Recruiting Variables

Every semester son gets a breakdown of his grant in aid dispersement and needs to be signed. My understanding the NLI is for one year, then coach can do whatever he wants after that.
Though it has been brought to my attention that I sometimes do not give good advice, I have to concur with Bee on this one. Then if I am wrong, we are both giving bad advice .

TRhit said,

"It is never over until the player graduates from the school of his choice."

My son is only a sophomore, but I have already seen that statement demonstrated.

Freshman year: The head coach who was my son's main reason for choosing that school's baseball program announced his departure for personal reasons after the first game of their pre-season trip.

Sophomore year: Son receives a letter a few weeks before heading to school in the fall, that the new head coach has brought in some JUCO pitchers and all returnees should come prepared to compete for a spot.

My son is very happy with his choice of schools and thinks his role on the team will work out fine this year, but I now better understand that nothing can be taken for granted at the college level - D3 included.

quote:

Originally posted by OLDSLUGGER8:


When I comb through roster movements of schools interested in my son, I initially see if any freshman made contributions, or if I see RS.

I also track the progress of local area kids(stars) at their respective colleges. One in particular, who was highly touted and recognized rode the pine his entire 1st season(2005). I don't know why, and the only thing I know is that he was NOT injured. The program had a 40 win season with the "upperclass

I admire the fact he would rather help team #89 get better versus getting a bench-eye view on #1's roster.

Your post brings up something that I have been trying to tell parents for years. At many, many top schools, freshman don't play often. Not because they are not good, but experience takes precedent. It goes to the upperclassman. Too many get to school to find out that the level of play is so intense, they just might not be ready. Unless that freshman is of unusual talent a more experienced pitcher (if you are a hitter) or a more experienced hitter (if you are a pitcher) can often work against the player.
I used to think redshirt (for pitchers) was not a good thing. Sons room mate took a redshirt last year, only because he knew he was not ready to pitch in the conference. I saw him this october, lights out! What a differnce the year made. He could have gone to a smaller school and pitched right away, but he stuck it out and for him it was well worth it.
Always important to do one's homework, then decide which is the best FIT.

OS8,
I agree with what you are saying.Pitching is a work in progress, that is why most starters will relieve in college before they start. An inning here an inning there, few more innings then start late in the season, or never a start, maybe just a closer. Hitters, position players might sub, used as a DH. That is the normal progression, at most schools. Need to learn the system too, it's a lot of work. That is why minor league ball has rookie camps.
Some coaches have no choice, their roster was depleted by the draft, or vacancies.

What I would watch out for is the school with a lot of non medical redshirts, might mean they over recruited. Last year at Clemson, there were two non medical redshirts, pitchers only. Does not mean the kiss of death. They worked with the team, got individaul instruction, and traveled non conference games. They loved that they got to have a spring break...lol. They still worked hard. This should be a variable for a player, does the coach redshirt many players per year? Discuss possibilities with the coach before a decision is made. I don't think if mine was a position payer, redshirt would be an option, but I can definetly see a pitche, in a larger conference redshirting.
A hitter with a Div 1 caliber stick coming out of HS still has a lot to learn. And still has to compete for that starting position against other players with caliber sticks. And it is not always about the stick, also fielding. The wise and good coach makes them an integral part of the team if not a starter, then to get them ready for conference games and possibly post season play, if an upperclassman is injured, if teh freshman is fast he is used as a runner, etc. Redhirt can be in a players best interest as far as eligibility.
But it may be, that player could have made more of an impact right away at a smaller school than at a larger one.It's a personal decision, one that needs to be explored and considered.

One other variable I don't think mentioned for us was the schools training program (or if they have one). On our visit we went to meet the training staff, to hear what he had to say about philososphy on developing pitchers, diet, supplements, etc. Thatwas important.