Highschool Baseball for foreigns

Florian,
Welcome to the Highschool Baseball Web. You can learn alot on this website from the coaches, parents, and other players.

Highschool tryouts here depend on first of all what state you'll be living in. Different states have different beginning dates which are approved by their state Highschool Athletic Association. Then within each state, different schools and coaches run their tryouts differently.

My son's highschool team last year had a young man that had come here with his family from Japan. His english was somewhat limited, but he contributed to the team as a player, made new friendships, learned more baseball, and taught his teammates many things. My son loved to talk with him and hear about the differences in baseball in his country. I think you'll find this wherever you end up living as well.

I'm sure some of our folks will have some good suggestions for you.

quote:

Originally posted by Florian Ogulin:
Hi my name is Florian Ogulin and I'm a european Baseball player who is making an exchange to the US for 1 year in August. I'm doing it to play more and better Baseball. Here in Austria i play for 8 years now and I want to improve alot in the US. But first of all I have to get on the Team in the US. May somebody explane me how it's working to get on the roster of a HS Baseball team? I know there are tryouts for the hsteams but when are they usually e.g. for your team (i saw that on this board are many coaches)
In Austria I have an American Coach who played in the Minors in the 60s and was Colleage Coach and Minor League Manager (Scotsdale)and a Scouting Supervisor. He already told me alot about the system in the US etc but it would be great for me to get some more informations.
Thank you in advance for reading and I'll appreciate for every information you can give me.

***********************************************

Since information is what you are interested in please help the posters understand more about yourself.

There are many HS coaches that post here that can help you understand the requirements of playing here in the USA.

I would think that need to know what HS district you will be going to school and in what State, City, etc.

Then you say you are planning to transfer in August. I assume that means 2006? Practice for most schools starts in March, and in some areas in February 2006. So your potential to play wouldn't be until 2007.

If you've played 8 years that would probably mean you are a Junior in high school now. It would mean probably that you would not get to play until your senior year.

Not to be discouraging, but most guys don't get to play if they haven't been with a team through their Sophomore 15 y/o, Junior 16 y/o years with a ball team and the Seniors 17 y/o are usually given the best possible chances to play over all others unless the talent of a lower classmen is so outstanding that they can't refuse to play him.

My recommendation is that you find out what HS and what District you will be playing in and contact the following people at the high school: Athletic Director, Head Baseball Coach,etc.

Secondly I believe it would be wise of you to contact the Athletic Director of the league where the HS team plays and speak to him about your eligibility to play.

First you need to let us know where you will be going to school in the USA?

As lafmom stated, it would be nice to know more about you...age, grade classification, when you arrive, position(s), what area of the US you'll be going to if you know, along with your current coach giving you an honest assessment of your abilities and where you might fit in, etc.

What Ramrod said about kids playing together through the years and having a headstart on making the HS teams in the US can be accurate, but it's not universal. There are plenty of schools, like about 13,000+ that offer HS sports in the US, so you can surely find one where you will have a chance to play. One thing will be your level of experience and more importantly, talent. In many larger schools, you better be good just to get on the team.

My son goes to a very small school in a rural community that has exchange students every year, but most of the time, the males will play football, not baseball. (They are usually from Northern Europe and have an uncanny ability to kick things, like a football...go figure.) This year, we have a guy from Slovakia that is a stud basketball player, and also played football, but didn't know what he was doing half the time. That was kinda cute.

We have a decent, but not exceptional, baseball team, which you wouldn't have any trouble making if you know which end of the bat to hold....last year only 1 Senior, this year only 3, just not many kids to have to beat out to gain a spot. My point is, sure you could go somewhere like East Cobb, or Florida, or California, but if you want to play baseball, you can go just about anywhere.

Good luck wherever you land.

Florian a friend of ours has been in Austria coaching a team and searching for Baseball talent for the Toronto Blue Jays. He has been there for 3-4 years. Last name is Deforest. I was wondering if you have run into him?
My son was offered an exchange spot in Georgia to finish his HS. He had already got all his credits and would have had to not graduate that yearin Canada. He wanted to graduate withy hyis classmates so he couldn't go. Sounds like a great opportunity for you.

Thanks for your posts!
Some more informations:
I'm 16 years old (03.Nov.1989) and I'm a lefty Outfielder and Pitcher. In the OF I mostly play CF and LF. If the coach wants me to play 1B i can handle it to. As a pitcher I got 4S,2S,CR,CH the velocity I dont know cause we dont clock our pitchers. Running from Home to 1B in 4,29s(with bat swing).
Yes I know DeForest hes Catcher of the Wanderers and their coach. I played against his team.
We dont know yet where I'm gonna send it can be every state.

My son played in a tournament summer before last in Weiner Neustadt while he was with a UK team --- the Richmond Flames. Only last night he went out with friends wearing his Ducks shirt! (little post-game exchange) Small baseball world.

Do you have any input on where the exchange will be? Would a preliminary visit to the US sometime in April or May be possible to check things out?

Ideally, you want to be were you can play the most (both playing time and considering weather restrictions) and play with/against the best competition appropriate to your skill level. Determining all that in a large country without a chance to judge your talents in the context of US players of hs age is very difficult.

My son's assessment of European players was that the pitching and hitting were good -- fielding seemed to be weaker (probably because of more limited playing time and starting the game somewhat later --- much as US players have been behind in ball handling in footie.)

Should you have an opportunity to choose, warm weather states would offer more opportunity to play with Fall ball at either the hs or local/travel teams.

Check with DeForest, your coach and anyone else there with US connections or experience to see if they can't make a call to describe your talent level and give a recommendation to either your potential hs coach or a local travel team coach they might know (who will probably know the hs coaches). Your US hs coach knowing you're coming will get his interest to start to plan for you.

If the Austrian-based coaches don't know anyone, you can usually track down the hs coach via the Internet (many teams have websites) and you can start your contact, with letters of recommendation) from there.

As soon as you find out where you will be, the posters here may well be able to help with more specific information.

Empfang. Es gibt viel, hier zu lernen.

A few years ago Deforest brought a ball player home with him and he played AAA Midget ball with my son's team. He had a strong bat and was a decent ball player.
Definitly try to find a school that is in warm weather although it can get very hot. Several players passed out at tryouts in the fall.
I believe that the exchange required only that you can't have graduated in your home country to qualify. The school that asked my son was in Georgia and the coach was going to pay all his costs. It was a very exciting offer but my son wanted to graduated with his team and classmates.
In Canada the HS ball is not very important but in the US it is. It could be a great oppotunity but breaking into a top HS could be tough. These guys are there to strut their stuff to try and land a scholarship.

Good luck .

Ok i know now where I'm going:

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Westmoore Highschool
Team: Jaguars

Congrats--best of luck

Florian,

There is a fall program in OK City that might interest you. Called Boomtown Prospects, they even have a complex there.

If you're interested email me and I will send you contact info. Email - pgjerry@qwest.net

Best of luck

quote:

Originally posted by Florian Ogulin:
Ok i know now where I'm going:

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Westmoore Highschool
Team: Jaguars

_______________________

Florian,I live in Tulsa,ok.Thats about 1:30 min hour from oklahoma city.I have heard of Westmoore HS.If you need any information about High school baseball in oklahoma,please let me know because Im also a player in oklahoma.Good to hear that

Thanks for your posts guys, I'm looking forward to come 6 months left, yeha