Headfirst Long Island

Anybody there this year?  We will be there Thursday and Friday.

What should the expectations be for contact from coaches after headfirst?

D3 recruiting is in high gear right now due to events like HeadFirst.  In my experience, if D3 coaches are interested they will be in contact very quickly as HeadFirst is one of their biggest events every year.  If your son is interested in a particular school, now would be a good time to reinforce that interest.

Rain stay away.

This year it is up to $995

The Headfirst camp had at least 70 coaches from top academic schools from the Northeast, as advertised.  A virtually who's who of the US News and World Report.  There are not many major conference D1 though, (as I only saw Duke, Virginia, Boston College and Villanova).  Drills and games are very similar to other major camps, but much better run and organized than any camp we have attended, (other than Stanford camp).  If interested in getting recruited by top academic schools, and you have the talent, it is well worth the time and money.  

Aleebaba ... Several of the D1s broke away from HF a couple of years ago. Georgetown is one I remember.

OK, another Headfirst Long Island is in the books.  I’m wondering if this camp will make sense for my 2015 next summer.  I have a feeling that he’ll be borderline academically.   He hasn’t taken the SAT or ACT yet.  I don’t think Headfirst has a recommended minimum GPA or test scores.  Is there anyone out there who regrets sending their son to Headfirst because he really wasn’t qualified academically?

Why would you send your kid to a camp to get looks in front of schools that would not be able to admit him?  Schools will lower their normal standards for athletes, but only so far.  If you have a questions as to whether your son could be accepted look at list of schools that attended and contact the schools of interest.  If your son's numbers are not high enough it would be a waste of time to attend..

MidAtlanticDad,

FWIW....I also have a 2015 academic borderline kid that I'm considering for HeadFirst next year.  I've already told him he doesn't have the grades for a majority of these schools and he has not taken the SAT/ACT yet.  I expect HeadFirst to be in the same $1000 neighborhood in next year.  While expensive, the showcase has significant value as we have seen with our older sons.   So, the gauntlet has been put down to him this academic year.  His choices are to :

1)improve his grades and nail his SAT/ACT so Mom and Dad pick it up the tab,

2)pay for it himself

3)look at other showcases.  

HeadFirst is not a right, it is a privilege and it must be earned as it was with his older brothers.  He's quickly learning that a strategy and plan has to be in place before Mom and Dad start writing checks.

Aleebaba,

That's a reasonable recommendation, and may end up being his strategy.  If I do send him to Headfirst (son always pays a portion of the fee), it will be for the personal contact with coaches.

In my limited experience with recruiting, it reminds me of searching for a job.  Resumes and research are important, but it usually comes down to a personal connection.  Coaches seem to rely heavily on their instincts.  When they see a kid on the field, they know very quickly whether or not they like him.  (One of my favorite movie lines is “Ugly girlfriend means no confidence.” from Moneyball.)

The timing is also a big factor.  Son has a wide-ranging  list of schools, but he's been focused on the ones that may end up being out of his reach (baseball-wise).  If he hasn't found a home by next August, I know he will be much more receptive to schools that were further down the list (or not even on it).  At that point you’re running out of time for research and camps.  If just a handful of the 70-odd schools at Headfirst think they can make both the baseball and academics work, then I’d be happy with the investment.

fenwaysouth,

More great advice.  It makes me think about setting a target SAT and/or ACT score connected to Headfirst.  Current thinking is for him to take the March SAT, and the June ACT.

Thank you, both.

Son went to session 2 last week.  60 times were up since they were run in the rain.  My son told me only 3 times run under 7.0 in session 2.  A little disappointed that Princeton, Cornell, Penn, and Brown were not there.  However, the D3 interest he has received in the days after is off the charts. Schools he had never considered from the midwest (Chicago, Macalaster, Grinnell) have all contacted him.  May be planning a fall midwest tour around the Giants Bears Thursday night game in Chicago if it comes to that.

Penn and Princeton were at our session.  Cornell and Brown have opted out of Headfirst.

Penn, Princeton, Columbia, and Dartmouth were at all of the sessions. I noticed one of the Dartmouth assistants in street clothes all week.  Princeton coach was wearing a golf club hat and not all Princeton gear.  Coaches that are being payed are supposed to be in uniform but it doesn't always seem to be the case, especially on day two.  Some coaches, who are not being payed, hang around in street clothes.

Princeton and Penn were not there over the weekend

Headfirst lists all the college coaches who will be in attendance, right up to the starting date of each camp. Did all the coaches who Headfirst said would attend actually attend?

I definitely saw a person on field wearing a Princeton shirt and hat, and I am pretty sure I saw a person on field with a Penn shirt.

I haven't figured out exactly why they do this other than they don't want to be approached during certain times.  A few years ago at HeadFirst, my son spoke to one of the Ivy coaches (in uniform) between games on Day 1.  They had a great conversation that followed up on previous phone conversations. 

On the last HeadFirst day, we were in the parking lot talking with two D1 local coaches (in uniform) that had previously offered him.  Once our conversations were over,  this "person" in street clothes comes running over to us by our car.  He is trying to get our attention.   It was the same Ivy recruiter (from Day 1) but he was in street clothes, unshaven with floppy hat and sunglasses.   We didn't recognize him at first or second glance.   This Ivy recruiter said somedays he has go "incognito" to get his job done at events like HeadFirst.  On the ride home, my son noted that the recruiter "wore that "H" awfully heavy on his uniform" on Day 1.

So, the old saying that "you never know who is watching" is still true.

Princeton was definitely not there over the weekend.  They had told me they had a conflict over the weekend and wouldn't be there.  Check the coach list for the weekend (session 2).  They were not on it.  I never saw Penn - and I was looking -hard.  Dartmouth and Bucknell each had an assitant in street clothes for both days who were not allowed to talk to players.

Just to clarify a few questions about which coaches were present during Session 2 on Aug. 3-4.

Princeton: They were not listed on our Session 2 coaching roster as we had been aware of their conflict that Saturday months in advance.  However, one Princeton coach did make it back and was present for Sunday's action.

Dartmouth/Bucknell: Both staffs had two coaches present at Session 2 - one in uniform and one not in uniform who was evaluating.

Penn: Penn was not present nor listed online for any session.  We did notice a Dad in a Penn golf shirt, but he was not (to our knowledge) affiliated with the staff. 

As always, we're very careful to make sure our lists online are current and accurate (and if anything, we err toward under-promising).

If anyone has further questions, don't hesitate to contact us at showcase@headfirstcamps.com.  Thanks to all who joined us last week.

HVbaseballDad,

You may not have seen Penn at HeadFirst, but I'm sure your son received Penn's camp invite today ! As did many others....... LOL