Recruiting; Summer Camps v. Showcases v. Summer Team

Fortunately my son did not play football so he had the fall for baseball

He used a combination of all three, camps, showcases,the few that were there back then, and his travel team.

The key for him was marketing and having his name out there. Getting ranked by Collegiate Baseball as one of the top HS outfielders in the country did not hurt either. (Marketing)

In fact he got his scholarship situation sight unseen due to the fact that coaches who knew him and had seen him recommended him to the school he ended up at, New Mexico State. Keep in mind that he lived in New York so obviously the marketing worked

That was 11 years ago but the process still works and I truly believe that being proactive (marketing)is the key. The huge difference now is that there are more showcases and more real good travel teams. The key is to let the schools know where he is playing.

It now comes down to more choices and I would go with travel teams and showcases for maxiumum exposure. The camps work if the coaches have a specific interest in the player and want the player to be there by specific invitation.

I hope this helps you

attend team one and area code games tryout and tell the colleges they can see you there, chances are they gonna be there anyways

Obviously you cannot do it all. I truly believe that going to your favorite college's camps is very important, along with select showcases that traditionally have a good following of college scouts.

Now having said that you need to look at the rosters from this year see who they are losing next year (they will be listed on the 2005 roster as a Junior) They are the voids that the coach is going to be looking for. So if you see they have three or four Junior MIF that will be graduating in 2006 and your son is MIF then he may have a good shot at a position on that particular college roster. You get the idea. That is what you need to do for each of the 15 schools he interested in to narrow down the spots that will become available.

My son does not have the size to play college football, he loved football, was the QB on JV he played football until his Sophomore year and then had a conflict with a good baseball showcase he was invited to, he had to decide because the varsity football coach would not excuse him from the practices and scrimmage that he was going to miss. He made the decision on his own that baseball was going to be his sport from then on Spring, Summer, & Fall. It was a good decision on his part. He concentrated on nothing but baseball, worked hard in the off season and played in 75 games his Junior year including the fall of his Senior year. He went to several very good showcases and college camps, it paid off, he signed this past November to play college baseball.

Pick and choose showcases/camps and do your homework on those college rosters. I honestly know that it is very important for him to meet in person the coaches of the prospective schools on his list.

It's also important for him to see the campus in person, some look pretty good on the internet and when you go there in person they can look very different.

Good luck to him !

CV

Thanks for the responses. They have been helpful.

I am really impressed with the number of summer teams that are now playing tournaments at colleges. This is a great opportunity for the coaches to see players in actual team situations. More and more coaches are using their facilities for competition.
Many schools have winter camps as well, my son was busy playing all summer with his team so he used the christmas holiday to play at one of the camps.
A good balance is essential. Pick and choose the showcases carefully.

Outside of the traditional top showcases offered by PG, Team One etc.,then when you get serious about 1 school, going to thier camp, these new tournaments on campus are absolutely the way to go.

Summer teams can get you the exposure needed.