My son's select team is planning to play in the Perfect Game National Championship in Atlanta in July 2016. It's a big tournament, from what I hear - but our select coach says it will be worthwhile. My 2017 son is targeting highly academic schools -- will this nine day trip be a good use of his time this summer? Thanks.
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Quite a few Ivy and Patriot League coaches should be there (maybe all). Not sure about HA D3. If your son loves baseball, he'll probably love the trip. Not knowing anything about your son's skill level, I will play the odds and say the trip will not lead directly to being recruited. However, for most kids it's part of the process... especially for his summer after junior year. Go.
Thanks very much. I really appreciate the input.
I know Harvard and Dartmouth were there last year but doubtful that many D3's are there. For me, it was part of the process for my son and great competition. I know he loves that trip and tournament. Good luck going forward.
2016s team played that tournament the summer after Junior year and it was a great experience. They played against some of the best teams/players in the country and I know both he and I will never forget it - but from a recruiting standpoint it wasn't great for him. We saw tons of schools but they were mostly D1s - some of them academic D1s but I don't remember seeing any high academic D3 schools there.
I agree that he should go no matter what. Great competition, and a great atmosphere with lots coaches. However, if he is laser focused on Ivy, NESCAC, Patriot, etc. and other high academics, you should definitely take him to HeadFirst and/or Stanford Camps. Just search for each on this site and you will learn all you need to know. Between the two, I assure you that every Ivy will be there. Not all go to both, but most do.
We (PG) actually take great pride in the number of those that attended PG events that go on to Ivy League programs as well as all other DI conferences.
In fact, we have more Ivy League rostered players than any other organization, by far!
Nothing against any other organization, just that for some reason people seem to think PG only involves the very highest level. Truth is, PG has more players at every level than any other organization. I think people see the number of ML players and the rankings and assume that is all we do. BTW, there are many DIII colleges that attend the tournaments in Georgia.
The problem with putting out a list of those that plan to attend is we never know for sure. Unlike many others that pay coaches to be there, usually assistant coaches or grad assistants that aren't very involved in recruiting, college coaches have to pay us to get in, just like everyone else. Because of that it is difficult to know who is there. Of course, there are certain PG events that are geared towards the very highest level. At those events, pretty much everyone is a DI or draft prospect. But those are not the majority of PG events.
Once again, I have heard good things about the Stanford Camp and HeadFirst. I am not going to say anything bad about any organization. It just irritates me when people don't know the truth. That those same DIII colleges attend PG events or subscribe to the PG scouting service which they use for recruiting purposes. The Military Academies and Ivy League colleges figured it out many years ago.
The thing I can't figure out, knowing several of the "high" academic schools mentioned most often, is this... If someone has the necessary academic qualifications, and the financial ability, and is a decent baseball player, they don't have to attend any event including ours. Simply contact the school and there will be interest. Someone, please try this and find out for yourself. Now, playing time or maybe even roster spot could become a problem. So there is that advantage in attending an event where someone can see you display ability. But my guess is that every player with outstanding grades will be shown interest no matter how skilled they might be. Obviously the above isn't true for every program, there are DIII programs that look for nothing but the best possible players. And some colleges have no problem with enrollment while others require near impossible academic records. The reason I know this is because I spent many years coaching and recruiting at the small college level.
Nothing I have said here means these camps or showcase events (including ours) aren't worthwhile. Obviously they can open some doors and have done that for many, so they can be very worthwhile. However when I see someone being elated about visiting colleges that have shown interest and I know those colleges, sorry I just have to laugh. Ever think that every single kid gets interest from some of those colleges?
The big difference... Most all schools that offer baseball scholarships, DI, DII, Juco, and some NAIA, actually lose money with their baseball programs. This is why we see colleges dropping baseball programs! Most all DIII programs actually use baseball to bring in money. That money involves enrollment (tuition and other costs).
So in the end we see the scholarship schools dropping baseball because they can't produce enough revenue.
Anyway, I love small college baseball, it is in my blood. I love everything about it! Many say there is a college out there for nearly everyone that plays. Actually that is true! The college is there that will want you, but it doesn't mean you will be playing baseball at that college. Because most coaches want the best possible player he can get rather than the best possible student who can't play. And there is nothing wrong with that process. Many end up giving up baseball and receive a great education.
If I haven't already said it, there are some outstanding DIII baseball programs that operate differently. Some of these colleges operate similar to DI programs and can compete with most any level college. That includes the way they recruit.
BucsFan posted:I agree that he should go no matter what. Great competition, and a great atmosphere with lots coaches. However, if he is laser focused on Ivy, NESCAC, Patriot, etc. and other high academics, you should definitely take him to HeadFirst and/or Stanford Camps. Just search for each on this site and you will learn all you need to know. Between the two, I assure you that every Ivy will be there. Not all go to both, but most do.
Totally agree with BucsFan. In fact, I would also suggest that IF your son can get interest from traditional D1 level teams at PG (and he has the academics to back it up) that recruitment can happen more easily from the Ivys and Patriot schools with the right approach and communication. "One event does not a recruiting strategy make"....channeling my inner Yoda. Cast a wide net, go to variety of events to be seen by many schools in a variety of settings.
Good luck.
In addition to recruiting, this summer is about my son having fun and enjoying baseball with his teammates. Sounds like PG in Georgia will be a great fit for both of those things. Thanks to the voices of experience who generously shared their knowledge here.
I would suggest getting in touch with some of the colleges your son is interested in and ask them if they are going to be at the PG in Georgia. Let them know a little about his academics and his baseball. If they are going to be there, let them know that you will send them your son's schedule as soon as it comes out. This is a HUGE tournament played at MANY locations. The chances of your son playing in front of the schools he is interested in are pretty slim. Probably better now that PG has all the fields in Emerson, but still kind of a crap shoot. Do what you can to get in touch with these High Academic schools ahead of time to let them know you are interested and make them aware of when and where your son is playing. Also, have his travel team coach contact them as well.
High Academic schools are generally a different breed, as PGStaff has stated. Their job is harder because they have to ferret out the kids with very high grades and that is a much smaller pool than normal. If they know your son has the grades AND that he is a good ballplayer, it will help them narrow down who they are going to go and watch.
A little pre-tournament homework is a good thing.
OP, you will be happy he went to the PG event. While there may not be every D3 school in attendance, there will be some. I saw a lot of Ivies there last year. Also, getting him out there being seen, networking with coaches and if he has the grades he will get interest I promise. Take the advice you can get from FenwaySouth he helped me get my 2016 into Tufts.
Hello Peace&Love&Baseball (PLB)...The Atlanta PG event is great, very competitive, great teams and a great venue to be seen...if whoever is to see you already knows about you...there are a lot of teams and games are played in many locations. Therefore, the coaches that go to the PG event have pretty much a schedule already made of who they want to see in game action and where they are playing. This is basically what happened to my son in summer 2014 (he was a 2015).
Now, to the point on how to get in the coaches list that your son is interested...Suggestion, I would very strongly suggest that your son attend the PG Academic showcase. There are many high academic coaches there and they know that the attendees are good students (at least) although do not know the "good" extent, but will ask if your son catches their attention. Prior to attending, PLB-jr can email the RC or HC of his interested schools to send them info (if not sent already) and to notify them that he will be there at the showcase so that perhaps he can be in their list to checkout. As mentioned by other very knowledgeable people in this blog, Headfirst and Stanford are also excellent, but my son did not attend those. After the PG Academic, we had ten D1 academic schools from that showcase that were interested in him, so the exposure there is pretty good.
The important thing is to get in the coaches' radar so that they can look for PLB-jr when he is in action in tournament games (e.g. Atlanta) where they will go to check him out; that's what they did with my son. And funny thing is (it happened to son) that if, for example an Ivy school, is interested in your son, somehow others in the league will also become interested simply because the coach is checking your son out.
One last suggestion is that for purposes of providing information to coaches, your son can build a website where all his information is available, videos showing his performances, 60s time, showcase clips (can embed from PG), his beginnings, schedule (schools and summer travel), what he is like in school, what he wants to study, his grades, SAT, interests, and other information. This is a great tool for providing information, simple PLB-jr can send his url address (e.g. PLB-jr.com) with all his info.
You will hear a lot more suggestions from much more knowledgeable people here on how to get to high academic schools, experts like Fenway, Goosegg, Lefty, and others.
Best of luck.
First - I totally think your son should attend PG in GA. As I said in my first post, I thought it was an incredible event and it was eye opening for both me and my 2016. His team played a team from Oklahoma where most of the players were 2015 D1 commits, one of the Evoshield Canes teams where I think they were all D1 commits and a team from Mich with about 8-9 2016 early commits. Pre-tournament I looked at the rosters of the teams they were playing and thought "I hope he doesn't pitch against the team from Mich" as it looked like every player was 6'3", 215lbs and up. Sure enough he started the game against the Mich team with coaches from UVA, Duke, FSU, MD, etc, etc behind the backstop. A 2016 player hit a HR off him that game that was probably the highest and longest hit ball I've ever seen in person. A year and I half later I could sit here and write out details from those games. We were disappointed when his team decided not to go back this past summer.
Now - from a recruiting standpoint it was most likely not the best event for him. Were there schools at that event that would have been a good fit for him. Absolutely. Did we see them there - I'm not sure but mostly likely not. Since this is a tournament and not a "showcase" the scouts are scattered across lots and lots of baseball games. All going on at the same time. As other have already mentioned you'll need to do a lot of work to make sure your son is seen by the coaches he wants to be seen by. He'd need to be on their radar ahead of time and/or luck out and have them there because they were at the game to see someone from the other team or if at the main facility - were at the field next to you and wandered over.
In contrast to "camps" or "showcases" like HF or Stanford (or even the PG academic showcase that 4bases mentioned) - you know that the coaches will be there (there will be a list) and you know that the odds are much more in your favor that with the correct contact prior to the event and onsite (in the case of HF) you can have meaningful dialogue (your son) with that coach and hopefully get them to watch your game.
Great thread. For those that have not had an opportunity to attend a PG event, especially one as strong as the natl championship, I would recommend the investment highly, on many levels. This event is one of the best-run, most widely-scouted, and capably-officiated of any in the nation. the facilities are outstanding, even off-LakePoint.
My son plays with a club that plays each year, as well as in the fall, and one of the things about the club is that it is deep and broad in the college prospects, with some at a high D1 level, some DIII, some juco, etc. This event can serve the interests of them all if you plan ahead with coaches/programs of interest. If your game is off-LakePoint, coaches will have to plan ahead to scout you.
I cannot not speak to the Academic events. Our son had planned to attend the first spring, but was conflicted by spring playoffs. But at the natl championship I saw Harvard, Dartmouth, Columbia, Brown, and others.
But but if your son is targeting DIIIs, particularly, you should look at HeadFirst. The event is executed in such a way that not only are all the coaches and players in the same area (so they can easily scout your son), but they are assigned to coaching duties that place them with your son. Also, they are completely accessible to plays and parents in a way that does not occur outside a camp envt. Your son can literally meet with scores of coaches in a low key way, and parents can observe to get a feel for programs.
It it seems to be especially valuable for high academic coaches to have exposure to you in a more competitive setting like PG, along with an academic camp or college camp exposure. It helps them place your athletic ability in best perspective.
I would also encourage your son to take his SAT or ACT early in his junior year.
Best,
Bill
Head First is probably better for top academic schools from D1 to D3. But what makes an event great for recruiting is if it provides the one moment where a player is seen by the right coach.
If nothing else your son will come out of the week knowing exactly where he stands as a baseball player. For some the level of competition is a shocking wake up call. For others they discover even if they aren't a top prospect they can compete with anyone.
WLT1717...Bill,
Sent you a PM.
PeaceLove&Baseball posted:My son's select team is planning to play in the Perfect Game National Championship in Atlanta in July 2016. It's a big tournament, from what I hear - but our select coach says it will be worthwhile. My 2017 son is targeting highly academic schools -- will this nine day trip be a good use of his time this summer? Thanks
Our 2017's team will also be going to PG in Atlanta in early July. Looking forward to the trip and having him experience this tournament. It will be his first PG tourney so the comments in this thread have been super helpful! Good luck to your son, @PeaceLove&Baseball!
Hi PEACELOVE&BASEBALL,
My son (2016) went this past summer and had a blast. PG puts on very well organized events, with great competition that are well scouted. It was a great experience and the team had a blast. The icing on the cake for them was defeating one of top ranked teams in round two of the PO’s…definitely memories for a lifetime. It will be a great experience for your son.
Most of the coaches there have specific kids they are there to see, that have been on their radar screen or who have been in touch with team coaches about. It is a big tournament. Playing fields are spread out over a very large area with multiple games going on at the same time, at different locations so it’s very important to communicate with coaches so they know your schedule and when you will be playing. I know Columbia was there but not sure about other Ivy’s. Most of the Dlll schools don’t have the budget to travel to many events so your best bet with them is to target their on campus Prospect Camps/showcases or PG/HF, etc showcases in their area that they would be able to attend.
If there’s a specific school he's interested in, he should be communicating with coaches at those schools, and attend their school prospect camps/showcases as that is the best way for target school coaches to see him. My son attended prospect camps/showcases at a few of the colleges he was interested in and it was definitely helpful in getting him on coaches’ radar screens. He did not attend any of the Head First showcases but I’ve heard good things about them. PG showcases are good as well but again, he needs to communicate with coaches about the showcases he will attend. My son received a good amount of exposure from the PG showcases he attended over the last couple of years but most of the coaches he had been in touch with prior to the events.
If there are colleges in your area that your son is interested in, he should write to those coaches with his spring high school schedule. The coaches at high academic schools (Ivy, Patriot, etc) are interested in knowing how strong their academics are so he should include his academic achievements in his letters.
Summer between junior and senior year is a great time for them to travel and enjoy their last big summer of high school ball. The recruiting process can be very stressful but in the long run, everything works out for the best. My son just committed to play ball at a strong academic Dlll LAC and I am so happy that he will be getting a great education and be able to continue to play ball in college.
Wishing you and your son a great final year of HS/summer ball and great things in the future.
