Postgraduate Year or Gap Year for Ivy League Recruiting (2019 Grad)

1. Re: Gap year or PG. There are at least a few programs which have begun in the last few years which take a gap year and focus on building and improving baseball skills (dont remember the names, but a google search would uncover it).

2. During my sons years (10 - 14) one of the players a year older didnt quite have the skills as a HS player to be recruited and was told that if his skills improved, he would be recruited. He did improve as a senior, had a PG year and was recruited. He had a good career in college.

3. If you have legacy pull at Columbia (and that means more than having family members graduate, it means having those alums giving big $$$ year after year), speak with the coach.  If the coach sees a way for you to be recruited following a gap/PG year, get a firm understanding of the milestones you must reach (see 2, above).

4. Most (but not all) IVYS dont carry 35 players; as such, coaches will often commit to a spot IF YOU GET IN ON YOUR OWN. While some have noted (correctly) walkons generally dont get any action, at Princeton their starting catcher several years ago was not a recruited player. Christie quite simply worked his tail off for three years - his reward was starting catcher who won the league. So unicorns do exist.

(You already know the odds of going through admissions as a regular applicant. I'll add this: D was straight As, most rigorous cirriculum, 34 ACT, head of local food bank for several years, had the local CIF recognize her sport as a varsity sport, head of both yearbook and literary journal (two years), a first place grand prize award winner at the Intel Science and Engineering Fair [winning over 20k], and was granted a patent out of her work (all done in a HS lab) AND she didnt run the table in her applications.)

4. I am not saying give up on baseball. I am saying that you have to have more then a vague goal of getting better baseball skills.  You need a hard "yes" from a coach that "if you do such and such,"  you'll have an offer.

5. I personally think that a gap year is a fabulous idea - no matter what. I took mine at the beginning of my junior year in college. Five years later, upon returning, college was a breeze. 

6. Unless you harbor hopes of proball, time isn't of the essence. Imo, too many kids just auto-pilot to college (my D did despite my entreaties to stop, look up, smell the air). The last big chunk of time you'll have in early adult life will be that gap year - follow your passion for that year - there is no lifetime penalty. 

7. Keep your options open and apply to college. See what happens - you can always defer matriculating for a year or simply reapply the following year

Feel Good77;

have you considered a year at a Japan HS? We have traveled with our Goodwill Series American teams. Several Japan HS have welcomed American student/athletes. We are playing two Prefecture {State] teams this year in Brisbane, Australia. They are very strong baseball and academic programs. The August National Baseball tournament draws 40,000 a game at Koshien and 40 million on TV.

Bob

FeelGood:

I can say that I don't see Gap Years much in Ivy League baseball. Some may have occurred upon transferring HS (repeating freshman or sophomore year). I have seen PG years in other Ivy sports (Lacrosse, swimming). The prospect will take the extra year, not due to grades or physical shortcomings, but because the school had no more spots in graduation year, but can offer one the following year.

Son had a player on his college team (high academic "public ivy", mid-major D1) that took a PG year.  I wish I knew all the circumstances because he was a good player (got drafted after his senior year of college, which meant that he was 2-6 years older than most in his draft class).  My guess is that he may not have been recruited much out of HS, and the family had the resources for him to go to a wonderful school for PG year.    

I heard a new (to me) term recently.....taking a "glide" year between college and graduate/medical/other school.  Friend's son is going to do that before medical school while he pursues some wonderful research project for a year.

If you are all in on playing baseball in college, what about a gap year at IMG?  You've got the academics, focus on the bat and strength.  The HC for the PG team is a solid guy, and accessible for a conversation.  

Just a thought, others have provided excellent feedback.

This just dawned on me, as a former HS teammate of my son is doing a PG year.  How does a PG year help the baseball player?  Don't they still have to apply for a college this winter, which is before the PG baseball season?  Or do you hope that you have a good spring and roll the dice and not apply to a college until that summer?

I can see where PG can help a football or basketball player.  Just don't see it for baseball.

Because if they commit to PG before their regular senior spring season, that season essentially becomes like a second junior spring in terms of baseball.  That summer before the PG becomes like a junior/senior summer.  The spring season of the PG year likely would have little/no impact on the baseball recruiting outcome.

9and7dad posted:

Because if they commit to PG before their regular senior spring season, that season essentially becomes like a second junior spring in terms of baseball.  That summer before the PG becomes like a junior/senior summer.  The spring season of the PG year likely would have little/no impact on the baseball recruiting outcome.

Gotcha, thanks. 

FeelGood - For the incoming 2018 class, Columbia took its "preferred 8" (for lack of a better term) plus two ballplayers were told that they would get no admissions help, but if they were accepted, they would effectively be on the team.  Both got in and are on the squad.  This was an exceptional class of recruits and there was not much separating the 8 from the 2 adds.

91 mph—can you pitch? 88 mph fastball should get you a look

hey feelgood, any update?  We are all hoping you found the right fit for baseball and your stellar academics!

Please let us know your decision and how things have been going.