Parent Assistance Site

Only angry, immature people will make public, negative comments about coaches and colleges. Another aspect is you have to know each players personal situation to understand why they feel as they do.

When my son was fourteen I started attending college games. I chatted up parents. I asked questions. I was given a lot of information without asking. Then you have to make an assessment on the person you're speaking with to place a value on the information.

Yeah, I get that a lot of people that would post would be upset for different reasons. And I get that most probably think their kid should play SS and lead off.  But, it'd be nice to have something legit.  Some players/parents that would like to basically warn others about their experiences.

I think this site is as good as it gets online for that kind of information (and remember you have the option of private messages).  You may not agree with some of the takes you'll get (that's to be expected), but you can tap a wealth of experience here. 

@JusticeSAlleck posted:

Yeah, I get that a lot of people that would post would be upset for different reasons. And I get that most probably think their kid should play SS and lead off.  But, it'd be nice to have something legit.  Some players/parents that would like to basically warn others about their experiences.

There is no "yelp" for college baseball because 15 of the 35 players like the coach because they are in the lineup and finding the field.  The other 20 players that don't travel or sit the bench...not so much.   There is no holy grail, or one source of the truth about coaches.   I would say there are style "preferences".  My oldest son like "logical discussions" with his coaches.   My youngest son wasn't like that.   He needed a Coach that yelled and told him what to do.  It's less about the coach, and more about the players preference in my opinion.   

If you stick around here long enough and begin asking the right questions the chances are pretty good that you'll begin a private dialogue with people in the know.   The private message function is a drop down underneath your screen name.  When I first started posting here many moons ago, I had struck up a relationship with a HSBBWeb old timer who shared with me his college baseball recruiting experiences for someone interested in an engineering major.  Low and behold his son played for a school that was recruiting my son.   I got a treasure trove of insights, answers and extremely valuable advice about college baseball and engineering.  Now, I'm the old timer.

Networking here and elsewhere is your best bet to get the information you are looking for.   Good luck!

If you remain reasonably anonymous on the site, you can pose questions about programs and usually get some feedback that is helpful.  You will occasionally get some more direct feedback that may turn into a PM discussion.  If you can get comfortable with the other party (i.e. check out their history with this site), then you can have a more frank discussion.  Most, if not all, of the more senior members here are pretty straight shooters and probably your best bet to get any real information that you can act upon.

Essentially that is exactly what HSBBW is : A Parent Assistance Site. Posting on here asking that question is akin to going to the College Baseball Insights website and asking where data can be found.

Most people won’t say names publicly but will answer dm. I’ve asked and been asked about schools and most people are honest and helpful.

Infamous thread in 2017, which led to references to Yelp and ratemycoach.com at this point:

https://community.hsbaseballwe...93#44938423143173693

@JusticeSAlleck posted:

Is there a legitimate site for parents or players to go to, to find out about a college team and/or coach?  We all know that most coaches are great during the recruiting process, but often times things are different once the player is on campus. I'd be interested in knowing about certain schools, their coaches, how many players are recruited, how many actually play, etc...I know it's difficult due to a lot of players/parents that are upset with how things went with their kids, but it'd be nice to sort of have a "Yelp" for colleges.

That's not going to happen, but it is an issue. I'd suggest this, narrow down your list of schools to 3-5, then look at rosters over a couple of years and try to find players on Facebook etc and contact them through messenger or DM. It should be a mix of players who flourished there and ones who transferred out. And remember, don't ask just about the HC, ask about assistant coaches also.

We did our due diligence looking for a school. Came here, also other sites. Thought we were prepared to make a well thought out decision. Picked a school and it was a disaster, but not because of the HC, it was the PC (kid went as a two way). Heard the saying "blood is thicker than water?" It applies to coaches also. HC isn't going to take your kids side over an assistant. And before the "one of those parents" comments start, the kid is playing for a hardnosed, "deal with it" coach now and thriving.

I don't think there is.....most people (especially parents of current players) aren't going to answer those types of questions due to not wanting to jeopardize their son's situation if someone would figure out who they were.   DM's here are fine.  My son has been out of school 4 years.   I'll answer anything....and give you names of schools/coaches that I'm familiar with if I can help.   I think you'll find a lot of others here will do the same. 

Fenway has it right.  We love ours but I’m not going on that site.  Don’t need to.  But the pitchers who have left would.  

@Buckeye 2015 posted:

I'll answer anything....and give you names of schools/coaches that I'm familiar with if I can help.   I think you'll find a lot of others here will do the same.

I have had many pms over the years from parents and always happy to help answer questions but I don't call out coaches to those being recruited by them but would recommend some that I know.

The best way to get this info is talking to parents of kids who are on the team or played on the team recently. During visits my son spent time talking with the players and I spent time talking to other parents. Lots of good info. One team a couple parents had kids that barely saw the field but still raved about their experience. Another school the parents ripped the program and the coaches.. and these were kids that were playing! You need to listen carefully to what they are saying. Some may not want to trash the coach but have a way of warning you.

I was also able to get a ton of great info through the process from parents here. I don't think there was a single school my son was interested in where I wasn't able to get info from a parent here.

This site has been tremendously helpful. The Private Message function has opened up so many great discussions for me personally and all my questions. The veteran posters here are fantastic

To the OP: I've been through the D3 recruiting grind with three boys ('17, '19, '22) and wanted the same information you're seeking. Wiser heads than mine on this site helped me figure things out via DMs or phone calls.  So I have to echo others' thoughts on how to find this info.  

For entertainment purposes only: Here's a thread about the former Amherst coach that's roughly contemporary to the one about the Tufts coach linked above. Worth a (re-) read.

https://community.hsbaseballwe...opic/amherst-college

As you may know, both of these head coaches are no longer at these schools. The Tufts coach retired in 2021, and the Amherst coach went on to Eastern Conn in 2019,  won the D3 nat'l championship there last year, and is now the head coach at Yale.

@JusticeSAlleck posted:

Is there a legitimate site for parents or players to go to, to find out about a college team and/or coach?  We all know that most coaches are great during the recruiting process, but often times things are different once the player is on campus. I'd be interested in knowing about certain schools, their coaches, how many players are recruited, how many actually play, etc...I know it's difficult due to a lot of players/parents that are upset with how things went with their kids, but it'd be nice to sort of have a "Yelp" for colleges.

Trust no one.

Best advice I would offer anyone now is to play a mind game with yourself. When checking out the school/program/coach that you are really interested in, put yourself in the mindset of "This would be a terrible choice and now my job is to watch and listen and find six reasons to support what I believe." You will be surprised how much you can learn if you're willing to not put yourself in a position of hearing and seeing what you want to hear and see just to valid your interest in the school.

Not to step on anyone's toes but the number one thing required for finding the right place for your son to play is, to be honest about his abilities.  My child had a couple of P5 schools recruit her.  She was very good but not that good.  She knew that as well as held other criteria high on her list of requirements.  She/we found the right fit.  Good luck.

@CoachB25 posted:

Not to step on anyone's toes but the number one thing required for finding the right place for your son to play is, to be honest about his abilities.  My child had a couple of P5 schools recruit her.  She was very good but not that good.  She knew that as well as held other criteria high on her list of requirements.  She/we found the right fit.  Good luck.

BINGO!

@CoachB25 posted:

Not to step on anyone's toes but the number one thing required for finding the right place for your son to play is, to be honest about his abilities.  My child had a couple of P5 schools recruit her.  She was very good but not that good.  She knew that as well as held other criteria high on her list of requirements.  She/we found the right fit.  Good luck.

There is more to it than that but yes that is important. Beyond that, there are still a ton of factors that can come into play.

I agree with CoachB25.  Find the level first and then the school and then the coach.  If you are at the right level, and this is not just P5, D1, D2, D3, NAIA, or JUCO but within the level there are levels.  Son could not have played at Vandy at the time he committed but UT was not at that level.  He found the right level for him, the right school, and the right coaches.  Now, he could play at any school in the nation because he also found his niche and his niche is perfect for him.  Many or maybe most could not do what he does but it works for him.  He has learned how to live in his world.  I don't know if it translates to the next level but I hope someone gives him a chance to find out.

@Francis7 posted:

Trust no one.

Best advice I would offer anyone now is to play a mind game with yourself. When checking out the school/program/coach that you are really interested in, put yourself in the mindset of "This would be a terrible choice and now my job is to watch and listen and find six reasons to support what I believe." You will be surprised how much you can learn if you're willing to not put yourself in a position of hearing and seeing what you want to hear and see just to valid your interest in the school.

It's one thing to go in and look past all the fluff. It's another to actively look for reasons that create problems. I would imagine you can go on a tour of any school and find six reasons why you might not like it.

I think what happened with your son was unfortunate. I'm sure had he not been injured he likely would have been having a very nice freshman season and you may be looking at things differently.

When my son started getting his first recruiting contacts (both in the same league and close to us).  I went to a game between what were at the time 2 of the top teams in the league.  I did it on a Sunday and didn't tell my son I was going.   I wanted to see if I thought he could compete at that level.  We had been around high level travel ball for 10 years and I had run a 15/16 team with multiple D1/D2 athletes so I felt like I was a pretty good judge of his ability.  The game ended up 13-12 or something crazy like that.  I didn't see anything to make me think my son couldn't play at that level.  When I got home I told my son about it and that I thought he would be fine at that level.  Funny thing is he ended up committing to one of those schools.  At the time I went to see the game he hadn't had any contact with them.  

If you don't feel like you're capable of watching a game and deciding if that level is a "fit" for your son find someone who is a "baseball guy" that you can trust to be honest with you and knows your son's abilities and ask him.    The thing is that college coaches normally don't recruit kids as a "project" unless they are looking at someone really young.  If you're a sophomore or junior in HS and get a call from a coach, it's a pretty safe bet that they feel like your son is ready for that level

@Francis7 posted:

Trust no one.

Best advice I would offer anyone now is to play a mind game with yourself. When checking out the school/program/coach that you are really interested in, put yourself in the mindset of "This would be a terrible choice and now my job is to watch and listen and find six reasons to support what I believe." You will be surprised how much you can learn if you're willing to not put yourself in a position of hearing and seeing what you want to hear and see just to valid your interest in the school.

I completely disagree with this. It’s too negative. Know what level of the skill set the player fits. Then look for schools at that level that fit baseball wise, academically, financially, socially and culturally. Look at the positives and negatives. But, don’t dwell on the negatives. Ask yourself if you can deal with or overcome the negatives.

We (son, travel coach and I) didn’t see him walking into a ranked program. We saw him as the next level down. We looked for up and coming programs. He walked into a situation where the program stepped up to ranked while he was there.

At each program there are probably 6-8 studs who are going to start. There are 6-8 players who will be fortunate to stick with the program more than two years. Half or more  (my son) are in the middle. Success or failure is most likely to come down to mental toughness. Everyone is talented. But, can they stay mentally and physically prepared for opportunity when it arises? Sometimes, there’s just bad luck (injuries, too much talent at your position).

I taught my kids something a Vice President of Sales taught me … own it. If things don’t go right don’t look for places to fit the blame. Ask yourself, “What did I learn from the experience? What can I do better next time.”

We did a lot of this research ourselves. We went to games as paying spectators, not recruits, to see what that looked like, including going to away games for some teams. We developed a great network of people who knew programs that we could call and the question wasn't is this coach a good guy or will he start my son — the question was, can son learn from this coach? Can he compete at this level? What are the negatives we should look out for? After he committed, I spent hours on the phone with other parents, finding out what we should be prepared for.

Son went to college, graduated, and while I don't think he loved every aspect of his choice, I think he was well prepared for what he was going to like, and what he was going to struggle with, and he had tools to handle that.

@Iowamom23 posted:

We did a lot of this research ourselves. We went to games as paying spectators, not recruits, to see what that looked like, including going to away games for some teams. We developed a great network of people who knew programs that we could call and the question wasn't is this coach a good guy or will he start my son — the question was, can son learn from this coach? Can he compete at this level? What are the negatives we should look out for? After he committed, I spent hours on the phone with other parents, finding out what we should be prepared for.

Son went to college, graduated, and while I don't think he loved every aspect of his choice, I think he was well prepared for what he was going to like, and what he was going to struggle with, and he had tools to handle that.

This!!!!  My son was 5 or so years older than yours.   I remember you coming here when your son was in HS....and followed your son's journey.   Your post may be the best one ever on this site!!!