Is this an issue?

Tdsmoke,

 

If I was in your shoes I'd be somewhat concerned with their treatment of your son and their organization and communication skills.  I've actually seen some really good position players struggle their junior years because the other teams won't pitch to the player after having a great sophomore year.  You may be thinking that not having a great junior year has something to do with this, and you may be right.  I think your son should call the coach to see what he has to say and his tone. 

 

I think you are doing all the right things (SAT, essay, etc) by playing along, and I would share your suspicions.  I would be working some back channels and possibly reaching out to some other schools through your travel coach or others you trust to see what opportunities may be out there.  If I sound paranoid, I have good reason to be.  I've seen this behavior a couple times before with these top programs right before NLI time.  If they are going to treat him like this as a recruit, you may begin to wonder how they'll treat him once he is part of the program.

 

Good luck and I wish you well.

 

 

sounds great to comitt so young but this is a problem that can occur. How do coaches really know how a 15 yr old will play in 3 yrs. 

tough situation, just get academics in order in case he needs to make a change, that will usu be the first ? asked.

agree that their comm skills r lacking. Any way u can talk to players/former recruits to see what their experiences r like? Better to know now then not liking things and trying to transfor later

good luck

It could be an issue or the coach is just now getting all of his ducks in a row coming up to the NLI period. Hard to tell, I guess you will know for sure in about a month. 

We've all warned posters many times - When a player commits very early, that player stops the recruiting process, but the coach keeps his recruiting process going.

I can't help with the baseball side because we haven't been through that, but I can comment on the SAT.  Before his test date (as soon as possible, really) have him take a practice test.  Based upon this and his prior score, get him some help with the section he has the most chance of improving.  PM me if you want ideas on how to get that help.

 

I'm sorry you and your son are going through this.

These kinds of posts seem like I told you so's, and it is very easy to "warn", but it is not easy to simulate what each poster is juggling in order to make their decision.  This post makes it seem that those who commit early are idiots, and that may not be the case. 

In reading the post and coaches comments, a question sure gets raised for me that perhaps the grades since the verbal followed a path similar to what is described on the baseball field? Higher SAT, Summer School could equal lower GPA issues for the junior year. One other aspect which does not completely add up is the next SAT is 11/8/14. How are those results going to be available to the coaches and admissions before the NLI date on 11/12/14????????

If not, then getting this now would be a reason to be concerned and, as others posted, reason for this player to use this as a learning experience with the coaching staff.

Td, the post makes it sound like there is a "weekend" for the OV/NLI." I assume that was just shorthand for the two separate events?

All in all, I think it is prudent and reasonable to be concerned.

I , by no means am  an expert, son is freshman @ D1, so 3 things come to mind based on our limited experience. Usually no official visit unless you have cleared admissions or they are certain you can. Otherwise it is a waste of time & money for both parties.  To increase 40 points on SAT is huge. i suggest getting in touch with HS guidance dept. & find a private tutor ASAP. Last week & this week are huge in D1, it is usually the highlight of fall practice season with the intersquad scrimage series when fans & media are invited . Most D1's have 40 kids on their roster right now...let the nut cutting begin, and 8 weeks into semester, just had grade/eligibility check. Coach has lots of decisions. And finally remember  there are always 3 teams within a team, one coming, one playing and one going. Are you tracking this team on their web site & twitter to get a pulse of whats going on in their world? I bet some of their coaching staff was at AZ Fall Classic the last two weekends. Best wishes for a successfull ride on the recruiting rollercoaster. Things happen for good reasons, keep positive, keep giving son encouragement and have plan B,

My son committed early (fall after soph year) and the contact from colleges was nil.....like he had Ebola. There is a "code" among coaches, although i heard prior to committing that the D1 decision would effectively "legitimize" my son possibly creating more interest if desired, the opposite happened and no one would communicate with him at any level. I even had a college coach at an east coast pro tryout (who did not know me) say, "He's committed, but i had him at 92") when i asked about his velo. I chuckled.

 

I agree the recruiting continues on the coaches side although they are committed to you. Some will over-committ anticipating the draft etc and i wonder how that works when kids all elect to go to school? (If that ever happens)?

 

It all worked out, he ultimately decommitted and committed elsewhere, closer to home.

 

In the end, i think very few kids have the NCAA ID, transcripts and SAT/ACTs scores ready when the coaches ask...but it sounds like this coach is a bit unorganized.You will find out quick if their interest is waning since they pay for hotel, meals, mileage etc and i would figure they would say something prior to the visit dates.

 

Best of luck to you with this process.

 

 To increase 40 points on SAT is huge.

 

SAT tests are graded differently each time (sort of a curve).  Forty points may only equal getting 2 more questions right.  

 

 

The solution to bad communication is better communication.

 

We can't tell from the outside whether this situation reflects their normal timeline (e.g., start paying attention to NLI/OV paperwork when fall practice winds down), a change of heart, poor organization (a lot of times these administrative responsibilities fall to the volunteer assistant or the director of baseball operations or a similar young, inexperienced person), or something else.

 

However, enough uncertainty hangs in the air that your son should start having regular conversations with his recruiter to get a firm handle on where he stands.

 

Best wishes, 

S

I didnt take his response as name calling. It's just being honest.

Too many parents love when little johnny gets recruited by D1 as Soph., but realize it is a better thing for coach then it is player. Nothing counts until they sign Sr. Yr. 

Makes families nervous when son is struggling, or hits a slump. 

Tough deal, buts it how recruiting can go, parents on here w younger kids need to be informed so they can make best decision w son. 15 yr olds don't really know how it works. They r just excited a school wants them.

I am sure getting recruited early is incredibly exciting.  Hope my son gets to experience that!  And I am sure it takes a ton of discipline to not commit early.  The urge to do so has got to be strong.  But in reality as has been mentioned there is absolutely no advantage to it for the player.  I don't find this to be an I told you so.  I find it to be a wise warning.  If my son is fortunate enough to get recruited early I hope a lot of people are right there by son's side reminding him to be patient.

I don't know...there's a lot of info missing from the OP, but suppose this was a school that was the right academic fit, that he'd love to go to with or without baseball, and the coach showed him love and gave him a good offer after his sophomore year?  What's the advantage of saying no?  The money could dry up, right?  Maybe the kid's grades did fall, and maybe his on-field performance dropped, but that doesn't mean he made the wrong decision when he said yes to the offer.

If they are going to treat him like this as a recruit, you may begin to wonder how they'll treat him once he is part of the program. 

 

I said aid these exact Same words to my son when he went though the recruiting process...great advice

Idk, I don't think it's that big a deal. They didn't tell the player that they are rescinding the offer. Sounds like they were giving him a heads up on what needs to be done. My son's coach contacted him to make sure he dotted all the i's and crossed all the t's before signing time. And the SATs didn't sound like a deal breaker, just that he may need to take some summer classes before the fall semester starts if he doesn't get his scores up. I've seen plenty of kids, including regular students, have to do that. 

 

I can only go by what the OP stated, but that's my take. I would have son call the coach and talk with him about what he's done and plans to do and just ask to confirm that NLI is still all good to go before you start freaking out. 

You may be right, but there are too many variables to define if committing early is good or bad. 

I disagree. I think it is a huge red flag.  I don't believe for a second that they just dropped the ball.  They know damn well what is going on with their recruits!  It's their livelihood. Bringing up the need for improvements this close, is a complete joke, IMHO. I would definitely have son get on the horn.  I wouldn't wait for a response any longer. 2 days and no reply?  Son is a committed recruit and a Sr.  Why haven't they called?  Go where you are loved, and I am not seeing the love...

Easier said than done when you get a D1 offer and you have a sub 6 footer throwing 88 3 months after you get our of your sophmore year. I asked everyoe i knew at the time and they all said "take it" if he sees himself going there and playing. So, what did i learn...IF you think you can get better and you are prepared to roll the dice and go with what is available....then do it.

About two weeks ago BFSJr and I went on an unofficial visit to a major D1 school....they treated him like a rock star....put him on field for home football game, tour of facilities, watched Fall inner scrimmage, etc.....they want him to verbal.....Jr is a 2017 LHP..not only flattering for a young kid, it creates pressure very early to make a decision that most are not prepared to make.

 

The pitching coach is very well known to us, and he gave Jr some great advice, and we did our homework to confirm what he said was accurate.  Basically he warned us of the many schools that will offer early and change their minds later.  His reputation is that they stick to their offers..basically if they "miss" in their evaluation, it's his fault and you still get your offer the first year to earn your spot.  Many programs make the early commit pay the consequence if the coaches either find a player they like better or if the player does not progress like they were anticipating. Players certainly know more info regarding where you fit in to their program the later you wait to commit.

 

As many have indicated earlier, I would at least be cautiously concerned, and be proactive in trying to find out if there is reason to be concerned.  My experience has been typically there is no question on whether a players is wanted or not.....unless this guys is just disorganized, or has a strange way of communicating, I'd be concerned.

 

I see some advantages especially for pitchers to commit early, however I'd want to get a history on how that worked out for other early commits at that program.  Jr is not ready to commit, however the fact that he was offered has created a buzz, and his coaches are getting calls / emails from other programs.

 

I wish the NCAA would make the decision for us all, and not allow 15 year olds to verbal. The coach mentioned they were pretty much already finished with 2016's, which to me seems crazy.

 

Have plan B ready just in case.

Ryno, I didn't say let it ride, I suggested calling the coach and confirm where things stand with the NLI. Coaches are probably swamped with admin stuff and practice to quickly respond to email. I don't see anything they said at this point that says they are not going to not honor their commitment, but this player needs to talk to them and verify that everything is still a go.

Unless these coaches are total slime balls and are just going to not send out an NLI without telling the player. Why would they even contact him if their plans were to drop him?  I would think they would contact to say they changed their minds. Definitely call to confirm, but I don't think its end of the world time yet.  Just my take on the matter.

Commitments/recruiting time line just keeps getting earlier and earlier.  That by itself means a lot of mistakes will be made.  Both the college and the player can get out of that commitment.

 

The one thing to consider is if you have verbally committed it could put an end to any other interest.  For some that might be a good thing, for others it can be very damaging. Especially when the player finds out the college no longer wants you shortly before national LOI signing day.

 

I do believe and understand... in the where you would want to go to college with or without baseball thought.  But lets face it, those committing early are very much planning to play college baseball and possibly beyond.  I don't think they would actually be happy at any college where they weren't playing baseball. I know I wouldn't want to recruit a player that liked my college so much it didn't matter to him whether he played baseball.

 

Another thing to consider... Is there more than one college interested in you verbally committing early?  If there is only one the chance of that not working out well increases. On the other hand, if there are several, chances are you will be OK whether committing early or not.  If you are good enough, you are exactly what they want.  They will want you today, tomorrow or next year.  They will find the money!  If you are more of a border line type you could get hurt.  

 

I shouldn't say this because we work with so many college coaches.  I admire the hard work they do.  However, the truth is they can take chances sewing up early commitments with very little risk. Most, not all, do this because they have to in order to stay at or reach the top.  Many, not all, can and do take chances and later make corrections.  It is the way things are, early bird gets the worm!  

I just saw that Noah Murphy 2032 (son of NY Mets Daniel) has verbally committed to Vandy because he loves a winner.  His quote putting on the cap when left ASU, UVA and Florida flat was Cooo Coooo Commodores!   

 

On a serious note seeing 9th and rising 10th graders committing is probably too early.  So many things can change that both the school and player may later regret.

My father verballed for me early. From the time I was two he had me in a sweatshirt that read "Bowdoin, Class of 19??." Up until I was fourteen my father walked around the alumni house pointing to me playing football out back and said I would be there soon. I backed out of the verbal. I was more than a D3 baseball prospect.