Information Needed

Coach - My son only had one school actually call on July 1. The biggest advice I could give kids is to remember that who calls on July 1 may not ever make you an offer and there will be other schools call. Schools start on July 1 with their top prospects, but there's plenty of time between then and November and then plenty of time again after November. Kids/parents just need to rememember that and not feel rushed or fearful.

What kind of academic support does the college provide? (tutors, etc)
What is the team grade point average?
What is the team graduation rate?
What are some of the majors of team players?
Is my scholarship guaranteed for four years?
What are your red-shirt procedures? Will I be red-shirted in my freshman year?
Does the scholarship cover summer school?
Will the scholarship cover a fifth year if necessary?
At my position, what does the depth chart look like?
Where do I stand on the recruiting list?
What are my scholarship opportunities?
How many assistant coaches are there?
Questions for Team Members
Does the coach teach at the school?
What is the morale of the team?
Does the team like the staff?
Is the coach interested in academics?
Do the athletes really have to go to all classes?
How long is practice?
Would you go to this school if you had to choose again?
What is the average class size?
What are the dorms like?
Are the professors accessible?
Do the athletic dept. tutors do a good job?
Questions for Admissions
What is the average class size and ratio per professor?
Who teaches classes? (Professors, teacher assistants)
What is enrollment of college?
How is my major regarded?
What percent of graduates from my major receive jobs within three months of graduation?
How many fraternities and sororities are available?
What are the housing policies?
May I sit in on a class in my major? (as a guest)
How accessible are counselors to me?

Summary Question for Yourself
Did I have a good overall feeling about the school?
Would I go to school here if I wasn't going to play sports?
Will I fit into the athletic program?
Am I satisfied with the living arrangements?
Am I satisfied with the academic opportunities?
Many additional questions will, and should, come up throughout your recruiting process. The bottom line in choosing a college is simple.... Choose a school that you would go to if you were not going to play sports!
Your chances of playing professional sports is very slim. Go to college to get an education, meet lifetime friends, play some sports & have fun! When the final whistle blows and you're 21 years old and out of college, what you will have is experience, memories and a college degree. Don't make the mistake of selecting a college only because they are the only school that offered you a scholarship.

More:

• Do you provide academic counseling? If so, please explain your program.
• Do you provide tutors?
• Do you have required study sessions? During off-season? During in-season?
• What percentage of your players graduate from your program?
• What has been your team GPA in the past?
• If I am offered a scholarship from your school, what percentage of room, board, and tuition and fees will it cover?
• A scholarship is guaranteed for one year. How is it renewed?
• What happens if I'm injured and cannot play the rest of the year?
• Do you have a redshirt program?
• What positions are you recruiting me for?
• How many players are currently in this position?
• How many incoming players are you recruiting at this position?
• What is the average size of scholarships in your program?
• Do you take a spring trip? If so, where? How many players will you take on your trip?
• Are there any limitations in your conference regarding roster limits for conference games?
• What is your policy regarding freshman participation?
• What has been the success of your program over the past several years?
• What is your league policy regarding placement of players in summer collegiate leagues?
• How many of your former players have had the opportunity to play professional baseball?
• Do you travel by bus, van, or airplane?
• How many coaches are in your program and what are their previous experiences and responsibilities?
• How many hours do you practice?
• Do you have indoor as well as outdoor facilities?
• Does your college have a drug testing program?
• What will it cost me to attend your college?
QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF
• How far do I want to be from home?
• Am I interested in a particular school? If not, tell the school as soon as possible.
• Do I feel comfortable with the coaches?
• What type of reputation do the coaches and the program have?
• When do I want to decide on a college?
• Have my parents had an opportunity to visit with the coaches or view the college and its facilities?
• Are my grades of the caliber to succeed at the college?
• Have I visited with my high school counselor regarding college entrance requirements?
• Have I taken the ACT or SAT test? If so, have I forwarded the results to the college that I'm interested in?
• Have I forwarded a copy of my high school transcripts to all the colleges that I'm interested in?
HOW TO RESPOND TO RECRUITERS
• Always be courteous. Don't play hard to get or make false pretensions of interest. Let the college know where you stand.
• Respond to requests for information (questionnaires, academic information, and your summer schedule) as soon as possible.
• If you are interested in a college, don't hesitate to make the first move via a telephone call or a letter of introduction.
• Keep all appointments. If you have scheduled a time to visit with a recruiter, don't neglect to reschedule a time if you can't attend a meeting or visit.
• Thank all coaches for their interest, even though you have decided not to consider their college. Thank-you notes after unpaid and paid visits leave recruiters and coaches with a positive image of you as a player and, more importantly, as a person.
This article was contributed by Diamond Pros, Inc., a New York-based baseball/softball training company. For more information on private lessons, clinics, and camps for baseball and softball, call (718) 343-9347 or visit their website.


CV

lafmom and CV,
thank you for your advice and input. I will be putting together some information packets for my players before we fly out. As always HSBBWEB, help is never far.

Coach

Dont worry if you are away and they call---the kids can pick up the calls and return them--better that they are playing baseball than sitting home waiting for a call that may or may not happen

Just go about business as you would normally

quote:

What kind of academic support does the college provide? (tutors, etc)
What is the team grade point average?
What is the team graduation rate?
What are some of the majors of team players?
Is my scholarship guaranteed for four years?
What are your red-shirt procedures? Will I be red-shirted in my freshman year?
Does the scholarship cover summer school?
Will the scholarship cover a fifth year if necessary?
At my position, what does the depth chart look like?
Where do I stand on the recruiting list?
What are my scholarship opportunities?
How many assistant coaches are there?
Questions for Team Members
Does the coach teach at the school?
What is the morale of the team?
Does the team like the staff?
Is the coach interested in academics?
Do the athletes really have to go to all classes?
How long is practice?
Would you go to this school if you had to choose again?
What is the average class size?
What are the dorms like?
Are the professors accessible?
Do the athletic dept. tutors do a good job?
Questions for Admissions
What is the average class size and ratio per professor?
Who teaches classes? (Professors, teacher assistants)
What is enrollment of college?
How is my major regarded?
What percent of graduates from my major receive jobs within three months of graduation?
How many fraternities and sororities are available?
What are the housing policies?
May I sit in on a class in my major? (as a guest)
How accessible are counselors to me?

Sonny, I was just wondering if you had any interest in my baseball program..............

Do D-3 schools also start calling on the 1st or
do they make calls at all?

The first few phone calls are ususally an introductory period between coach and player to get to know each other. We found that most wanted to know his schedule, his GPA and SAT score. No one ever asked for stats or anything else related to such. They would tell my son where they had seen him play and if not who did.
I wouldnt worry about the question part.
Helpful tip. Keep a log of who called, what time, if they were called back and a brief description of the conversation. We did it by date, though some parents I know have done it by school.
Leave a number where you or your son can be reached while out. Remember they want to talk to your son first, their second or third call may or may not be to parents. My son learned a lot from talking to different coaches, who was sincere and who was just getting in another phone call because the recruiting coordinator told him to call. If they ask your son a question and he can't answer, that's ok, they expect that. Relax and enjoy
Good luck!

Thanks for that great piece of advice, TPM. A log and not to worry if they can't answer a question are great ideas.

quote:

Originally posted by Calmom:
Do D-3 schools also start calling on the 1st or
do they make calls at all?

You can certainly expect DIII coaches to come calling, sending letters and doing a lot of recruiting. Some might wait perhaps as late as Sept. but they do that for a reason. They know DI is where all the action is for at least 2 months and the DIII coaches know it is not too fruitful to be calling during that time, in general. But they will be calling for kids they want and have identified as students they know can be admitted and athletes who can help their program. Will be asking a lot of players to visit and spend a weekend also, but usually at the players/family's expense.

Calmom, I sent you a PM about DIII recruiting.

Great post infielddad. I had not considered that perspective but it makes perfect sense. Moral of the story if your priorities are academics and baseball, DIII baseball is definately an option to keep in mind. I know your son got a great education and is now playing pro ball. Great insight!

A couple other tips....

1. Change your home answering machine message so it sounds good and also includes your son's Cell Phone number. If they want to reach him and you are not available July 1st (playing ball), then they will have an avenue for reaching him.

2. Call your son's cell phone and listen to the greeting. You MAY want to have him change it to something a bit more professional if he's like the average teen !!!!!

It's also good to remember that the coaches are making lots of calls. Most teenage boys are not very forward in this situation and the coaches know what to say to get them to open up. The best advice I can give is to have your son be himself. I asked my son and he couldn't even remember what was talked about during the initial conversations. He does remember which coaches he liked best based upon first impressions however. This is supposed to be a fun time, not a stresful one. The more you try to "prepare" a boy for this the more nervous he may become.

quote:

and the coaches know what to say to get them to open up.

quote:

best advice I can give is to have your son be himself.

That's very good advice.........

Thanks for the answering machine advice, H-cubed! Our machine's message is about 3 years old--when our son recorded it and sounds like a 14 year-old--a 14-year old GIRL

Thanks to everyone for such wonderful information.
I truly do not know what I would do without this site.