How to respond to text from college coach?

Wow, that's a very strange text for initial contact.  I guess I would advise he take advantage of the message and try to get some additional dialog going.  I would reply with something like "Hi Coach xxx, great to hear from you!  XXX U is a school I have particular interest in and was hoping for the opportunity to connect.  I'm just working hard, getting ready for the upcoming HS season and making sure my grades stay strong.  Is there any specific information I can provide that would be helpful?  I had sent information prior to the xxx showcase... were you able to see me at that event?  (Maybe add some specifics about why there is interest in the particular school - and, of course, change the wording to be younger and cooler than my old man speak).

Nothing trivial about getting some communication from a school "on the list"!

PS - I say it's very strange but I have looked at some of the texts my young college coach son has sent to some of the guys that he is communicating with and it's actually not that far off. 

One coach that my son was supposed to call weekly hardly talked about baseball.  One time they talked about the super bowl and didn't talk baseball at all. The coach might be trying to see what type of person he is. I would tell him what I was doing outside of baseball as well as what I was doing for baseball.

A friend's son is being recruited for football.  A very prestigious school recently made initial contact through text.  The coach explained that they had seen the kid on film, and that they'd be coming by his school soon and would arrange a meeting through his coach.  Kid's response: "I gotchu".

greatgame posted:

One coach that my son was supposed to call weekly hardly talked about baseball.  One time they talked about the super bowl and didn't talk baseball at all. The coach might be trying to see what type of person he is. I would tell him what I was doing outside of baseball as well as what I was doing for baseball.

Good advice (thanks), but I’m trying to picture my kid’s version:  “When I’m not at off-season workouts or doing school work, I play video games and eat a lot.”  Might not help his prospects...

What's wrong with that response? Coaches know they are talking to 15-17 year olds. Just let it happen, you will be surprised how well he will do when he is forced into the situation. 

You sure someone isn’t messing with him? Seems pretty unprofessional for any coach

2022OFDad posted:

You sure someone isn’t messing with him? Seems pretty unprofessional for any coach

Son asked me about that.  The recruiting web site his travel team uses showed this morning that a coach from this school viewed his online profile, then he got a text (purportedly) from that school the same afternoon, so I think it's legit.

I have been surprised at some of my son's texting communication with coaches. One coach from a reputable high academic institution recently called him "dude". So, it seems some of them like to keep it really casual. I would caution your son to try and stay a bit above casual in his responses to be safe... at least to start off...

K9 posted:

A friend's son is being recruited for football.  A very prestigious school recently made initial contact through text.  The coach explained that they had seen the kid on film, and that they'd be coming by his school soon and would arrange a meeting through his coach.  Kid's response: "I gotchu".

I am groaning with you dad. I hope he did not text back, my bad coach

We recently got a mass email from an assistant college coach regarding a camp they were doing.  It started with "Hey, brother..."

I kid you not.

Francis7 posted:

We recently got a mass email from an assistant college coach regarding a camp they were doing.  It started with "Hey, brother..."

I kid you not.

Having observed some 20-something year old assistant coaches hanging around at baseball events, that doesn't surprise me.  These guys aren't far removed from being college students themselves.  And I guess it helps to be able to relate to teenaged boys on their level.  Although it does seem like an odd process when a multi-hundred thousand dollar college education is in the balance...  Maybe 20 years from now this generation will make this the norm in other walks of life.  I can picture the texts to HR:  "Brah, I'ma be your new Vice-President..."

If it's a text from a school your son is interested in, call back and sooner is better.  No need to guess what a text means.

Go44dad posted:

If it's a text from a school your son is interested in, call back and sooner is better.  No need to guess what a text means.

You think that's the case even for a first text, and one that didn't invite a call?  Hadn't thought about that.  Not sure I can persuade my son to call; but I can suggest he he ask his coaches about that.  (What dad says carries much less weight than what coach says.)

If I can ask a further question:  Son responded (with a text) very soon after hearing from this coach.  That was fairly late in the afternoon on a weekday.  Should son expect a further text?  How soon?  Does radio silence mean son didn't reply in a way the school wanted to see? 

Chico Escuela posted:

Having observed some 20-something year old assistant coaches hanging around at baseball events, that doesn't surprise me.  These guys aren't far removed from being college students themselves.  And I guess it helps to be able to relate to teenaged boys on their level.  Although it does seem like an odd process when a multi-hundred thousand dollar college education is in the balance...  Maybe 20 years from now this generation will make this the norm in other walks of life.  I can picture the texts to HR:  "Brah, I'ma be your new Vice-President..."

More like "I finna be your new VP."

Chico Escuela posted:

If I can ask a further question:  Son responded (with a text) very soon after hearing from this coach.  That was fairly late in the afternoon on a weekday.  Should son expect a further text?  How soon?  Does radio silence mean son didn't reply in a way the school wanted to see? 

Persuade him to call, otherwise you'll be asking yourself these questions until he signs an NLI...My son didn't want to way back when, but I advised him it's the first of many difficult/awkward calls he'll have throughout his life.  No better time than the present!

Chico Escuela posted:

If I can ask a further question:  Son responded (with a text) very soon after hearing from this coach.  That was fairly late in the afternoon on a weekday.  Should son expect a further text?  How soon?  Does radio silence mean son didn't reply in a way the school wanted to see? 

You are overthinking it.

I saw more growth in my son's ability to adult via these calls than anything else I can think of.  The entire process did huge things for him beyond baseball.  

Sounds like coach has been slidin into some DMs on the Gram.

Chico Escuela posted:

I can picture the texts to HR:  "Brah, I'ma be your new Vice-President..."

Fixed it for you.

"sup brah ima b ur new vp"

Go44dad posted:

Chico Escuela posted:

If I can ask a further question:  Son responded (with a text) very soon after hearing from this coach.  That was fairly late in the afternoon on a weekday.  Should son expect a further text?  How soon?  Does radio silence mean son didn't reply in a way the school wanted to see? 

You are overthinking it.

I saw more growth in my son's ability to adult via these calls than anything else I can think of.  The entire process did huge things for him beyond baseball.  

I agree - give your son some basic guidance and let him take it from there. In our experience, coaches will float in and out of the process and temporary silence may not necessarily mean anything significant.

Francis7 posted:

We recently got a mass email from an assistant college coach regarding a camp they were doing.  It started with "Hey, brother..."

I kid you not.

Is Hulk Hogan the assistant coach?

I think you're overthinking it. If a coach asks whats up, just tell him whats up, no need to go into some long spiel about how hard you're working. Make something up, studying for SAT, just got home from the cages, just finished writing a paper, etc. Ask how they are. 

Dude and bro aren't that weird. The guys are in their late 20s most of the time and recruit 16 year olds for a living. They go to work in shorts and a visor, and deal with 19 year olds who go out 4 nights a week. You hang around kids for that long it starts to become the norm. 

nycdad posted:

Is Hulk Hogan the assistant coach?

I'm not kidding!  I will try and post the email.  In his signature, it said he was the Assistant Baseball Coach and had all his contact info at the school.

2022NYC posted:

K9 posted:

A friend's son is being recruited for football.  A very prestigious school recently made initial contact through text.  The coach explained that they had seen the kid on film, and that they'd be coming by his school soon and would arrange a meeting through his coach.  Kid's response: "I gotchu".

I am groaning with you dad. I hope he did not text back, my bad coach

Football recruiting is an entire different animal. It won't hurt him in my opinion.

PABaseball posted:

I think you're overthinking it. If a coach asks whats up, just tell him whats up, no need to go into some long spiel about how hard you're working. Make something up, studying for SAT, just got home from the cages, just finished writing a paper, etc. Ask how they are. 

Dude and bro aren't that weird. The guys are in their late 20s most of the time and recruit 16 year olds for a living. They go to work in shorts and a visor, and deal with 19 year olds who go out 4 nights a week. You hang around kids for that long it starts to become the norm. 

Agree with all of that, PA, except for the fact that they NEVER had previous dialog.  If it was any type of follow up, I'm with ya.  Just a VERY strange opener, regardless of age or typical lingo a guy uses. 

The thought crossed my mind that the coach sending the text pulled the wrong contact # and thought he was sending to someone he was already in contact with.  So that's where, maybe, a more extensive reply would make sense.  Even if it was a screw-up, maybe you get the guy to take a look.

cabbagedad posted:

PABaseball posted:

I think you're overthinking it. If a coach asks whats up, just tell him whats up, no need to go into some long spiel about how hard you're working. Make something up, studying for SAT, just got home from the cages, just finished writing a paper, etc. Ask how they are. 

Dude and bro aren't that weird. The guys are in their late 20s most of the time and recruit 16 year olds for a living. They go to work in shorts and a visor, and deal with 19 year olds who go out 4 nights a week. You hang around kids for that long it starts to become the norm. 

Agree with all of that, PA, except for the fact that they NEVER had previous dialog.  If it was any type of follow up, I'm with ya.  Just a VERY strange opener, regardless of age or typical lingo a guy uses. 

The thought crossed my mind that the coach sending the text pulled the wrong contact # and thought he was sending to someone he was already in contact with.  So that's where, maybe, a more extensive reply would make sense.  Even if it was a screw-up, maybe you get the guy to take a look.

I agree, it is strange. But the original post did say that the coach introduced himself in the first message, with the whats up being a second message.

I don't think a coach ever texted the 2019 other than to set up a phone call. So it is all a little odd in general. 

PABaseball posted:

cabbagedad posted:

PABaseball posted:

I think you're overthinking it. If a coach asks whats up, just tell him whats up, no need to go into some long spiel about how hard you're working. Make something up, studying for SAT, just got home from the cages, just finished writing a paper, etc. Ask how they are. 

Dude and bro aren't that weird. The guys are in their late 20s most of the time and recruit 16 year olds for a living. They go to work in shorts and a visor, and deal with 19 year olds who go out 4 nights a week. You hang around kids for that long it starts to become the norm. 

Agree with all of that, PA, except for the fact that they NEVER had previous dialog.  If it was any type of follow up, I'm with ya.  Just a VERY strange opener, regardless of age or typical lingo a guy uses. 

The thought crossed my mind that the coach sending the text pulled the wrong contact # and thought he was sending to someone he was already in contact with.  So that's where, maybe, a more extensive reply would make sense.  Even if it was a screw-up, maybe you get the guy to take a look.

I agree, it is strange. But the original post did say that the coach introduced himself in the first message, with the whats up being a second message.

I don't think a coach ever texted the 2019 other than to set up a phone call. So it is all a little odd in general. 

Well shoot, either I missed that or Chico revised...  never mind 

cabbagedad posted:

PABaseball posted:

cabbagedad posted:

PABaseball posted:

I think you're overthinking it. If a coach asks whats up, just tell him whats up, no need to go into some long spiel about how hard you're working. Make something up, studying for SAT, just got home from the cages, just finished writing a paper, etc. Ask how they are. 

Dude and bro aren't that weird. The guys are in their late 20s most of the time and recruit 16 year olds for a living. They go to work in shorts and a visor, and deal with 19 year olds who go out 4 nights a week. You hang around kids for that long it starts to become the norm. 

Agree with all of that, PA, except for the fact that they NEVER had previous dialog.  If it was any type of follow up, I'm with ya.  Just a VERY strange opener, regardless of age or typical lingo a guy uses. 

The thought crossed my mind that the coach sending the text pulled the wrong contact # and thought he was sending to someone he was already in contact with.  So that's where, maybe, a more extensive reply would make sense.  Even if it was a screw-up, maybe you get the guy to take a look.

I agree, it is strange. But the original post did say that the coach introduced himself in the first message, with the whats up being a second message.

I don't think a coach ever texted the 2019 other than to set up a phone call. So it is all a little odd in general. 

Well shoot, either I missed that or Chico revised...  never mind 

Just one text.  It said "This is Coach X from [School]," and I think also "Coach Y saw you pitch this fall." The text closed with "What's up?"   (My son showed me the text when he got it, but I don't recall exactly.)  Son did see Coach  Y at an event this fall and had emailed his info to the school.  As I mentioned above somewhere, my son's online profile showed that someone from this school viewed his info earlier in the day before he got this text. 

It's a HA school that doesn't generally recruit prior to Jr year.  Timing seems a little odd though--deep in the off season.

Anyhow... guilty as charged of overthinking.  I'm going to encourage my son to call the coach--can't hurt.  I'll also tell son about some of the suggestions here.  And then I'll (try to) stop worrying about it.

I think you just have him reply back.  The school my son signed with checked in on a regular basis and very rarely talked baseball because they knew about his baseball.  They asked about him not playing football, grades, classes, and all kinds of stuff.  The new thing is to build relationships.  Just don't wait between texts.  Reply when he receives.

I had my son put in the 7 word rule.  he could not answer a question with less than 7 words.  made him build sentences and has helped him in school.

You catch me?

I'd have no problem with having him call....the general rule is that once you get a cell number from a coach, either by email or otherwise, it's fine to call.  He gave out his cell by texting your son.  I'd at least give it a shot.  It's a lot easier to talk to a coach....and trust me, even as a 21+ year old college senior, my son's texts make him sound like an 8th grader   He is much, much better on the phone.  I actually worried the first time he had to call a coach, but he surprised me and handled them much better than I thought he would.  If he gets a VM just say "hey coach, I got your text, I'm very interested in your program and wanted to talk to you about what I have going on and get some more info about your program.  Would there be a better time for me to call?"   He'll find out pretty quickly how serious their interest is, though I would think that with the initial text that they are at least fairly interested.  Good luck

A small D3 texted my 2020 at 12:20am recently. Seemed a little early for 2020 D3 recruiting (in the cycle, not just the morning), maybe not? My son made mention he was still aiming for mid major D1 first but would keep this school in mind, which apparently was not a great reply.  

PitchingFan posted:

I think you just have him reply back.  The school my son signed with checked in on a regular basis and very rarely talked baseball because they knew about his baseball.  They asked about him not playing football, grades, classes, and all kinds of stuff.  The new thing is to build relationships.  Just don't wait between texts.  Reply when he receives.

I had my son put in the 7 word rule.  he could not answer a question with less than 7 words.  made him build sentences and has helped him in school.

You catch me?

The 7 word rule! I saw that on a previous post here and instituted it with my 2020 earlier this year. When he was first talking to coaches on the phone, it helped him move beyond "ok", "aha", "thanks", "sure", etc. :-)

BBMomAZ posted:

Go44dad posted:

Chico Escuela posted:

If I can ask a further question:  Son responded (with a text) very soon after hearing from this coach.  That was fairly late in the afternoon on a weekday.  Should son expect a further text?  How soon?  Does radio silence mean son didn't reply in a way the school wanted to see? 

You are overthinking it.

I saw more growth in my son's ability to adult via these calls than anything else I can think of.  The entire process did huge things for him beyond baseball.  

I agree - give your son some basic guidance and let him take it from there. In our experience, coaches will float in and out of the process and temporary silence may not necessarily mean anything significant.

^^^ This!

Not much Coach. Just getting in some extra reps at the gym. Then heading over to the cage to get in some cuts. After that I'm going to get in some long toss and ground balls. There's an old lady down the street that needs some leaves raked so that's on the menu next. Then of course my voluntary work at the rescue mission tutoring homeless kids in math. Outside of that nothing much. How bout U?

My son responded to every coach who reached out, regardless of the level. Often, it was the small D3s who dropped away just saying "we'd love to have you, but we think you're going somewhere bigger. If that doesn't pan out, call us."

Don't second guess what someone wants or why they text at a certain time or disappear for a while. Just deal with what's in front of you, reach out when it's appropriate (after a game, a milestone, etc.) and things will flow pretty naturally.

And do keep in mind that not every coach is an expert. My son talked to a few who were just starting out. I'd ask how it went and he'd shake his head and say sympathetically — "he didn't really seem to know what he was doing, so I tried to help him out. Nice guy. He'll learn."

Iowamom23 posted:

 

And do keep in mind that not every coach is an expert. My son talked to a few who were just starting out. I'd ask how it went and he'd shake his head and say sympathetically — "he didn't really seem to know what he was doing, so I tried to help him out. Nice guy. He'll learn."

 

This is awesome, mine had a few of those types of conversations as well.

TheRightScuff posted:

A small D3 texted my 2020 at 12:20am recently. Seemed a little early for 2020 D3 recruiting (in the cycle, not just the morning), maybe not? My son made mention he was still aiming for mid major D1 first but would keep this school in mind, which apparently was not a great reply.  

I wouldn't worry about that - the D3 coaches often aim high and are or should be realistic and know that the goal of many (most) of their recruits are trying for DI (at least earlier in the process where your son is at).  It is surprising a D3 is even contacting him at this point ?  Anyhoo, if the coach did not take that response well, too bad and maybe its a good thing b/c that may be a good indication of his personality and this may not be the right program for your son anyway.

Some coaches do take a personal approach to recruiting and will contact just to create a relationship with son.  I think it is a good approach so that the kid can get to know the coach, the coach can get to know the kid, and it can make the kid more comfortable.