Good Prospect on Bad Team...

quote:

do scouts see Talent on Bad Teams???

Scouts don't make a reputation by traveling to see bad teams play. Teams are bad for a reason. They lack talent. So, the answer is no. Now, if a bad team happens to play at a tournament where the scout is in attendance, then perhaps by coincidence talent may be seen.

As a junior in high school assuming he has the desire to play in college, he has two jobs. Do his best to help the high school team win and do his best to get his name out to colleges he wants to attend. If you are not a blue chip prospect then you must be proactive in this approach. You are not going to be discovered if you are the average pitcher.

If he truly is a diamond in the rough, meaning he's talented already, got room to mature, some size or an above average arm, athletic ability and projectability...then there is a college program and some coaches that would love the challenge of bringing him along as well as the surprise of others in his conference saying, "Hey where'd you get that kid from?"

My main point here would be.....being on a bad team does have its disadvantages but many times we see what we expect to see. Don't let any excuses such as how bad an area for baseball you come from is....stand in your way. You can't get it done like the kid in Florida, California or Texas but you can still get it done. And the end results in some very rare circumstances can be the same. You never know until you try. Nothing is stopping you from trying except yourself.

Depends on what type of scout you are talking about. College scouts are in season and don't follow HS teams. They may out to see a specific player they are looking at, but they typically don't have the time to follow teams. In general it is the same way with pro scouts, they will be following a player or players and will come out to see them.

So if you happen to be on a good team with several pro prospects you will get the opportunity to be seen, but in general scouts do not follow HS "teams", they follow players.

I recommend you go to the New England Forum section and ask for the best avenue for exposure. You may want to send a private message to Granite State Baseball.

A bad HS team will have nothing to do with a big time player getting noticed. None whatsoever. Playing on the right summer teams that draw scouts and recruiters is where they'll get noticed. If a big time player is zeroed in on, then scouts/recruiters are going to follow that player wherever he's playing his HS games despite how the HS team is playing. They're interested in that player, not the team.

quote:

Playing on the right summer teams that draw scouts and recruiters is where they'll get noticed.

yep...


also, try going to a showcase or two.

Sawit,

THere are many on this board who were in the same position....good player, bad hs team. It really is fairly common.

As many have suggested, your son needs exposure through a travel or showcase team. Post info on this site and research travel teams in your area and region. Most travel teams where we live will have tryouts and combines coming up after the high school season. American Legion will also be kicking off soon. American Legion is big in some parts of the country but not all.

Recruited = skill + passion + exposure + persistence + luck.

Good luck, and please keep asking questions if you still have some.

quote:

Originally posted by fenwaysouth:
Sawit,

THere are many on this board who were in the same position....good player, bad hs team. It really is fairly common.

As many have suggested, your son needs exposure through a travel or showcase team. Post info on this site and research travel teams in your area and region. Most travel teams where we live will have tryouts and combines coming up after the high school season. American Legion will also be kicking off soon. American Legion is big in some parts of the country but not all.

Recruited = skill + passion + exposure + persistence + luck.

Good luck, and please keep asking questions if you still have some.

Great advice (especially about how common this can be). In addition to finding a good summer team, I would also add that, especially if your son has some schools in mind, to have him contact them directly and let them know that he is interested in attending. Many times, they will tell you where they plan to be over the summer.

The first time we went through this, we had no idea; the HS team that my oldest played for was at the bottom of our district (and just a weak program) and we pretty much had to take a crash course in "Recruitment 101." Take the initiative and make detailed plan with your son to get his name out there. Importantly, make sure your son knows that it is HIS responsibility to make the calls. Great life lessons for your son, too.

quote:

do scouts see Talent on Bad Teams???

Yes, absolutely. My older son was in this situation and they found him...in part through summer teams (who by the way, also "found" him ), but also in part because some local scouts found him at his HS. Still remember a major D1 coach coming to watch him pitch on "senior day" (he was a junior) where the coach started every senior (except him) and it was awful...horrible...error after error after error.

Coach emailed that night and said what he saw was about as impressive as anything he could have seen in any other situation. Kept battling, challenging hitters, never gave up. Offered a gigantic scholarship.

At Stanford, our son had a teammate who was from Montana and didn't play any HS ball (they didn't have it). Played Legion...wasn't a big showcase traveler but was found...had offers from SEC, BigEast and Pac10 schools. Later drafted in the 4th round after junior year.

So yes, they can find you even on a bad HS team or no HS team. I'm not guaranteeing it can happen, but it certainly can and does happen.

Thanks for all the great advice and reassurance I'm on the right right track with my getting him involved with Legion/Summer Leagues/and Fall Showcases in the area. Now I'll get back to keeping his mental focus on track, and most of all... his having fun out there... win or lose!

Thanks again to all!

Did anyone attend the Salem, West game yesterday?

Any score?

quote:

Originally posted by Baseball Pop:
Did anyone attend the Salem, West game yesterday?

Any score?

what great insight Baseball Pop! thanks for staying on topic LOL. good constructive discussions you contributed too. LOL see you in summer ball.

My son plays on a HS team which is unlikely to attract college coaches to watch. I tell him that he never knows who might be there to watch a player on the opposing team, so he should play as if he is being scouted that day.