In another thread a poster stated that college camps can be invaluable. Can anybody provide direction on how to figure out when a coach is inviting a player to a camp in order to evaluate him and when it is just a fundraiser for the baseball team.
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If you cannot tell from the text of the invitation whether it is a mass mailing with your player's name plugged in, or a personalized message.....which in most cases is pretty easy to do......... then just respond to the coach and ask what it is he likes about the player now and what he sees as the areas for improvement, based on what he has seen or heard.
No answer probably means no prior interest, just looking for money
Answer saying they like his fastball command but needs to work on the change......and your kid's a second baseman, probably means no prior interest, just looking for money
We found there were "invitation" camps used for recruiting (june, july, august, sept) to get another look at a prospect) and skills camps used to make money. If the coach has not made it clear, ask him the purpose of the camp.
In our case it was made abundantly clear that the recruiter coach had seen him multiple times at showcases and events, but wanted the head coach to see him face to face before making a final decision, and eventual offer. Many phones calls and emails followed to make sure he was going to attend their invitation camp. They wanted transcripts and all academic info prior to the camp. Our attendance demonstrated our interest and seriousness, and my son showed why he would be a good fit in their program.
Coaches are serious about recruits when the time dictates they have to be serious. Coaches do very little for the heck of it. Everything they do has a purpose. Depending on the school and the time of year, I think most folks can figure out if it is a genuine recruiting opp or a money maker. If you don't know, ask.
I agree with fenway, you should know prior to the camp if they have serious interest. You can also verify their interest by letting them know that you can only make one day of the camp and they will prorate your cost for the partial of the event.
My son did this at two camps, showed up played and left.
I think it's important to keep in mind that camps can serve some purposes beyond that of evaluation by the coaches.
For one thing, even accomplished players can actually learn something. My son would tell you that it was at a weekend, holiday camp during his junior year that he picked up some valuable advice about his off-speed pitches. He'd attended principally because the coaching staff had made it clear that they wanted to get to know him better...which touches upon my next point...
Time at camp can be a very valuable opportunity to get to know the coaches and some of the players at the school holding the camp. They get to know you, and you get to know them better than when you arrived.
A valuable opportunity to be seen? Of course. Only good for evaluative purposes? Absolutely not.
