recruiting situation

It's their job to pressure your kid, most try to do it deftly.;.regardless it's pressure and meant to be there. Take your time, breath. Survey all offers and be open about your plans unless offer #1 is your sons dream school and it is a great offer etc.

My son was pressured, i was told when we didnt accept a big time D1 SEC offer and shared plans to visit other schools. "Well you go do what you feel you have to do." Then right afterwards, "We will do what we have to". When i confronted him about offering others and not allowing us to visit others...he back tracked but they are paid and get to stay to land kids they want and only a few are really good at it in that, they dont pressure you and your kid still wants sign.

It's a game withing the sport....relax and take your time, enjoy the ride....the Roller coaster "Stress ride!

Congrats, Have fun and Good luck!

If your son is a 2017, then by NCAA guidelines there should be No direct contact with the coaching staff until September 1 of his junior year. Most schools abide by the guidelines and dont want minor recruiting violations.  The coaching circles are small as well.  If you verbal early, there a lot of schools that will back off to honor the verbal and not "step on toes."  There are a lot of assistants and recruiters that are climbing the ranks and do not want to upset a future fellow coach and burn their own bridges.  I think the best approach would be to say you are honored by the offer, but our timeline is to at least get well past September 1, to hear all current early offers and hear from the academic schools as well.  Make sure you note that academics are important as well, and you want time to evaluate all academic and baseball programs.

It's not can't have direct contact. The rule is the coaches can't initiate contact. By making a verbal offer rules aren't being broken.

The offering school wants to beat out the other schools For the kid's services. It's always a gamble to delay the decision. But (without knowing the talent of the player) chances are an offer for a 2017 will still be available in five weeks.

Thanks for the responses.  Just to be clear, no one has broken any rules- they don't make direct contact, all contact is going through a coach, or another person close to the situation, my son just calls them back at an appointed time.  We've made several unofficial visits and this is when the real conversations took place, with my wife and I in the room.   I'm  trying to be patient and slow the process down for him.    I guess the biggest concern is the comment that " you're definitely a scholarship guy" or " we will make an offer" but need to see you again, is confusing.  Are they stringing us along?  Is it a delay tactic? and if it is, I guess I'm ok with it, because I have to be- but I'd hate to see him lose out on this one offer, hoping for another down the line. 

PA Dad,

Another way to look at it is, if they take the offer away, he really wasn't wanted there that bad by the coaches. And if he really isn't wanted there, does your son really want to go there to play baseball? 

Just a thought as you wander thru the recruiting maze!

RedFish,

I thought about it that way too, but they have made, what I'm being told, is a pretty attractive offer for an outfielder, - so they seem to like him a lot, and they have been to see him several times- but what they are saying is that we have a need for one outfielder in 2017, that they have made one other offer, and if that outfielder commits, they  may not need another outfielder in that class.    they seem to be open and honest about it all.    anyway- it is what it is- we're going to be patient and evaluate everything between now and end of summer. 

???  Am I reading it right.  They made two offers for one spot?  First acceptance gets it?  The other kid is SOL?

that pretty much sums it up. 

If this process at this particular school makes you and your son feel uneasy then imo it's not the right fit. You need to find a school where you respect how they conduct business. Yes, the recruiters have  a tough job to do, but if they are pressuring a player or willing to toss one aside if another commits quicker, then they are not  the type I would want my son playing for. Players have to feel wanted and in turn they will work hard for the program. 

Good luck

the shool that offered does not make me feel uneasy at all.  They have a spot.  They offered    son has not accepted.  They need to move on.  I get it.  It's a business  I'm not going to tell him to commit if he's unsurE.  I wish he had more time.  I don't understand the statements from the other schools.  But it's out of our control 

Pa dad: I pm'd you.

The statements from the other schools mean either that they haven't formed a definite opinion about your son or else your son is part of their contingency plan in case they don't land players they want more.

We were in this situation with my son's dream school: just enough encouragement to keep my son thinking he had a shot--until they landed the guys they really wanted and broke off communication.  

Understand one thing about college coaches: once they decide they want a player, they move quickly and decisively to get the player on campus, make an offer, and close the deal. Anything they say or do apart from that means your son is in the "maybe" or "Plan B" pile for them.

Best wishes,

Interesting.  Our situation is the same, only at an SEC school.  When I first read your post, I thought maybe my son was the other kid in your story.  Coach made the offer and informed us that he's offering another 2017 for the same position, and that once the position is filled by one of them, the offer is no longer valid to the other.  My son is fortunate in that he already has other offers, so he's considering all at this time and close to making a decision.  In his case, he didn't let an accelerated timeline force him to accelerate his decision, but as I mentioned, he has additional options, so a bit easier than your scenario.  My guess is that if he's getting a good offer from a big time school before Jr. year, more offers are out, so do your homework.

Personally, we appreciated the honesty and the fact that he made the offer and timeline clear.  Some of his friends learned the hard way that multiple offers were made when they were contacted and informed their offers were rescinded because the slot was now filled.

PM me if you want to chat further.

Ask yourself(your son)  if school calls tomorrow and says they went w other OF because he committed quicker how would u feel?  My guess is a little upset because it was a real offer and other schools r still on fence. Yet, if it was best fit for son he would know and  would have said yes and committed.

You can't keep one school on hold while others are still deciding and expect first school not to look elsewhere. If son is unsure chances are the other kid or another will get that spot. Keep looking