Tell your recruiting story

Here goes....

My son will be graduating this spring (a 2013 grad). He made his high school varsity team as a freshmen and actually started about 50% of his high school's varsity games as a freshman. While looking for a travel team, he had a lot of options. He was asked to play for a number of elite teams/programs, but most of these teams had 28+ kids on the roster. I talked to a number of parents and while these teams were successful and won a lot of games and tournaments, many parents complained that their kids had very limited playing time, thus limited exposure. In the end, we selected a team that had only 16-18 kids on the team, and I was assured by the head coach that the team would be competitive and that my son would play in most, if not all, games. This was a great decision. We played in all the WWBA 16U, 17U and 18U tournaments, including Fort Meyers and Jupiter. We also played a CABA and my son played in 80-90% of the games.

In his sophomore year, we started emailing coaches introducing my son to them. We had a skill video made by a friend that was attached to the emails. In addition to being a good baseball player, my son is also a very good student. He was looking for strong academic college to attend, but he really was unsure of what might be a good fit for him. So, we thought that we should attend a number of college camps of the schools he thought he might be interested in to let him see the campuses and meet the coaches. He went to camps at: Virginia, Stanford, Duke, UNC, Georgia Tech, and Boston College. It was crazy, but I thought it was important to let him figure out what he liked in a college and what he didn't (for whatever reason). To increase his exposure, he also attended Headfirst and Showball showcases at the end of his sophomore year. These both have a large number of scouts and my son ended up talking to a number of scouts at these showcases.

We kept in contact with many of the schools he was interested in by email as his junior year started. We let them know how he was doing in high school (with grades and baseball) and what team he was going to play on in the summer. He had a great junior year and a number of scouts contacted the high school coach to ask about my son. (Our high school coach told us about this later on). For the summer team for his junior year, we again selected a team that would not only give my son a lot of playing time (i.e. smaller roster), but was going to play in tournaments where we knew he would be playing in front of a lot of scouts.

On July first (the 1st day colleges can call), my son's phone would not stop ringing. He had a number of schools (lower level D1) offering full rides (I know this is unusual, but it's true). He had a number of others asking him to come to campus and would talk about an offer once he got there. He also had 2 Ivy's tell him that they had a place on their team for him, but they don't offer scholarships to athletes. Prior to all this, my son wasn't sure that he could play D1, but with all these offers coming in, he now "knew" he'd find a good D1 school to play baseball. We had one D1 school offer him 25%, which we turned down. About 2 weeks later, they upped the offer to 50%, which we also turned down (Great school acedemically, but the baseball program wasn't "elite" and it was very far away). My son was then invited to go to East Coast Pro Showcase in Syracuse. He played great and it was a great experiance for him (and us). Ths event got a number of pros interested in him also. A few asked him where he was going to college. When he told them that he hadn't committed yet, they offered to call head coaches at the schools he wanted to go to.

The head coach at one of my son's "dream" schools then called (D1 in a major conference) and told him that he would like us to come to campus to meet with him and tour their facilities. He said that he had never seen my son play, but 3 of his assistants had and they liked what they saw (I guess this is typical for a head coach not to see a recruit play). Two days later, we went to the school and met with the head coach and the other coaches. They spent about 5 hours with us. The head coach told us we would get an offer in a few days. True to his word, about 4 days later he called my son and made him an offer. It took my son about 2 seconds to accept the offer. It probably goes without saying, but I couldn't be any prouder.

I guess a few things I'd take away from all this:
1) Enjoy the process and don't rush it. It sucks because you never really know where you stand with any team/scout/coach until it's over. Remember, college is more than baseball. Your son needs to pick a school for other reasons besides baseball. Also, you'll have scouts tell you they're interested and then all of a sudden they stop calling/writing for whatever reason. I'm not sure why this happens or how to fix it.
2) I believe you have to be somewhat lucky because your son has to play well and be in the right place at the right time. You should try to increase your odds by attending showcases and getting on a team that will give your son the most exposure (i.e. playing time). I know a number of kids that play on elite travel teams that don't have a scholarship yet because they were not in the game when the scouts were there. This happens when there are 30 kids on a team.
3) If you son has a bad camp/showcase, don't worry about it. The scouts know that not everybody has their A game at all times. That's baseball.
4) College camps - I'd attend camps for only the schools your son is interested in. One word of warning - Camps accept everybody that can afford it. The level of play at camps varies widely. Be ready to accept that. Also -camps are money makers for colleges. Most colleges do a great job, but most of the kids at these camps don't get offered a scholarship either. If you attend, take time to tour the campus to see if your kid likes the school. I'd also have your son email/call the coaches of the camp before you go just to let them know you are planning on attending.
5) Showcases - I'd recommend Headfirst (if you son is a good student) and Showball. My experiance is they are very well run and have a large number of college scouts in attendence. That being said, while we had a number of scouts interested in my son from these, the college he signed with was not as a result of attending either of these showcases (He did get offers from 3 of the colleges at Showball). I'd also consider attending a smaller showcase before your son attends either of these. Headfirst has 100+ scouts and Showball has about 30. If this is the first major showcase your son attends, it might be intimidating for him.
6) Don't rely on your high school coach. They will not typically help much. They will answer calls and be honest about your son, but don't wait for them to get colleges interested in your son. You have to do that yourself.
7) Get your son on a team that attends the PG tournament in Jupiter if you can. More scouts (college and pro) then you can imagine. Great exposure.
8) Be honest with scouts and yourself. If your son isn't interested in a school, and a coach calls, let them know. They appreciate it and it let's them move on to the next kid. Also- If you kid isn't playing varsity at his high school, he probably isn't a D1 prospect (I know there are exceptions). You should probably consider JUCO's, D2, or D3. I was told by a D1 scout once that he thought that almost any kid could play baseball in college- which college and what level of competition is always the question.

Any kid can play D1. Check out Coppin State. They struggle to fill out a D1 roster due to the school's lack of commitment to sports. Combine this with a 10% graduate and maybe the state should just shut down the school. I'll bet the sixteen kids on the roster buy into they will be the one's who turn it around. Any player there for four years has had two or three coaches. If there was a ten run rule in college baseball Coppin wouldn't finish hlf their games.

Time to start hearing from new people on site about their recruiting story.

Long time voyeur on this site (~4 yrs), first post....had to take the time to chime in with what I hope is a useful summary of a 10+ year voyage sharing my passion for the game I love with my 2014 pitcher for those 2014's still looking for a place to play or those with young guys still learning about the process of select ball and recruiting.  I've found many an opinion, posted link, or experience detailed across this site that have been extremely helpful, inspiring and even cathardic at times, reassuring us that we were on the right track.

 

I'll skip past ages 6-13 having seen all the typical select ball "stuff" happen on and off the field. Convinced I'd taught him everything I could (and hadn't turned him off to the game yet), at 8th grade it was high time for Coach Dad to get off the field and let junior hear other voices prior to high school. For those of you that have coached your own for many a year, even those that haved played and know the game, I can't stress how important I believe it is to turn over the keys to someone that can make him better if you can face your own limitations.  I've seen several examples of kids playing for their father that reached a ceiling too early because Dad thought he knew more than everyone else or thought junior wouldn't get a fair shake with someone else.  There are several DFW area teachers of the game I respect the hell out of, do your research and ask questions on sites like this one.  The uniform he wears during the summer is irrelevant, the guy doing the teaching is what counts. Will he make him a better player and person? If so, it's worth every last penny.

 

Fast forward to HS...junior's a "young" 2014 with a July b-day.  All the talk of holding kids back to be able to compete in one or more sports at a 5A HS baffles me.  The competition playing "up" all those years with more physically and emotionally mature kids will do one of two things: if he's passionate about the game junior will work his tail off and learn a work ethic second to none in order to compete with his classmates and truly earn everything he gets, or he's going to learn to make excuses. That one's a no-brainer. If they can't make a varsity team by their junior year, are they good enough to play beyond high school? Be willing to have those conversations with your aspiring 'prospect'.

 

As far as the HS summer club travel, I'll say this, buyer beware.  There's no need to travel all over the country at 14,15,or 16 to any events. Unless you have money to burn or he's one of the very best players in the area (the type that won't need that early exposure anyway), what's the purpose? I'm cynical enough to think it only helps the club to market their talent for all to see on your dime to support future recruiting efforts.  There's more than enough competition across the state of TX.  Save your money.  Continue to seek out the best instruction you can afford. We've all heard it a million times and it couldn't be more accurate, if he can play they will find him. Reps are still the most important aspect of 8th-10th grade summers IMHO.

 

The summer after their junior year is the one that matters.  Find a program that fits a few needs: 1) don't be the best player on a team with little talent. Junior was first seen during spring HS season by the Big-12 school of his dreams by a coach there to watch someone else. 2) don't be the weakest player on a team that wins every tourney they enter.You can't be seen if you're in the dug-out. 3) play for a coach that has no ego or agenda other than to get his players seen. If he's able to reach out to colleges and say "you need to see this kid" and the coach does so simply because he trusts what he's hearing, you've won more than half the battle. 4) ask about and buy-in to the travel schedule, if the team is playing in areas of the country junior has no interest in going to college, you're at the wrong event. 5) you don't need to be great every time out, but you need to perform on the field at at least 1-2 well-attended events (such as Premier WS in Joplin or a Connie Mack qualifier). Goes without saying, timing is everything. Once you're on the radar don't freak out the offers don't start pouring in July 1.  It's a marathon, not a sprint. We couldn't afford to chase a bunch of showcase events, camps, etc. and I'm convinced it's not critical you do so unless it's a camp at the school you've targeted as your first choice.

 

Junior was beside himself on July 1 when the phone wasn't ringing. A Big-12 program watched a few times, reached out several times, but no offer. His dream school had already seen him 3 times, but no offer.  As July and August roll on, the feedback you get (or don't get) will be the ultimate advisor as to whether or not he's good enough to play D1 ball.  Adjust and recalibrate accordingly, setting ego aside.  Make junior do his part researching schools of interest and communicate to coaches.  Add campus visits before/after a roadtrip to peak his interest and help understand what he's looking for. We literally had to threaten to send Mom in with him if he didn't get out of the car and go introduce himself to whomever was in the baseball office at three campuses on our way to and from Joplin. Once they get away from the phone/text long enough to do it once, it becomes just another part of growing up.

 

After a very good outing in Joplin, the phone started ringing. Great ego stroke for junior, now the real work begins.  Would you go to that school if baseball were out of the picture?  If not, why go just because of ball?  You'll be miserable. Better off with a JUCO and revisit the process after a year. I was convinced that was the best route to take since he has no concrete academic direction yet.  After a very good outing at a Connie Mack qualifier, the phone rang some more, only this time one of the calls was his #1 school that he'd been dreaming of since he was about ten. A school he couldn't touch without baseball. We're blessed that he'll have an opportunity to get a meaningful degree and to compete within a program second to none.

 

Had this adventure not worked out over the past 30 days, we knew with MSL coming up and events at Jupiter and AZ this fall, there's plenty of time left on the clock.  Several of our HS's 2013's found opportunities to play between April and June this past spring. We're all blessed to live in a part of the country with no shortage of programs looking for players.

 

As Brian Cain would say, "GRIND", get ready it's a new day.

 

I think your post is awesome.  However, being in the DFW area as well I think that pitchers have an easier time than position players.  Our Summer team has already had 4 pitchers verbal at major D1s, with another pitcher positioned to be a top round draft choice.  Not a single position player has yet to make a commitment.  I think position players have to work harder to get attention, unless the kid is a bomber.  My kid is has options because of a combination of being seen playing ball for High School/Summer team, but mostly from going to the right showcases.  Had we relied on the "if you are good enough they will find you" philosophy he would not have the options that are starting to present themselves.   

No doubt there's not a 'one size fits all' approach. I think I know the group of arms you're speaking of, it's a special group for sure. From what I've seen over the past few classes, the pitchers definitely seem to commit before position guys unless it's a stud that commits during his soph summer. Over the past few summers I've only heard of only a few guys in our local area discovered at the Long Isl Head First academic event; vast majority I've seen/heard (at least on the D1 end) were via their club team playing events I mentioned. 

 

Best of luck to you and your son.

Thanks for the well written info.  The above is wise council as solid financial advise for many IMO.  As a father of a 2015 LHP I was glad to read your comments above about the Premier Showcase in Joplin.  My son signed up just recently with the BC Club that plays down there and faired ok.  It was not the primary driver for him to leave his other team but as you said, the Junior summer is pretty important.  The Grind is on................

With the academic and other scholarships my 2013 RHP got, going to a local top JUCO program worked out in so many ways.

 

He's actually making money going to school and playing baseball, and his family and friends can watch him play. Good student, and if after two years he's not DI level then he can still finish his degree at a four-year school.

I will be completely honest and try not to get personal. 

 

One recruiting story means absolutely nothing to the next player in line.  Interesting but not pertinent unless everything is equal including playing ability. Things are never completely equal from one individual to the next.

 

Hearing that someone was successful doing it a certain way, doesn't answer anything. I could have done everything my way, ended up at the local or regional college with a good offer and tell everyone I didn't need to do anything else. But then, how do I know what might have happened had I done things differently? How do I know that I wouldn't have received a much better offer from a much higher level program, if they had seen me and liked what they saw?

 

My point is it is easy to say you are happy and think you can advise others due to your experience.  But the truth is you don't have enough experience to actually do that. In addition, good experiences need to be completed before they are considered good.  Many a player that is elated over his recruiting experience becomes disenchanted with that experience.

 

So, I love to read about recruiting experiences.  I've seen thousands of them.  I've seen kids commit as a sophomore and have TJ surgery during their junior year.  They weren't able to show their talent to anyone before their senior season, luckily they did it before that. I've seen kids that no one knew about until after their senior season get recruited by national powerhouse programs. In fact, I have seen more recruiting stories than I can count.  The one thing that stands out, each and every one of them is different.

PG Staff - Great point.  We are in the thick of it with my 2014.  Have read all the boards and all the stories.  And none of them is exactly what we're going through.  All good info to inform and guide ... but in the end, every journey appears to be different.

PG, I agree that every story is different, but thread was started because I do think history can be a teacher for the future.  I also have seen some common themes that have shown up over time related to getting noticed and perseverance.