There is a thread here from 2005 that says flying with a radar gun as a carry-on is permitted. Has anyone tried it more recently? I can't find anything specific on the TSA web site, although it does look like the lithium ion batteries won't be a problem.
Would appreciate hearing from someone who actually has done this recently. TSA agents sometimes don't know all the relevant rules--and arguing with them is not a great idea.
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Chico Escuela posted:There is a thread here from 2005 that says flying with a radar gun as a carry-on is permitted. ….
TSA agents sometimes don't know all the relevant rules--and arguing with them is not a great idea.
Particularly when your argument includes... "I have a gun". 
I would call it a baseball velocity tracking device at the airport. “Radar” and “gun” will raise issues.
Well, it's an older JUGS gun and says "professional sports radar" on the side, so the "radar" part is out of the bag anyhow. Would it look better or worse if it were labeled "Stalker," I wonder...?
Unless I hear otherwise from folks here, I guess I will take it and plan to remove it from my bag (along with separately packed batteries) when I go through security. I think it will be better for TSA to see the large gun-shaped object out in the open, rather than on an x-ray image from inside my bag.
Why carry extra luggage? When I operated the Area Code games for 17 years, I would sit next to a scout with his radar "gun".
The scout is named - Joe. Question: "Joe was that 95 mph"?
Joe would say "no Bob, it was 97". Never needed a gun.
Bob
I never had a problem; always in carry-on.
I've also never had a problem Where I have had problems, though, is with plyoballs. I have never gone through security without them taking them all out and testing them for explosives.
Why do you need to take a radar gun? Seriously....
Relax, watch the games. Enjoy the games. Don't stick out like a sore thumb...dad.
There are legitimate reasons to carry one to son's game, just saying.
Chico, if you feel like it is needed, carry it BUT, if at all possible, get one of his friends/teammates actually use the radar gun instead of you. You can sit behind his teammate.
(Or dress like a scout and act the part 
)
My experience has been that I my eyes aren't very good--pitchers I think are throwing hard are actually at 79 mph, guys who look like they are just tossing the ball may be touching 90. For me, it was worth a couple of hundred bucks on eBay to get some objective data. When an event puts velo info on the scoreboard or online, I just take their word for it.
I don't think I'm "that dad." But then, those guys never think they are, do they? 
I think you should be careful. No coach wants to see a dad with a radar gun behind the plate. I would think that would raise a bunch of warning flags. Ok, maybe not 'no coach', but I'm sure some would be turned off.
CT
That was definitely true with the Pro Scouts during our Area Code games. In Japan and Australia our Goodwill Series players are clocked in K. 150 k = 90 mph.
When you focus on the radar gun you are missing the "game on the field". You do not see the movement and location of the ball.
Bob
CTbballDad posted:I think you should be careful. No coach wants to see a dad with a radar gun behind the plate. I would think that would raise a bunch of warning flags. Ok, maybe not 'no coach', but I'm sure some would be turned off.
You have a point (and I appreciate you offering it--hope I don't seem otherwise).
This is a frustrating process though: A private college education is a $250,000+ expense--which I will pay for. My 16-year-old (who can't remember to put his dirty clothes in the laundry basket) is supposed to handle contacts with college coaches up to the actual closing stage of arrangements for his higher education. But I can't be too involved (such as by wanting to know what velo numbers my kid puts up at a showcase, so I know what types of schools he may be able to target). Seems like teenagers navigating this process ought to be able to rely on their folks much more than coaches want them to...
Taking a gun is no problem and any coach that would decide not to recruit your kid based on the fact you carry a radar gun isn't a coach you want your kid to play for anyway. The gun is a tool and has legit uses, even for a parent. Most coaches get that. Having said that, I usually don't need to pull mine out at bigger events because 1) I don't need it - either velo is being recorded on Diamondkast (PG events) or there are guns I can see without having my own and 2) I don't want anyone thinking I am recruiting or scouting. However, thinking it's some sort of parental "red flag?" No. Coaches could care less.
Chico Escuela posted:CTbballDad posted:I think you should be careful. No coach wants to see a dad with a radar gun behind the plate. I would think that would raise a bunch of warning flags. Ok, maybe not 'no coach', but I'm sure some would be turned off.
You have a point (and I appreciate you offering it--hope I don't seem otherwise).
This is a frustrating process though: A private college education is a $250,000+ expense--which I will pay for. My 16-year-old (who can't remember to put his dirty clothes in the laundry basket) is supposed to handle contacts with college coaches up to the actual closing stage of arrangements for his higher education. But I can't be too involved (such as by wanting to know what velo numbers my kid puts up at a showcase, so I know what types of schools he may be able to target). Seems like teenagers navigating this process ought to be able to rely on their folks much more than coaches want them to...
Yeah I hear you. Was at a camp this week, after a personal coach request after they saw him several times this year. Going in, I thought there was a good chance of an offer. After striking out the first 6 batters he faced, I thought for sure.
No offer, no follow up, now were left wondering was he not throwing as hard as usual. A gun would have been nice. I even considered going behind the coaches to see if I could read there's, it decided against it.
I wasn't being critical, just thought maybe some may roll their eyes. But like you said, a lot of money, tears, emotions go into this process, so have as many tools as you think will help.
Good luck!
Chico - I'm not calling you "that dad" - once upon a time I put a radar gun on our older son. I completely understand the desire for data and the curiosity in general.
And while I doubt many coaches do any filtering based on dads gunning their sons - I'm just saying I eventually heard enough stories, talked to enough scouts and coaches and heard their comments about 'dads who gun' their kid...that I wouldn't do it again. I just wouldn't.
In fact, when I got that '2nd chance' with a younger son who was a college prospect, instead of putting the gun on him I usually hung out down the left or right field line and talked to friends.
Using a gun or not? Both boys were "found" and both played in the Pac12 with VERY different velocities and skill sets. My radar gun had nothing to do with it - and the data I collected made no difference whatsoever.
I am a BIG proponent of trying your best to relax and enjoy the experience and not trying to be the scout. Let them do their job and spend your time soaking it in.
justbaseball posted:Chico - I'm not calling you "that dad" - once upon a time I put a radar gun on our older son. I completely understand the desire for data and the curiosity in general.
And while I doubt many coaches do any filtering based on dads gunning their sons - I'm just saying I eventually heard enough stories, talked to enough scouts and coaches and heard their comments about 'dads who gun' their kid...that I wouldn't do it again. I just wouldn't.
In fact, when I got that '2nd chance' with a younger son who was a college prospect, instead of putting the gun on him I usually hung out down the left or right field line and talked to friends.
Using a gun or not? Both boys were "found" and both played in the Pac12 with VERY different velocities and skill sets. My radar gun had nothing to do with it - and the data I collected made no difference whatsoever.
I am a BIG proponent of trying your best to relax and enjoy the experience and not trying to be the scout. Let them do their job and spend your time soaking it in.
Yeah, hanging down the lines is where you'll find me as well. Want to make sure my son is enjoying his time on the mound and doesn't have to look to me for feedback. Of course, I'll have some moments of weakness, and blurt something out, in which I then move a little further away.
Not trying to disagree with y'all, but if we step back and examine this, it's pretty odd: No coach would make an offer to a pitcher for whom he had no radar gun readings. It's just one data point, but an essential one. But if a parent wants to collect this same information, s/he is getting too involved. Not saying your advice is wrong; but maybe it ought to be?
If I have a conversation with my son about applying to colleges, there is no way I would do so without knowing his SAT/ACT scores and GPA, among other things. Other factors matter, but those numbers are essential info. The same logic ought to hold for having a conversation about where to try to play baseball: Last year as a rising Soph, my son was topping out at 79 mph. This year as a rising Jr, he sits 83-85 and touches 87. Those two velo profiles suggest (to me, anyway) that this summer he could email some schools that last year might not have been interested, and that it might be worth paying for some camps/showcases that wouldn't have made sense for him in 2017. (There are other reasons to track velo, too, of course, but I'll stick with this one here.) Why shouldn't a parent have whatever information s/he can easily collect? Coaches make the decisions, but the process is driven by underage players deciding when and how to "market" themselves to schools. Parents ought to be able to help their kids with that. (And yeah, in the real world the best "help" may be to do nothing--I appreciate the advice here. I just think coaches shouldn't insist on trying to deal with teens who have limited adult assistance.)
Your son's velo numbers look great and where my son was last year as a rising junior (though I don't think he touched 87). My son received his 5th offer today, which is more than we imagined. His D1 offers are mid/low major, but one his top choice since 2 years ago.
We went the camp route, so I definitely agree you should go that route, and continue the email conversation. Here's how ours offers and camps broke out:
2 camps he went to last year and was very interested in those schools. They kept an open conversation throughout the year, but ended up completing their 2019 class on the earlier side and my RHP bloomed too late
3 offers we did not attend camps last year and were not on our radar. However, they saw him at a camp this summer, came to watch him in games
For his top two choices , he attended multiple camps at their schools, showing his interest. Has been offered to both.
A few other camps were further away from home, which my son never asked about following up, as he wanted to be closer home. Though he wasn't interested, they may have been worthwhile going to, to help him understand what he wanted/didn't want.
Since you have your velo metrics, I would focus more on what types of schools does your son want to play and attend those camps. Based on the feedback from the coaches we've spoken to, he did not get offers based on his current velo (86-88). They project him highly, recognize he is still growing and that his velo will be 90, 18 months from now, and he has a pitchers body and clean arm action.
RedFishFool posted:
(Or dress like a scout and act the part
Don't forget your Scout Starter Pack:
Shoveit4Ks posted:RedFishFool posted:
(Or dress like a scout and act the part
Don't forget your Scout Starter Pack:
You forgot the clipboard, stopwatch and cell phone.
roothog66 posted:Shoveit4Ks posted:RedFishFool posted:
(Or dress like a scout and act the part
Don't forget your Scout Starter Pack:
You forgot the clipboard, stopwatch and cell phone.
And can of Copenhagen. Ooops sorry that is not PC - coaches (and parents) don't do that of course no tobacco ever don't even think about it LOL!!
CTbballDad posted:Chico Escuela posted:CTbballDad posted:I think you should be careful. No coach wants to see a dad with a radar gun behind the plate. I would think that would raise a bunch of warning flags. Ok, maybe not 'no coach', but I'm sure some would be turned off.
You have a point (and I appreciate you offering it--hope I don't seem otherwise).
This is a frustrating process though: A private college education is a $250,000+ expense--which I will pay for. My 16-year-old (who can't remember to put his dirty clothes in the laundry basket) is supposed to handle contacts with college coaches up to the actual closing stage of arrangements for his higher education. But I can't be too involved (such as by wanting to know what velo numbers my kid puts up at a showcase, so I know what types of schools he may be able to target). Seems like teenagers navigating this process ought to be able to rely on their folks much more than coaches want them to...
Yeah I hear you. Was at a camp this week, after a personal coach request after they saw him several times this year. Going in, I thought there was a good chance of an offer. After striking out the first 6 batters he faced, I thought for sure.
No offer, no follow up, now were left wondering was he not throwing as hard as usual. A gun would have been nice. I even considered going behind the coaches to see if I could read there's, it decided against it.
I wasn't being critical, just thought maybe some may roll their eyes. But like you said, a lot of money, tears, emotions go into this process, so have as many tools as you think will help.
Good luck!
CT we've had a similar (although not as extreme - they've only seen my son a few times not several) experience this year with a school my son would love to attend. Pitched about as well as he could but then silence. Not even a "sorry we're no longer interested." Well chronicled here, and part of what makes this process so frustrating. I don't blame the coaches or expect anything, but it doesn't make it any less frustrating. Hope your son keeps pushing so far mine is!
I'd like to reiterate - there is no magic formula based on velocity for where your son could end up. If you over-analyze it, you may be taking opportunities away from him that could've worked. I have a younger son who was 5-10 and threw 85 in HS. Had we relied solely on velocity or pitch differentials (combined with size - another measurable)...we would never targeted a Pac12 school...let alone a D1 at all.
Instead, we listened to his coaches and a scout or two and let them tell us he could indeed pitch in that league and so we put him in front of them and he ended up at one.
OTOH, you may see 92 some day and convince yourself your son is an SEC pitcher. Maybe? Maybe not?
You have to take a little risk here - put your son in front of them and see what happens. No, I wouldn't become a 'showcase pitcher' running all over the place, but you can do one or two and see what happens. That will give you the answer.
justbaseball posted:I'd like to reiterate - there is no magic formula based on velocity for where your son could end up. If you over-analyze it, you may be taking opportunities away from him that could've worked. I have a younger son who was 5-10 and threw 85 in HS. Had we relied solely on velocity or pitch differentials (combined with size - another measurable)...we would never targeted a Pac12 school...let alone a D1 at all.
Instead, we listened to his coaches and a scout or two and let them tell us he could indeed pitch in that league and so we put him in front of them and he ended up at one.
OTOH, you may see 92 some day and convince yourself your son is an SEC pitcher. Maybe? Maybe not?
You have to take a little risk here - put your son in front of them and see what happens. No, I wouldn't become a 'showcase pitcher' running all over the place, but you can do one or two and see what happens. That will give you the answer.
I know that's good advice (and thanks). Velo isn't everything, but it's something--and something even I, whose baseball career ended after Little League--can observe, with a little help from technology.
After he pitches my son and I often talk (only if he wants to) about how he felt that day, what he did or didn't do to prepare, what he thought he was doing right or wrong in his delivery, and how those things correlate with how he performed, including his velo (which at this age can vary quite a bit from day to day). I don't know much, but I know that I don't know much. So my main contribution is to occasionally say "that sounds like something you should ask your pitching coach about." But I cherish the chance to have a conversation with my son about something he's passionate about--that's worth the price of a radar gun on eBay.
Qhead posted:roothog66 posted:Shoveit4Ks posted:RedFishFool posted:
(Or dress like a scout and act the part
Don't forget your Scout Starter Pack:
You forgot the clipboard, stopwatch and cell phone.
And can of Copenhagen. Ooops sorry that is not PC - coaches (and parents) don't do that of course no tobacco ever don't even think about it LOL!!
yall are missing the most important thing to be a millenial scout. You must have a towel. You don't have to use it but you must have one.
