JUCO to 4 yr

Pirate77,

Our son went the JC route out of High School, which proved to be the best direction for him. He's now at a 4 year D1 university in New York and is really happy. Yes, all the NCAA recruiting rules still apply, which includes signing periods, contacts, visits, etc. But you should go to the NCAA NLI website to determine what applies to him, especially if he chooses to go to a D2, D3 or NAIA school. If his JUCO coach has had previous athletes go on to 4 year schools he can also give guidance.

The 4 year college recruiters will recruit your son just like they would any other HS player. There are requirements to transfer from the JUCO schools to the university of his choice, which includes transferable credits, eligibility, and so on. This needs to be looked into when determining what each school requires for transfers.

I recommend keeping a notebook for any and all contacts, letters, inquiries to his current coach by recruiters to keep track of these schools and their interest in your son to keep it all straight. You can also include showcases and camps he attends, listing coaches at these events.

Best of luck to you and your son. Just remember everyone is chasing the same dream and it can be very competitive. Just keep focused and play harder and better then your opponent.

Tks redstormdad,
I just packed him off back to his JUCO after a nice thanksgiving visit (sad to see him heading back though - it was great to have him around for the 4 days). He is excited about the next few weeks of training before the Christmas breadk, and really excited about starting the season in January. I guess what I really should be asking is - Is there a change in the dynamic from HS in that should he still be sending out letters of interest to D1-D2-D3-NAIA schools or does the dyanmic now center more on "we need proven position players so don't call us - we'll call you". I've seen all the same various 4 yr college scouts at the games this fall. With Juco only being 2 years I don't want to have him waiting on "next year".

Pirate77,

I wouldn't give up trying to promote your son with any opportunity for him to get to the next level. Just because he's not in HS and now at a JC doesn't mean the recruiters are changing their tactics. They will need to fill the holes as they always have. Because of the new regulations (roster size) they may have fewer holes than before. The new transfer rules also means less D1 players jumping from one school to another. NAIA players don't follow NCAA regulations, so its the same as always for these schools. Because of these new NCAA regulations the college recruiters have to be sure of their choices and work even harder to land that special student athlete who can possibly give them an edge over other schools.

Our son was scouted and recruited throughout his JC experience and offers were made, which I think was because he was playing at a higher level. These recruiters will be there to see the talent and look for players to fill the vacancies in their programs. I believe these new rules will also benefit the JC or JUCO players because they are playing at a higher level already with more innings/games and with the caliber of play they can rely on. Letters, videos, showcases, etc. can't hurt so why stop just because he's at a JC? It may only be 2 years at a JC, but the recruiters usually look at HS players they can actually sign, which usually means juniors and seniors.

If your son is getting starts, AB's, innings, etc. then he's already a "proven" position player because the JUCO coach believes he can get the job done and that why he's out there. If this is his first year at his JC, don't be frustrated if he isn't heavily recruited & doesn't transfer to a 4 year after his first year. The transfer rules get tricky with JC transfers and it may require him to have enough credits before he's eligible for transfer. Check with his academic counselors.

Hope this answers your questions!

Pirate,

I agree with RedStormDad.

Briefly, our son was drafted out of H.S., had some looks from some 4-yr. programs, but felt he belonged at JUCO.

That was freshman year. I should mention he signed a letter of intent with a D1 last fall, but at the end of freshman year, told JUCO coach and D1 coach he was going to stay at JUCO.

Because of his LOI, no other colleges were contacting him, but, lo and behold, in mid summer the LOI school ratcheted up the recruiting and he decided to go D1 after all.

Thankfully, we had his NCAA eligibility and FAFSA financial aid stuff filled out, and his grades from freshman year were acceptable at the D1. Otherwise, it would never have worked out.

If this seems off topic, it's because I want to underscore the importance of grades and NCAA Clearinghouse.

Yes, send letters and emails and have him work with his JUCO coach to help him get noticed. But without the academics and red tape of NCAA, he won't be ABLE to transfer when he's invited.

And, by the way, last year at JUCO, I saw lots of kids who hadn't previously been recruited garnering attention from pro scouts and coaches because they were out there hustling. Whenever we got a chance, we praised those good kids out on the field to the coaches and scouts who happened to be sitting near us. (Not that our opinions mattered, but hey! We're all out there trying to support one another's kids!)

Good luck to your boy and let us know how it turns out!