Verbal Commitment???

Is the glass half full or half empty? - that is the question (or is it to be or not to be).

Seriously, I suppose if one were seeing the glass as half empty with a large amount of cynicism, I can see thinking this kind of stuff is all much ado about nothing.

My take is very simple. I don't see it as an ego boost at all but an announcement of an achievement just like many other achievements in life are announced. Secondly, even if the coach recruits 100 kids - so what? Why would he waste his time recruiting anyone if he didn't think they could play? So he could have 9 starters and 91 guys sitting on the bench?

I think because of the rarity of playing beyond high school, that anyone that decides to try their hand at playing in college should announce it to the world - no matter what shape or form the announcement happens to take imho.

ClevelandDad:

" to be or not to be"..."much ado about nothing"...

Me thinks you doth know too much...Shakespeare that is!

As Coach Deltoncore at PODUNK U. once loudly and very publicly proclaimed..."a player! a player! my kingdom for dozens and dozens of players!"

Larry:

I'm not sure I understand your point, but for players who actually receive scholarship dollars, it is a little bizzare.

What the verbal is is a commitment to that school and what it means is that the player gives his word to stop looking and that the school is firmly committed to that player.

I have seen those commitments shatter, but not often.

I don't know what revenues a certain sport produces have to do with anything.

Verbal Commitment, is just that. A commitment to both the university and you. I personally know a kid "who verbally committed" to a university, and rather than tell all the other universities who were recruiting him, continued to listen to offers, and when the early signing period (which just ended), signed with another university. That is horrible! Your word is your bond, it means everything. Tells what kind of man you are. You see this kind of thing all the time in other sports i.e. football and basketball. I always understood baseball coaches to be different, when a kid committed to one school, they would say "good luck", and stop recruiting him. But if they don't know, they will continue on with the process. It is incumbent upon the student/athlete when he reaches his decision, to tell the others, this is the honorable thing to do. JMO.

I believe the only vebal comi is the the precurser to a witten agreement to follow shortly.
We gave a verbal and the paper work was signed a week latter.
I did the negotiating and when we reached a mutually beneficial arrangement we vebally accepted and the papers came about a week latter with a deadline.

A verbal commitment is more than you think, at least with baseball. One of the boys who plays summer baseball on our team was mistakenly listed on a prominent baseball website to have verbally committed to a certain Pac-10 school, when he in fact hadn't. He stopped getting calls from any other schools, and quickly saw his options slipping away since so many are now signing early, and much money is going to those early signers.

It took a lot of effort to get the word out that this boy hadn't verballed anywhere, and many college coaches were leery of talking to him until they were sure that he hadn't given his word to anyone that he would attend a certain school.

In the end, this young man did end up signing a letter of intent with the university that he was rumored to have verballed to, but not before he had the chance to consider other schools that he was also interested in attending.

larrythompson

The verbal commitment is a tool used by college recruiters to keep other schools from persuing their intended NLI signees. 06catcherdad relates the potential harm this can do to a player who may not have committed yet.

For a young man to get an offer from a D-1 is quite an accomplishment and should be recognized for his dedication and his perserverence to excellence.

When I signed a four year free ride many years ago, I think there was a blurt in the local newspaper. But many players never get any recognition for their hard work.

I'm one of those having worked in private industry where we have employees and not government "workers" believe in recognizing and giving bonuses and rewards for outstanding achievement.

The idea that because a player is a member of a team he should not receive any more recognition then any other member for an outstanding play, game, season, or other acccomplishment is a philosophy that doesn't understand anything about how to motivate human beings.

Every acccomplishment by your son should be recognized and he should be be complemented and for his diligence and hardwork. The POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT and recognition for "real" achievement is what is missing in the educational system.

Annouceing a verbal commitment and a NLI is part of the recognition process of excellence in endeavor.

JMO

Bobble seems to be referring to the same type of verbal commitment I am use to seeing. A football or basketball kid (I know other sports do the same, but not with the same prominence) tells the world he is going to Duke, then a week later the scholarship is signed, sealed and delivered.

I have introduced a lot of folks to this forum since I first found out about it. They ask me about all the baseball scholarships that kids are getting, and how likely it is that their kid can get in on this action. Then they read something about a kid verbally committing to Mary Washington College (VA). They assume this kid has been given a scholarship for his athletic prowess. They then do some research and find out Mary Washington is a Division III school, and Division III schools don't give athletic scholarships. What is this kid verbally committing to? If the school hasn't bought into the kid, what does it mean anyway?

And if anyone thinks that Division III schools don't over-recruit, I don't know where you have been? Not that all do, but many feel they have to in order to compete. One of my former players went to a strong Division III school in North Carolina about 8 years ago. He was told by the coach, as was I, that he could play in his program. I had reservations, but the kid went anyway. First day of tryouts had 85 kids register. That didn't count the returning players (about 15 of them). And this school only has one team, no JV, frosh team, etc...

I'm not trying to diminish accomplishments of these young athletes. I am simply trying to start a dialogue so that less informed readers can understand some of the terminology used out there, and for them to be aware of what they are reading. Let's face it, people are making real life baseball decisions based on what they read on this forum, I simply want them to be equipped to understand what it is they are reading.

It has always been my view that if a coach wants a ballplayer they will give him an offer in writing or once reaching terms verbaly they will type an agreement up asap and send it to the player to sign.
Most of the coaches I dealt with were up front. The only thing we didnot understand was that there was a tryout and that you could be red shirted. We did know that there was possibility he could sit a lot 1st year. He could still sit a lot but atleast he is in a position to get a shot. The rest is up to him.

My understanding of a verbal commitment to a Division III school is that the student will be attending that school (sent their deposit in) and was recruited by the coach. What my son and I have found out that there is a big difference between being a "recruited walk-on" and a "walk-on". As a "recruited walk on" the coach has seen you play and would like to have you in his program. The ball player has an advantage, but there are no guarantees.

The main thing to remember is that there are the fall tryouts and at some DIII schools alot of kids come out for the team. There is always the chance that unknowns will tryout and a recruit may not make the team. The advantage to being recruited is that the coach knows who you are and is expecting you to tryout.

Unfortunately, for the DIII coach recruiting is much more difficult because there is no athletic money involed and he can't sign players to a commitment. A player may make their deposit in may and tell the coach they will be attending and then get an offer from a DI in june or july and change their mind. So to a degree the DIII coach has to over recruit because until classes start they don't know for sure who will be trying out.

My 06 has "committed" to a D-3 school, and true, nothing is signed either way. No athletic money at D-3's. He was offered a "guaranteed roster spot", and when this school recuits, that's what's offered. Existing players say that commitment from the coach is honored every time. Open tryouts are held in the fall, but the recruited players are not required to make the squad via the tryouts. Lots of kids showed up for the two days of open tryouts, but only 1 was selected this fall. As other schools have continued to call, my son tells them he has committed, they congratulate him and move on. Everyone understands what he means when he says he has "committed". Other parents have told me the coach is brutally honest with aspiring walk-ons; they're not discouraged entirely, but they are not sold a bill of goods either. He will tell them what he has at certain positions and be realistic with them as to their chances.

Some schools, at all levels, have a reputation for over-recuiting. Very important to talk to existing players and ask these kinds of questions as part of the process. Look at rosters, talk to players,do your homework.