Hey Guys,
2 weeks ago i attended a college showcase and introduced myself to the RC of a D3 school. I followed up with an email with my info as well as my campus tour date of their university. He got back to me saying that we should plan to sit down and talk after I take the tour. Any idea what I should expect to be asked/ what I should say and not say? Thanks!
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I had to dig around to find it, but this is the best list for questions, right on this website! Note: some of the answers you can find out for yourself by looking at the team website, school site, etc.
http://www.hsbaseballweb.com/questions_to_ask.htm
Good luck!
MB:
More than what you should ask or say is what you should do (prior to the visit).
*What connection do you have to the school/link? What initially drawn you to the school? (Received brochures in the mail, know of the school from classmate, uncle is an alumnus, etc.)
*What majors does the school offer that is of interest to you? (You can generally see which majors players take in their bios).
*Take a good look at the school's website and read about the school's history, demographics, acceptance rate, etc.
*Have your latest transcript and board scores handy along with your spring baseball schedule.
*Review the current baseball roster. How do you see yourself fitting in? <Hard for me to tell not knowing your position> How many players do they carry? Looking at prior year "Stats" you will be able to see how much freshmen played and what position. You can also see which positions graduated. The baseball website also gives you an idea of win-loss record and schools scheduled.
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That being said you want to look at the facilities available for both off and on-season. Some indoor facilities are key for schools with severe winters. The coaches may give you an idea of their practice schedule (my son usually asked questions regarding balance of academics and sport schedule).
You can ask where the school is in recruiting for your class (if you don't know) and which positions they are actively recruiting. Any information you can gather on the school's timetable is beneficial.
Look up all the assistant coaches and HC on the website to see what they look like. Then rather than hi coach in a greeting, you would introduce yourself to Coach Brown, knowing by the picture. Son would talk to coaches about philosophy (does the coach play small ball, hit behind the runner, bunt, steal bases, rely heavy on pitching and defense, etc.)
Don't ask about scholarships at this point (maybe you meet financial aid on your tour). Coaches like to feel special and take pride in their schools. Whatever you can do to direct your interest in THIS SCHOOL vs just any college visit will certainly come across.
Good luck!
Great answers above by longstanding members. I am constantly amazed by the members of this site and their generosity.
MB2017,
Excellent. So, on the campus tour you should get a sense of the academic life of a student at this school. Ask lots of questions regarding any of the majors you are considering and follow up those questions with the coach. IMHO, this is the single most important aspect for a student athlete. It is difficult to gauge exactly what that time commitment is, but asking a lot of questions will give you a much better idea.
I totally 100% agree with RipkenFan that you need to do some roster homework before you arrive and get a sense for what they need, what they value, their style of play, and your level of play relative to the team. You need to get a sense of where you could be in their plans and when you could earn some playing time. For example: If they are a small ball team with a lot of offensive and defensive speed, and excellent pitching where would you fit into their system? The coach should be able to talk to those points. I would also request to talk to your possible (future) position coach. This is the guy you could be spending the most time with over the next 4 years. He will be incredibly important to your success.
Depending where you are in the process and how high this school is on your list, I'd consider bringing your parents and have them meet with the Financial Aid office especially if you are the first sibling in your family o go to college. It is never too late to make friends with the people that hold the purse strings.
Good luck!
