I have an 08 grad and was wondering if its better to play for top summer travel teams or legion.
The object for me is to get him in front of as many colleges as I can. Also who are the top summer programs around.
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In my opinion, it is better to play for a top travel team at his age. Travel teams tend to go to more showcase tournaments and play tougher competitions. Some great teams around your area are the McHenry County Hurricanes (Butch Biela from Palatine plays for them) The 18U Hurricane team contains many top notch junior-seniors from the area. Then there is the second 18U Hurricane team which contains more soph-juniors and a couple seniors. They are not as elite as older 18U team but are still a pretty good team and I believe are still trying out players.
Other 18U teams are Norwood Blues, Chicago White Sox Academy (may be hard to get into now), Crystal Lake Bombers.
Other 18U teams are Norwood Blues, Chicago White Sox Academy (may be hard to get into now), Crystal Lake Bombers.
Hi,
I asked this question last year. Let me pass on what I observed. My son was between his Jr and Sr year of High School. This was his critical summer to be recruited early for the D1 or D2 programs.
The pecking order was:
1. Top-rated travel teams with great coaching
2. Legion ball (coaching is more consistently good because these guys are really old and have been doing this for a long time.)
3. Top-rated teams with jerk coaches or mediocre travel teams with good coaches)
4. Summer HS ball because there is no other option.
Play on a team with the BEST Coach (period).
Legion teams are run like college teams with many players. The coaches utilize player's best abilities. They typically don't play favorites and don't give playing time to develop players unless the game is really out-of-hand. There is no guarantee of playing time.
My son played for a good coach on an average travel team. He had fun, hung around with great kids, and started every game. But there wasn't college scouts there to seem them play. The college coaches only want to see kids with RAW talents (85+ fastball, 6.9 40 yd speed, monster hitting power). There's a website with ratings for average HS players, D1-level, Major Leaguer. Don't expect to your kid to get recruited even if he has a great game playing against top teams, he won't be on their radar screen until he meets the above criteria.
Playing HS ball Mon - Thurs and playing Travel ball on weekend Trnys will wear them out. My son played 26 straight days from mid June to July.
Playing HS Ball and Legion allows a few scattered days off but he will play 2 games of summer ball and than a few evening of legion ball on the same days.
Thus, play on the best team he can get on with the BEST Coach.
Hope this helps.
I asked this question last year. Let me pass on what I observed. My son was between his Jr and Sr year of High School. This was his critical summer to be recruited early for the D1 or D2 programs.
The pecking order was:
1. Top-rated travel teams with great coaching
2. Legion ball (coaching is more consistently good because these guys are really old and have been doing this for a long time.)
3. Top-rated teams with jerk coaches or mediocre travel teams with good coaches)
4. Summer HS ball because there is no other option.
Play on a team with the BEST Coach (period).
Legion teams are run like college teams with many players. The coaches utilize player's best abilities. They typically don't play favorites and don't give playing time to develop players unless the game is really out-of-hand. There is no guarantee of playing time.
My son played for a good coach on an average travel team. He had fun, hung around with great kids, and started every game. But there wasn't college scouts there to seem them play. The college coaches only want to see kids with RAW talents (85+ fastball, 6.9 40 yd speed, monster hitting power). There's a website with ratings for average HS players, D1-level, Major Leaguer. Don't expect to your kid to get recruited even if he has a great game playing against top teams, he won't be on their radar screen until he meets the above criteria.
Playing HS ball Mon - Thurs and playing Travel ball on weekend Trnys will wear them out. My son played 26 straight days from mid June to July.
Playing HS Ball and Legion allows a few scattered days off but he will play 2 games of summer ball and than a few evening of legion ball on the same days.
Thus, play on the best team he can get on with the BEST Coach.
Hope this helps.
Top summer baseball team...
For2n, Great post! I agree Play for the best Coach first, Top Travel Team you can find, that will get you, as you said, to the top showcase tournaments. Now if you can land a spot with a great coach who leads a top travel team your basically assured having your name on the radar screen. All the scouts know that if you make a roster on one of these teams, you earned it and are also worth a look. I would also say forget a lot of the money making showcase camps and go directly to the college camps particularly the college camp your son is interested in.
ILBaseball10 Butch also played for his HS summer team
was the "jerk coach" also a "jerk parent"?
Thanks for all the feed back. My son will be playing for the Lombard Lightning this summer they seem to be a class group. He played for them this fall. Bill and Dane did a great job and it seemed we played some good competition in front of college coaches at some very good venues.
He will also be playing HS summer ball you have to have school pride
quote:The object for me is to get him in front of as many colleges as I can.
What is the object for your son?
just to play baseball and play at the next level
Is he confident he can do that?
He gets more confident the more he plays. He hopes be able to play college ball and get an education and see what happens from there.
are you as aware of "who" your son sits next to in 4th period or "who" your son associates with as you are aware of "who" your son plays for or "what" kind of summer team your son should play for? if not you have bigger issues
yes
for2n8john, define jerk coach?
soxfan, that was't specifically for you, just everyone who has a concern regarding summer baseball
soxfan, then why wouldn't he play against the better seniors in high school and returning college players? He has that opportunity afforded to him in his own community.
quote:He gets more confident the more he plays. He hopes be able to play college ball and get an education and see what happens from there.
Hope is not a strategy? Is he confident about his abilities, does he believe this to be his future?
It's my hope not his. His stategy is keep working hard and keep learning the game. Confidence he is very confident and from our conversations and his actions he does see it as future.
Why is he going somewhere else to play, when he has it in his own community?
Fungo
All good parents know what else is going on in their kids life besides baseball. You should worry about your own.
All good parents know what else is going on in their kids life besides baseball. You should worry about your own.
He went to the Legion meeting last year and was told they had enough outfielders so he had to look for other options last summer and fall. The 1st option was to play in his own community. I didn't feel he should wait and not have a team to play for this summer. The Lightning team gave him the chance to play.
Why wouldnt he have a team to play for this summer? If he is good enough he will play?
So you suggest to just wait and see what happens have no plan.
I sent you a PM.
No I am suggesting that if he is good enough he will play.
No I am suggesting that if he is good enough he will play.
Since Legion Teams for the most part are made up of graduated Seniors, Juniors and a few College Players it isn't always a question of getting seen as it is for Travel Players in the summer after their junior year. Summer ball after your senior year is a bit late in most cases.
Most Legion Players already know where they are playing in College. The obvious exception is the senior-to-be who is looking to be seen and Travel does a better job than Legion typically does. Of course my son was at plenty of Travel Tourneys where no scouts were present, so maybe it's really more important to go to College Camps, Showcase Events and have a coach who helps you out.
Most importantly get a chance to play every day or close to it.
JMHO
Most Legion Players already know where they are playing in College. The obvious exception is the senior-to-be who is looking to be seen and Travel does a better job than Legion typically does. Of course my son was at plenty of Travel Tourneys where no scouts were present, so maybe it's really more important to go to College Camps, Showcase Events and have a coach who helps you out.
Most importantly get a chance to play every day or close to it.
JMHO
I appreciate the indepth answer
Hi,
You are mentioning the same things we went through last year. You are absolutely correct in trying to Find a team he keep playing and practicing. a few more thoughts:
Most Legion coaches should project what role your son will have on their team next season. Ask Can he play at this level? What role do you see for him on this team? If it doesn't fit with what he wants, than find a travel team. "Water seeks its own level", and there is always a place to play. Being a mal-content your first year could ruin it the next season.
Regarding him playing in college:
ID all the colleges that fit academically and have majors in his field of interest (do a careeer assessment test).
D1 coaches only recruit BEASTS for the early signing period. If they haven't ID'd your son by 16, he probably isn't a prospect. (Of course, They must wait to contact you until after July 1st before his senior yr to contact him.)
BUT big picture - academics first!!
Our oldest passed on playing at a D1 school because academically it would have been very difficult for her to get good grades, stay with her class, and eventually graduate with all missed classes D1 schools miss during the season for Roadtrips.
Her 'learning style' dictates that she has to be in class to learn. She choose a D3 and was able to participate in 2 sports and get good grades (so far so good). Thus, ensure D1 is really what is best to eventually graduate.
If your son has the raw skills most D2 and D3 coaches generally will respond to email messages if you include a well done Academic and Sports Bio. Ask what Prospect Camps they are attending or do they have a BB Camp. One coach told us, "we are in Division 3 so we don't have scholarships, but we do RECRUIT. If you aren't invited, it will be hard to jump up the depth chart pass a recruited player because there is a commitment to made to that player." Also, Check the Roster to see if they need players at your sons position.
Finally, Don't let the tail-wag-the-dog. Be the voice that demands Academic FIT First.
3 reasons:
First, off-season training demands. In D1 the coach's jobs is on the line, If players don't do the workout routines, they will be dropped. If they resent doing the workouts, they will be "labeled", miserable, crabby towards you, and probably not learning.
Second, There is a good percentage of student/athletes who don't make it to the 2nd semster because the academics are too hard for them, or the social atmosphere isn't a good fit. Do campus overnite visits and checkout the websites for typical freshman ACT & GPA's more than BA's.
Third, As a parent it is 'cool' to say my kids at a D1 program. But don't forget the funnel affect- about 50% of players will drop the sport every year in college. Look at the rosters, lots of freshman, fewer Sophs, few Jr and hardly any Sr. -unless they are playing.
Your son will probably stay at the school if they drop baseball, than its too late if they didn't make the right academic choice at the beginning for majors.
Hope this helps.
best regards,
for2n8john
You are mentioning the same things we went through last year. You are absolutely correct in trying to Find a team he keep playing and practicing. a few more thoughts:
Most Legion coaches should project what role your son will have on their team next season. Ask Can he play at this level? What role do you see for him on this team? If it doesn't fit with what he wants, than find a travel team. "Water seeks its own level", and there is always a place to play. Being a mal-content your first year could ruin it the next season.
Regarding him playing in college:
ID all the colleges that fit academically and have majors in his field of interest (do a careeer assessment test).
D1 coaches only recruit BEASTS for the early signing period. If they haven't ID'd your son by 16, he probably isn't a prospect. (Of course, They must wait to contact you until after July 1st before his senior yr to contact him.)
BUT big picture - academics first!!
Our oldest passed on playing at a D1 school because academically it would have been very difficult for her to get good grades, stay with her class, and eventually graduate with all missed classes D1 schools miss during the season for Roadtrips.
Her 'learning style' dictates that she has to be in class to learn. She choose a D3 and was able to participate in 2 sports and get good grades (so far so good). Thus, ensure D1 is really what is best to eventually graduate.
If your son has the raw skills most D2 and D3 coaches generally will respond to email messages if you include a well done Academic and Sports Bio. Ask what Prospect Camps they are attending or do they have a BB Camp. One coach told us, "we are in Division 3 so we don't have scholarships, but we do RECRUIT. If you aren't invited, it will be hard to jump up the depth chart pass a recruited player because there is a commitment to made to that player." Also, Check the Roster to see if they need players at your sons position.
Finally, Don't let the tail-wag-the-dog. Be the voice that demands Academic FIT First.
3 reasons:
First, off-season training demands. In D1 the coach's jobs is on the line, If players don't do the workout routines, they will be dropped. If they resent doing the workouts, they will be "labeled", miserable, crabby towards you, and probably not learning.
Second, There is a good percentage of student/athletes who don't make it to the 2nd semster because the academics are too hard for them, or the social atmosphere isn't a good fit. Do campus overnite visits and checkout the websites for typical freshman ACT & GPA's more than BA's.
Third, As a parent it is 'cool' to say my kids at a D1 program. But don't forget the funnel affect- about 50% of players will drop the sport every year in college. Look at the rosters, lots of freshman, fewer Sophs, few Jr and hardly any Sr. -unless they are playing.
Your son will probably stay at the school if they drop baseball, than its too late if they didn't make the right academic choice at the beginning for majors.
Hope this helps.
best regards,
for2n8john
quote:If they haven't ID'd your son by 16, he probably isn't a prospect. (Of course, They must wait to contact you until after July 1st before his senior yr to contact him.)
Great post..Coaches will initiate contact by sending camp invites to the I.D players they are interested in starting at 15 & 16 Year olds, some as early as 14.. And yes, they are always interested in the beasts!
I've had several players including some that have played professionally and even a couple that have made the bigs that didn't play anything but Legion ball. Here we go again. Select ball is great. It isn't the "thing" for all communities. In fact, several Southern Illinois communities take great stock in their legion teams and so, the best talent plays there. (I do see this changing a little with SIBullets' teams attracting a lot of talent.) BTW, these kids have set records in college at such fine institutions as Notre Dame and so, select ball isn't necessary to even making D-I schools. JMHO!
quote:Originally posted by CoachB25:
I've had several players including some that have played professionally and even a couple that have made the bigs that didn't play anything but Legion ball. Here we go again. Select ball is great. It isn't the "thing" for all communities. In fact, several Southern Illinois communities take great stock in their legion teams and so, the best talent plays there. (I do see this changing a little with SIBullets' teams attracting a lot of talent.) BTW, these kids have set records in college at such fine institutions as Notre Dame and so, select ball isn't necessary to even making D-I schools. JMHO!
Several first round players down this way who never traveled anywhere, they relied on HS.
College coaches will send anyone and everyone camp invites. The basic purpose is to make $$$. Along the way they may pick up a recruit or two.
quote:Originally posted by Tiger Paw Mom:
[College coaches will send anyone and everyone camp invites. The basic purpose is to make $$$.
That's not what the brochure said!
Top Summerball team. You can't teach experience. Plus, you run into some other great players from around the country as well.