Sept 1 for rising Junior

Yes.

For those who have been here, done that.

Based on the Sept 1 date, How would you gauge interest based on materials/communications etc?

EXTREMELY:

HIGHLY:

MODERATELY:

LIGHTLY:

Thanks,
RR23

Bear in mind that colleges vary in the urgency that they recruit. A really good email will be personal, telling the player where he has been seen, and what specifically they liked about him.

On Sept 1, it's good if they say that the player is one of the top recruits in the 2012 class. Much better is "you are our number 1 prospect". Much more quantitative than "top".....

Of course, most players aren't the very best in their class. In that case, probably September 1 won't trigger much personal correspondence, because there is a pecking order in which players are recruited, and in which schools start recruiting first. Emails are likely to be more generic. Just because a letter/email addresses the player by name doesn't signify immediate interest. It just means he is on a list of players that the college suspects are talented players (which is good ). The lists come from travel team rosters, and attendence lists at high end tournaments and showcases, PG ratings, etc.

If a school is really interested, and they have any kind of personal connection (HS coach, travel coach) who knows the player, they will probably also use that route to gauge interest.

No real interest on September 1. My son generated some interest with contact letters mailed in October (about 35 of them). A little more contact during and immediately after his Junior HS season. By the July 1 phone contact date, he was on the phone from early morning until late at night. He verbally committed by the end of July.

3FingeredGlove is spot on.

For all but a handful of very top players...don't race to your inbox/mailbox expecting a pile of mail on 9/1.

For most potential college players, a trickle may begin...it may not.

And he is also right in that those with significant interest will likely try to go through the HS or summer coach to gauge interest...if that hasn't started already.

quote:

If I had to do my son's junior year over again, I would spend less time stressing over what every little thing meant. Except for the players who are already known as big-time prospects, not much of significance is likely to happen this fall or winter other than what the kids put into their training for next spring and summer. For the rest of us--those of us whose kids flew below the radar because they were late bloomers, or spent time hurt, or didn't get out in front of the right guys early, or don't fit the ideal molds--thinking that the game is on just because September first is here can lead to a lot of unhelpful anxiety.

AMEN BROTHER!!!!!

quote:

Based on the Sept 1 date, How would you gauge interest based on materials/communications etc?

EXTREMELY:

HIGHLY:

MODERATELY:

For us, we were very fortunate and Gun received alot of interest, so I'd say purple. And, for the most part 1/2 of the schools that started sending letters, emails, and hand written materials after Sept. 1st have stuck with the process. The others were no doubters and we stopped the process early on. Remember, the events that JR plays at are vitally important and the team must be competitive. It is very difficult to evaluate a player on a less competitive team, facing below average competition. Make sure he is in the right place, at the right time and good things will happen. Also, be proactive.

GED10DaD

Having gone through this process, where my son started out with no real interest on September 1 to a high level of interest, what you will notice is a change in the "tone" the letters, emails, and the means the coaches and recruiting coordinators use to talk to your son. They go from very general, talking about the team and the schools accomplishments, to very specific, talking directly about your son, and how much they want him at State U. Another thing you will see is using 3rd parties to communicate what they think about your son and to gauge your son's interest in State U. It is very important to note the tone in determining "real" interest. I would say don't get too wrapped up or worried if there is no immediate interest. As GED10 and others have said, do be proactive. Let the schools know your interest, and how much you like and want to know more about them. I am sure it is much easier for coaches to go after a kid that has expressed an interest in their school, as opposed to not knowing the initial interest.

The reality of the situation is this: the majority of the "rising juniors" will not see a lot of intereston Sept 1

Unless the player is a stud or has convinced people that he is there will no huge flurry of activity.

The fault of sites like this is that they lead parents to believe that their rising junior is on of the elite players in his class

Great information everyone. As a dad of a 2012 grad, I appreciate it.

quote:

The fault of sites like this is that they lead parents to believe that their rising junior is on of the elite players in his class

Thrit, I quoted this to ask how you think this site leads parents to think their boys are elite players.Now please I am not attacking you in any way, I just don't think that is true.I am just curious as to how this site does that.

The fault of sites like this is that they lead posters to believe that their number of posts is one of the elite posters in his class

FOG

All too many parents after reading sites such as this believe that because their son is a varsity player the phone will ring on day one.

In many ways we give them blind hope

FO

nice jab !!!!!

quote:

Originally posted by FormerObserver:
The fault of sites like this is that they lead posters to believe that their number of posts is one of the elite posters in his class

Hey FO, what gives?

Having a realistic view of your son's ability is required. I most definitely underestimated my son's ability. We let the people who where scouting and coaching my son give there opinion of his ability, and I stayed out of his recruiting except to encourage him, and offer my voice once it became financial. We were fortunate that the summer team he played on put him in front of the right people, and he performed. Not all organizations do this.

The more posts I read, the more I think I should have kept him in those acting classes I signed him up for when he was 4...

I don't remember son getting many letters at all (he did from FL programs) after september 1 until he played WWBA that fall.

I am a firm beleiver, it's not always about who contacts you, but who sees you play.

I agree about the stressing out part, it's not necessary, those letters are intended to create interest for their programs, their camps it's how they do their marketing, which I beleive is teh real intent for all of that correspondance.

Junior year is important for geting on a good fall ball team to get ready for your HS season, showcases, conditioning, working out, making plans for senior summer, making sure you are taking the courses neede to qualify, conentrating on a good HS academic year, and taking or retaking your SAT and ACT tests for satisfactory scores.

quote:

Originally posted by LHPMom2012:
The more posts I read, the more I think I should have kept him in those acting classes I signed him up for when he was 4...

Might be new career for the youngster.
Check out NYC of Fine Arts!