July 05 Phone Call

Not very many get offers on July 5. Especially with no preliminary contact.


Be happy he called. Have your son call back with a list of questions and let him know that you are indeed interested.

Billy, The recruiting game is crazy to say the least. Your son will probably get several schools that call. These coaches start to call and build relationships with many players. My '05 had a top choice that called on July 1 and called every week (with exception of two) until November. He never received an offer from them. We did know in early October that they weren't really serious about his position, apparently he was a backup in case the pitchers they were recruiting said no. He was an OF. My advice to you and your son is to remember not to count your chickens before they hatch. My son declined some visits and had very little interest in other schools because he really liked this particular coach and school. In the end, it worked out fine for us, but just a word of caution.

You should be doing the same thing the schools/coaches are doing - courting many of them!

Billy

You along with many, many others misunderstand the reason of the calls

Many times the call is to

Find out the players interest in the program
or
Just to talk with the player and let him know they are interested
or just to keep the players hopes up

Hey my son had a call on the 1st,they set a date for the visit with a school in texas, he was in NY, and then they offered money that was less than what it cost them for him to fly out and back

You go figure

Just to add to the above with another "go figure" example, my son received a tremendous amount of contact from a D-1 here in California that he was VERY interested in. Received enough mailings throughout his junior year from them to wallpaper his room. Was invited to and attended their Junior Day. Toward June of his junior year got a full page handwritten letter from the coach which included the comment that they couldn't wait to talk to him after July 1. Around mid-July came the call and a few weeks later a second call-both upbeat, positive and seemed like this was where he was going. Then - never heard from them again. "go figure"

Bottomline, you never know till the offer is presented what is going on. Keep the contacts going, keep positive-its very early still in the process. I might mention that my son ended up at a school that was nowhere on his radar or theirs (as far as we know) through most of, if not all of his junior year.

good luck and BTW, I responded to your pm.

heybatter, thanks, I just read your pm.

another thought, could the coach be "fishing" to see if other schools have contacted him?

Should my son ask questions like:
Are you interested in me but haven't made up your mind yet?

In other words should he ask pressing questions to determine their seriousness?

Should he be passive or overly aggressive when they call?

Billyjoe,
Before I found the HSBBW I read a book entitled
"Official Visit" by Ben Harrison. I think it was an excellent perspective of a parents view on recruiting. A must read. There is also good information to be found here on the main web site.
Don't try to read into the phone calls. I sort of think it is like starting a romance over teh phone. This is a period when a coach makes calls to try to get to know the player. It doesn't matter if you have never gotten a letter from them or not.
To understand the recruiting process, you need to understand about the A, B and C player. A player may be their #1 catcher (used as an example), the A player, but just in case he decides to go somewhere else they need to have alternatives (B & C). They may have seen your son play, they may have had a recommendation. And just like lafmom suggests, they need a back up.
Coaches don't just call and make offers. They might if they have been following a player for a year or two and have had correspondance. And remember the pecking order, pitchers, catchers come first.
Your son needs to take calls, concentrate and listen to what the coach says. For most, it is still the romance period, and he has to be patient. He (the coach) has until November for the early signing period and all of next spring if he needs more time to find the right player.
Take advantage of this time by getting to know their program, (if your son is interested) about the school where the coach is calling from, maybe key on an individaul player (for example, I am a big fan of so and so, who plays for XYZ MLB team, I see he went to your school) The more your son shows true interest, the more impressed they will be.
Good luck!

Nice post TPM, I read "Official Visit" and have spoken to Ben over the phone.

You are correct, it's a courting type of thing. But they are fishing too, trying to find out if other schools have you on the watch list.

CV

Welcome to the "ride".. TPM, very good post. Have never read the book but I'm sure it would be a good read. I look at the recruiting coaches as if they were gathering players into their corral knowing all along that only a few will be selected from the herd to sign the NLI. Billyjoe, your son isn't the only one in the corral. Let’s use TPM’s catchers (“A”, “B”, “C”) as an example. “A” has the most talent, “B” second, and “C” is third. Catcher “A” is in control but he is also in other college corrals too. Many colleges want catcher “A” so he may go elsewhere. Catcher “B” is in pretty good shape too but he needs to make sure he’s in other corrals too in case catcher “A” takes “his” scholarship. Catcher “C” is in a vulnerable position. It’s difficult with his talent for him to get into as many corrals. He’s at the mercy at “A” and “B”. He will probably not be offered much unless “A” and “B” both go elsewhere and that is not likely to happen if the coaching staff has done their homework. Coaches will recruit “A” heavily trying to get a commitment. They are also recruiting “B” but not as aggressively. They stay in touch with “C”. If “A” makes a verbal commitment to the coach, then the contact with “B” will drop to a minimum and will probably stop altogether with “C”.
I agree with TPM that it is a romancing period but understand that they are in love with “A”, wouldn’t mind being married to “B”, and sure hope they don’t get stuck with “C”. As a parent you need to know whether your son is an “A”, “B”, or “C”. Want to really complicate matters? When we start talking about “blue-chip” players, the “A” player may be a pitcher and the “B” player may be a catcher. A coach may only have two full scholarships to offer and he realizes he probably can’t sign an “A” pitcher, an “A” catcher, and an “A” outfielder plus recruit four or five other players to fill his roster with just two scholarships. Asking direct questions will help the parent and the player understand what’s going on. Don’t bow your head if you realize your son is a “C” at a particular college. If you (and he) are proactive he could be a “B” at another college and possible an “A”.
Is it necessary to understand everything about this confusing process? Of course not. Your son can be recruited, offered, and signed at a very good college with a very good scholarship without anyone having a clue as to what is happening. I also know players get burned. I do feel as if you can greatly improve your son’s odds of having a great college experience if you do understand the recruiting process.
Good luck,
Fungo

Now to confuse things even more, coach needs an A pitcher and an A catcher for his program but doesn't have enough money to entice them both to school (especially if he is an out of state player). So he decides to offer A Pitcher the scholarship, the offer is accepted and whamo...A Pitcher gets drafted and never shows up on campus! Taking "A" player also opens more opportunities for "C" players. Caoches know "C" might accept much less than the "B", so he is able to balance out his scholarship money.
Word of advice, don't ever ask if you are an A,B or C player!
I agree they are fishing, they already know the "A" player is on everyone's list, they need to find out more info for teh "B" and "C" player.
The value in showcases, is not only getting seen, but helps the player and parent to understand where he fits in, by comparing his talent with his peers. The wise parent and player have already set their expectations before July 1, will not be disappointed if they don't get the call they want, or surprised if they get a call they weren't expecting . I am not posting this to bust anyone's bubble, but to help parents to understand that it is a very complicated process. If you are prepared and educated for the "realities of recruiting", the process will be so much easier, with less stress and anticipation.
Fungo,
Are you still on that "stud" stuff with the mentioning of corrals?

No! I'm off the "stud" thing. I asked a young ball player what a stud was and he stuck out his tongue and showed me a ball bearing glued to his tongue... I'm confused!

Fungo,
Webster has no mention of such thing, I am confused also!

I need to learn the alphabet. I am confused, my son had me conviced that c's were better than a's.

quote:

Originally posted by Bighit15:
I need to learn the alphabet. I am confused, my son had me conviced that c's were better than a's.

The same, for some, applies in baseball.

I don't think I've seen this discussed: when the phone calls came in (there were just two of them on July 1, so far anyway), my son was at work. I told both coaches thank you, yada-yada, and that son was at work. They both predictably asked for his cell # and I told them he doesn't have/cannot afford a cell phone. Both were very cordial brief conversations, since I know they want to talk to him not me.

So, our predicament now is that my son has made daily efforts to return those calls, leaving a brief message each time, but of course he knows they're on the phone with other prospects and he has yet to get through to anyone.

I expect that when they call again (if they do) he'll again be at work.

Any advice or perspective? Mainly, want to make sure this isn't something to angst over too much.

~~~~~~

If they call back and he is not home, arrange a time that is best for them both to speak.
Don't worry, lots of time to go, they will get back to him.
It is a difficult time for them, showcases, tournaments and trying to get in phone calls.

ktcosmos ...

Even tho your son doesn't have a cell phone, the coaches may have cell phones that they are willing to let him call back on later in the day when they are out of the office. If that is combined with TPM's suggestion about setting up a time, it might be easier for your son to connect with the coaches.

Cosmos - I would follow FBM's advice. Almost all coaches are willing to give out their cell numbers for this very reason. Just explain to them the difficulty he's had and ask for their cells - they'll give them to you. Good luck with the road to college!

billyjoe;

Take a breath. It has only begun. As parent it will be extremely stressful for the next 6 to 9 months.

As far as you son, he should just keep on playing.

TPM,

You say "never ask if you're an "A, B or C" player. Let me ask this. What if the calling coaches starts to asking "What other schools have called?". What's the best approach? Should he be honest? Should he lie? Don't we want them to think he's being heavily recruited. After all this is a negotiating process between experienced professionals and no-experience kids/parents.

Fungo,
I believe the ride will be fun, because whatever the outcome or offer, the number-1 decision will be to go to the best-fit college for academic achievment and success regardless of whether baseball is in the picture.

billyjoe,
If they ask the question answer it honestly.
You would be surprised how many coaches already know the answer.
But don't ask, am I your first choice? And don't be offended if the coach tells you that they have another player in mind that plays the same position as your son.
They are experienced, but the more homework you do, the less games played.

BillyJoe, You should absolutely be honest about who has called your son or any other question posed. You don't have to volunteer any information, but if asked, tell the truth. I can guarantee you that most coaches already know the answers to the questions they ask you or they will find out. You will find it's a very small world in baseball land. Plus, you want respect and honesty on the flip side!

BillyJoe

I really cannot believe that you are asking if he should lie ????

quote:

So, our predicament now is that my son has made daily efforts to return those calls, leaving a brief message each time, but of course he knows they're on the phone with other prospects and he has yet to get through to anyone.

KT - Chances are the coaches aren't even on campus, July most coaches are on vacations with their families. Some may go into the office only once or twice a week during this time.. I know a few who told me they made their July calls from their beachside vacation spots.

Your son has left messages, have him call again and tell the coaches when its best for them to call him.

Also, always ask the coaches when your taking a call when son isn't home if there is a good time for him to return the call tonite, in the am, etc..

Most importantly, dont you or your son stress about this.. Its been said over and over that the right school find you and the player finds the right school.. There is a LONG time between July and when the player packs for college.. It can happen now or happen in 9 months, if its suppose to happen it will.

quote:

the number-1 decision will be to go to the best-fit college for academic achievment and success regardless of whether baseball is in the picture.

So if baseball isn't a factor in the selection process then don't allow it to be a factor.
Fungo

quote:

Originally posted by TRhit:
BillyJoe

I really cannot believe that you are asking if he should lie ????

I don't know myself what people do. I'm just asking a hypothetical to determine what most people do. I've read in another post that all players lie about their height, weight, speed, .etc and that the scouts know this. Why would I think all people are honest about this?

billyjoe,
Be honest and ENJOY!

Justmom,
Since changes have been made in Div 1 recruiting, most coaches use this time to travel back and forth across the country following the tournaments, showcases, etc.
They are also busy running camps.