JUCO When does son become student only?

I would expand the net and e-mail again! Indicate you have video if they request it. It is not too late.

quote:

What are we doing wrong? What can we do different? When is it the last moment to give up and become student only?

JUCO SOS - welcome to the hsbbweb.

It doesn't appear you are doing anything wrong. There is a place for your son but you need to find it. It sounds like he has focused on D1 but please keep in mind there are powerhouse D2 and D3 opportunities in Texas that provide top educations.

I wouldn't give up. For starters, he needs to enroll somewhere he would be happy if the baseball does not work out. Maybe he can find a school he likes where the coach will let him try out in the fall. I wouldn't just pick a school for a walk-on opportunity however as I think he needs to like the school first and foremost.

After you have his school secure, then broaden your search. Start with many of the fine D3 opportunities in Texas like Trinity that has consistently produced next level pro players as well. What you really might find however is that there are a lot more roster spots in the north. Texas rosters are coveted nation wide. Conversely, I believe a Texas ballplayer can sometimes find a home outside the state easier than in-state. There is one Dad who posts here from Texas whose son attends South Dakota State and is thriving there. Also, if you can make a skills video of his hitting, you could attach a link in any e-mail you send out.

First secure his education opportunity and then broaden your search. I am convinced there is a good home for him. Also, each time you speak to a coach or recruiter, ask if they are aware of any opportunites. One coach may like him but not have a need whereas he might be aware of someone else who might also have the need.

Where is his JUCO coach in all this---the majority of them really work hard for their kids to move on---is there something wrong with this picture>

quote:

Originally posted by TRhit:
Where is his JUCO coach in all this

Thanks to all for the guidance. We will definitely broaden the communication and work the video into emails...and several of the other ideas mentioned.

TRhit your question is valid; the coach asked for a list of preferences to be contacted. In the post season conversation this week he mentioned to my son he was going to keep trying. I believe he would be an advocate for my son based on his postive comments to me personally.

Thank You.

JUCO SOS,

Like ClevelandDad stated there are many schools out of state that covet players from Texas. My son goes to a great DII in Mississippi and there are many DII's in Arkansas, Alabama, Florida,as well as the surrounding southern states and smaller DI"s in Louisiana that welcome players from Texas as long as they can play. With what your son has accomplished it certainly appears he could help a team. Quickly expand your net and get some videos out there. Good luck!

I would have made the same comment that TR did. The JC coaches are usually the main path to baseball placement post JC. Sounds like maybe your son needs to have a bit more interaction with the coach to see how his preferences are matching up with the kind of responses the coach is getting. He may or may not need to adjust his preferences based on what the coach is finding out. Hard to tell though from just a few lines posted.

quote:

Originally posted by CADad:
Sounds like maybe your son needs to have a bit more interaction with the coach to see how his preferences are matching up with the kind of responses the coach is getting. He may or may not need to adjust his preferences based on what the coach is finding out. Hard to tell though from just a few lines posted.

All great advice and appreciated...I am going to have son follow with Coach to align preferences\findings. The coach seems not to do this well; in last 2 years only a few have moved on to 4 year; most of legwork\contact appears to have been completed by players\students.

Anyone know why coaches if not interested just don't respond this way? No reply at all seems odd?

Thanks to each for your kind responses and patience.

I believe that you have learned that you cannot count on your son's JUCO coach to help with "preferences\findings. It is too late to play that game again and come up empty.

Take this on yourself, with your son and cast a very wide net. If he wants to play, does it matter too much where the opportunity lies?

My son sent an introductory letter with information just like you have in your first entry, along with a YouTube video link to every NAIA and D2 school within 10 hours from our house. He received several offers including some from schools that never even had him work out for them. Some of these schools are very low on finances to recruit the way that they would like. They appreciate you reaching out to them.

SOS;
Here at SRJC the Coach places 6-8 player each year in 4 year programs. What summer team does your son play on? What is Juco D-3? Is your son a left handed hitter?

Ask the Summer team coach for recommendations.

Please research the placement records of players from the other schools in your son's conference and send letter to the colleges, who have selected players from the other teams in your league.

Bob Williams

quote:

Originally posted by Bob Williams:
SOS;
Here at SRJC the Coach places 6-8 player each year in 4 year programs. What summer team does your son play on? What is Juco D-3? Is your son a left handed hitter?

Son plays in DABA; a local Collegiate Wood Bat league, different team this summer but same league.

D3 is non-scholarship JUCO. His school did play non conference JUCO-D1 schedule with wins over Navarro, Hill, Grayson, Paris and Bossier-Parish.

Yes he is left handed hitter, right hand thrower. 13 players from last years conference champion (but they did win WS) went on to 4 year opportunities and we will definitely put these in our increasing net of coverage.

One lingering question and apologies but...anyone know if it is common to have 75+ emails simply unanswered?

quote:

Originally posted by JUCO SOS:
One lingering question and apologies but...anyone know if it is common to have 75+ emails simply unanswered?

Some of it maybe timing??? Another thing that comes into play are the needs of the schools you are trying to contact. Alot of coaches get a ton of e-mail, some are better at responding than others. Also, I would try e-mailing the recruiting coordinator, not the HC. They tend to be more "parent" friendly. I don't mean that in a bad way, they just have more time and patience for us.

Also, give them some tangibles, not just stats when you are making these cold contacts. Keeping working at it, you are on the right track.

Good luck! GED10DaD

SOS,

My son's freshman year at a NCAA DIII in Michigan didn't work out for him so we decided to transfer to either a JUCO or an NAIA. We set up a profile on a website, I'm not advertising it, it's xxrecruited.com. He got several offers for workouts from everything from DII NCAA to DIII JUCO's. We just got back from a 1 week trip to Illinois, Iowa, Minn, Wisc. and a JUCO in Michigan. He had 2 more workouts that we were going to do in Dayton at a DII JUCO and at Campbellsville Univ. in Kentucky next month. After our 3rd school, Waldorf NAIA in Iowa he had an offer. It looked real nice. We then went up to St Cloud, MN to watch a DIII Juco, Riverland, which is in Austin, MN., play in their state playoff for the world series. They went to Tyler, TX last year for the world series. The coach gave him a workout at a local HS during this weekend and offered him a roster spot immediatly. Granted, DIII so no money. But the team won and is going to Tyler again. The thing that impressed my son the most, was total team chemistry and a will to win instilled by the coaching staff. Great bunch. We ended up canceling the visit in Michigan and Wisconsin. We are just waiting for the LOI when they get back from Texas. He did get a LOI with a roster spot from Campbellsville in the mail also. We are just holding on to that until we get the LOI from Riverland. Definitely go outside Texas and find an opportunity. We just started looking at rosters to see which team was going to be needing his position.

JUCO SOS, you have gotten some excellent advice from many people on this thread.

Has your son contacted Hardin-Simmons University and McMurray in Abilene? Both have good D3 programs that are not out of reach for someone at a D3 JUCO.

By the way, a 2.7 GPA is nothing to be ashamed of. Believe me, many college baseball players do much worse!

Best wishes to your son as he strives to get to the next level!

Infield08,

Yes there has been excellent advice and we have acted on many of the recommendations. The response from schools has picked up a bit, that is encouraging. The response has been primarily that coaches need to have post season conversations and then they will know more about availability.

Yes on Hardin Simmons and McMurray; one of which may represent an opportunity.

2.7 is probably 2.6 higher than his Dad's

Thank You.

Another school he may consider is about ten miles from where I live. It's the University of Houston at Victoria (Texas) and they are just now coming home after advancing to the Regional tournament in Fresno California. They are a NAIA school that went 33-22 after a slow start. This is their second year to advance in their third year of existance. The school will be a four year school starting this fall and is renovating a motel into student dorms. They are coached by long time former Astro Terry Puhl who seems to really work well with hitters. He is also a very laid back type of coach who still manages to instill discipline. He was also team Canada's coach until this year. He seems to recruit from many different areas. I believe they are having an open tryout also when they get back but I don't know the exact date.