senior year. Beginning on JULY 1.

Nothing like a new poster catching an old timers mistake! Keep up the good work.