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I was looking at the Recruiting Timeline here:  http://www.hsbaseballweb.com/recruiting_timeline.htm

And, in June/July of the Freshmen year, it recommends:

Attend a college baseball program's "week long" camp
This is the best way to "get noticed" by your favorite school. Many colleges sign players as a result of their attendance at the camps.

Is this the recommendation for every H.S. freshmen player?  Or, just those who are actually ready to showcase something?

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“Week long” camp?  Yikes, I know of some camps that are a couple, maybe three, days, but none that are a week long.  Much depends on the school camp you are attending.  Camp at Major D1 or even Mid D1, you’d better have something to show. Either that or, if it’s cost effective and has multiple schools attending, do it for the experience.

During Aug AFTER my sons (2018 RHP) freshman year (EDITED after I blew some cobwebs off my brain and realized I was off a year), he attended the PG Mid Atlantic Showcase, primarily because it was Local. He threw 86 and got some good attention.  The next weekend, he went to a one day local D1 college camp that had about 6 schools of varying classification attending.  From those two events and his travel coach, he garnered some interest from schools and teams to guest pitch at big tournaments.  It was those big tourneys and the PG Jr. Nationals the next year that he found out that the big fish in a small pond is actually a small fish in a huge pond!  Great lessons all around.

Ironically, the school he is now attending was not, to my knowledge, at either PG Showcase that my son attended, nor were they at either of the school camps he went to.

Last edited by FFXfireman

My 2018 attended a very cheap, local, one-day camp the summer after his freshman year. It was his first.

It cost $100, and he didn't have a ton to show, but he learned how the campus worked and was told by one of the D3 coaches there that his best baseball was in front of him (I was never sure if that was a compliment or not). The experience was worth the money we paid, so you might look for something along those lines.

PABaseball posted:

I'm not sure how old that timeline is. Things have really changed in the past 3-4 years especially. 10 years ago a rising sophomore committing to a school would have been considered a prank, now it happens regularly. 

Hold off on the camps until you're personally invited to one by a coach. 

Agree with this point.  My '22 is going to hit the camp of the one school that did extend a personal invite.  The costs associated with a camp can be significant when one factors in travel (we're in San Diego and my son is determined to go to school outside of SoCal).  

GaryMe posted:

I know we all have superstar athletes here, but for the 2021-2023 parents who are getting camp invitations and they are wondering if they are personal, if there is a “click here to unsubscribe” link, it’s likely not personal. Just beware.

Important point - we've recently learned how to distinguish between invites.  

I disagree you should only go to camps if invited.  As I’ve chronicled here I the past:

  • 2019 RHP did very little travel ball/showcases during HS years
  • We mapped out which schools were good targets academically athletically - NESCAC and mid-major D1
  • We went to their camps, preceded with an email introduction,  not an invite from a coach
  • At said camps, coaches were interested and followed up by attending some of his travel games
  • Received multiple offers (6) and turned down additional UV after accepting 
  • Accepted school was original top target and we attended 3 camps over a 2 year period

I will add, the only camp we attended after a personal invite, after the above steps were followed, did not result in an offer.  That one still baffles/upsets me to this day, as he was the first first pitcher on the bump and K’d the first 6 batters and retired all 8 batters.  Crickets...

Last edited by CTbballDad
CTbballDad posted:

I disagree you should only go to camps if invited.  As I’ve chronicled here I the past:

  • 2019 RHP did very little travel ball/showcases during HS years
  • We mapped out which schools were good targets academically athletically - NESCAC and mid-major D1
  • We went to their camps, preceded with an email introduction,  not an invite from a coach
  • At said camps, coaches were interested and followed up by attending some of his travel games
  • Received multiple offers (6) and turned down additional UV after accepting 
  • Accepted school was original top target and we attended 3 camps over a 2 year period

I will add, the only camp we attended after a personal invite, after the above steps were followed, did not result in an offer.  That one still baffles/upsets me to this day, as he was the first first pitcher on the bump and K’d the first 6 batters and retired all 8 batters.  Crickets...

I understand what you're saying, but NESCAC/lower level D1 is going to be a lot different than most camps. At those levels there is a very small recruiting budget, on top of the fact that most of the kids they would like to recruit have no chance of getting into the school. Camps for schools like these are very important - they need players to come to them. So when they hold a camp, they need to pay attention and be on the lookout for these kids because if they're there, they're likely a fit for admissions as well. 

When it comes to lets say a "mid major" like Coastal Carolina. They're seeking out the players they want, not waiting for them to show up at a camp with 200 other kids. The coaches don't need to pay attention because there is a list with 65 players they're actively recruiting already. Unless one of the 65 is at the camp, you really have to wow them. 

2019 went to a camp cold (no contact) after receiving a bunch of spam emails. This is a school well within his playing range and a step down from where he is committed now. Hit 91 for the first time and struck out 5 of 6 batters. Not a word, not even a reply email. They only have 5 commits for 2019 class as of now with the best pitcher topping at 87. Still got the email for the fall camp in October. 

Coach_TV posted:
PABaseball posted:

Hold off on the camps until you're personally invited to one by a coach. 

Would you consider robo/form emails as a personal invite?  Or is that just a money grab?

Money grab. If you're interested in D1 schools, I would not bother with camps unless it was implied an offer was coming. Or it is inexpensive ($100 or less) and close to home. Most D2s and D3 are a bit different. 

 

Any email saying "come to our camp we want to see you play" = come to our camp and if you throw 90 or hit 400 ft bombs we'll consider. If they were interested they'd have your schedule by then and they could come see you. No need to fork over $300 + travel/lodging when they have the resources. 

PABaseball posted:
CTbballDad posted:

I disagree you should only go to camps if invited.  As I’ve chronicled here I the past:

  • 2019 RHP did very little travel ball/showcases during HS years
  • We mapped out which schools were good targets academically athletically - NESCAC and mid-major D1
  • We went to their camps, preceded with an email introduction,  not an invite from a coach
  • At said camps, coaches were interested and followed up by attending some of his travel games
  • Received multiple offers (6) and turned down additional UV after accepting 
  • Accepted school was original top target and we attended 3 camps over a 2 year period

I will add, the only camp we attended after a personal invite, after the above steps were followed, did not result in an offer.  That one still baffles/upsets me to this day, as he was the first first pitcher on the bump and K’d the first 6 batters and retired all 8 batters.  Crickets...

I understand what you're saying, but NESCAC/lower level D1 is going to be a lot different than most camps. At those levels there is a very small recruiting budget, on top of the fact that most of the kids they would like to recruit have no chance of getting into the school. Camps for schools like these are very important - they need players to come to them. So when they hold a camp, they need to pay attention and be on the lookout for these kids because if they're there, they're likely a fit for admissions as well. 

When it comes to lets say a "mid major" like Coastal Carolina. They're seeking out the players they want, not waiting for them to show up at a camp with 200 other kids. The coaches don't need to pay attention because there is a list with 65 players they're actively recruiting already. Unless one of the 65 is at the camp, you really have to wow them. 

2019 went to a camp cold (no contact) after receiving a bunch of spam emails. This is a school well within his playing range and a step down from where he is committed now. Hit 91 for the first time and struck out 5 of 6 batters. Not a word, not even a reply email. They only have 5 commits for 2019 class as of now with the best pitcher topping at 87. Still got the email for the fall camp in October. 

I agree and that context is important for those learning the process.  Therefore, blanket statements that camps are a waste of time and money are misleading.

We targeted Patriot and NESCAC for reasons beyond baseball, and many are in the same boat.  That's why I believe mapping out a plan of what schools "fit" is the #1 step parents and the student athlete should consider. 

Some parents/athletes have dreams of playing professionally, while others want to continue playing competitively, with a focus on the degree.  That's why the approaches can/should differ, based on those objectives.  For example, if you're not a pro/P5 prospect, PG or national travel teams is a waste of time and money.  Be realistic where you fit and target those schools.

PABaseball posted:
CTbballDad posted:

I disagree you should only go to camps if invited.  As I’ve chronicled here I the past:

  • 2019 RHP did very little travel ball/showcases during HS years
  • We mapped out which schools were good targets academically athletically - NESCAC and mid-major D1
  • We went to their camps, preceded with an email introduction,  not an invite from a coach
  • At said camps, coaches were interested and followed up by attending some of his travel games
  • Received multiple offers (6) and turned down additional UV after accepting 
  • Accepted school was original top target and we attended 3 camps over a 2 year period

I will add, the only camp we attended after a personal invite, after the above steps were followed, did not result in an offer.  That one still baffles/upsets me to this day, as he was the first first pitcher on the bump and K’d the first 6 batters and retired all 8 batters.  Crickets...

When it comes to lets say a "mid major" like Coastal Carolina. They're seeking out the players they want, not waiting for them to show up at a camp with 200 other kids. The coaches don't need to pay attention because there is a list with 65 players they're actively recruiting already. Unless one of the 65 is at the camp, you really have to wow them. 

I completely disagree with what you are saying about Coastal Carolina. Based on our experience, the coaching staff is actively looking for players at their camps. I would not however recommend going to ANY camp with more than 75 or so attendees. 

In the case of CCU, if it is one of their larger camps, they will group the players they want to see together. For example, if there is game play, they hand pick the “teams” and hitter/pitcher matchups. CCU staff know what they are looking for and how to find it. And camps do have an important role there. 

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