In Preperation For Camp

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Originally posted by StateDynasty:
In the middle of September I will be attending a camp at my realistic number one school choice.(2013 Grad) My question is, what exactly should I do in preperation for this camp. Not physically, but in regards to contacting the coaches and letting them know of my interest and that I will be attending. Also, because this camp is on a saturday and I will be staying that Sunday as well, should I ask to meet with the head coach and talk with the head coach and potentially tour the campus and facilities? Any advice in any of thee regards would be helpful to me. Thanks in advance.

They'll know your interested by attending. My feelings have always been to do your talking with performance rather than words. If you are a hitter/fielder then show them something. If you are a pitcher, show them something in that regard. Go there and turn there heads and I can assure you they will be talking to you.

Physically, if possible, start hard core training leading up to camp. Train for speed (60 yard dash) and long toss to build up the best arm strength. Be in the best shape of your life on the first day of that camp and hopefully someone will notice.

My son is attending a camp soon, and sent the head coach a letter of introduction with more detailed information than what was requested in the camp application.

Worse case, the coach doesn't care that he wrote in advance. Best case, he has distinguished himself from the player who just shows up.

I have worked many college camps over the years. From Major D1 to D3. The coaches evaluate the players. Everyone of them. At the first break the coaches start talking and the talking never stops until the camp is over. Who do you like? Did you see the kid in the blue T-Shirt? What do you think of the Jones kid? You know the kid with the #27 jersey on? Wow what about that Smith kid?

You can send all the information you want. You can send all the letters you want. Unless you do something to set yourself apart it will not matter. You can show up as a total unknown and if you do set yourself apart THEY will know all they need to know about you before you leave. You can bank on it.

Your attitude. How do you carry yourself? Your hustle or lack of it. Your approach to instruction and coaching? Do they like the way you go about your business? Do you have a tool or tools that stands out and catches their eye? Do you show them something that makes them want to know who you are? If you do you can bet they will make sure they know who you are before you leave.

At every camp I have ever worked there have been some kids that the coaches wanted to meet, get to know and get information on before they left. If you want to be one of those kids then show them something they need and look for in players.

Coaches get excited about what they see. Be ready to show them what you can do and don't worry about if they know who you are before you get there. Make them remember who you are before you leave. Good luck

Wow. Thank you very much for all the information. Learned lots just between these three posts. Appreciate the help!

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Your attitude. How do you carry yourself? Your hustle or lack of it. Your approach to instruction and coaching? Do they like the way you go about your business?

This used to amaze me, watching players at camps:

Player shows up, never hustles, has an "attitude" in the dugout, hot dogs/showboats on the field, turns his cap around when not on the field...You get the picture.

If you ask him his first choice of schools, he replies, "This one."

From the perspective of getting recruited by that school, he might as well have poured his camp fee down a drain.


Best of luck at your camp, SD! Follow the advice in the posts above, and you'll do fine and have fun!

Of course I agree that you must work hard and have a great attitude from the moment you get out of the car. Anyone who doesn't do that is wasting their parents' money by being there.

There are kids who can step on the field at a showcase or a camp and wow the coaches. They look great. They hit the ball hard. Maybe they have tremendous speed or velocity. And they hustle. If you are one of those kids, then you will have an easy time of it.

I also believe there are players - good players - who work hard but aren't the type of players who knock your socks off the first time you see them. Players you learn to appreciate after you see them a time or two. Or maybe they just don't have a good day.

You always want to be the player who works hard. And don't forget to shake the coaches' hands and thank them for their time.

twotex your absolutely right. And there are some coaches who are very good at spotting those players your talking about. In fact they make it their job to spot those players. Some can do it the very first time they see them.

I'm amazed by the recruiters. They know exactly what they're looking for (and it's not 4-4 off the handle). My son came out of a batting cage and said "I didn't hit one ball up the middle". I was watching the coaches and not one of them watched where the ball went. I'd love to hear more from Coach May regarding what they are looking for but from my perspective it appeared to be stance and hand speed.

Completely agree. My son just attended the SNHU camp. I filmed his BP from the right field fence line, about 200' away. Watching results, I thought he didn't hit his best. Afterwards, he told me the coaches LOVED his swing and commented how smooth it was. Go figure. What do I know?

SNHU BP video

The advice given here is great and given by folks with much more expertise and experience than I have aquired. With that said I will share our experience. The larger camps often have multiple coaches and often there are activities going on at more than one place/field at a tiime. While the goal is to impress with performance - the coaches must SEE the performance to be impressed. A communication prior to camp with a polite reference to any two way communication upon arrival may increase the chance that the coach makes an effort to see a player at the right times - to get on the "must see at this camp session list". In our experience there is a list.