Reminder to Athletes/Parents-Don't burn bridges

Good point.  Same with Travel Coaches and travel programs.  You see these former MLB players coaching at or running travel programs.  Fast forward several years and a bunch of them will be coaching in college programs.

My 2018 was recruited by a number of teams. When he's done playing baseball, hopefully many many years from now, he wants to coach and teach. I reminded him that every school he talked to is a potential assistant coach gig, etc. You're doing more than trying to get on a team or land a scholarship when you go through the recruiting process. It's important to think long term.

The "small baseball world" is definitely a thing.  This keeps coming up as a first (or second) hand experience time and time again.

Far less than 6 degrees...

A few of my HS players will be headed back East to play college ball next year (we're in Calif.).  Some of their future teammates who they met on visits are playing for or against my son who is coaching in the Valley League in Virginia.  Son will likely see a few different destinations as a college coach over the next few years.  He brought on some of his ex-teammates and a previous assistant of mine to help him coach the summer college team.  He networked with his previous college coaches to help fill out his roster... bringing in players from both sides of the country that either he knew or his college coaches referred.  Another of his ex-teammates who also was an assistant with him last year as a college coach is the opposing coach in tonight's Valley League matchup.  Son has been instrumental in the recruiting efforts at his last school.  Undoubtedly, where ever he lands next, he will be looking to bring players from our area to play for him.   When he played, he landed at two 4-year schools based primarily on references from previous coaches and previous college teammates.

We rent out some space in our Calif. home for airbnb stays.  A little over a year ago, one of our guests saw the wall of pics of my HS teams and struck up a conversation about her son, who played HS ball in another part of the state.    She had questions about the recruiting process.  One thing led to another and this spring, we were on the phone several times as they were en route to school visits.  I provided what guidance I could and I was one of their first calls when he signed last month.

Many here are aware that my son and Picked Off's son ended up not only playing together but roommates.  Picked Off and I met here and joked about that happening some day long before it actually did.

Small, small, small, small...  definitely do not burn bridges.

Iowamom, maybe your son's first AC job will come as an assistant for my son 

Great point RFF! This is so true. I can attest to this personally, although not a burned bridge situation. These guys all network and know each other. Hope Parker is doing great!

Yes, this is so true. And not just in the baseball world. I was talking to one of our teachers today and we got on this topic. Some of you may know that 4 years ago I moved from southern Illinois to Dallas, TX. The guy who helped me get this job? I had met 3 weeks earlier in Indianapolis. Last year, my assistant at the time decided it was a time for a career change. Her eventual supervisor told me that they had AT resumes from MLB and NFL, big college, etc. He interviewed her only because of the school affiliation, and she immediately became their best candidate. My current assistant? Decent resume but nothing that stood out... I had another 30+ resumes just as good. One of our coaches knew her, so we interviewed her and obviously it's worked out very well for us. Important to network!!! 

The reality is that in many ways it's "not what you know, it's who you know." That gets you hired. The "what you know" is how you keep the job. 

Sage advice.

It is a YUGE network. Everyone knows everyone. 

And parents, don't ever question a coach after a loss about not using or taking your son out of the game. Don't embarrass your son or yourself that way. 

Great stories and experiences. Networking applies to almost every vocation. Never blow off anyone or burn bridges because that person can be the one who can make or break your next career move. As much joy it gives me to see some of my former interns have blossoming careers, I am astonished how well they recalled their experiences with our time together. This goes back almost 20 years and some as short as a couple of months. 

Nothing to do with burning bridges but along the lines of the small world theme. 

A team invited my son to play in a tournament in Phoenix. They also invited a fellow comitt. At some point my wife was talking/texting with the RC and learned they were worried about the kid making it to campus. Wasn't working on his ACT score like they wanted him to. So we had an early morning game and it was chilly. The kid borrowed a Wichita St hoodie from a teammate. Within an hour the RC was on the phone to my wife wanting to know why their recruit was wearing another college's hoodie.