get 'em while they are young?

That actually happens, recruiting is getting younger and younger. 

As is said here often, the baseball community is a small one.  It wouldn't take long before your blanket tactics are known.  RC's/HC's are expected to put significant and sincere effort into recruiting individual players based on their skill set and specifically how it fits their program.  Recruiting entire 14U teams based on parameters of winning a big tourney does not fit that expectation.  Effective short term marketing?  Perhaps.  Good for your reputation as a coach?  No.  Good for the long term reputation of the program?  No.

Actually this is somewhat the way the top programs operate these days.  Except they are looking for the very best players rather than who is in a championship game.  Also they are offering more than walk on status.

Why would any talented 14 year old kid make a commitment to be a walk on?

BTW, more and more we are seeing mid majors and below recruiting young players.  In some cases it has helped certain programs get players before they become household names.  They are getting some players they never had a good chance to get in the past.  And yes it leaves a lot to be desired in many cases.  Much less risk for the college than the player.  Lots of players left in the dust.

One thing for sure, college recruiters are much more interested in 14 year olds than ever before.

bandera posted:

if I were a lower D-1, DII, Juco, NAIA etc, anything but the top dogs, I’d be hanging around the 14U Major State tournament in my State and offering “preferred walk-ons” to all the players in the championship game for both teams and any other kid that made the all tournament team. stick him in my data base and invite him to all my camps going forward. all the momma’s would be promoting my school on social media. kids would be buying my swag and wearing it to class. tons of free publicity and income for my program. it “cost” me one afternoon at the championship game. not much.

if the kid eventually makes it to my school and he’s not good enough to contribute, you run him off like every other walk on that isn’t good enough. if he is good enough as a walk on, you aren’t out anything. and if he’s good enough and other folks are looking at him, you can increase the scholarship offer as per the “normal” timeline for offering for his class at your level (i.e. 25% for D1).   maybe you have an advantage on the big boys by being his first contact?

I must be missing something? maybe it’s a little sleazy since you aren’t really offering anything at all, but it sure would be an affordable way to recruit the better in-state kids at an early age and give yourself a chance to get them into your program. thoughts?

Heres my thought.

I'd like to think that there still is some professionalism left in the process, which I know that there is, but you did make it sound cheap and sleezy. You also make it sound like parents, especially moms are stupid enough to buy into what you suggested.

And yes, why would a 14 agree to walk on?

My kid is entering 9th grade.....why oh why would there be college scouts at a 9th grade practice for football...and how many kids does baseball loose to football scholarships if they are starting even earlier than the baseball coaches?