Recruiting timeline for JUCOS

lew - I don't recall seeing a timeline, but have you looked on NJCAA site?

My '05 was first contacted by the JUCO he signed with last December. I believe many JUCO's wait to see who signs/doesn't sign in the early siging period. They (JUCOs) cannot sign a player until middle of January. If fully funded, they also have 24 scholarships to give away, so they have a lot of recruiting to do as they loose all of their sophomores and some of the NCAA qualified freshmen will also go ahead and transfer after one year. They, just like NCAA schools may loose some players to the draft in the summer and then have those spots to fill.

Reflecting on your question based upon our recent experience. (Son is an '05, that signed in June with Labette CC in Parsons, KS)

We attended a D1 fall showcase in October. A few of the area JUCOs were present, but most were still playing their own "fall schedule". We attended an invitation only showcase at a specific JUCO over the Christmas break. That one did not work out for us, but there were about 30 kids there, and certainly some of them signed at the earliest chance in January.

Kansas is a LONG way from Montana, so we were not able to get back there until just after my '05s graduation in early June. At that point most rosters seemed to be mostly filled. There were two schools having open tryouts in early June, and we made arrangements for a private workout at two other schools. Son's signing came about as a result of the private workout at one of the schools.

So based upon our experience, the bulk of the recruiting happens after fall ball and into the early part of the season. By the end of the Juco season, most schools were really only looking for more pitching.

My advice if you know that JUCO is the route that you will be going, be proactive early. Make contacts with the schools that are high on your list and see if they have any fall or winter showcases that the Juco itself is putting on. Good luck in your endeavor!

Thanks for the information. We will definitly check the schools he is interested in to see if they have any fall and winter showcases.

'06 son has had quite a bit of interest from (Texas) JUCO's. One saw him at their 'open' tryout last year, invited him last month for a private workout, and has told him they "just don't do anything until January". Same with another JUCO. They both seem genuinely interested. Both have more or less indicated they want him to make sure he wants to attend a JUCO and not a D1 school.

As far as NJCAA, if I am not mistaken, each Region has specific and / or self-imposed rules regarding recruiting.

My son had two 3 Juco's contact him this week. 2 of the coaches spent quality time just talking to me then talked to my son. My son told all 3 he wants to have a decision by December on where he is going. I cant say I blame him as this is quite stressful. Not just on him but me! I think going into the first of the year and not knowing where your going to school or play ball would be hard on a kid.

Our experience pretty much corresponds to MontanaDad. Our son had contacted JUCOS in Oklahome,Texas and Kansas, we live in Arkansas. He went to several tryouts at those schools in January, and found his true fit at Fort Scott Community College in Kansas. He signed in early February. It sure made his senior season a lot less stressful. Most important thing is to call the coaches and talk to them at the schools you are interested in. We found the that bios and letters we sent did not get very far.