Should parents approach scouts at PG in GA?

Don't because it's a waste of time.  If your son can play they will notice (or already have him on their radar).  They are at work and have a job to do.  They don't need distractions just like any of us wouldn't want someone to come up to us at our work and talk to us about whatever.

How a parent conducts themselves can also end up in player's notes. Would you want your son's notes to have comments about parents approaching coaches and scouts?

Like a lot of people I have the urge to go and introduce myself to coaches if I think they are watching my son play.  I always fight the urge and never do it.  It's just not accpetable in my view.  Anything that could potentially negatively impact a coach's view should be avoided.  This is one of those things. 

When you say scouts, I am assuming you mean college coaches. There will be both professional scouts and college coaches at these events.  Let them do their work and if you have happened to met them in the past and they recognize you, just say hi and move on.  

If my son were typing this, he would thank those of you who resist the urge.

If you've seen him while he's evaluating players, chances are that he was wearing ear buds. There's more to that than just thinking that the music he plays helps him focus.

Particularly at tournaments like this week's, he and his peers arrive with a very long list of players they're intent upon evaluating. When he describes what he does when viewing games, he frequently uses the phrase "locked in" to communicate the intensity of his focus. The whole time, he's making copious notes. The last thing he needs or wants is a parent coming up to him when he's at work, preventing him from doing his job.

If your son is playing at a high level tournament such as this one and is deemed good enough to contribute to a recruiter's program, he can expect to hear from the recruiter(s) he impressed. Don't run the very high risk of creating the impression that you're the sort of parent who hovers over his/her child. That is rarely, if ever, viewed as a desirable trait.

Only if mom is super hot.

You owe me a keyboard.  LOL

Or if Dad is 6'8" and left handed.

Answer, of course, is NO!!  That is major amateur hour, IMO.  But, this is a very funny story and I will not name names:

- last Fall at WWBA Underclass in Ft. Myers, it was blazing hot in the sun, so a RC from a BIG TIME ACC school decided to grab some shade and sat in bleachers amongst parents of our team

- Grandfather of one of my son's teammates played in MLB for 7 seasons many years ago and...well, let's just say he is a bit of character (x1,000)...imagine the personality of, say, Rodney Dangerfield and the confidence of Muhammad Ali combined with the attitude of "I'm an old man, I couldn't care less what people think of me and I will say what I darn well please"

- Talks the RC's ear off for about 2 innings straight, obnoxiously so, saying how good his grandson is and he has to watch him...literally distracting so the RC had hard time concentrating on the game.  The family was embarrassed, to say the least.

- Here is the catch, though:  the Kid is a complete stud and is already being recruited by the school even as a 2017.

- So, moral of the story...DO NOT do it either way because if your kid isn't an elite stud, they will be turned off with you being "one of those parents" and, if he is an elite stud, they are going to find out about him anyway, so save yourself the time and relax.  Or, if you have to, just have Grandpa do it!

This post is not doing this story justice.  One had to be there.  I am laughing again now thinking about it.

I've had the opportunity to met a lot of MLB and college scouts the last year or so and if I see them at the field I say hey "BOB" and move on.  At the right point they will contact your son or ask his coach to have them call. Let them do their job.  

I probably shouldn't post this even though it very much pertains to this thread.

We have the website that provides information about players we have scouted. It includes lots of things that might give a recruiter or scout an idea of the players skill level. Usually everything written is polite.

We also maintain a database that includes all the unedited notes directly from our scouts.  Many college coaches and scouts call us to get more information on players they are interested in.

These unedited scout notes include many things.  Much relates to the players makeup and attitude.   Often there will be information pertaining to parents.  Notes that say things like... Pest, High Maintenance, Trouble, Head ache, Demanding, Bitcher, AHole, etc.  there are also notes that say things like good family, nice parents, supportive, etc.  Good notes or no notes are a good thing.  Bad notes are actually a warning to the recruiter or scout.  

Parents need to know these things.  Someone might want your son, but not bad enough to put up with you. There are a lot of very good players out there.  Some are so talented that it might be worth putting up with things. However, we have had coaches tell us, they are not interested in a kid because there is no way they want to deal with the dad.  It really is strange how many parents don't understand how their actions can effect their son.

I am only saying this so the people here have this information.  Whether someone wants to believe it or not...That is up to you. It is not meant for any one in particular.

Regarding this topic, there is nothing wrong with talking to scouts.  Understand that there are times when a college coach cannot talk to you due to NCAA rules.  But there is a time and a place to talk and there is a time to allow them to do their job.  Bottom line, if your son is good enough, they will be looking for you and may even want to talk.

A word about the nomenclature and pertinent sartorial habits:

Coaches serve as recruiters for college programs. Scouts scout for professional clubs.

Coaches/recruiters for colleges...scouts for professional clubs.

Scouts wear long pants and frequently don't wear gear identifying their professional club's affiliation. "Old school" scouts are prone to wearing Hawaiian-print shirts and beat-up hats that look like they'd be more at home in the garden; having been broken in by running a steamroller over them a few hundred times..

Recruiters often wear shorts and usually wear gear identifying the college for whom they recruit.

Both recruiters and scouts carry radar guns and leave stopwatch lanyards hanging out of their pockets.

If anyone can get a picture of JH sporting his Hawaiian-print shirt, please post it here.

 Good luck

LOL!!!  It's too early in the morning to be laughing at the computer like this...though i can only imagine how some parents are.  My 2018 is about to start the process this year so i'll make sure i don't get the bad notes if/when he ends up at any events.

The answer is no, but it is fun to watch parents (mostly Dads) try. 

I had the pleasure of listening to one conversation back in East Cobb (I couldn't leave because the recruiter wanted to briefly talk to me) but you would have thought this guy's kid was getting called up by the Yankees.  It was freaking hilarious, and God Bless that recruiter because he kept a straight face the whole time.

If a college recruiter approaches a parent....say "hi" and engage in brief conversation until he needs to go.  Simple as that.

I've always tended towards being a helicopter parent, and had to always keep it in check. It's because of this that I won't attend any of my son's showcases this summer, because I have to stay out of it and suspect I'd just make son feel pressured and wind up taking the fun out of it. If he does well, he'll be noticed, and if not, my presence wont improve matters. It's his gig, and far better his dad take him, they get some dad/son time and have fun and "enjoy the ride." His dad is much better at watching but being invisible, and I figure if any recruiter wants to eyeball the gene pool, his dad is they one they'll want to see anyway. For games, I'll go and cheer, but for this I serve best by staying home.

   No one in their right mind would want to risk an unfavorable impression by approaching a coach or recruiter unsolicited - even I know that, from all I've read the past couple of years here! As always, thanks for all the information posted here - it's made all the difference for us to date.

That sounds like a very interesting combination, and probably worth the price of admission.

Mom of 2015,

  Please go !!! Don't miss any of your son's time on the field!!! If you have to, cling to your husband and follow his lead, but your son wants you in the crowd watching him play. You can work on your invisible skills at each one and grade yourself accordingly, you sitting at home is in my opinion the worst choice possible!!

 catchersdad

 Good luck

Where is Got Wood for Sale?

I could only imagine the image he would post of JH.

I could not bring myself to approach a scout or recruiter about my son. Other than a nice weather or how's the family I don't say much to his current coaches.

I was bs'ing a little to a scout that was sitting beside me at a sons game this spring, quite a few scouts were there to watch a stud pitcher on my sons team. My son came in to close and I didn't even slip in that bit of info. It was at least nice to see that the scouts at least didn't immediately put away the guns and notepads and leave the stadium!

During one recruiting trip, while my son was being shown the campus by a player, the HC and I were talking. He brought up that he wasn't going to pursue a certain kid I knew because of the father. I wasn't surprised by that fact, only the admission by the coach. 

IMO the coaching fraternity is a pretty tight one, these guys all know each other fairly well, the assistants usually have made their rounds as players or coaches, they all know who the PITA's are and aren't afraid to share that info.

Doesn't happen a lot, but it really has some impact on me.  Somehow a conversation starts in cramped quarters.  I hear what appears to be a father talking about one of the players in the game.  The player is very talented and most scouts are gluing in on him.

From the glowing remarks coming from this guy about the kids work ethic, attitude, and skill level... I thought wow another one of those dads!

So when I left, I asked the man... Is that your son out there at Shortstop?  He said, No I've just been watching him for two years, my son is the center fielder.  He never once said a word about his kid and his kid was pretty much an equal prospect And another player scouts were gluing in on.

I don't know if I have described this exactly right.  But I went from thinking "Here's another one of the fools".... To all of a sudden really liking this guy.  Sure he was a dad, but if the dad is that much of a team guy, chances are his son is the same way. Not only that, but once I knew the relationship, the things he was saying about the other kid had a lot more impact.

Most everyone already knows this, but for the few that don't...

MLB Scouts, College Coaches or most people on this earth... Form opinions based on  the actions, words, and behavior of others.  One thing that everyone likes... Nice People!  

Funny thing is... You really don't have to say much or do much to be liked.  But you definitely have to say or do something to be disliked!