how to advertise yourself/what to ask when meeting coach

Check out this list:

http://www.hsbaseballweb.com/questions_to_ask.htm

Good luck tomorrow!

Good luck this morning my man! The list keewart provided above is a great resource and covers the bases for sure!

My go to's in coaches meetings were about playing time available, offensive philosophy (as I am a hitter), how practice/weight lifting was designed and scheduled, academic related questions, etc. Be engaged, show interest in all facets of the program and school, and get a feel for your fit there. Also go ahead and ask questions about him, his family, time at the school, career, etc. It is good to know your coach on a personal level and shows him that you care!

Good luck and kudos to you for searching out this information on your own. That takes initiative, which is always is a good thing.

Let us know how it goes.

Everything will depend on talent.  If you possess the necessary talent and you can pass admissions, only then will your discussion with the coach matter. Be yourself unless you are a jerk.  Be honest and polite, you will have to do something stupid to get the coach to dislike you.

I'm not sure I would bring up playing time.  The players I would want expect to earn playing time. Maybe others might have a different opinion, but the best players believe and have confidence that they are going to play, so they don't have to ask that question.  Anyway, most coaches can't honestly give you an answer until you have been there for awhile.

I remember one question a potential recruit asked me years ago.  It really impressed me coming from a young player.   His question was... Coach what are the things you like most in a player? I got the feeling that he wanted to do the things that I liked best.  He played four years with us and I will never forget how hard and intelligent he played the game and what a great teammate he was. He didn't play after college, but he is a very successful baseball executive.

This is a very interesting point you brought up. I am trying to think if there was ever a recruiting pitch I have heard personally or recalled from friends that didn't include the coach bringing up how they saw a player fitting into the program, opportunity for early playing time, etc. I feel as though every player that enters a college program expects to have the opportunity to earn playing time, but I would think asking and getting a feel for the opportunity, depth chart, etc. is a perfectly acceptable conversation. If a kid has an open door at Program A to make an impact and is being recruited hard to fill a hole, he should know how Program B sees him fitting into the program, what type of role is most realistic in years 1 & 2, etc. I don't really see how a player's confidence level should overshadow collecting information regarding what type of role the coach envisions you for. You could easily be an 18 year old stud behind a 20 year old stud instead of competing to be a freshman All-American from day 1 without covering your bases.

Coming at this from a slightly different angle - don't ask questions that you should be able to find the answer yourself.  Furthermore, don't ask questions which indicate that you have done zero research.  If you want to play SS, go look at the current roster and maybe the last few years also.  If there are three returning SS's staggered (Senior, Junior, Sophmore), make sure your question is phrased such that it demonstrates that you have this information (he may need someone for 2B).  Don't ask him how long he has been at the school (unless for some strange reason the school does not make this info available) - rather ask him about his x years (the question should be quite different when speaking with a coach with 10+ years versus a coach that just took over the program last year).  If he is "rebuilding" then make sure to ask about his short term goals and then let him know how you think you might be able to contribute.

I thought the same thing....do a little research ahead of time.

How did it go today, rshif13?

Ask the coach.

where is field?

does the wind blow in or out?

does the grounds crew cut the grass short?

how many games in the Fall?

can I hit in the batting cages at 7 am?

Bob