How do we figure it out?

Lots of great advice and experiences here, as usual.

 

1. Totally agree with SO that the game will tell you where you can play!

 

2. +1 Infield, i don't know jbb/son, but my son is a 2015 sub 6' RHP and he can only dream of accomplishing that type of success at the D1 level next year. If i had to guess, he "may" get some bullpen opportunities.

 

3. We attended a few camps and were interested in those schools. I think that is a clear indication that you want to play there and helps them understand that along with allowing them to see your son and talk to him, regardless of the quiet periods etc. They are fundraisers though and you need to be fully aware of that. I'd recommend prospect camps only so you aren't lumped in with 8-12U kids.

 

4. Showcases are a great tool (my son has never attended and got lucky with D1 offer) but PG makes a great point about seeing more top players play rather than traveling around to see them in separate locations. I do agree that using those funds to visit camps at target schools may be more efficient if money is tighter for parents and kid is locked in on 2-3 schools.

 

5. His offer came from the visibility at PG events and from the team he emailed the most and who looked at this recruiting profile the most not from a school/camp/showcase visit.

 

6. +1 JP, Jupiter did the same for my son with MLB teams.

 

7. TPM brings the heat again, totally agree with using the funds for training or getting better as the best option for moving up the chart with bigger schools/improve possibility of receiving offers.

 

In the end, I think everyone can agree that there is no one size fits all solution to the original question of how do we figure it out? It is an individual journey for each family that leads to where they are supposed to be. Some will choose the showcase route, some college camps, some high profile travel team in PG tourneys (or other organization), some none of the above & some a combination. The key is that there is no one right solution - they can all be right. I'm trying to guide my son down a path that I hope will make him happy based on finances, time and potential exposure, but in the end, it is still entirely up to him on whether or not he even continues playing. I wish he could do everything, but unfortunately with the cost of his travel team, his high school team, travel to the big tourneys, equipment, etc., we have to be selective & continue to ask questions like all this posted on the site - love it!

Carzy topic, I am kind of tired of the whole thought process...and it hasn't even really started yet!! my 2017 has been looked at but obviously they aren't allowed to contact, there have been various reachouts to the travel coaches, an email request or two from the same channels and little bit of back and forth...the process IMO is just not fun. I guess I have control issues to some level but I am much more comfortable being the one in charge and that is certainly not the case here!!

 

I always try to remember in the back of my mind that he is going to go to school with or without baseball so enjoy the ride...try being the key word here!!

I don't know if this was mentioned yet but you need to know your baseball player and what he will be able to (or want to) handle once he's IN college. The time commitment required is no joke at any level, but it's pretty ridiculously heavy in D1, with no real breaks to speak of. Trying to balance this with academics can be grueling; I think my kiddo was pretty sleep-deprived and had a cold most of the first two quarters in his freshman year!

 

JBB - You know I look at things slightly different, and I'm no rocket scientist! .  .

 

First thing is you have to have some idea about personal goals.  I think many get wrapped around the axle without really thinking about their personal goals but worry about all these different recruiting schools,situations, scholarship dollars, etc, etc, etc.  Second, it has to be trial and error for just about everybody.  You have to play the game at as many different venue types to figure out what skills are desirable and set you apart from others in the recruiting game.  Playing for the best travel team that provides your son the best exposure in the venues that interest him is important, but playing at personal showcases in front of the right audience can be just as impactful.  

 

We discovered my son had very little value or leverage in the ACC/SEC/etc..where most people start because these are the warm weather schools with cute girls on TV.  So, guess what...we stopped focusing on those schools.  Brillant!  What we discovered was that he had tremendous value in other conferences and academically focused schools.  So, we applied his goals to these type schools.  

 

It took us 18-24 months overall but we left no stone un-turned and met many people along the way that helped guide us to our goal.  The baseball stayed the same, but who he played in front of did change.  He found his way, but his goal remained the same.