quote:
Originally posted by Chinnychinchin:
DO NOT... I REPEAT...DO NOT rely on the H.S. coach for help in the recruiting process!!! This part is entirely on you and Jr. Some coaches may go the extra mile and help, but for the most part alot of H.S. coaches are this- A Teacher who wants to boost income somewhat (and in some cases ego) by becoming a coach. No previous credentials required other than a teaching certificate- in most cases. Having once played the sport in H.S. long ago, does not an effective coach make!!!
You may get more help from Summer coaches, as it is in their best interest to see their players advance- thereby lending credibity to their program.
You and Jr. will need to hit the internet, hit HSBW, etc. in this process, unless Jr. is a "can't miss" lefty touching 95... in that case they will find him!
I'm sorry coaches like this do exist and I'm sorry that you had a terrible experience with your coach but please don't make a blanket assessment of us based on emotion. There are MANY high school coaches who do a lot for their kids. I can't prove this but I would bet for every great summer coach out there the number of great high school coaches is pretty similar. For every bad high school coach the number of bad summer coaches is pretty similar.
I tell my guys if they want to play in college what the process is. We sit down and try to figure out what level they would accel at. We try to figure out what academic areas they want to study and then we look at their grades / test scores. Once we get that then the guys go back and start finding schools they think they might want to go to and bring me a list. Then we talk about how THEY need to contact them through phone or email and what to say. Find out where they will be at for showcases, what camps they will host, send a summer schedule and finally they ask what the coach wants from them in order to be seen by them. As everyone has stated the vast majority of work needs to be done by the players / parents. I'll guide them in what needs to be said, how to say it, what to ask and things like that but I will NEVER make first contact for a kid. If the college coach contacts me then I will give them an honest assessment of what I think. I have to maintain credibility because if I blow smoke up their rear on a kid and he doesn't pan out then that coach will never take me seriously again. I tell my guys that and what I will tell the college coach if asked so there is no miscommunication or misunderstandings. After this there's not a whole lot else I can do.
There are two problems with recruiting. Parents watch TV and they see the stud blue chips at college and the talking heads mention how they were recruited by "so and so". They think that the schools go out and find these kids and they will find all kids. But even the blue chip studs still go to camps, showcases, combines, AAU stuff and whatever. The studs are proactive in getting out there to be seen and THEN the college coach starts calling. But the kid started the process. Some parents think the college coach will just find their kid.
The second problem is that parents believe a high school coach or even a summer coach can pick up the phone, make a call and get a full ride for their kid. I don't know where this one comes from but it's so far from the truth. I'm at my 4th school right now as a coach and both these problems have been at all 4 places.
Three weeks ago I drove one of my football players two hours to a school on a visit. I've taken my kids to open tryouts and showcases and whatever else is out there. I would prefer it be the parents that take them but that's not always the case. But I've also had kids give me lists of schools with nothing but top 25 DI schools that routinely appear in the CWS. Now these kids can play at the next level but just not that one. So I don't help them because they won't listen to me about what level they need to play and I'm not going to waste time on a fantasy.