Reaching out to Colleges

I would think this current thread would be of assistance?

 

http://community.hsbaseballweb...83#23679112249127183

Not looking for any visits at this time.  Just wanting to email some coaches and let them know we were interested.  

Has he heard from any colleges?  If not then the odds maybe long.  I would suggest a very short email to the Recruiting Coordinator at the schools he is interested in.  My son is a soph, his email is very short.  Basically a 5 line paragraph.  He does attach a Resume/Bio Sheet with all his information.  If he has a video you will want to include a link to that.

 

Here is an example email my son has sent to coaches recently:

 

 

Coach XXXX –

I want to thank you for your earlier email and camp invite.  I have noticed that your school is attending and/or instructing at the <camp/showcase/etc> on <date>.   I will be attending the pitching, position player and hitting portion of the camp.  I hope to see you at the camp. 

 

Please see the attached biography page for more of my information.

 

Thank You,

Son has never played any showcases or for a summer team and was a very late bloomer.  He is playing for a team this summer that will play a couple of PG tournaments and at several colleges.  He just wants to email a few smaller colleges with some info. about himself to get his name out there. Would this be acceptable? And if so, what should he include in it if he had no video?

There is a gold mine of information on this site on this topic with a ton of details.  I would advise you to use the search button at the top left (use it just like google) and/or look in the Recruiting forum.  You will find all  you need including sample letter formats/content.

Thank you this is exactly the what I was looking for just wasn't sure where to find it.  Going to hold off on sending these until after the summer season when he has played in several PG tourneys.  

No problem.  Good luck.  I just searched by "contact college coaches" and found enough threads to keep one busy reading all night!

Dad, since he's limited in what he can provide (no video, no showcases, no summer team, and late bloomer), then I believe he needs to emphasize his academic record if that will benefit him.  He should also see if he can list his HS coach as a reference.  With not much else to go by, the college coaches will need to know how they can get info on him. 

 

Who is your son's "best advocate" (other than you) when it comes to baseball?  Is that a pitching or hitting instructor?  An asst HS coach?  The coach of his upcoming summer team?  He needs to include their contact info in the e-mail.

 

He should also include any natural connection to any of those colleges that he plans to write to.  In other words, are you or his Mom an alum of any of these colleges?  Is there a sibling that attends one of the colleges?

If i get a few minutes tomorrow I will post his info sheet. I wont have access to it until then. It contains his name, contact info (cell number, email, twitter, faecbook, etc).physical info (ht, weight, rhp, bats left).  His travel and HS coaches contact info. HS info including guidance counselor, and GPA. His possible major.  And all his baseball measurables.  These are not his stats but things such as pitch velocity, ball exit speed, 60 time, position cross field velocity, etc. 

 

We don't have a video yet but plan on shooting one after this season. I would highly suggest you consider this as you have not been in front of any coaches yet. Search this site for info on how to shoot one. I plan on showing 4 fastballs from different angles, 3 or so change ups, 3 or 4 breaking pitches, about 4 cuts at bp and a couple of grounders at his position. I don't expect the video to be more then 3 minutes or so. 

 

also, so, you may find thats it's a bad time of year to be contacting coaches as they are currently in season. 

joes87 - is there someone who knows your son -- like the summer coach -- who might be willing to send a note on his behalf? Then your son could follow up with an email that references that note?

 

Baseball is such a small community ... and good travel coaches generally know people, or know people who know people. 

PitcherOnlyDad:  I would send emails BEFORE his summer season, not after it, with his summer schedule and bio. This way those coaches, who may be interested, have an opportunity to see him. Otherwise you are telling them, after the fact, that he was there. That serves no one any purpose.

Just my $1.02

POD, you have plenty of time to get a video together before the summer showcase season begins. I would encourage you to get started on that. Some HS game footage and some basic skills video. If any of the schools that your son is interested in are in the same region as the PG events, the video might entice them enough to come take a look. Best of luck.

Thank you all for the responses.  I will record game footage of him this year and a skills video before the beginning of summer season, and send it out to colleges he is interested in where there are PG events nearby.  Hopefully they will come take a look!  Thanks all really appreciate it

Lots of good advice here as always.I'm with NYdad2017 on the timeline.My son is a 2016 and if your son is a 2016 playing HS ball with a goal of college ball and he hasn't began the recruiting process......Your late. Gotta get busy. NOW

If no travel ball coach reference fine. Just use HS coach for contact. But with that being said, you wanna look into getting him on the highest exposure travel/summer team his skill set will allow NOW. All these teams fill up quick ( The good ones ) The summer before SR year is huge and all the 2016's are going to be busy. Something I've learned is that you book the summer in February / March. Stanford baseball camp opened up their online registration for 2015 summer camp on Jan 1.....January first!! Think about that.It will be mostly sold out in 60-80 days

My advice is to get crackin! Make a list of schools. And whatever you do don't make a wish list...haha. That is worthless. Make a list of schools by division and location D1, D2, D3 and before you add JUCO ask you son this question: " Where would you decide NOT to play and just hang'em up if this school was your only choice" ? For my son it was no JUCO's and no Military type schools. Everything else was fair game with him. You work a LARGE WIDE list from the bottom up. Let me be clear, you start there.Bottom up. But of course, you don't pick in the end based on offers that way. You pick top down, But initial list bottom up.Try to pick schools that fit your sons academic profile and baseball skill set. Academics first. That will help shape your list. My sons initial list had over 50 schools. Then you number them 1's , 2's , 3;'s....1's are your favorite schools . 2's next down and 3's last choices before an early retirement.

Then you get busy. Go to school BB websites get Recruiting coordinators email. If not listed on bb website, click on athletic dept directory and it will be there. Write every schools RC name and email next to college name on list. Now you need to compose an introductory email: in the subject line ( UPPER CASE )

   JOHN SMITH 2017 RHP CRESPI HIGH SCHOOL MAYBERRY KS

Next:  you ALWAYS email the recruiting coordinator. NEVER the head coach.

Your 1st paragraph should be strictly business " My name is John Smith I'm 6'0 170 Lbs I'm a RHP and I throw 3 pitches . My FB sits 84-85 and tops 87 my CB 74 and my CH 77 I play for Crespi HS in ( City ) on the Varsity team

NEXT PARAGRAPH:

I'm extremely interested in pitching for ( school name) after graduation. I feel that ( school name) is both a great fit for me academically and on the field and I'm looking forward to playing in front of you. Can you please keep me informed on which events you will be working this summer and what 'on campus' camps you will be having. I really appreciate it.

 

Thanks!

 

SIGN YOUR NAME

         

PLAYER EMAIL ADDRESS

         

PLAYER CELL PHONE #

         

YOUR HS COACHES EMAIL

          PHONE #

 

It's hugely important in my opinion to get started NOW. Like I said , in my opinion, And all of this by the way is just opinion based on my personal experience with my son. You are LATE!

Make that list! talk about it with your son. Is he willing to play out of state? In state? And keep in mind NCAA baseball as far as talent is REGIONAL. All the beasts are on the WEST COAST and the SOUTH. The guys that play in these regions are the best High School players in the Country. And inside those regions you have schools and even entire conferences where most of the 2016 recruits are MLB Draftable. So, simply put if you haven't filled out paperwork yet w/ an MLB team. Don't waste your time with USC, UCLA, North Carolina, Texas, etc. My suggestion is if your son is a 3.6 GPA or better and has good test scores , Look at the D3 baseball programs from high academic schools. As a matter of fact if your son is a really good student your summer will be simple: You'll wanna send him to Stanford Camp or Headfirst....or both. Otherwise you wanna get him on a travel team that does JO's ( TEAM USA 17U Trials ) either in Florida or Arizona in June. That is a pretty good indicator of a decent travel program. If they do Junior Olympics/ Team USA or other high profile national events.

Once you and your son compile a list. Shoot off an introductory email. Then possibly a follow up email with your HS Schedule and later another email with your upcoming summer team name and schedule. Along the way, Some coaches will respond others never but you will learn a lot even in the beginning of the process..By the way, set up a NEW email address  johnsmithbaseball@yahoo that is ONLY used for recruiting . Trust me, you want a separate account haha... you'll thank me later.

 

Good Luck!

jp-not sure if this was meant for me or the op. Most of the contacts we have are either coaches expressing interest in my son from a camp/showcase or through his travel program.  Fortunately we are in a good position. 

Not sure how well this will show up in a post, but here is the Player Info my son attaches to  his emails with the schools.  

 

I would start now....you're already 6 months or more behind most others in his grade.  We started sending out emails and video in October before my son's junior season.  Waiting until after his HS season is over will make you really behind.  You can shoot video now...even if it's just him fielding, pitching and hitting indoors.  Coaches can see what they need from that....game film is nice, but not essential.  We never worried about game film...and had no issues getting coaches to take a look at his video without it.  I would get something going ASAP....meaning today!!!   And get the emails started right away.  Keep in mind, coaches have started their seasons, so their time free time is tight....so you may not get a reply right away.  Good luck!!!

POD, Buckeye and StrainedOblique are right on.  You are behind the 8 ball.  When I said its a bad time to contact the coaches I meant that you probably wont get much response.  I did not mean to imply you shouldn't contact them.  My 2017 starting contacting coaches this past fall.  These were coaches that saw him at a showcase put on by his travel organization.  They all in someway expressed interest in him.  Either through the program or by emailing him phone numbers.  Our plan is to keep in contact with those coaches until after this summer season.  At that point we are planning on ramping up his "marketing" and taking the shotgun approach.  Send out his information and video link to just about every school he is interested in.  As we progress through fall ball and into his junior year we will continue to update all the schools of his schedule and progress.  We will give extra attention to those schools who we have had more then incidental contact with.  Meaning those that have in someway either had contact with his travel coaches or have somehow let us know that they are interested.