Stanford Camp

We may end up applying for the Futures Camp ( I think this is their 2nd year and will only last 3 days) and see if we get formally invited since this will all be 2012 and is 2 weeks after the 16 U USAB Championships. Maybe they will get more equal attention if they are all in the same class and hopefully go to the prospect camp next year. We figure if he is accepted this year, then he will be on their database for next year.

Thanks, igball! All of that is very good to learn. The letter said they'd have 50 schools there, from JUCO to D1, so who knows what might happen.

If it's a lottery type deal, then there is no criteria to be in the camp as long as you can pay for it and get picked? I would think, they research them a little bit and from the pool they selected, pick the good candidates for the camp. I would like to think that rather than a random drawing of names.

We absolutely were awed by the very personal nature of the Coach Stotz email machine. They must be utilizIng the extreme intellect of their IT grad students to make every person feel so connected.

Did you all get the ML King letter this year? And boy will Coach stay on you for those SAT scores and grades.

To know that they can start out with over 2,000 contacts a year and eventually winnow it down to 8 to 10 NLI's truly puts Stanford as the most elite recruiting machine in existence.

Stotz is probably one of the best at recruiting.He has tough admissions at his school, so he leaves no stone unturned.

The communication from Coach Stotz is very differnet. The MLK was a great discussion starter for our family.

My son received a letter from Coach Stotz@ Stanford and agree the thought was so exciting until I realized these letters are probably sent to all 2011 graduates.

My question is he's interested in playing in the area code games also this year which is around the same time as the Stanford camp, which one is more benefical to attend? Does college scouts attend the area codes games as well?

IMO here it goes. My son got his scholarship from the Area Code Tryout alone. As do a majority of those kids IMO. There are anywhere form 50 to 100 Scouts and or schools attending. This is a Major opportunity if you can get in to an Are Code Tryout. But, then again I didn't have my son attend the Stanford Camps. Food for thought. If a get a chance again for my younger son to get in an Area Code Tryout or attend any other event scheduled at the same time I would advise my son of the difference in exposure and let him decide. I would of course be leaning my opinion to him for the A/C Tryouts. Hope this helps a little. Sounds like you have a player there ! Good luck this year and enjoy the ride. Please stay tuned to this channel because there are a lot of very experienced and helpful folks here to help ease the decisions and help walk you through the process. Even if you don't ask questions, all you need to do is enter your subject of conversation in the Find tab to the upper left and there should be a number of discussions on that topic to learn from. Then if you desire more info just ask! Thanks for asking questions and welcome from one newbie to another.

It is not even close if he is a truly good player. The Area Code Games are as high profile as it gets, and the tryouts themselves, as azallan has described, also present significant opportunity.

The Stanford camp is great fun and extremely well run and marketed. But if you go, you will find the overall talent level much lower than you probably anticipate and the colleges represented missing the real high-end baseball schools, other than Stanford.

So, it comes down to this: If your son is a good player but not quite good enough for the Area Code Games or unable to stand out at the tryouts even without making the team, then the Stanford camp is a better choice.

By the way, the Area Code Games are in early August in Long Beach. The tryouts take place sometime in June. The bigger conflict with the Stanford Camp, depending on the age of the player, is just as likely to be the USA Baseball tournaments formerly known as the Junior Olympics, which I also would choose over the Stanford Camp.

Area Code tryouts last summer (in Calif) were July 7th & 8th. Stanford Camp ends on July 4th so you can do them both. The biggest problem would be the USA Baseball 16U Championships as they back up to the Stanford Camp. For pitchers this is a problem. (which is one of the reasons we skipped the Stanford Camp last year as a Soph) The Headfirst Camp is usually just following the Stanford Camp which could be a problem, but I believe it is prior this year. I have heard it can be troublesome for a pitcher trying to do both the Stanford and Headfirst camps.

Like others have posted making the Area Code team is basically a ticket to pretty much any college you would be interested in. (I am sure TR or someone will pop in here on this statement...) I have heard that there tends to be a little more "politics" in choosing the teams now as opposed to when Bob ran them. They are free and the tryouts are still a great event even if you don't make the team(s).

I should also add that the Stanford camp is geared toward high academic players so if you don't fit this profile you should consider whether you want to go there.

Son (2011) just got the invite to the Stanford Camp, and based on what I've read here on HSBBW, we have been giving it serious consideration.

However, BOF makes a good point about the timing with Area Code Tryouts. My son was invited to the Area Code Tryouts last year as a Soph, and yeah, the exposure was tremendous! There must have been 80+ scouts and recruiters in the stands. But he wasn't able to pitch due to his summer team's schedule so he just took reps at 3B and hit. I'd hate to pay all that money for the Stanford camp only to have him be unable to pitch for AC again this year. Even though there seems to be some politics in selecting the AC team up here, if he pitches at tryouts I think he's got a decent shot at being selected.

Sometimes this all feels like trying to pick paint colors at the hardware store. I have no idea which of 15 shades of blue I should go with! I just stand there staring at all the colors, worrying if I'm picking just the right one.

PD

PD:

We are planning on doing both this year. At the Stanford camp they said pitchers will pitch 2 innings on each day so 4 innings plus 3-4 days rest he should be OK. Area Code is also less than 2 innings.

My 2011 son is on the email list for Coach Stotz, but as of today, has not received an official invite for the 2010 Camp. I'm not sure if his poor SAT (1590) from last month has any bearing on the lack of an invite (I'm aware that score won't cut it for Stanford)? Perhaps, the invitations are sent out by region? If anyone knows how this generally works, your advice is greatly appreciated!

bsbl:

You are right that a 1590 SAT won't cut it for Stanford, but I don't view it as "poor" by a long shot. Either way, I doubt Coach Stotz is aware of that SAT at this point. Even if he is, I know of many players who have attended the camp despite lower SATs. I doubt that is a fact in this case, although I guess you never know. If you have been receiving e-mails anyway, I would guess the invitation is on the way. You can always call to ask.

bsbl247,
It is done on a lottery basis, I believe by position. His SAT score would have no influence on his getting into the camp or not. Did you send in an application for the camp? It isn't enough just to be on Coach Stotz's e-mail list.

jemaz & CADad,

Thanks for the info. Coach Stotz is aware of his score, as he had sent an email to my son prior to the test and followed that up with another email the day that scores were available. Stotz does an amazing job keeping up with his prospects. BTW, I am aware his score was decent, just a little disappointing compared to his PSAT.

In regards to the camp invite, I didn't know that you had to go online to fill out an application? Son had received an email a few months ago from Coach Stotz stating that an invite would be sent to him in the beginning of the year. We'll see what happens, thanks again for your help.

bsbl247,
I'd recommend filling out the application if it doesn't show it as being closed yet. The NCAA requires them to hold a lottery but that doesn't mean that they've filled every spot at every position yet. At the very least check with Coach Stotz.

Thanks CADad, I'll have my son send him an email this afternoon.

I'm wondering if Coach Stotz is reading the HSBW message board? We just received an email from him inquiring the email address and cell phone number of HS Coach.

He does not need to. Here is a picture I got of him last week.

That's hilarious BOF! I have no idea where you guys come up with all these pictures?

Son received an email last night that he was selected in the lottery and is in!

My son is in too. He did the Jr. camp last year and loved it. I think I'll go down too - I grew up there and would love to spend some time watching baseball and visiting my old haunts.
BOF, is your son staying in the dorm?

IS this for both the 2011/2012 All Star Camp or 2012 Futures camp? Thanks

Ryanrod23: For the All Star camp in July. emeraldvlly: Yes, from what others have posted here the kids get as much out of the dorm experience as they do in the games.

2B got in as well, but we decided not to go. With everything else we've got going on, we just can't come up with the cash. I'm sure it would have been a fantastic experience. But I guess the good news is that a spot for a MIF just opened up.

Hi 2bmom,

Maybe you can solicit from sponsors to help offset the cost.

RR23

Thanks, Ryanrod. We already sent our regrets to Coach Stotz. With HS ball and the summer team, our sponsors don't want to see us coming anymore! Maybe we'll see some of you at East Cobb this summer, or at Jupiter this fall.

Stanford Camp rosters with coaches and game times at Sunken Diamond were emailed today. They are also going to stream the games via the web (for a fee of course)

If you are going we will see you in Palo Alto in two weeks

Rosters and Sunken Diamond game times here:

http://stanfordbaseballcamp.com/

My son is on team #1. How about yours?

Of course he is....

Team 15.

Stanford pulled the rosters down yesterday. Jr got them via email today as they their compliance office thought it might be construed as a NCAA violation so they pulled them down just to be safe.

Looks like son's team won't be playing your son's. It would be fun to cross paths sat some point. Is your whole family coming? It will be just me, as my husband gets to go to Canada with our son for his Legion team games later in the month. Are any other websters going to be there? I'd love to find out who's there so I can try to make a point to watch any games I can.

My wife is driving him up on Weds afternoon and I am going to fly in late on Friday. I will post something in the "I will see you there" thread to see who else is going.

How is that a possible NCAA violation? I don't get the NCAA a lot of the time...Whatever, can't wait for the camp! So there are rising juniors there as well as rising seniors?

I see that Arkansas is participating in the camp.

I thought we'd received an updated list of coaches attending - but I can't find it. Anybody have the link?

The coaches and schools are listed by name on the team list your son should have received via email. I do know that other schools will be there who do not have teams, but I don't know if this is in an "official" capacity or they just show up.

There are usually coaches from more than a few schools that are not directly participating in the camp who are in the stands. I believe, but am far from certain, that the main difference is that they don't get the information that the camp staff puts together and shares about each player as the camp goes on.

CADad,

Just curious, are they there incognito or are they wearing their school colors?...I know D'oh how would you know...but did you talk to coaches or see them in their school shirts, etc.