NCSA and other recruiting services

There has been much written on these boards about NCSA and other recruiting 'services.' Do a search and you should be able to learn quite a bit. Personally, I'm not a fan at all of them, but some others have said good things about them.

Rick,1st off welcome to the HSBBW! Over the course of time which I have been a member on this board this subject has been debated quite a bit. General concensus is that with the help of fellow HSBBW posters, most believe that recruiting services are not needed. There is alot of wisdom on this board by hundreds if not thousands that have already been thru the process. One of the biggest thing you can do is to look at the recruiting timeline and make sure that you are on schedule,That can be found by going to the far left of the page and a drop box will appear.You can also use the search function at the top of the page.Lots of info on this board regarding your question. Good Luck

Every student/athlete situation is different and unique. What is 'right' for one player and his family is not for another.

Personally, there is much to be gained by simply reading the threads on this site. Some very experienced voices offering up advice for free. I would follow 06CD's recommendation and do your search and learn all you can before investing in a recruiting service. If nothing else, you will be a more informed player/parent when you if/when you do decide to utilize these services.

Good luck....and welcome to the HSBBWeb!

Some of these recruiting services might be of some help to student athletes marketing your athletic abilities. But the best company that you could get to market you is YOU.

While they might be of assistance you need to take ownership of your own future (I'm not sure if your the athlete or the parent). Make a list of all the schools your interested in on all levels D1 - JUCO and NAIA. Don't get caught up in D1 tunnel vision. Take a look at all the rounds of last years draft and see what schools the players come from. I bet you have never even heard of a good percentage of them. If you have baseball talent the MLB scouts will find you. Go to the school that is a fit for you education wise first and Baseball second.

Come up with a strong introduction letter and send them out to all the schools your interested in and follow up with a phone call to the recruiting coordinator at each school and keep after them.

If you are going to spend Good Money on a recruiting service, I wouldn't go anywhere but with the Baseball Factory or Perfect Game, both have a proven track record. They both will give you a honest evaluation on you abilities.

I also would get started going to showcases and camps of the schools that your interested in No Later than sophomore year.

I am of the belief that there is nothing a recruiting service can do, that you can't do for yourself. Much of the decision should be based in personal budget and time management. Remember that baseball scholarships are rarely full rides, therefore the money invested is not always shown a good return.

JMHO

quote:

Originally posted by BBFDad2010:

If you are going to spend Good Money on a recruiting service, I wouldn't go anywhere but with the Baseball Factory or Perfect Game, both have a proven track record. They both will give you a honest evaluation on you abilities.

Just to be clear, those organizations are not recruiting services, they are showcase and evaluation events. There is a HUGE difference between the two.

Hey Rick! Welcome aboard! I sent you a PM.

I'm with bbfdad2010,

And firmly believe the personal touch is best.

I think the coaches and If I were hiring an employee, would want to know how interested the prospect is in MY SCHOOL/BUSINESS.

And that can only be done with a little research and the old personal touch.

Yes it takes time, but remember you are promoting only ONE person that class year and at one position (your child). Just think how many services are promoting many players of that class year and position to a school. Your player is not an exclusive mailing.

More later, good luck.

Oh yes, forgot to mention there are very reasonable on line services to host your childs online website with bio, video , and schedules all for $100 max.

We signed up with NCSA. Big waste of money in my opinion. We had to do everything. Sure they sent my Sons info out to a bunch of schools and he got a lot of mail but that was it. The schools he was truly interested in we made the contact. By going to camps, writing letters or making calls to coaches or by making contact with coaches at events my son played in during the summer. The money would have been better spent going to a Perfect Game event. Son is just starting his Sophomore year at Mid Major D-1 that wasn't even contacted by NCSA. It's a great fit for him. Started 52 out of 56 games as a freshman on a up and coming team.

Great responses, thanks. We have decided against using the recruiting services. We have made a list of schools and are now in the process of making contact with coaches via phone, e-mail and letters. We are also attending as many school specific showcases as possible so they can see him in person instead of a video. The next several consecutive weekends we'll be on the road.

hey williekc what school is your son in?

Regarding recruiting services, I agree with earlier comments that each family and each situation is different. I can tell you from my experience on campus (D-I institutions, so it might be a different story at D-II, D-III or NAIA), that the athletic resumes that were sent to the athletic department via the fax machine, or in a large envelope containing 12-15 resumes, usually ended up in the trash can in the mail room.

With that said, I would advise that if a family does choose to use a recruiting service, they should inquire how contacts are made with coaches. Are they personal contacts where a relationship has been established and the service can speak directly to the coach about the prospect, or do they simply send out athletic resumes at random?

Also, they should supplement your own personal efforts in contacting coaches directly. Most coaches appreciate the direct contact and personal touch.