Recruiting timeline question

Take him if you want him to see what a college and their players look like but the coach will likely not even  "see" him unless he is some super phenom. Coaches are looking to fill near term needs first and every one else just gets on their email list.

I would go.  It can't hurt anything...

Having brought my son to a college camp at that age, it is highly unlikely that your son will do anything to wow them.  My son one-hopped the left field wall using a wood bat in a game and I doubt that it mattered much to them.  Go there for the instruction and to get his feet wet talking to coaches.  

I've even seen that for my guy as an incoming freshman this past summer.  For example, my son attended a northeast D1 college camp this past August.  Usually they let pitchers face 5 batters and then they are done.  They let one kid go 2 innings, 10 batters.  Good pitcher who was working 86-89 with movement.  Stuck out 9 incoming juniors and seniors.  Who was the only one to put the ball in play?  My son.  Groundout, but it was hard hit.  Did it matter to them?  Nope.  No worries on this end though.  We have time.

Also this summer we went to a camp down south, top 10 D1.  We were in that area for a tournament.  I will say that the coaches did notice his bat, but it's far too early for it too matter.

Like I said, go for the experience if you can swing it.

Threeunassisted, 

Welcome to the site. Hope you stay around throughout your son's baseball journey.

I've pointed out in the past that there is a mismatch between what college camps sell (baseball instruction) and what players/parents think they are buying (recruiting exposure).

Here's an idea.  Buy what they are selling.  As an 8th grader, your son will be exempt from the pressure some of the older players will be placing on themselves.   Tell your son to have fun, listen to  everything the instructors say, hustle hard with a good attitude, watch how the older players conduct themselves, and see what he can pick up to improve his game and his practice.  For now, it is enough just to learn and enjoy.  

Best wishes, 

+1 there.  

I knew that going into it, but as a dad you'd love to see something more. He learned, had fun and that's all it is at that age.

Their concentration is on the older kids, but by paying attention you can watch and learn for the future.  My son got his feet wet talking to college coaches which is something that will definitely benefit him down the road.

What's the cost?  Personally I would not just because if it's 8 the graders w 18yrs old it's for money only. I would bet the 17 & 18 will get little out of it. I would put money toward hitting or pitching coach locally and take him to PG showcase next yr so he can get some numbers on bd and see where he sits vs others. 

In our experience these r mostly for pitchers to show some numbers and you ll see a few kids there the school has personally invited and they will watch them. Batters usu only get 2-3 at bats and some start w 1-1 count to move things along. Few kids will try stealing when on if they r fast, but the games played at these things r not like real games. No one sac bunts like they may in real game to help team. It's all about  trying to be seen and some showboat when normally they  wouldn't. 

the costs of these things add up over time for little return IMO. 

Thanks for all the fast replies. We have no illusion  about our son competing with the big boys at this camp...he is by no means a super phenom. He is a good solid above average   14 year old that says right now he want  to play college baseball. We think this camp might be  fun, and  maybe he might learn a thing  or two. I was just worried that if he is shunted off with the elementary aged kids that it would cease being fun for him. He is our youngest and being treated like a kid is a big deal to him. Could make for a very long day for all of us.

Another question...if we do go, should he wear his school gear, or just some non descript baseball uniform? Or does that matter?

Thanks again

3u

It's $150 

That's six hours of hitting lessons here.

post if he goes and how it was. Also, don't see a lot of one-one w coaches at these things. They are busy and they don't have time for long personal conversations. 

I would go. he gets a chance to see some college players, gets some instruction, and many times th coach will take some time to talk about grades and how they can be important. One of these talks cuaght my sons attention and really turned him around as a student.

If money's not a problem, I agree with others: Send him for the experience. Getting accustomed to what's likely to come later helps.

If he goes, he should just wear something he would practice in: Baseball pants, a jersey he likes, etc. Not his HS uniform, IMO.

I agree with what most have stated but will add...

You are talking about a 8-18 yo camp.  This is different than a true college prospect camp or showcase.  Many colleges will put on both types.  Some are more all-age-inclusive and some are true prospect camps targeting HS and maybe a few JC kids designed more to see if there might be a fit.  I believe the "recruiting timeline" recommendation to attend a camp early is more applicable to the latter. 

When you mix in the younger kids, the event is far more likely to be just an instructional event put on by some reasonably qualified folks to raise $ for the school.  It may have the benefits others have listed but does not really check off the box of attending a camp early in HS to get comfortable with the true camp/showcase environment.  Your son will likely get some reasonable instruction and attention but not with intent of looking at him as a prospective recruit.

Kids in our area will typically attend the "8-18" camps when they are 8-12 or so.  They will attend prospect camps when they are sophomores and juniors in HS.

Best thing about these camps is that young kids will usually listen intently to the college coaches and players, respecting their qualifications.  Like BishopLeftie said, the coaches will usually throw out some pearls of wisdom that may stick.

Hmmmm.....My son's worst nightmare would be to show up and the camp be 50 8-12 year olds and him. He is a big kid (6'0" 190 lbs) and he sticks out even with kids his own age. I  see now this same college has another camp in Jan for 9th thru 12th graders and JC players. Maybe we will just skip this and wait til next year. 

Welcome.

The main purpose of camps is to make money for their program. Even with that in mind there are many camps that are excellent and offer great instruction, as it should be for that age.

My son attended one camp where they separated the prospects from the campers, as most do.  It was very expensive and the HC spent most of the two days with the older players checking them out. 6 months later he didn't even remember my son attended that camp.

But that is how they do things, doesn't mean everyone else does.

It is what it is.

The camp my son attended, was exactly as TPM said. They split the kids in half and the younger kids were not mixed in. Head coach spent times with both groups. You could tell some of the older kids were being looked at. The younger kids went through the same drills. Son went every year till senior year. Great experience and he learned quite a bit.

Go for the older showcase camp.  That way he gets instruction, is guarateed not to be with really young kids, and will be ensured to get some metrics to see where he stacks up with similar age kids.  Just want to ensure the camp has instructional compenent and is not just a showcase metrics-only camp.  The duration of the camp will let you know if it is not fully spelled out on the camp schedule. The better college showcase camps are for 5-6 hours over one weekend day or 3 hours per day for both a Saturday and Sunday.

As a freshman, attending one camp is recommended if there is a particular school where your son would like to get noticed and has a realistic chance of ultimately becoming a recruit.  He may be another year away, maybe even two years away, but there's a lot to be said for going and helping them build a file on you.  Which they will.  Maybe they won't remember you right off, but there will be a file on your son somewhere, video footage stored, and if he ultimately does develop into a prospect, one thing people will look at is how he has developed in his physique and his skill set over time.  (Is he a worker?  Do we think he has more development still to come, or has he topped out?)

There's also something to be said for seeing a few schools' camps early on, if you can find affordable ones.  It's not a bad way to visit campuses, see baseball facilities, and see the coaches and their personalities up close, early on -- before there is a ton of pressure.  This allows the player to start comparing and gathering his thoughts on what his own preferences might be.  It's especially good if you can work the standard, admissions department campus tour into your schedule while there.

Just, don't lose a ton of money on this.  Some camps run $600 or more each, and you really shouldn't be doing 4-6 of those.

Here's my thought....I would definitely let him go to one....here's why.   My son and a friend went to a 1-day summer camp at a D1 school when they were in 8th grade.  It was  4 summers ago...and was a teaching camp...not just a showcase.  Coaches from 7 or 8 D1's and some smaller schools....all coaching/working with the kids in groups.    They were both fairly small for their age...and I'm fairly sure they were the only two kids there not in HS.   We got there the night before...and were the first ones in the stadium.  They were pumped....really ready to go....then the "big boys" started rolling in.  T-shirts/hats/etc from all the top HS programs in the state.  Next thing I know, the boys aren't beside me.  I look back and they're standing in the back against the wall....not really scared...but kind of in awe of the whole thing.  Great thing was, once the event started, an assistant from a very well-known D1 walked right up to those two...and began talking to them.  I had no idea at the time what he said, but it was great of him to do it.  They did drills for most of the morning, including fielding the BP hit by the other kids.  He put them at SS and 2B...and actually spent quite bit of time with them.  To their credit, they held their own with anyone there...even though they were 3 or 4 years younger and outweighed by over 100# in some cases.  After the camp, the coach made a point to pull them aside, called me over and said how great it was to see kids that age willing to step up and try to compete with the older kids.  To this day, those two have never felt that they couldn't play "up" with anyone.  I really think the experience that day was a big part of that attitude...and they still bring it up at least a couple times every summer.  The coach that did that is no longer a D1 assistant...he's coaching a really up and coming D3 in KY now.  My son really hopes to play D1 or D2, but if it starts to look that isn't going to work out, that coach will be one of the first people we call.