Help with perspective, please....

That method does work for some people, and it might work for your son, but I wouldn't put all my eggs in that particular basket unless I knew my video was going to show tools that are sure to get attention.

A player who is, as you say, "on the ever popular bubble between D3 and lower level D1" knows up front that there are a lot of players of his approximate skill level, so his video is not likely to go viral within the recruiting community.

My advice? Go ahead and do a video, but continue to execute, evaluate, and adjust the plan you already have.

smokeminside,

Interesting comments from your high schools asst ad.  I've heard similar comments before about high school football players going to non-major college programs because they have many more roster and scholarship slots.  Baseball is different, with far fewer slots and far fewer roster spots.  I'm curious what the Board says but I've not heard of anyone being recruited, committed and "signed" (D1) based on just a baseball video. 

I do think video is becoming an even more important tool in the recruiting process for both the recruiter and recruitee these days, and that is not going to stop.  Only 5-6 years ago, it was a "nice to have" in a recruits tool bag.  These days it is almost a "got to have".   The times have changed.  BTW, video can be deceiving with its frames per second.  A poster sent me a video a few months ago and asked me to comment.  One of the sections had him running to first base....so I timed it and it was phenomenlly fast...almost too fast.  I commented on that speed, and he came back to tell me that he needed to adjust the frames per second to make it real time....or something like that.   I'm not a photography or video wizard but that certainly was not representative of the recruits speed.  Lesson learned.

I guess I look at the high schools assoc AD's comments much differently.  I wouldn't enroll in a college at between $20 - $60K per year (list price) nor buy a house with a 30 year mortgage after looking at a video prepared by the seller.  There is too much money at stake.  In the same vein, I wouldn't expect a college coach to take a risk on a video of a recruit with limited roster spots & scholarships available.   But there may be others out there willing to take more risk than me.

As always, JMO.  Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

I would say that there is some truth to that, but I wouldn't hang my hat on it.

There's a kid out of my son's HS who is a LHP and garnered little to no interest beyond HS.  He pitched JV as a Fr & So and didn't make the team as  Jr (he was caught with beer on a Saturday night by cops, so coach cut him as a Jr).  He did make Varsity as a Sr and threw limited innings (4.1 out of a total 189 innings pitched by the team).

He put together a video and played with his summer team, still no solid opportunities or offers.  Out of the blue he gets a call from a JC coach in California who offers him a position on the team.  Completely based on him finding and watching his video.  Coach had never seen or met him in person.  He had a bit of a roller coaster Freshman year on the mound in '15, but has put in work in the offseason, added some weight and had a good fall.  He's talking with and getting interest from several Florida teams (D2 & D3) where he hopes to land a spot for the '17 season.

So it can and is done, but I would suspect that it would mostly be smaller schools with little to no budget to recruit outside of a very short radius.

Given the work I know you've already done with him, I'd add a good video to the toolbox you're already putting together, but wouldn't hang all his hopes on a video.

My 2016 did not put a video together other than some pretty bad clips he posted on CaptainU so I may not be the best source of info on this topic but I agree with Fenway - in baseball video is an important tool to use in the recruiting process but it's just one part and definitely not the only part.  At some point the coaches will want to see the player perform live against good competition.  

Real life example - when we visited the school my 2016 eventually applied to ED, the coaches told us they had several pitchers coming to their recruiting camp the following day that they had only seen on video.  Our 2016 was told he didn't need to attend because they had seen him pitch twice live at a tournament and at HF.  The videos got the other players noticed but the coaches still wanted to see them play.  

I'd definitely have 2016 do a video if we had to do this all over again but I wouldn't have it be the focus of his recruiting efforts.  

Ummm... Not really... Can that happen? Sure. Is it rare (like a bigfoot sighting)? Yes.

Video will get you noticed, Coaches still want to still see a player play live and interact with him and watch everything... 

My perspective only, a video is of very little use to a college coach.  I'm not saying it may not open a door, but it is very hard for me to believe a coach is going to sign a kid he has never put his eyes on.  There is so much more to recruiting than simple ability.  You just cannot see that from a video.  I'm not saying not to have video, I'm just agreeing with the posts above that I would not put all my eggs in that basket.  I would also ask your AD for a list of baseball players he personally knows that received scholarships based on his advice.  I bet that is a very short list.

This, as with most posts on here is simply an informed decision so your specific situation might be different but in general a well composed recruiting video is very important in the recruiting process.  This link is a good resource on how to compose the video, what to show, length, camera positions, etc. for each of the potential positions P, MIF, CIF, OF and C.

http://www.getmynameout.com/co...oftball-skills-video

Do not neglect the introduction information and if possible leave it on the screen printed for 5 to 7 seconds.  Player Name, Position/s, High School, Coaches email, GPA, SAT, ACT Summer Team, Coaches email.

This is NOT intended to get you a scholarship and I second what people have said that it is a tool.  But put yourself in the position of a RC for a moment.  I can go spend 8 to 10 hours driving to and attending a showcase, see 100 players, pick 10 that really stand out.  Spend another 10 hours determining if they are recruits to find only 1 who meet my needs and can get admittance and they may not have my school as an option they are interested in.  If this is my sole method of recruiting I will struggle.  

Video is time effective.  In 6 hours I can eat lunch, watch 60 videos of players by position interested in my school and then develop a strategy to identify ones that meet my admission requirements, look promising and determine who I want to see in person and what the best venue is (game, showcase, tournament, workout) If a player is "The Player" colleges will find them and they will recruit them.  For everyone else the easier you make it for a RC to do their job the better the likelihood they will get a look.  Pick schools you are interested in, send them an email introducing yourself with a link to the video on YouTube.  

Best of luck!!

How many baseball players has the assist AD helped get to next level?Not sure if he's talking about a specific few local colleges there, but none of my sons friends got to next level by using video only.

My son did not have a video, just a few seconds of one taken at showcase. He was seen at showcase in state which was attended by many coaches. He got attention of 4 schools when he pitched and they came the following Spring to see him P in person-both in HS and w Summer team, at a PG tourn. He got offers, went on school visits(including watching a practice, where he learned a lot about the programs) then made a choice. 

Maybe for some the video has worked, but I don't see where college coaches have time to sit around watching an unsolicitated video and then making an offer without watching kid play. Just my two cents. Good luck.

I'll try to redirect this topic away from debating the value of using video. The AAD's opinion is that a good highlight video and transcripts/test scores is all that most recruits need, which I strongly disagree with. Video is one tool, as is a good travel team, Headfirst, coach recommendations, emails, camps, etc. You don't have to do them all, but I wouldn't recommend relying on just one either.

To me, this is equivalent to saying that a college graduate only needs to send out a well prepared resume in order to find a job.

I think there is some truth to the ADs views; but, the devil in the details.

Schools with limited recruiting budgets need to operate outside the normal box and, therefore, do use videos as a recruiting tool. These coaches would prefer to see players in person; but, if faced with a choice of seeing no recruits due to budgetary restraints or recruiting from a video, will recruit off the video. From a school I know (was NAIA, now D2), however, no athletic scholarships were offered to those recruits - essentially those players were recruited walk-ons.

Determining which schools lack the budget, however, would be tough to figure out.

Now, video may be used in some other circumstances. For example, the volunteer coach working a camp saw a player and liked him, but the RC/HC wasn't at the camp. A video made by the volunteer coach could be a determining factor (analogous to an area scout taping a potential draftee and sending it to the club).

It's a sort of last ditch attempt.

From one D1 coach.  "video may generate interest, but we'll never offer on video alone"  He referenced the PG format of seeing 8-10 BP swings, 6-7 pitches or 5-6 groundballs is sufficient to form an initial opinion.  He also said they take the time to watch any video sent to them because most players that take the time to produce a video have something to show, but chuckled when he said he has seen a few well produced videos of some really bad ballplayers. 

Just as many posters have stated here, you should do both. Why limit your exposure to just video. Target the schools your son wants to attend and get in front of them either through a showcase or a school prospect camp.

Son's D2 just posted their 2016 recruiting class.  There was information on how each was seen (in person at such-and-such event) which I can pretty much confirm by hearing when coach or coaches were gone.  For most, it was a combination of referral and then verification in person. 

The video is a good tool but generally not the only or even final nail.  It is usually an early "get or keep interest" tool.

Here is my perspective, and I say this with a lot of conviction.  He is just dead wrong. Not only will they need to see him in person but more than once in the vast majority of cases.

I know of a few kids that were recruited from my son's HS by D3's on video alone.  But they play football.

Entirely different than baseball.

I wonder if the assoc. AD's opinion is influenced by your location.  He may think that traveling to the mainland for showcases is too disruptive academically for HI kids, not to mention darn expensive for the family.

Hmmm, I would be leery of any person who would make a blanket statement like that about recruiting. Anybody who thinks there is a single magic formula for being recruited, that will work for every kid, whether it's just a video & transcript or a specific # of showcases, does not seem very educated on the realities of recruiting. And, to go further and basically say that all sports are recruited the same way, shows a real lack of understanding of the process. I would continue with your plan Smoke. It sounds well thought out and targeted.

Our experience is that the video was a great tool for garnering interest, but most wanted to see him in person.

2nd that...

Video may draw some initial excitement, and hopefully draws enough interest where the coach wants to go SEE the player. I would agree that a good video highlights the players tools. (so I guess I "third" that)

I have not had an accident and I am a good driver; I don't need insurance!

My son got offers both ways. The school that he went to saw him at Stanford and then the Arizona fall classic. However, his "dream school" made a scholarship offer based upon news clippings that we sent to the coach and a 4-minute video of him hitting in the cage and fielding balls and throwing. Can you be recruited off a video only; yes. However, I still buy car insurance.

Thanks, everyone....we'll keep going with our plan.  Have the video done, so we're not ignoring that aspect.  BTW the analytics on how it's viewed are interesting.  Almost everyone stops watching at the 1 minute mark, which is when he stops hitting and moves to his defensive skills.  Trying to interpret this as the viewers being most interested in his swing and watching it long enough to suggest interest.  I know there are other less positive ways of interpreting the data but I can't bear to consider them right now.

Not based direct knowledge, I'd assume that while some Ivy players could play anywhere, the majority are a notch or two below.

I infer that from the conference rankings:

http://warrennolan.com/baseball/2015/conferencerpi

this is a good point.  We're trying really hard to turn our showcase trip into a college visit trip as well.  Or else, I'm gonna just learn to fly and steal a plane.

You steal the plane, I'll fly.

Video in majority of cases will generate interest from a coach, but most coach's will want to see the recruit play prior to any offer.  Similar view by most.

PM'd you 

On my Bucket list is a ride in the aeronautical version of a Camaro. Could use all the help you can offer!

I think people get confused and believe DIII recruiting and DI recruiting are similar.

You could send a video, bio, whatever you want to a DI coach and at best you might interest him. In that case, he most likely will want to see you perform.

You can pick out most any 10 DIII colleges and simply send them a message along with your academic information saying that you are interested in playing baseball at their college. You will hear back from several of them.  No showcase, no video, no camp, required. The only DIII colleges that will possibly ignore your interest are those among the very best baseball programs and those colleges not looking for additional students.  Of course, none of this means you will be a starter, dress for games or even be on the team.

The obvious difference is the investment made to recruits.  There are many DIII colleges that recruit based on student enrollment first, baseball ability is secondary.  Most all of them want the best possible players, but they can't get enough of those players.  They get as many as they can, but they do need a full roster of enrolled students.  That is the only way baseball exists at many small colleges.

So comparing DI to DIII recruiting really doesn't make sense.  It is similar to comparing those drafted with those that go undrafted. In no way am I downgrading DIII baseball.  I actually coached many years at small colleges.  We recruited hard, but half our roster was made up of kids that just wanted to play baseball and attend our college.  Kids we didn't try to recruit.  Every so often one or two would actually work their way into a starting position. Some sat on the bench for four years.

I suppose this post could be taken the wrong way.  I just think it is important that people understand there are many small colleges that will be interested in you.  All you have to do is show interest in those colleges.  Yes, I am talking about some great academic colleges also.  This is definitely a situation where grades are more important than baseball ability. In the end, the best players get the playing time, just like it is most everywhere else.

Thanks for taking the time to post. Very, very clear and helpful.  My 2017 is trying to serve two masters.  What they have in common is high academics. What is happening is the Div 1 high academics are in a wait and see mode on things son needs to work on: test scores and strength/speed.  The Div 3 schools are more obviously interested and assertive about it.  If son was prioritizing a d3 at this point he'd have some nice choices.  After going to a couple of showcases and sending video around we've seen how it's worked for son: he's had interest largely from those schools that have seen him, but there have been a few that have shown mild interest based on his video.  There's no way anyone, from what I can tell, is going to seal the deal without seeing him at least a couple of times, especially since he doesn't just want to walk on somewhere at the Div 3 level.  He would be willing to walk on at the right D! I think, but we haven't talked about it.  The thing is, if baseball doesn't help him get into one of those "right D1's", I'm pretty sure his file will look a lot like thousands of other high achieving kids with nice smiles  and eager ambition.  It must be incredibly challenging for admissions offices at the Ivys, Patriot League, and top 30 or so LACs to figure out how to build a class.

Thanks!! 

Your son's strategy sounds like my son's; it worked nicely for my son and I think it will work for your son. My advice is to ignore the asst AD and do everything you can. Videos are fine but, like Groucho Marx once said, "Who are you going to believe, me or your own eyes?"

We just visited an Ivy this week with 2017 and met with the RC.  Son asked him point blank, what else should I be doing/do I need to do?  Coach told him that he will come see him this spring play in HS and to send him the schedule when son knows it.  Son was surprised since the school is not near us.  Coach said he has to see him live, a few times.  Son asked if game video could help.  Coach said, no, he will travel as he needs to see guys live.  

Coach told him to stay on the high level showcase team he played with last summer. Coach told him to keep the grades up (test scores already in and good).  Coach told him to keep working hard and building strength.   

Granted, he is already on the radar (probably from Stanford camp), so I can see where video can get you on the radar, but it was clear to us that if this school is ever going to have further, real, interest, then it will be after seeing 2017 live.  

Over the years we see most Ivy League colleges at the same events you see most all SEC, ACC, and other power conference recruiters.  Harvard maybe as much as any college.

These schools want DI players just like another DI's.  They just have to find the ones they can get into school. Doesn't really matter where those players come from.

Harvard and other Ivy League colleges have a lot to offer to the right players.

From what we have seen from speaking to players or their parents most Ivy players have had offers elsewhere, often at D1 State U or some of the competitor High Academic schools in the other conferences. Son's team has player PG listed  at top at his position from his state. Some players don't pan out (stats wise compared to HS careers) but you'll see that in players in any conference. Penn's Class of 2019 class of 13 players includes two transfers from bigger programs where players didn't get playing time. Though some programs may say it, Ivy league truly does recruit nationally. 

It appears that Penn and Cornell more readily accept transfers than the other Ivy schools. Princeton, in fact, does not accept transfers at all and Harvard has been known in the recent past to suspend accepting transfers for several years in a row if it is over-enrolled.

Needless to say, you have to have an exceptional HS transcript and top grades from the school you are transferring from.

You asked for perspective.  In the context of high academic recruits such as Ivys and Patriots, I believe there are multiple levels of recruits within a recruiting class from a couple to a few legit D1 players who could have played/started at any mid-level D1s all the way to recruits who will sit the bench for 4 years but had exceptional academics.  If you understand where you fit in this hierarchy before making a committment decision then I think you go into this with eyes wide open.  I've seen many of  both (and other levels within this description), and frankly video is going to play a very minor role in determining where these recruits fit into this continuum I just described.  

A video by itself is going to do very little separate a high academic recruit from another unless phenonal metrics (pitch speed, bat speed, foot speed) can be demonstrated.  Even then the coach will want to see the recruit with his own eyes (and another coaches eyes) before agreeing to support a recruit with one of his few Likely Letters or his ED support through Admission.  Recruits are a Ivy/Patriot/High Academic coaches lifeblood, and he is going to expend his limited resources (LL, and ED support) in a way to maximize that "return on investment".  Always look at it from the Coaches perspective....that is my perspective.

As always, JMO.

My 2016 just went through this process and it our experience that every school he was interested in (including the one he committed to) wanted to see him in person; and this was accomplished IMO by playing travel ball primarily and not HS ball. I’m thinking that this is the predominate path i.e., PG events and showcases as well as travel team tournaments played at college campuses; that’s where the scouts are.

If your prospect is a pitcher who’s blowing it by everybody or a batter hitting HRs left and right he probably will be found.

Smokeminside, Just remembering where you are geographically tells me you have to stick to your plan. You've done some great events and laid the groundwork for interest for your son. In my opinion unless a kid is a blue chipper RC's rarely go to HS games. And  where you are located is too limiting. Gotta cast a wide net my friend!