I subscribe to the twitter feed for a state PBR director and I have to say I think they are doing a great job promoting the kids who they are seeing. If you want to play at the next level, you need to watch how players and these organizations are using platforms like twitter to communicate and promote themselves. Sometimes it can seem contrived and nauseating, but it seems to have become a very big platform for players, coaches and programs.
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2022OFDad posted:I subscribe to the twitter feed for a state PBR director and I have to say I think they are doing a great job promoting the kids who they are seeing. If you want to play at the next level, you need to watch how players and these organizations are using platforms like twitter to communicate and promote themselves. Sometimes it can seem contrived and nauseating, but it seems to have become a very big platform for players, coaches and programs.
Totally agree with that. My son's travel coach is excellent with social media. A number of college coaches follow him on Twitter. During the Summer he regularly posts highlights that get hundreds of views.
This is a great topic 2022OFDad. I tend to stay pretty plugged in to the goings on in the Internet technology world, mostly because I do cyber security for a living. Having been in IT since before the Internet, it's been very interesting to observe the trends and progression of how people interact online. I think, like we've seen with so many platforms in the past, that you'll start to see Twitter get silo'd to particular age/generational groups (much like facebook has become a tool of "parents" and "old people" according to my 17 year old). In fact, I think we're already seeing this to some degree. My son absolutely abhors using Twitter (and email for that matter) and only does it because of the coach presence and other baseball-related things there. As with seemingly all of his friends/peers, he uses snapchat almost exclusively unless he needs to text a family member or coach. It will be interesting to see what the future holds in this space. Regardless, I don't think there is any doubt that social media has become a powerful tool for self-promotion, in whatever area.
Agree with you Tequila. My son and his friends use snapchat to keep track of each other and their goings on. They also have instagram accounts but don't use them much because the adults are now using that platform too. None of them actively use twitter. A few have begun to create twitter accounts, perhaps on advice from their travel coaches. My son still does not have one.
And I’ve noticed that some Coaches absolutely live on twitter, posting daily and sometimes several times a day. Want to get the pulse of the program you want to play for or will be playing for? Read their tweets.
Social media is a marketing tool. I get how it can help coaches, organizations, trainers, etc promote their expertise, connections, whatever. But be careful, Twitter is a carefully constructed window into what they want you to see. It's not real life.
As far as the player goes, I don't see at all how it helps a player get recruited. I know lots of good players (dads, probably) posting constantly about their accomplishments, and I know lots good players who don't, and I haven't seen any correlation to success in college recruiting or draft position. I get the urge to post "blessed to be invited to ..." and such, but that's purely an ego thing. JMO.
Not just an ego thing. Well at least not in football. Twitter is the epicenter of the football recruiting universe. And when my son posted a visit to a D1 another D1 DM'd him on twitter and actually mentioned he saw his visit on twitter and said "why don't you come out here". So he did, the very next weekend. Had a great visit. Three more after the first two which were less related to twitter but that's where they all talk to him. A few e mails but not many. Some texts. A few things in snail mail but mostly it's twitter.
In addition to Twitter, I think some are using Instagram.
Smitty, I get what you mean about twitter allowing a person to craft a persona, but that’s no different than any other communication medium.
I just see how other sports use twitter much more than baseball does, but I think the tide is shifting there.
2020dad posted:Not just an ego thing. Well at least not in football. Twitter is the epicenter of the football recruiting universe. And when my son posted a visit to a D1 another D1 DM'd him on twitter and actually mentioned he saw his visit on twitter and said "why don't you come out here". So he did, the very next weekend. Had a great visit. Three more after the first two which were less related to twitter but that's where they all talk to him. A few e mails but not many. Some texts. A few things in snail mail but mostly it's twitter.
Perhaps you are right, I am not close to football recruiting. Football seems like a "big world" where it's difficult to get coaches attention, whereas baseball is a "small world" where everyone seems to know everything that is going on through the grapevine. Also, maybe it's a geographical thing. I'm in SoCal and most kids I know have moved on to Instagram and their dads manage their Twitter accounts. Also, in baseball there is so much going on with HS ball, scout ball, college camps, showcases, etc I've never heard of an instance where a kid was discovered via social media (unless his coach posts something). In fact, I've only heard the opposite - the kid posts the wrong thing and his character gets assailed.
Smitty28 posted:Social media is a marketing tool. I get how it can help coaches, organizations, trainers, etc promote their expertise, connections, whatever. But be careful, Twitter is a carefully constructed window into what they want you to see. It's not real life.
As far as the player goes, I don't see at all how it helps a player get recruited. I know lots of good players (dads, probably) posting constantly about their accomplishments, and I know lots good players who don't, and I haven't seen any correlation to success in college recruiting or draft position. I get the urge to post "blessed to be invited to ..." and such, but that's purely an ego thing. JMO.
Checkout the flat ground page posted in another thread a few days ago. There are hundreds of pitchers looking for an offer on there. College coaches can see if there is anybody they could use.
It is just an easier way for lower level teams that aren't all that competitive to grab some guys they may have never seen before. Most of the players aren't very good, but there are some guys that get replies and comments from lower level D2/NAIA/JUCOs asking for contact info. Schools with legitimate coaching staffs and well put together teams aren't doing it, but there is an opportunity for some schools and some players via twitter.
PA, I agree Flatground makes a lot of sense. Having one place to find a bunch of videos makes it far easier to find that needle in a hay stack. I'd like to see schools do more also. The questionnaires they all have on their websites seem like a do-nothing exercise, many schools do not post their coaches contact info, and yet these same coaches say it's difficult to find good players who fit their program (I'm referring to lower level programs with limited travel budgets).
Smitty28 posted:2020dad posted:Not just an ego thing. Well at least not in football. Twitter is the epicenter of the football recruiting universe. And when my son posted a visit to a D1 another D1 DM'd him on twitter and actually mentioned he saw his visit on twitter and said "why don't you come out here". So he did, the very next weekend. Had a great visit. Three more after the first two which were less related to twitter but that's where they all talk to him. A few e mails but not many. Some texts. A few things in snail mail but mostly it's twitter.
Perhaps you are right, I am not close to football recruiting. Football seems like a "big world" where it's difficult to get coaches attention, whereas baseball is a "small world" where everyone seems to know everything that is going on through the grapevine. Also, maybe it's a geographical thing. I'm in SoCal and most kids I know have moved on to Instagram and their dads manage their Twitter accounts. Also, in baseball there is so much going on with HS ball, scout ball, college camps, showcases, etc I've never heard of an instance where a kid was discovered via social media (unless his coach posts something). In fact, I've only heard the opposite - the kid posts the wrong thing and his character gets assailed.
Absolutely agree kids don't get 'discovered' on twitter. But I guess it helps create a bit of feeding frenzy maybe? If a coach sees you visited somewhere else or got an offer somewhere else it makes them feel like they have to get in assuming of course they are interested in the first place. And you would be surprised what a small world football is also. There are enough coaches for them to assign territories. That guy assigned to your territory will really surprise you with what they know about you. At least I have been surprised. We went on a visit the day after winning state championship and the coaches were talking about the game - in detail! Twitter isn't where kids get discovered more like where they get tracked!
