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Family had a great experience meeting with the head coach of a university this weekend, met with us a few hours before a home game, showed us around the facility and sat down and talked to son for about 1/2 hour or so. I know it's VERY early in the process and trust me I'm not getting ahead of myself at all, but if a coach is throwing a scholarship percentage number around, even as an example, do you think that's what he's thinking IF (big IF!!! huge!) he decided to make an offer down the road? He mentioned the same percentage several times during the conversation, and I have to think he wouldn't throw numbers around lightly, but I could of course, be way off base. 

Regardless, even if he never contacts us again, for the first time meeting with any coach it was a GREAT experience and really could not have gone any better, except maybe if it had been 10-20 degrees warmer at game time. Son now has gotten his feet officially wet. Fun times ahead!

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Not much to go on, but I would say "yes", he is giving you a general idea of scholarship level for the slot that your son would fill. I'm guessing that your son is not a slam dunk for this coach, otherwise he would have made an offer. However, he does sound interested. He will probably continue to follow your son's progress, while he continues to search for other prospects.

Iowamom23 posted:

We had first visit as well, and coach did make an offer, but said he couldn't give it to us in writing, as my 2018 is "too young." What does that mean and when can they give it to us in writing? Is that not until November??

My 2017 had several verbal offers, nothing was ever in writing until we received National Letter of Intent (NLI) that he signed in November of his senior year.    I've heard of some schools putting a verbal offer in writing- but it's still non binding until you sign the NLI which is binding. 

hshuler posted:

In my very limited experience a coach is probably not going to take several hours out of his busy schedule on a game day if there wasn't some pretty serious interest. Sounds like with only five 2018's committed, your son maybe a priority for their 2019 class. 

Either way, best wishes to you guys. 

Yes, hsHuler is correct. HC doesn't meet parents unless there is real interest

Most important..... your learning attitude about the experience will help you now and in the future.   Rinse and repeat this kind of experience many times over and you'll get the real landscape of college baseball and also a feel for the demand and supply of your sons skills on the baseball field and in the classroom.   There are many options out there for these HCs, but it also has to be the right fit for your son.  Very rarely is it easy, and things change.  We saw HC's moving around and my son's requirements changed a couple times along our journey.  It was a moving target initially until it finally settled into something he was very comfortable with.   Good luck!

Iowamom23 posted:

We had first visit as well, and coach did make an offer, but said he couldn't give it to us in writing, as my 2018 is "too young." What does that mean and when can they give it to us in writing? Is that not until November??

Yes.  Nothing in writing (NLI) until November of his senior year.  He could make a verbal offer prior to that but it would not be binding.

KilroyJ posted:

No. LOL, if it was I wouldn't have thought much about him mentioning it. The fact that is was MUCH higher than 25% is what got my attention. It was not, however, 100% either!

good luck with your journey, make sure you and your son do your research.  All kinds of traps out there, and you can never be 100% bullet proof sure that you are in the right situation until your son has graduated from college! 

We had a school that was very hot very early in the process.  We went for an unofficial visit, and the coaches seemed distant and a little cool.  I thought it was odd-  on the drive home my son looked up their recruiting class in PG- they had signed two outfielders in within two or three days before our visit- those guys weren't there a week before that.   those guys apparently filled their needs, as we never heard from that school again.    At the time my son was not happy, but it all worked out in the end. 

I'm sure others on this board have all kinds of examples and stories,   it comes down to fit- for your son, and for the program- and in the end, after all the research and worrying, my opinion is that it's a gut feeling.  then you hope and pray it was the right decision.

If things were not outlined clearly, then have your son ask the coach to clarify.  Your son may have gotten an offer and you weren't clear, or the coach was just using examples, and there was no offer. Either way there should be no guessing through the process.  The coach will normally outline the time frame and steps along to the way for that percentage he threw around to be verbally offered.  For example; here is the percentage we are thinking, we would like to see you pitch 1 or 2 more times before speaking about it more seriously, etc.  If that did not happen, then you want to have your son ask him to clarify what the next steps are.  Don't ever assume anything in the recruiting game.  

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