My 2016 RHP is attending a Headfirst Honor Roll Camp this week and we have been told that he should definitely reach out to the coaches during the camp; however, I have also heard that coaches at showcases are not allowed to engage in conversations with players who aren't yet juniors under the NCAA rules for Division 1 colleges Does anyone know the rules on this? Thanks..
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MassMom -
Since Headfirst is a camp and not a showcase, and all the coaches who are there are actively coaching, the coaches and attendees can interact with no restrictions. When my 2016 went last summer, he was reluctant to approach the coaches at first. After a couple of nervous conversations, he realized that the coaches really do want to interact with them. I would HIGHLY encourage your 2016 to talk with as many coaches as he can and certainly to the ones who's school he might want to attend.
I hope this helps and tell him to have fun!
I would also role play with him and have him go through the questions he might have so he feels comfortable talking right out of the gate.
MassMom -
Since Headfirst is a camp and not a showcase, and all the coaches who are there are actively coaching, the coaches and attendees can interact with no restrictions. When my 2016 went last summer, he was reluctant to approach the coaches at first. After a couple of nervous conversations, he realized that the coaches really do want to interact with them. I would HIGHLY encourage your 2016 to talk with as many coaches as he can and certainly to the ones who's school he might want to attend.
I hope this helps and tell him to have fun!
Thanks so much. I didn't realize that they don't consider it to be a showcase, especially since they refer to it as a showcase on the website. I will let him know that they are free to engage with him. Thanks!.
I would also role play with him and have him go through the questions he might have so he feels comfortable talking right out of the gate.
That's a great idea. He is a very quiet shy kid, so I think role-playing would work well for him. Otherwise, he will just be walking up to the coaches, introducing himself and not really saying anything else. We'll have to think about what kinds of questions he can ask the coaches. Any helpful suggestions? (As you can tell, we are new to this whole recruiting process.)
These are a combination from this site and some my son came up with. This is a soup to nuts list of questions, so many are not appropriate for a first meeting but gives you an idea on some questions you son can be asking. Remember Headfirst has a lot of D3's so the questions for them will be different than the D1's.
Everyone of us came here not knowing a thing about the process so you are not unique. 
Good Luck!
What kind of academic support does the college provide? (tutors, etc)
What is the team grade point average?
What is the team graduation rate?
What are some of the majors of team players?
What happens if I have a class and practice conflict?
What are your red-shirt procedures? Will I be red-shirted in my freshman year?
Does the scholarship cover summer school?
Will the scholarship cover a fifth year if necessary?
At my position, what does the depth chart look like?
Where do I stand on the recruiting list 1, 5. 10 ?
Have you seen me play? Where/when? How do I compare with others you have recruited in my position?
What are my scholarship opportunities?
How many assistant coaches are there?
How many freshman do you typically bring in, either as signees or as invited walk-ons, on average how many of them are still at your school 4 years later, and what are the normal reasons for leaving?
Are you happy with the University/administration? Are they supportive of the program and you?
Is the program fully funded? How many scholarships does the program have?
Ask specific questions regarding how much does scholarships change over the 4 years. What does a typical mid week starter get? A starting position player? A weekend pitcher?
Does the coach teach at the school?
What is the morale of the team?
Does the team like the staff?
Is the coach interested in academics?
Do the athletes really have to go to all classes?
How long is practice?
Would you go to this school if you had to choose again?
What is the average class size?
What are the dorms like?
Are the professors accessible?
Do the athletic dept. tutors do a good job?
Pitching / Playing questions
Who is the pitching coach?
What is his pitching philosophy?
What is he looking for when recruiting a pitcher for the program?
What are the off season work outs?
How much rest does he want his pitchers to have in the off season?
Does he limit pitchers with pitch counts?
How many Freshmen pitchers pitch?
Are there any Freshmen starters?
How many Freshmen are redshirted?
Does the program recruit 2 way players?
Can a pitcher DH and pitch?
Are there any 2 way players on the roster?
What is the average class size and ratio per professor?
Who teaches classes? (Professors, teacher assistants)
What is enrollment of college?
How is my major regarded?
What percent of graduates from my major receive jobs within three months of graduation?
How many fraternities and sororities are available?
What are the housing policies?
May I sit in on a class in my major? (as a guest)
How accessible are counselors to me?
Summary Question for Yourself
Did I have a good overall feeling about the school?
Would I go to school here if I wasn't going to play sports?
Will I fit into the athletic program?
Am I satisfied with the living arrangements?
Am I satisfied with the academic opportunities?
Many additional questions will, and should, come up throughout your recruiting process. The
bottom line in choosing a college is simple.... Choose a school that you would go to if you were not going to play sports!
Your chances of playing professional sports is very slim. Go to college to get an education, meet lifetime friends, play some sports & have fun! When the final whistle blows and you're 21 years old and out of college, what you will have is experience, memories and a college degree. Don't make the mistake of selecting a college only because they are the only school that offered you a scholarship.
Pick a college because that's where you would want to spend the next four to five years of your
life.
I'm not familiar with NCAA rules regarding non scholarship colleges. Of course the rules do not pertain to NAIA or JUCO.
It is my understanding that the scholarship schools cannot talk to potential recruits or their parents unless the player calls them. Recruiters can initiate contact, I believe July after the Jr year. The exception is when and if the potential recruit is on campus at the recruiters college.
Obviously there are ways to communicate. Typically this involves the college coach telling someone he knows (i.e. travel coach) to tell the player to call the recruiter to initiate the discussion. Often the camps colleges hold will bring in the player for a camp so they can discuss recruiting. This is how most of the early commitments we see involving sophomores happen.
All that said, I do believe coaches working a camp can talk to the players in an instructional way, maybe even give information. But it is my understanding that players need to call them or visit the school in order to talk recruiting or offers. Once again I'm not sure this pertains to non athletic scholarship colleges. At one time, I believe the arm forces academies were exceptions to the rule. Not sure if that has changed.
