Just as we got this summer lined up for my 2020 grad, recruiting rules changed. We had planned for this summer to be his “recruiting summer”, but now I can’t figure out what will change. How will this impact his summer? We still have the same schedule planned, but can he no longer expect to (potentially) receive calls after a showcase or tournament? I’m so confused! Help! 
Replies sorted oldest to newest
Mine is a 2021 so I’m not quite in the same boat but I am interested in how this plays out as well for the majority of 2020’s this summer. I say majority because some of the highest rated sophomores have been in contact and been on several visits prior to the rule change.
Based on what I’ve seen posted here, not much really changes except that you can’t visit with coaches on an unofficial visit. There’s another thread on it that goes into more detail.
http://community.hsbaseballweb...ruiting-rule-changes
I think there is value in visiting the campus, getting a feel for the campus, student life etc. but I can definitely see how it might change people’s plans.
Your son can still call coaches. Interested coaches will have his cell number passed to your son for him to call. That did not change. For a 2020, they are a rising junior in about a month. Couple months later and they can go to the schools and talk to the coach, if invited.
So play the best competition you can, preferably in the part of the country your son wants to play in, and enjoy!
We’ve purposely stayed out of the fray. Only started travel ball at 14u. I had no idea that there were championship rings for kids until literally last week. Just developing the boy mentally, academically. Had to take fall off due to illness, so he’s not where he had hoped to be weight-wise. Now Im scared we waited too long considering this rule change. Were coaches not allowed to contact him normally this summer anyway?? Maybe I’m over thinking. He has always been told that he’s a very solid intelligent player. We shall see!! It’s gettung REAL!
They wouldn’t have been able to call him this summer anyway. The most they could is ask him to tour the facilities if your tournament was played at that college (no longer an option) or contact your travel coach and ask him to have your son call (still ok as far as I can tell). Offers can be made over the phone but at that point you would want to see the college if you hadn’t. Sept. 1 isn’t long after summer ends. I do wonder if there will still be a lot of offers or if they hold off for the Sept. 1 date.
Thanks, I wonder as well!
I have a 2020. The only thing I see that really changed is no talking to the player during/after the camp about recruiting stuff, and no UV during 10th grade, but that's almost over for the 2020's. So it really doesn't change the 2020's plan for summer.
The key thing is, your son is not being put at a competitive disadvantage vis a vis the other 2020 players out there. Everyone is in the same boat. So, everyone can just focus on playing over the summer, and come Sept. 1, you'll get some indication of whether coaches think you're a hot commodity or whether things might take longer to develop.
I would add, the idea that summer following sophomore year is the "recruiting summer" is a VERY recent development and it's exactly the trend that the rule aims to reverse. It wasn't that long ago that if you were committed before Christmas of your junior year, you were one of the top 25 guys in the U.S. Now look where we are.
I've always been one to say that there's nothing wrong with early commitments as long as everyone's done their homework and is prepared to make a binding decision. (Technically not binding but realistically should be treated as such.) But at this point, I do think it's gotten out of hand. Younger and younger guys are making decisions on more and more immature bases. This was supposed to be limited to truly exceptional players, with the mainstream guys allowed to show repeatedly and the coaches having a fuller opportunity to evaluate them and possibly to appreciate late bloomers. Now it's become a "keeping up with the Joneses" thing -- and a point of competition among parents.
The rule change turns the clock back maybe 3 years at most. Everyone can live with this, just the way everyone used to. If my son were a 2020 or younger, I'd feel relieved to know that we had more time to see where son stacks up (athletically and academically) and to let him change his mind the inevitable half-dozen times before he has to make a real decision. Also, the extra time will reduce the risk that the coaches he felt comfortable with may not be there by the time he shows up on campus.
That process of feeling sure of one school, then changing your mind, then changing it back or again, is actually very healthy. These teenagers should be given time to sort this all out. All the more so in this day and age, when teenagers are probably less experienced in making adult decisions than any prior generation.
Midlo Dad posted:The key thing is, your son is not being put at a competitive disadvantage vis a vis the other 2020 players out there. Everyone is in the same boat. So, everyone can just focus on playing over the summer, and come Sept. 1, you'll get some indication of whether coaches think you're a hot commodity or whether things might take longer to develop.
I would add, the idea that summer following sophomore year is the "recruiting summer" is a VERY recent development and it's exactly the trend that the rule aims to reverse. It wasn't that long ago that if you were committed before Christmas of your junior year, you were one of the top 25 guys in the U.S. Now look where we are.
I've always been one to say that there's nothing wrong with early commitments as long as everyone's done their homework and is prepared to make a binding decision. (Technically not binding but realistically should be treated as such.) But at this point, I do think it's gotten out of hand. Younger and younger guys are making decisions on more and more immature bases. This was supposed to be limited to truly exceptional players, with the mainstream guys allowed to show repeatedly and the coaches having a fuller opportunity to evaluate them and possibly to appreciate late bloomers. Now it's become a "keeping up with the Joneses" thing -- and a point of competition among parents.
The rule change turns the clock back maybe 3 years at most. Everyone can live with this, just the way everyone used to. If my son were a 2020 or younger, I'd feel relieved to know that we had more time to see where son stacks up (athletically and academically) and to let him change his mind the inevitable half-dozen times before he has to make a real decision. Also, the extra time will reduce the risk that the coaches he felt comfortable with may not be there by the time he shows up on campus.
That process of feeling sure of one school, then changing your mind, then changing it back or again, is actually very healthy. These teenagers should be given time to sort this all out. All the more so in this day and age, when teenagers are probably less experienced in making adult decisions than any prior generation.
I agree with you 100% that the younger commits are not in the best interest of these kids. That being said....
Early commits have been the rapidly growing trend, and these rules are not likely to stop the trend. The new rules appear to be a compromise among all the various opinions of the coaches, and they ended up accomplishing nothing but giving the schools more of the upper hand.
If they wanted to truly change the early commit trend, they would've banned all contact and offers. They didn't. All they did was give the schools even more advantage. Schools can go see kids, and even still make offers when the kid arranges to call. However, the kid now has to make his decision based on less info than previously since he's prohibited from unofficial visits and discussions with the program. Time will tell, but I don't see the early commit trend fading.
I feel the 2021s are the ones in the most limbo because they are the first class who aren't close enough to Jr year to just wait it out. My 2021 has 4 of his travel teammates committed already to D1. We believe this summer after freshman year is still going to be extremely important in pursing top programs. Coaches who bought into the early commit approach and are successful at projecting kids, will not be deterred by these rules.
I think this will help the 2022s and to an extent, the 2021s. I think the 2020s are at a bit of a disadvantage. If you look at the committed pages on 2020s, there are a majority committed through the 500s. A lot of boys have already done UVs and can make a decision if offers come in this summer. Others haven’t, or may not have even been seen by a lot of schools yet. We were in the middle of the process, so my son has been to about half the schools he is talking to. He could make a decision if he’s been there and they see him this summer and decide to offer. The others may be great fits but we will have no idea until we can visit next year. We were hoping to visit two in May and that’s not possible now. Again, don’t think it slows ghings down much. I saw a 2022 announce his commitment yesterday.
Oh. Ok. So I was under the impression that coaches could potentially call him if they wanted to, this summer. Thus far, the only “contact” he’s had has been two “Come to this Showcase” emails/letters from two schools he’s not interested in. Signed him up for the showcase/Combine anyway since there will be other schools there.
I’m wondering if we should back his schedule down a little this summer, and put a couple showcases off until next summer. He JUST got an invite to the PBR Underclass Games in Virginia in June, which of course is a qualifier for Future Games. And there’s Showball. Problem is that he IS interested in high academic schools, and I’ve read that they fill rosters early.
We’ve visited ZERO schools other than a self-guided William and Mary visit with an alumni friend.
OR, should we STILL go all out and then ALSO go all out next summer? Or do off-season showcases in Fall/Winter??
What would you do?
Coaches will be out watching 2020s and 2021s. Don't change any plans. As stated there are only a few changes and they won't really affect your son.
I would start now with a list of programs that would be a good fit for your son. If it's high academics he is interested in, follow those programs through showcases and tournaments.
SchollySearchn posted:Oh. Ok. So I was under the impression that coaches could potentially call him if they wanted to, this summer. Thus far, the only “contact” he’s had has been two “Come to this Showcase” emails/letters from two schools he’s not interested in. Signed him up for the showcase/Combine anyway since there will be other schools there.
I’m wondering if we should back his schedule down a little this summer, and put a couple showcases off until next summer. He JUST got an invite to the PBR Underclass Games in Virginia in June, which of course is a qualifier for Future Games. And there’s Showball. Problem is that he IS interested in high academic schools, and I’ve read that they fill rosters early.
We’ve visited ZERO schools other than a self-guided William and Mary visit with an alumni friend.
OR, should we STILL go all out and then ALSO go all out next summer? Or do off-season showcases in Fall/Winter??
What would you do?
I would not change plans. The coaches cannot directly call your son, but they can call his travel coach and ask that he call them. That will typically happen after a showcase or tournament if they see him and are interested. He can start a dialogue and get a feel for the coach and the program, and if he likes that can think about visiting after September 1. I agree with going to camps or showcases at schools that fit your son's ability and that he is interested in. A good way to be seen. If he is looking stronger in the Fall than he was in Summer, definitely do a few showcases to update his stats.
Parent of an uncommitted 2020 LHP here. My son and I have been planning a full summer of travel tournaments, showcases, and college camps. These new rules will not change his plans. The camps especially seem to be his best avenue still to experience "unofficially" the school, campus, and coaches even if no actual recruiting occurs. If my son was a 2021 or younger, however, I'd like to think I would encourage him to focus more time and money on training/development instead.
The earlier trending of the D1 recruiting timeline (at least up until the rule changes) seemed to be more accelerated in some parts of the country than others, so I'd consider that, too when making a plan. I'll also add that my son has received a few more camp invites in the past week that have included the assistant coach's cell phone in the body of the email... don't recall seeing that as much in the past. Of course, convincing my introverted son to make the call is a whole different challenge!
I am happy now to have had my son take his first SAT as a sophomore. It helps that he scored better than expected, too. One less thing to worry about should he be lucky enough get any OV invites as a junior this fall.
My 2020 son has been emailing a D1 coach for a few months and just got his first reply. The coach said he'd be out/and or one of his assistants watching his game this week. At the bottom, below the coach's name, is his cell #...he never asked him to call however...should he wait til asked to call to actually call? I would think so, but dont want him to miss out because Im not guiding him correctly...thanks
SchollySearchn posted:Just as we got this summer lined up for my 2020 grad, recruiting rules changed. We had planned for this summer to be his “recruiting summer”, but now I can’t figure out what will change. How will this impact his summer? We still have the same schedule planned, but can he no longer expect to (potentially) receive calls after a showcase or tournament? I’m so confused! Help!
A good easy resource site, www.ncsasports.com, explains the changes in simple terms parents and players can understand.
edcoach posted:My 2020 son has been emailing a D1 coach for a few months and just got his first reply. The coach said he'd be out/and or one of his assistants watching his game this week. At the bottom, below the coach's name, is his cell #...he never asked him to call however...should he wait til asked to call to actually call? I would think so, but dont want him to miss out because Im not guiding him correctly...thanks
I don’t “think” the coach is allowed to do that. That said, yes, I would have your son call. He should check their schedule for a night the aren’t playing. Text in the morning with the time he will call. My son usually also texts a 10 minute warning.
TheRightScuff posted:. If my son was a 2021 or younger, however, I'd like to think I would encourage him to focus more time and money on training/development instead.
Can you elaborate on that please? Why the difference in approach for a 2021 as opposed to a 2020?
3and2Fastball posted:TheRightScuff posted:. If my son was a 2021 or younger, however, I'd like to think I would encourage him to focus more time and money on training/development instead.Can you elaborate on that please? Why the difference in approach for a 2021 as opposed to a 2020?
My uneducated guess is that schools will be recruiting fewer rising sophomores this year than in recent years, at least for those kids not ranked super high nationally. So more focus on strength and skill development would hopefully provide a better payoff down the road. Before the rule change, the trend toward earlier and earlier recruiting seemed to be accelerating, putting more push to get more exposure sooner.
I didn't worry at all about my son's exposure as a rising freshman... so he spent half the summer working out (strength training) daily with a group of coaches and players and doing pitcher-specific drills. Marked improvement in both velo and command. I was more concerned about exposure for him as a rising sophomore last summer, and he spent a lot of time at travel tournaments as a P.O. watching more games than he pitched. To be expected for a P.O., but a lot of time missed when we could have been more selfish on his personal development.
That said, I don't regret any of the college camps my son attended as a rising sophomore, even if most may have been 'cash grabs' for the schools. They were very helpful to him to learn about what's out there. He saw D1, D2, D3, JC, and NAIA schools and/or coaches... exactly zero offers, but that wasn't the point. He gained good experience to hopefully help him eventually make a more informed decision.
Midlo Dad posted:The key thing is, your son is not being put at a competitive disadvantage vis a vis the other 2020 players out there. Everyone is in the same boat. So, everyone can just focus on playing over the summer, and come Sept. 1, you'll get some indication of whether coaches think you're a hot commodity or whether things might take longer to develop.
I would add, the idea that summer following sophomore year is the "recruiting summer" is a VERY recent development and it's exactly the trend that the rule aims to reverse. It wasn't that long ago that if you were committed before Christmas of your junior year, you were one of the top 25 guys in the U.S. Now look where we are.
I've always been one to say that there's nothing wrong with early commitments as long as everyone's done their homework and is prepared to make a binding decision. (Technically not binding but realistically should be treated as such.) But at this point, I do think it's gotten out of hand. Younger and younger guys are making decisions on more and more immature bases. This was supposed to be limited to truly exceptional players, with the mainstream guys allowed to show repeatedly and the coaches having a fuller opportunity to evaluate them and possibly to appreciate late bloomers. Now it's become a "keeping up with the Joneses" thing -- and a point of competition among parents.
The rule change turns the clock back maybe 3 years at most. Everyone can live with this, just the way everyone used to. If my son were a 2020 or younger, I'd feel relieved to know that we had more time to see where son stacks up (athletically and academically) and to let him change his mind the inevitable half-dozen times before he has to make a real decision. Also, the extra time will reduce the risk that the coaches he felt comfortable with may not be there by the time he shows up on campus.
That process of feeling sure of one school, then changing your mind, then changing it back or again, is actually very healthy. These teenagers should be given time to sort this all out. All the more so in this day and age, when teenagers are probably less experienced in making adult decisions than any prior generation.
I'm not so sure it put recruiting back to how it was three years ago. Time will tell. Take ten/fifteen of the top programs. Look up the number of recruits by month and compare year over year. I don't think it will change.
But it did reduce the information a kid will have about a school and vice versa. It did put more pressure on a kid starting his Junior year, when the pressure to visit multiple schools and make a decision will be at the same time that school is starting. Might not be that big of a deal for a kid with multiple options in a population/college dense area. But how about that kid in Reno, Nv?
Guess the coaches can watch and see how they get off the bus. This also moves more information funnelled through the Travel coach.
I happen to agree with Midlo Dad.
Coaches really have no issues with the new rules.
I'm not sure how it affects the value of showcases and tournaments. Those are already pretty much where the bulk of scouting occurs, but I don't see how this tilts things any more in that direction.
Except maybe some 2020's will keep seeking exposure events for a longer time!
When is the official implementation date of the rule changes? According to the NCAA information it says "next school year", but some schools seem to be making some minor adjustments now with the unofficial visits...for example, some schools are no longer providing tickets to games for 2020 recruits, but earlier this year that was different. So, if you purchase your own ticket to a baseball game, can they still talk to the prospective recruit now.....assuming you've been talking to the coaches already?
blhays9697 posted:When is the official implementation date of the rule changes? According to the NCAA information it says "next school year", but some schools seem to be making some minor adjustments now with the unofficial visits...for example, some schools are no longer providing tickets to games for 2020 recruits, but earlier this year that was different. So, if you purchase your own ticket to a baseball game, can they still talk to the prospective recruit now.....assuming you've been talking to the coaches already?
I agree that the wording is weird. I plan on calling each school we want to look at to see how they are handling it.
Thanks to all for helping decipher the likely impact of the new rules. If it's designed to cut down on early verbals, then godspeed to the effort. PG just posted a 2022 catcher verbal to Duke - 13 years, 11 months old.
As the father of a 2022 catcher and as someone who would like his son to just be a kid for at least another year before this madness starts in earnest, I'm rooting for change.
blhays9697 posted:When is the official implementation date of the rule changes? According to the NCAA information it says "next school year", but some schools seem to be making some minor adjustments now with the unofficial visits...for example, some schools are no longer providing tickets to games for 2020 recruits, but earlier this year that was different. So, if you purchase your own ticket to a baseball game, can they still talk to the prospective recruit now.....assuming you've been talking to the coaches already?
The new rules went into effect last month. You may call the coach at any time. Regardless of who paid for the ticket, any prior discussions, you may say hello to the coach in person at a game but any discussion on recruitment or tour of facilities with the coaching staff is prohibited for 2020's or younger. The whole idea was to stop the process to wow the player into a very early committment with an UV before or after a game and also while at a camp.
You still will have plenty of time to get to know the coach over the phone. I know that son didn't visit any program until the coach showed interest which started after fall of junior year. This takes away the need to verbal early because everyone else seems to be doing it. Coaches will be out in full force at all events, and now compare players that they feel meet criteria and not be able to make a casual offer just so that they can get the player before their rival does ( yes coaches do that ).
Folks have to remember always that coaches recruit players, not the other way around. If there is true interest they will contact YOU. Of course the top ranked players will always get first offers.
I am betting that you will see more and more videos of some of the premier programs facilities on twitter or other social media.
Really interesting developments with the recruiting changes in the last few weeks. My 2020 had a few of the schools really interested in him try to get him on campus before the known date of the meeting where the rule change was decided. He got his top school visit in (sec) the weekend before the change. Coach even said on UV this put him at an advantage over other recruits not able to get to campus. On the other hand he's now not able to get out to see other schools on UV so I'm feeling he is disadvanted as with this rule change as his timetable would have him deciding this summer on college choice.
TPM postedFolks have to remember always that coaches recruit players, not the other way around. If there is true interest they will contact YOU. Of course the top ranked players will always get first offers.
I can confirm this is not always true. I know 3 2021 players personally who received D1 offers from 3 different schools after they initiated contact. They are from the same travel team and none of them are studs. They are all projecting good, but far from studs. 2 of those 3 schools were ranked in the top 25 pre season this year.
Not sure if this could be a new trend, or perhaps a trend unique to my region. Or perhaps these kids represent an example of kids who (for various reasons) just aren’t on anyone’s radar yet because they choose not to play the big tourneys down south or do early showcases. Also, travel coach has contacts at these schools so maybe that made a difference. But I can confirm that it is possible for good players to pursue a spot at a top school successfully.
Zia2021 posted:TPM postedFolks have to remember always that coaches recruit players, not the other way around. If there is true interest they will contact YOU. Of course the top ranked players will always get first offers.
I can confirm this is not always true. I know 3 2021 players personally who received D1 offers from 3 different schools after they initiated contact. They are from the same travel team and none of them are studs. They are all projecting good, but far from studs. 2 of those 3 schools were ranked in the top 25 pre season this year.
Not sure if this could be a new trend, or perhaps a trend unique to my region. Or perhaps these kids represent an example of kids who (for various reasons) just aren’t on anyone’s radar yet because they choose not to play the big tourneys down south or do early showcases. Also, travel coach has contacts at these schools so maybe that made a difference. But I can confirm that it is possible for good players to pursue a spot at a top school successfully.
It happens. I cant argue that. It could be that they were not on the radar yet, and the coach has a relationship with the college coaches.
But keep in mind that this is one of the reasons that recruiting rules have changed.
Do you have further information whether these players were offered athletic scholarships, just curious.
OskiSD posted:Thanks to all for helping decipher the likely impact of the new rules. If it's designed to cut down on early verbals, then godspeed to the effort. PG just posted a 2022 catcher verbal to Duke - 13 years, 11 months old.
As the father of a 2022 catcher and as someone who would like his son to just be a kid for at least another year before this madness starts in earnest, I'm rooting for change.
PG has a disclaimer of the accuracy of the commitments listed on their site. Also, I am not sure how the ov rule changes would have affected this case.
Could be an alumni son. That happens often.
Either way IMO whats the point. Player has to be accepted.
2022NYC posted:OskiSD posted:Thanks to all for helping decipher the likely impact of the new rules. If it's designed to cut down on early verbals, then godspeed to the effort. PG just posted a 2022 catcher verbal to Duke - 13 years, 11 months old.
As the father of a 2022 catcher and as someone who would like his son to just be a kid for at least another year before this madness starts in earnest, I'm rooting for change.
PG has a disclaimer of the accuracy of the commitments listed on their site. Also, I am not sure how the ov rule changes would have affected this case.
Agreed. I'm skeptical that the changes will do all that much to deter early verbals.
TPM posted:Zia2021 posted:TPM postedFolks have to remember always that coaches recruit players, not the other way around. If there is true interest they will contact YOU. Of course the top ranked players will always get first offers.
I can confirm this is not always true. I know 3 2021 players personally who received D1 offers from 3 different schools after they initiated contact. They are from the same travel team and none of them are studs. They are all projecting good, but far from studs. 2 of those 3 schools were ranked in the top 25 pre season this year.
Not sure if this could be a new trend, or perhaps a trend unique to my region. Or perhaps these kids represent an example of kids who (for various reasons) just aren’t on anyone’s radar yet because they choose not to play the big tourneys down south or do early showcases. Also, travel coach has contacts at these schools so maybe that made a difference. But I can confirm that it is possible for good players to pursue a spot at a top school successfully.
It happens. I cant argue that. It could be that they were not on the radar yet, and the coach has a relationship with the college coaches.
But keep in mind that this is one of the reasons that recruiting rules have changed.
Do you have further information whether these players were offered athletic scholarships, just curious.
Yes, I know for sure all 3 were offered baseball money. Not sure how much though.
TY for the information, however, my original statement still stands, though once in a while there are exceptions.
Zia2021 posted:TPM postedFolks have to remember always that coaches recruit players, not the other way around. If there is true interest they will contact YOU. Of course the top ranked players will always get first offers.
I can confirm this is not always true. I know 3 2021 players personally who received D1 offers from 3 different schools after they initiated contact. They are from the same travel team and none of them are studs. They are all projecting good, but far from studs. 2 of those 3 schools were ranked in the top 25 pre season this year.
Not sure if this could be a new trend, or perhaps a trend unique to my region. Or perhaps these kids represent an example of kids who (for various reasons) just aren’t on anyone’s radar yet because they choose not to play the big tourneys down south or do early showcases. Also, travel coach has contacts at these schools so maybe that made a difference. But I can confirm that it is possible for good players to pursue a spot at a top school successfully.
My son is too shy to call unless they ask him to, but we have definitely "initiated contact" in terms of sending email and video, and updates unsolicited. Two of the schools he targeted just via email are big D1s have since reached out to his coaches asking him to call, several others have followed him on twitter. I wouldn't say we recruited the schools, but we did target schools he liked by either emails or by attending their camps and I think my son has had good success with that. He hasn't received an offer but he is talking to 8-9 of these schools regularly. Only two saw him at a tournament or showcase. The others only saw video he sent or he went to their camp.
baseballhs posted:Zia2021 posted:TPM postedFolks have to remember always that coaches recruit players, not the other way around. If there is true interest they will contact YOU. Of course the top ranked players will always get first offers.
I can confirm this is not always true. I know 3 2021 players personally who received D1 offers from 3 different schools after they initiated contact. They are from the same travel team and none of them are studs. They are all projecting good, but far from studs. 2 of those 3 schools were ranked in the top 25 pre season this year.
Not sure if this could be a new trend, or perhaps a trend unique to my region. Or perhaps these kids represent an example of kids who (for various reasons) just aren’t on anyone’s radar yet because they choose not to play the big tourneys down south or do early showcases. Also, travel coach has contacts at these schools so maybe that made a difference. But I can confirm that it is possible for good players to pursue a spot at a top school successfully.
My son is too shy to call unless they ask him to, but we have definitely "initiated contact" in terms of sending email and video, and updates unsolicited. Two of the schools he targeted just via email are big D1s have since reached out to his coaches asking him to call, several others have followed him on twitter. I wouldn't say we recruited the schools, but we did target schools he liked by either emails or by attending their camps and I think my son has had good success with that. He hasn't received an offer but he is talking to 8-9 of these schools regularly. Only two saw him at a tournament or showcase. The others only saw video he sent or he went to their camp.
Of course coaches will contact players, that is what they are paid to do and it is a recruits job to reach out to programs he is interested in, but that doesn't mean that he will get offers from programs that he feels he should get.
In most cases, it's the coaches who make the decision, who they will offer and who they won't.
Best of luck.
The way I see it, like any deal or agreement, it's a two-way street. Certainly the coaches decide who they will offer and who they won't. And the players decide where they would accept an offer and where they wouldn't -- there are kids who wouldn't accept an offer at ~250 of the 300 D1 schools, because of factors like geography, academics, majors, etc. So while the coaches generally have the stronger negotiating position, the kids aren't powerless. JMO
TPM posted:baseballhs posted:Zia2021 posted:TPM postedFolks have to remember always that coaches recruit players, not the other way around. If there is true interest they will contact YOU. Of course the top ranked players will always get first offers.
I can confirm this is not always true. I know 3 2021 players personally who received D1 offers from 3 different schools after they initiated contact. They are from the same travel team and none of them are studs. They are all projecting good, but far from studs. 2 of those 3 schools were ranked in the top 25 pre season this year.
Not sure if this could be a new trend, or perhaps a trend unique to my region. Or perhaps these kids represent an example of kids who (for various reasons) just aren’t on anyone’s radar yet because they choose not to play the big tourneys down south or do early showcases. Also, travel coach has contacts at these schools so maybe that made a difference. But I can confirm that it is possible for good players to pursue a spot at a top school successfully.
My son is too shy to call unless they ask him to, but we have definitely "initiated contact" in terms of sending email and video, and updates unsolicited. Two of the schools he targeted just via email are big D1s have since reached out to his coaches asking him to call, several others have followed him on twitter. I wouldn't say we recruited the schools, but we did target schools he liked by either emails or by attending their camps and I think my son has had good success with that. He hasn't received an offer but he is talking to 8-9 of these schools regularly. Only two saw him at a tournament or showcase. The others only saw video he sent or he went to their camp.
Of course coaches will contact players, that is what they are paid to do and it is a recruits job to reach out to programs he is interested in, but that doesn't mean that he will get offers from programs that he feels he should get.
In most cases, it's the coaches who make the decision, who they will offer and who they won't.
Best of luck.
Well of course the coaches decide.
Do you know how many people don't realize that? Many.
How many times have we heard from someone here, they can't understand how so and so player got an offer when their son had better stats? Or the coach came to watch their son and they never heard from him again after their son did so well.
Or that's my sons favorite school, he wants to play there. Meanwhile the player doesn't have the skills for that level, probably wasting time for the phone to ring.
Another thing, how can a young HS player, never played a day in varsity or took a test, contact a program telling the coach he is interested in the program and not mention one word about grades?
Yes it happens folks. And also, coaches know who writes the emails, parent or player!
Remember, the coach recruits the player.
