Any feedback on the role a high school coach does or should have in helping find the right fit for his player based on his athletic ability. Just how important is your high school coach?
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I think for the most part, a high school coach isn’t relied on to evaluate the player’s talent for the next level. A high school coach should be available to provide answers to questions about the player’s character, work ethic, etc. Also, it likely depends on the program. There are some programs that turn out college prospects like a factory. In those cases, I am sure college coaches put more credence in what the HS coach provides in the way of answers.
I think a good HS coach networks with his peers at all levels so it would be an automatic progression that he's also promoting the fact he has a recruitable athlete. A coach that does not go outside his box may not be giving 100% to the program.
Son's talent was the most important factor, so he attended a couple showcases...and he played on a select team that participated in high profile national tournaments.
Letters & questionaires followed.
It may take some persistance to get the coach to fill out his part of questionaires & drop them in the mail.You and your son are the ones to count on. HS coach may have some input, and a network, but how extensive?
In all probability, he is only directly familiar with district talent, maybe area talent. So, too, with some colleges (usually D3 Jucos, lower D-1 4 yr. college )...Very few HS coaches have been around & have developed relationships , rarely you'll find one that's really interested in helping players & plays an active role, most are football coaches that haven't got a clue...
Letters & questionaires followed.
It may take some persistance to get the coach to fill out his part of questionaires & drop them in the mail.You and your son are the ones to count on. HS coach may have some input, and a network, but how extensive?
Our son's coach's ethic was simple: live in the now and concentrate on the TEAM. He fills out the questionaires, has a general idea of where our son is interested in...but, other than that, he's not been involved in recruiting efforts. He feels like he's the TEAM's coach not just the individual player. Luckily, the pitching coach has great experience in recruiting. And, as I've said in other posts, we've had a coach from a rival high school helping our son..just because he's interested in helping kids.
We've seen both ends of the spectrum. The outgoing coach (for what we believe were personal/political reasons) gave one of the top players on our team a very poor assessment on a D1 questionnaire. Parents were so frustrated that they pulled him out of the school and moved him to another state. He just received a verbal offer from a very good D1 program -- thankfully, he did not suffer long-term harm, but he could have had he stayed.
The probable incoming coach (a former D1 catcher) has been amazingly pro-active in helping players get to the next level. He has not even been officially hired at our school, but he came to see our son play a summer select game, paid personally to have lunch with my husband to discuss our son's strengths/weaknesses/goals, and personally arranged for my husband and son to meet 2 baseball players from a college son is interested in. The meeting lasted 2 hours and was invaluable. Just this morning, he worked son out for 2 hours and plans to do the same next week. We feel confident that when recruiting efforts heat up, he will be standing ready to help in whatever way possible. We are so thankful and realize that the support that he offers is very rare....
The probable incoming coach (a former D1 catcher) has been amazingly pro-active in helping players get to the next level. He has not even been officially hired at our school, but he came to see our son play a summer select game, paid personally to have lunch with my husband to discuss our son's strengths/weaknesses/goals, and personally arranged for my husband and son to meet 2 baseball players from a college son is interested in. The meeting lasted 2 hours and was invaluable. Just this morning, he worked son out for 2 hours and plans to do the same next week. We feel confident that when recruiting efforts heat up, he will be standing ready to help in whatever way possible. We are so thankful and realize that the support that he offers is very rare....
Great question. I have an unusual situation with my son's HS coach, and I'm not sure how involoved I need to be. His new coach has been a D1 asst. coach for the past 6-7 years and was that school's primary recruiter. He knows almost everyone I've so far determined is important in our state's baseball community as far as scouting etc. He also has relationships with PG, Team One and Baseball Factory and probably many others. My son is only a sophomore, so I know it's still a little early. I'm just not sure how proactive I should be in brining opportunities to his coach's attention. I don't want to make him feel like I don't think he's keeping my son's best interest at heart. He's been a breath of fresh air for our HS program. I told my son he's very fortunate to have someone so "connected" as his HS coach. Does anyone have any advice?
MCMtnBBDad--I know your coach quite well. There is no doubt in my mind, if you set up a meeting with him, that he will work with you to map out a good strategy for exposure. Good luck to the coach in resurrecting the AHS program--there is alot of talent in the city other than at TCR and ACR.
quote:My son is only a sophomore, so I know it's still a little early. I'm just not sure how proactive I should be in brining opportunities to his coach's attention. I don't want to make him feel like I don't think he's keeping my son's best interest at heart.
NCMtnBBDad,
Don’t worry about how your son’s coach feels about your involvement with your son. This is YOUR son and HIS future! Take charge and stay involved! His high school coach’s job is to coach him and develop him during the school baseball seasons not see that he gets an opportunity to play college baseball. You are putting yourself in the position many parents look back and wish they had never been in. You find yourself putting your son’s future in the hands of his high school coach. While this coach may be connected to his “grapevine” --- HIS grapevine may not be in your son’s best interest. I personally think you have it backwards. I suggest YOU take control of your son’s exposure and then allow the high school coach to help you. I am by no means anti-coach, but allowing the high school coach to control his baseball future is a scary thought.
Fungo
Amen, Fungo!
ncmtbbdad,
If you know the same folks the coach knows (or even only know of them)...then YOU have a pretty good handle on your own "network"...so put it to use! No need to bring anything to anyone's attention...you & son plan out the next 1-2 years...be very "pro-active"...
I say it over & over...A HS coaches' "agenda" is to take his HS team as far as the talent on the team will allow, to keep his contract with the school district renewable...HS season is 3-4 mo...2 games a week...33-40 games, if lucky. HS coaches want to go all the way to State...rarely will you find one that is in it for the kids. IMO
ncmtbbdad,
If you know the same folks the coach knows (or even only know of them)...then YOU have a pretty good handle on your own "network"...so put it to use! No need to bring anything to anyone's attention...you & son plan out the next 1-2 years...be very "pro-active"...
I say it over & over...A HS coaches' "agenda" is to take his HS team as far as the talent on the team will allow, to keep his contract with the school district renewable...HS season is 3-4 mo...2 games a week...33-40 games, if lucky. HS coaches want to go all the way to State...rarely will you find one that is in it for the kids. IMO
I agree with everything Fungo (Fungo
Old Fogie ... errr, Fungo ... ummm, Highly Regarded and Beloved Old Timer) said.
We never told the HS Coach anything about Showcases, Camps, Tryout's.
We just went on are own and let the HS Coach handle any call's that came his way.
Only after the start of my son's Senior year did I talk to the Coach about Contact's that we had received.
Don't count on anybody to do the work for you.
Work with them, But alway's be in charge of your own Recruiting process. EH
Old Fogie ... errr, Fungo ... ummm, Highly Regarded and Beloved Old Timer) said.
We never told the HS Coach anything about Showcases, Camps, Tryout's.
We just went on are own and let the HS Coach handle any call's that came his way.
Only after the start of my son's Senior year did I talk to the Coach about Contact's that we had received.
Don't count on anybody to do the work for you.
Work with them, But alway's be in charge of your own Recruiting process. EH
NCMtnBBDad, sophomore year is not too early to start! Son and I just returned from an unofficial visit to a D1 school. Son has been been pro-active in contacting the recruiting coordinator since sophomore yar. Our visit went really well and RC told son, "You're really smart to be doing all this recruiting stuff this early."
Infield08, your assessment of your potential new coach is how I feel about my son's coach. That's why I naively didn't know if I should still drive the process, but you all have convinced me that's what I should do.
quote:While this coach may be connected to his “grapevine” --- HIS grapevine may not be in your son’s best interest.
Amen Fungo!!
Here's our story...
Against the advise ("no need, TOO early" naysayer gang), I signed my son up for his first showcase the summer between Freshman & Sophomore year...Lots of gossip because an "upperclassman's" parents were there, too...the boys became friends on the hs team. Son was the first freshman in history of school to be called up to varsity about 3 weeks into the preseason. He's the only 4 yr letterman in 27 years of the school.
Out of the blue, in Oct. (of sophomore yr!), got a call from Jim Arp, PG, asking if son could be in Ft. Meyers in 3 days for WWBA Underclass tournament. Well, I had never heard of PG...so, I checked them out! Son was 15, going to play 17U...
So, from that tournament, I got a call from Wisconsin Blazers...can he come back to Jupiter in 2 weeks for WWBA 18U? OH, my God! What is going on??? (HS coach & others, still saying lots of $$$ & too soon! Colleges are looking at "older recruits"
Needless to say, he went...
The next summer between sophomore & Jr. Year, his select coach took the team to both these same events, son played Area Code, PG Top Prospect, Texas Scout Team...things just started busting loose.
All this to say, a parents "intuition" about their sons' skill level & HIS hearts desire lead to one phone call that set him on a path to higher & higher levels of play, which lead to the best exposure one could hope for, which has resulted in him being at Tulane as a 2 way player as a freshman. He dropped in the draft from 5th round to 23....that's fine with him...He's doing what he wanted to do...living this part of his dream...playing ball in college!
Follow your heart & don't look back...HS coaches are...hs coaches!
Against the advise ("no need, TOO early" naysayer gang), I signed my son up for his first showcase the summer between Freshman & Sophomore year...Lots of gossip because an "upperclassman's" parents were there, too...the boys became friends on the hs team. Son was the first freshman in history of school to be called up to varsity about 3 weeks into the preseason. He's the only 4 yr letterman in 27 years of the school.
Out of the blue, in Oct. (of sophomore yr!), got a call from Jim Arp, PG, asking if son could be in Ft. Meyers in 3 days for WWBA Underclass tournament. Well, I had never heard of PG...so, I checked them out! Son was 15, going to play 17U...
So, from that tournament, I got a call from Wisconsin Blazers...can he come back to Jupiter in 2 weeks for WWBA 18U? OH, my God! What is going on??? (HS coach & others, still saying lots of $$$ & too soon! Colleges are looking at "older recruits"
Needless to say, he went...
The next summer between sophomore & Jr. Year, his select coach took the team to both these same events, son played Area Code, PG Top Prospect, Texas Scout Team...things just started busting loose.
All this to say, a parents "intuition" about their sons' skill level & HIS hearts desire lead to one phone call that set him on a path to higher & higher levels of play, which lead to the best exposure one could hope for, which has resulted in him being at Tulane as a 2 way player as a freshman. He dropped in the draft from 5th round to 23....that's fine with him...He's doing what he wanted to do...living this part of his dream...playing ball in college!
Follow your heart & don't look back...HS coaches are...hs coaches!
bbmom is right. You will get conflicting advice and advice contrary to your gut instinct. Only those closest can make the decisions, which are usually correct. It is very important to maintain ownership of the recruiting process, as a parent. Others would like to control the process to control the player...for their own benefit. We all know who they are.
Congrats to your son! I think the Cajuns play the Wave this spring for the first time in awhile.
Congrats to your son! I think the Cajuns play the Wave this spring for the first time in awhile.
H.S was, lets say not fun for my son. Was a bench player all 4 years. The last 2 was predominantly the bullpen catcher. Had a total of 12 Varsity at bats in 2 years. Did start in every JV game and did well. Tried out for the H.S Summer teams and was cut each year. I had him play summer ball with local travel and Legion teams and did very well. Went to Omaha those three years and other local tournaments. As a Jr. started to receive calls from Div III schools that were interested in him coming there to play ball for them. To make a long story short My son is at a DIV III school and is being given a fresh start there. He is just extremely excited about playing the game that he loves at the next level. From the first time he met the Div III Coach he fell in love with him and the school. I can not wait for the season to start for him, I have never seen him so enthused about the season. But we as parents need to be involved in the process. I have coached my son since the age of 5, and I had an idea of were i thought he could play (which was Div III) so we targeted those schools to get them stats and game tape on. What we ran into was his Jr. year he did not have a varsity at bat and when the college coaches asked for his stats the did not get any from the H.S. Because they only kept the stats for the Varsity Games and nit the JV games. All I am saying is to Market you child and do not wait fro the Coach. From what I have experienced and seen is unless you are a can't miss you are on you own. Good luck to everyone on their endeavors. Now that my son is in college and playing baseball, I have to work on getting my younger son in to college to play football, He is a Freshman and I need to start the process now. If you are looking for good information on recruiting do a search for Jack Renkins, He really opened my eyes.
If players are not all the same, then why would anyone think coaches are all the same?
In our experience, we have seen high school coaches who are the major force in helping a player get to the next level. We have had HS coaches call and brag about his player and ask for direction. We have invited players to events that could help them tremendously, only to hear from the players parents that the HS Coach told them it was not worthwhile. We have seen HS Coaches order their players to not play outside their program, even in the offseason.
If you have a good one... utilize his expertise and interest. If you don't have a good one... get busy and do some research. In fact, doing the research might be a good idea either way.
In our experience, we have seen high school coaches who are the major force in helping a player get to the next level. We have had HS coaches call and brag about his player and ask for direction. We have invited players to events that could help them tremendously, only to hear from the players parents that the HS Coach told them it was not worthwhile. We have seen HS Coaches order their players to not play outside their program, even in the offseason.
If you have a good one... utilize his expertise and interest. If you don't have a good one... get busy and do some research. In fact, doing the research might be a good idea either way.
My sons HS coach thought the recruiting process was the coolest thing since sliced bread and to this day uses it as a tool to get the most out of his players.
quote:Originally posted by rz1:
My sons HS coach thought the recruiting process was the coolest thing since sliced bread and to this day uses it as a tool to get the most out of his players.
That's fine as long as pitchers don't get uhh....well, abused.
PGStaff,
You are so right! HS coaches aren't "one size fits all"...
I can't thank you folks enough for all your help & the opportunity PG provided for Greenwave # 32!
I put together a recruiting package that is now posted on sons' HS baseball website. It has helped players for a couple years now...Coach sees the value, just doesn't "actively promote"...unfortunately.
You are so right! HS coaches aren't "one size fits all"...
I can't thank you folks enough for all your help & the opportunity PG provided for Greenwave # 32!
I put together a recruiting package that is now posted on sons' HS baseball website. It has helped players for a couple years now...Coach sees the value, just doesn't "actively promote"...unfortunately.