HS COACHES ADVICE

I'm definitely not one to perch myself up in the seat of the all-knowing when it comes to recruiting since my son is also a 2013, but I had to respond to this post. Assuming that things are just exactly as you stated in the original post, it seems that the coach is limiting your son and his possibilities. While the juco route can be an exceptional way to further a baseball career, it's not the only way. This choice should be more about your son, your family and you guy's ultimate goals. I've read hundreds (if not thousands) of posts from those on this forum that have successfully been through the recruiting process and never have I read a single post where a parent let the high school coach steer the ship. That being said, the high school coach is a primary cog in the machine and can definitely benefit your player through his contacts and recommendations. Not knowing your son and his caliber of play, I can only be generic in the advice. Let him explore all of his options. In the event that he is not able to attend his top 3-4 and play baseball (which is the case for most), then reorganize and set back out on the search. Whatever you decide, remember that this is 100% about what best fits you guy's needs and goals. If you make all of your decisions with that mindset, you can't go wrong.

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Originally posted by #32 DAD:
My son's high school coach (2013)is advising him to go the JC route. He has talked to one close JC with a excellent baseball program. No reason grade wise to go there. He told him not to send introductory letters to D1 that if they were interested they would come to him. I do know 1 SEC college has ask about him but not sure why we would not send letters to his 3-4 main schools he is interested in. Any thoughts.

The more info you can provide, the better advice you can get. Surely, coach gave some line of reasoning for his recommendations. What was it? One SEC college asked who about him? Where did they see him? What level of school does son want to go to, why, and does he think he is on track to have a chance to play at that level?

SEC school saw son pitch while there to observe player on oposing team as a freshman in HS. They talked to previous head coach. New head coach is very good an knowledgable on baseball and I have not had a chance to talk to him as football is consuming his time now. Son had 3-4 D1 schools on his wish list. He played for the new coach last year and was all district pitcher for whatever that means. Coach went the JV then D1 route. Son says he thinks he would get more opportunities going this route.

I guess it all depends on the HS Coach and his motives. I have known HS Coaches that have a good relationship with certain college coaches and they try to get their good player, if they have one, to that school. Then there are HS Coaches whose major interest is only what is best for the player.

It would be very interesting if you could hear the discussions between the JC Coach and your HS Coach.

Could be... "He hasn't decided yet and is interested in some DI schools".

Or could be... "We talked him into going to your school, you owe me one".

Not trying to muddy the water, but things like this have happened. Sometimes the HS Coach becomes the colleges best recruiter. Hopefully your coach is the right type. Most of them are!

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Originally posted by #32 DAD:
Coach went the JV then D1 route. Son says he thinks he would get more opportunities going this route.

He may be giving your son some excellent advice, time will tell if this would be a better opportunity to get to an SEC or D1 program, if that is what your son wants. He has time to explore all options and mature a bit. Unless he is a stud, recruiting really for most begins in their junior year.

He can send introductory letters, but keep in mind that in reality, coaches recruit players not the other way around. And he is young so they cannot contact him at this time, might be better to wait closer to junior summer. Coaches ask about players all of the time, and if they are truely interested they are watching.

Try to be realistic based upon finances and geography, education, and ability (SEC programs recruit 90+ pitchers or those that project to be by freshman, sophmore years). The goal for any HS player should be to be able to start either freshman or sophmore year not sit on the bench. JMO.

Others will be better qualified to comment on velocity, stuff, projectable body, making sure you are seen by the right folks at the right time, etc. (you can also search the site for tons of this info). I will try to contribute with a very general statement. Top tier D1 programs tend to recruit TOP stud HS prospects. High academic private schools tend to recruit financially and academically qualified HS prospects. A great many of all other colleges tend to lean heavily on seasoned JC players in their recruiting efforts. Certainly, some more than others. But I think the more you peruse college rosters, the more you realize just how prevelant this is.
That may be part of the rationale behind coach's comments.

I always advise players I coach that they owe it to themselves to pursue the schools they most want to attend. If they are a quality player they have earned the right not to feel sheepish about at least an introductory letter and attending that college or universities camp to find out if they are wanted at that school. With that thought they also should not turn their back on other opportunities like the JC that the HS coach is speaking of. It does not have to be one or the other for a 2013 at this point.

If your son is like most HS players looking to play at a top D1 program he has committed himself to the game he loves, has sacrificed over the years and swallowed enough infield dirt over the years to get to the position of at least finding out where he stands in the eyes of the D1 coaches and schools he has been looking at.

In my opinion, do not let a HS coach nor anyone else stop your son from going through the process of finding out what his options are.

shortnquick said...

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n my opinion, do not let a HS coach nor anyone else stop your son from going through the process of finding out what his options are.

shortnquick - You took the words right off my keyboard. You are quick.

#32 Dad - High school coaches are just one resource for your son to pursue in the wide open field of college baseball recruiting. There is so much to know and research. I would also suggest researching this site, college sites, talk to your travel coach, attend some camps or PG events to get a feel for it. This is your son's gig. Show him how to gather the information and make contact with coaches but let him make the decisions. Best of luck.

32,
When you look at it from the Coaches perspective things make more sense. Red-shirting is not common because or the mandatory scholarship rules. College baseball is dominated by Juniors, Seniors not drafted, and J.C. transfers. If you can get playing time as a freshmen it's really important. Kids will get a big leap in confidence from their first full year of playing time to the next. The quality of coaching and players participating in J.C. ball in Texas is exceptional with many routinely going to top tier DI & DII schools. It is really common for kids to start out at a DI not get playing time as a freshmen, transfer to a J.C., figure it out and end up at a similar DI their Junior year. Maturity matters. Whether this applies to your son I have no idea but it is a very common career path in baseball in Texas.

One note - I must take issue with the idea that sending introductory letters to D1 schools (or any school your son is interested in) is a bad idea or unnecessary. The idea that "if they were interested they would come" to you is borderline absurd. Even "studs" with national rankings benefit from letting schools know of their interest - and while I agree that schools recruit players and not the other way around - schools do not want to waste time on athletes that have no interest. This portion of the advice you report makes the rest of the coaches advice suspect IMO.

Something else to consider is his academic desires. If one wishes to study engineering or physics or any demanding math/science program then there are very very few JCs that offer transferrable credits. Its also **** difficult to study a demanding program and play high level ball, simply not enough time.

Even at the the lower level Div 1 programs of the Patriot and Ivy League there are very few engineering majors playing any varsity sport.

I've found some great Div III (and a few Div II)programs that support an engineering major and Varsity Athletics but they're typically 5 year programs with the inherent increase in costs. There are also a few NAIA schools. OIT comes to mind.

If anyone hears of a good (transferable credits)engineering prep JC that also offers a quality baseball program please let me know.

Thanks everyone. Let me say I have nothing but the upmost respect for our HS coach and his knowledge and how he has help my son. The D1's my son is interested in attending (he thinks) are more often than not in the CWS. I have not had a chance to speak with him yet but chances are he thinks 2 years starting at a JC that normally feeds some of these programs would be in my son's best interest. I think we will send the letters of introduction anyway along with a you tube reference and will will just see what happens.

There is no expert on the planet - including pro scouts and other MLB professionals or college scouts, that have a perfect crystal ball. That also includes well-intentioned high school coaches and parents.

The best way to find out where he should pursue his baseball interests and where he fits in the grand scheme is by attending some targeted college camps and some showcases where college coaches of interest are known to attend. If he gets feedback after attending some of these that there is interest in him, then you'll have your answer about whether or not the D1's of interest ought to be pursued at the present time. If he gets feedback, like "We like your son's ability but we think he needs to physically mature a year or two before he is ready for a program like ours"... well then, maybe the high school coach's advice is correct.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Place your son before their eyes and let them tell you how beautiful he is. One final note on that point however. I believe in tales such as the "Ugly Duckling" and the "Tortoise and the Hare." It especially applies to baseball. The most beautiful duck out there today may not grow up to be the most beautiful swan five years from now. Often times, the kids with the most desire end up being the most successful. They just need to craft a plan that allows them to achieve success later down the road.

Your son is a 2013. What is the point of making that decision now? Baseball will make that decision for him, IMHO. Keep on the D1 radar and see what happens. Close no doors.

Why don't you ask his high school coach? Why don't you sit down with him ask him "Are you saying my son is not a D1 player right now and would better served to go the JUCO route and then see what his options are? Or are you saying that you think the JUCO route is simply the best route for players to take unless they are elite players coming out of HS? Exactly what is your position on my son and his abilities?

If your son gets out there and exposes himself to the college coaches via showcase, summer baseball etc he will know what they think. It will become very clear. His true options will begin to become very clear to you. What they think of his ability will become more and more clear. I think you would have a better handle on all of this if you just sit down with the hs coach and have a open and honest talk with him. Then take it from there. JMO

#32Dad,
You mentioned sending a youtube reference.

During a recent showcase in the Atlanta Area, one D1 college coach was talking to the kids about what to expect, and what they were looking for. He mentioned videos.
He told them to not send videos because more times than not, they use videos to eliminate players from their interest than generate their interest. They said that it just provides too much opportunity for coaches to pick out flaws, as they can view it over and over again, and it does not give a good representation of how a player performs in a game. All the coaches at the camp agreed that they never sign a player by video only. They want to either see them in a tournament or HS game, or at one of their camps where they can see how they actually perform live.

Another point they made, that I thought was really interesting is, if a player from a long way off (say from California) sends them stuff, unless that player comes to a showcase over this way, or comes to a camp at their school (which shows the player is truly interested in the school and not just broadly sending out info to colleges) they won't typically pursue them. They want to see them live, and can't afford to run across the country to go see a player play.

I thought these comments were interesting. I would be interested to hear from some of the more knowledgeable people on here about those comments on videos and school camps.

Most coaches D1, D2, D3, Juco, NAIA that I know and have spoken to, do want the videos. They will eliminate some players from the videos, yes, but they also will gain interest at times from seeing a player’s video. They will not sign a player from a video but enough to go see the player or have the player attend a camp.

If a player is eliminated from a coaches list of possible recruits for any reason (video), it’s not the worst thing to have happen to a player. You have to get answers. The recruiting process is all about finding schools that would like to have you but sometimes to find those schools, you need to be turned down by others. You can’t be afraid to be told “no”, because as a result of a coach saying “no”, you could then get onto finding a fit for yourself.

As I said, this was told by the D1 coach (and backed up by the coaches there by other schools) talking at a camp here recently.

Thanks shortnquick for providing insight from other coaches.

quote:

Originally posted by shortnquick:
Most coaches D1, D2, D3, Juco, NAIA that I know and have spoken to, do want the videos. They will eliminate some players from the videos, yes, but they also will gain interest at times from seeing a player’s video. They will not sign a player from a video but enough to go see the player or have the player attend a camp.

If a player is eliminated from a coaches list of possible recruits for any reason (video), it’s not the worst thing to have happen to a player. You have to get answers. The recruiting process is all about finding schools that would like to have you but sometimes to find those schools you need to be turned down by others. You can’t be afraid to be told “no”, because as a result of a coach saying “no” to you could get onto finding a fit for yourself.

Outstanding advice!

I will say from my son's experience that he has gotten interest from schools that have seen his video and want him to come and do a workout for them. These have been JUCO and Div II schools. So the videos will get you in the door.