Size of School BB Program

Chipperj.....

The college coaches and pro scouts will go where the good players are, not necessarily where the bigger or more noted schools are. If they know where the good players are playing, they will get there.

If your son is good enough, it won't matter. If he's not, it also won't matter. If he is in the middle, it will but then he might be better off attention-wise as a big fish in a small pond. You just never know. I will say this, whatever the scholarship amount -- if there is a scholly in the cards -- it is highly likely to be only a small portion of the cost. If that is the intent, then you are better off saving your money in a college fund then spending it on baseball.

Chipperj,
The amount of “exposure” my son got from 4 years of high school baseball was less than one showcase or one weekend tournament on his summer team. Of all the formats for exposure, high school baseball normally provides the least. You mention you are taking your son to college camps. College camps provide a lot of exposure...but...only to a limited number of coaches. Remember, college coaches are in competition for players.
The two best formats for exposure to college coaches are: #1 showcase, and #2 select summer teams... (Which you say you’re doing).
Best of luck,
Fungo

You posted in Pre-HS, but your post indicates he's already in HS
If he's in HS, couple of things he could do are...

1. Send his HS schedule to all colleges in the Region, including La, Tex, Ark, etc...
Here's link from this site to find divisions/ contact info. Be sure to confirm that info is correct, then follow up to make sure they got it...
http://www.hsbaseballweb.com/address_links.htm

2. Have his select coach contact some of the same coaches for him...

3. Contact PG for info on the Houston Showcases coming up this spring, or PG rep in Houston area, Phil Cross with Houston Heat.

4. Keep up with Houston 5a HS baseball or SA 5A Baseball for info on showcases in those areas of Tex...

Good Luck!

I am interested in knowing how it is going for your son. My son is in 7th grade and is thinking about transfering to another school 15 min away for baseball reasons. His current school has a first year coach and the team has not been very competitive in some time. I would like him to get to play at this other school because they have a State winning program with great High School coaches. They have also built a top of the line training facility for the boys. Many of the kids get scholarships. I feel he would benefit from playing with top notch players and coaches. What is your take on this?

The only thing better than playing on a traditional powerhouse would be beating them... All the facilities and competition will do is allow the cream to rise to the top. If in fact your son has what it takes to be a starter at a top school then the move may benefit him. IMO 7th grade may be a bit early to determine this. Plus this seems like quite a bit of pressure to place on him, ie if baseball doesn't work out what would his feeling be about the school ? Does he have friends there ?

The summer before my son started high school, we moved which caused my son to change the school he'd be attending. He moved from the #1 baseball program (last year) in not only Texas, but the country to a most definitely smaller,"lesser" program. Baseball and the possiblity of college scholarships didn't concern us at that time because we didn't know anything about the recruiting process. He could have transferred back to the powerhouse if he wanted because I'm a teacher in the district but he didn't want to.

It's now his Senior year and I can assure you he doesn't regret the decision. His team has not made it out of district play since he's been there but he's already signed to play for a school in the Big 12 next year. In playing for his school he's had opportunities he wouldn't have at the other school including starting on varsity since he was a freshman and playing against the Powerhouse while his friends sat the bench(due to the sheer number of players/upperclassman at the school-not their lack of talent.) I found this site after his freshman year, and realized he'd have to really work to get what he wanted. At that point, too, I started to wonder if his moving would hurt him in the long run, but it really hasn't just meant he had to take a different path than he would have. Baseballmom's on the money with what we've done the last couple of years and it's been a fun, if stressful, ride, so far.

Yankeelvr- my son's team beat the powerhouse in the last game of the season his sophomore year and I can agree that even though their season was done (while the other team went on) it made their season!!

Micky39,
Welcome to the HSBBW. Good question. Great story ORmom!

Are there downsides to the move? Some things to consider:
Could it be that your son might sit more at the "better" school like ORom suggest?
What about leaving his friends at the old school?
Does the KY sports association allow a move for athletic reasons? You don't have to lie for this to happend do you?
Would transportation problems arise from the move?
Don’t forget that ugly peer pressure from the other players both at the old and new school. Moving for athletic reasons does not come without a price.

Generally speaking high school baseball is not a launching pad to college or pro baseball. Talent, strong summer play, and sensible showcasing are what opens doors. There are a few high schools that continually turn out great players but this is often misleading because some of these great players are being “recruited” (surprise!) so what appears to the casual observer to be a school making great players is actually great players making the school look good. Does that make sense? I have known players to move for baseball reasons and in my opinion would have fared just as well if not better if they had stayed put. While moving can be a viable option in some cases, it can also be a big ordeal in a young player’s life to pick up and move to another school.

Don't worry about the HS ball, cj. If your son is playing for one of the good select clubs out of Houston, he will get all the exposure he needs there.

If you want, PM me with the select team he plays for. I'll be glad to give you some input on the best clubs in the Houston area if you like.

My son played last year with at least 5 players from the powerhouse and will be playing with them again this summer. He has several friends there. As far as I know, he could move legally in the 8th grade if he wants to without having to sit out a year. This is why we are thinking about it now while he is in 7th. Yes, we know it is a huge decision but honestly our current school has been very disapointing to us in the sports field. It just does not put any money into coaches or facilities. He has learned so much from being on the travel team that I would like him to continue playing with the same calibur of players. He actually led the traveling team in almost every stat. He feels that the move could help him achieve his dream of playing college ball. Of course I know the kids from both schools could be very nasty about this whole thing. Several of the boys he plays with on the travel team are wanting him to move to their school as of right now. We are just not sure at this point what would be the best for him. Thanks for the advice. I have really enjoyed reading your input!