Was Putting Son up a Grade Higher a big Mistake?

Control what you can control. In my part of the country your son would be a 2023. My 2020 doesn't turn 18 until mid September and will be going away to college in August as a 17yo. My 2022 turns 16 in August.

What is his size right now and will he keep growing? My son was in a similar situation. We didn't hold him back, but he's a very young 2023. He was smaller than most of the better 2023's we know last fall. Now he's bigger or the same size as a lot of them. You're right though, there is no way to tell what a kid is going to do athletically when they are 6 or 7 years old. I know a few people who did start their kids late in school specifically for sports. One of them is a top 10 PG 2023 pitcher and would probably be at least top 20 for 2022. 

This won't help at all, but it seems to me that there is a lot more top end talent in 2023 than there is in 2024. 

Nick Bitsko reclassified up this year (likely not expecting it to be the year it has been) but it worked out fine for him last night.  Tips for the National.  Train hard, be ready.  The invitational showcases can have a big effect on your recruiting.  I know people say you don't need showcases, and in some scenarios, you don't.  This year, with very little time for coaches to actually "see" kids, I think they are very important.  PBR is also streaming games. My son didn't play for a power team because he wanted to stay with friends, showcases were extremely important in his recruiting even when things were normal.  His future school has committed 5 kids in the last couple of weeks 22s and 23s, so recruiting is happening.  A lot of the top schools already have 15-19 2022s committed (not saying that's a good thing) but 2023s are being recruited.  If you go to the National, you will have a real good idea of where he fits.  Its too early to think about a post year now in my opinion.

Another question that I forgot to ask.  Do recruiters and scouts take into consideration a kid's age in addition to their graduation class?  Or do they not care and will always evaluate/judge a kid based on his graduation class regardless of his age?

I never worried about recruiting until now that it's becoming real.  Never even thought of reclassing while apparently, other parents have been strategizing about this since grade school (some even in kindergarten). I've always thought that as long as he plays well, people will find him, and we don't need to play the game of going to all these showcases early, smooching with recruiters and coaches, and aggressively marketing through social media.  It seems like this is what some parents of the kids that has gotten early recruiting attention has done (not all, as some of them are just legit studs that throws 88 in 13u). 

I feel like I really need to get really serious and work on this for my son's sake, and that we have a lot of catching up to do.

I would say no, they don't care how old they are.  They may look at projection, if he has good metrics and no facial hair at 16, he is probably going to get bigger and stronger.  Bottom line, they want guys that can compete, they won't give breaks for being younger.  The 2022 and 2023 classes look very strong.  It is getting more competitive every year.

@TerribleBPthrower posted:

What is his size right now and will he keep growing?

He is 5'6" right now and 135 lbs.  He's always been on the smaller end in his age group (much more so when compared to his grade level).  But he's actually caught up some now where he is close to the middle of his age group (still on the smaller side compared to his grade level but not that far apart now).  I'm just under 6', but wife is short (5'2").  My son has already resigned himself to be around 5'9" by the end of HS (hopefully, he's wrong).

@TerribleBPthrower posted:

This won't help at all, but it seems to me that there is a lot more top end talent in 2023 than there is in 2024. 

Yeah, he's saying this also (just looking at the local kids here in our state).

As far as showcases go, I was waiting for my son to grow before sending him since he's younger. We may take him this summer depending how the tournament schedule looks. The one thing I'd definitely recommend is start to work on his 60 now. Even if he is just running it a few times. I've seen a bunch of kids never run it before a showcase, run a cruddy time, then be down about it the rest of the weekend. At least if he is slow it won't be a shock to him. If he's fast, he'll know it is something he can excel with. 

atlnon,

Great question and post.  You can't kick yourself for trying to do the right thing for him over a lifetime.   You made the decision based on his academics and maturity level.   It doesn't appear his character and focus on academics has changed since 2nd grade.   So my question back to you is why aren't you focusing/developing a strategy to focus on academic schools that are looking for kids like your son?   Yes, it is a little early in the recruiting cycle for these high academic (HA) schools but I think your son should lead with what he is best at and will provide leverage to the best possible fit for college.   My son played among a bunch of D1 studs on his travel team that were committing to SEC/ACC schools his sophomore year.  Initially my son was discouraged that he wasn't getting second looks from most of these P5 schools but there was a silver lining.   Most of us that have been around the block on HSBBWeb understand the peer pressure in the recruiting process.  My advice to your son would be to try to ignore it, and focus on his package of baseball and academic skills that separates your son from others.

JMO.   Best of luck!

First off, tip for the showcase - Search for videos on improving 60 times.  VERY easy to shave off .2-.3 seconds with proper starting form.  Secondly, practice hitting off a tee with a wood bad for the exit velo.  It's not the normal swing he needs to go up there with for that metric.  You know all the questions on the test...practice for it.

The rest of your story could be my son, 3 years removed.  2020 with a late August birthday.  In school with 2021's who were older than him. My best advice is that nobody's class is "full" until NLI's are signed in Senior year.  Every year there are tons of kids who committed 2-3 years prior who are told there has been a change in plans and aren't given the opportunity to sign where they thought they were going.

As far as recruiting young catchers, it's all about the power bat.  My son had the #1 C velo in the country (PG) and a sub-2 pop time starting in the fall of his freshman year and got zero attention.  Catchers with below average metrics who hit the ball over the fence get the attention.  Not trying to whine about it...it's just a fact of life for what P5 schools are looking for. Non-P5 schools will eventually start recruiting better defensive catchers with less power...just not during Sophomore year.

For your last question about age, my opinion is that age only matters to MLB teams and potential draft picks.  Younger is better.  For college coaches, they want the most talent they can get in the time the kid is on campus.  If you reach your peak size/strength a year after you leave campus, doesn't go the college coach any good.

@fenwaysouth posted:

atlnon,

So my question back to you is why aren't you focusing/developing a strategy to focus on academic schools that are looking for kids like your son? 

Sigh... This is another discussion altogether.  While my son has really good grades (and very bright), academics is not his interest (this is saying it mildly).  He said, he is only going to college if he is going to play baseball (and only at a P5 team at that, preferably SEC).  If he doesn't get any baseball offer or is not drafted, he will enlist in the military or go straight to work.  His life goal (as of right now) is to be a cowboy and a cattle rancher, spending as much time as possible fishing and hunting...  I grew up with a high focus/value on academics and work in IT right now.  He thinks I'm a loser being in front of the computer all day.  Like I said, another topic altogether, and probably not for this forum.

@2020txcatch posted:

As far as recruiting young catchers, it's all about the power bat.  My son had the #1 C velo in the country (PG) and a sub-2 pop time starting in the fall of his freshman year and got zero attention.  Catchers with below average metrics who hit the ball over the fence get the attention.  Not trying to whine about it...it's just a fact of life for what P5 schools are looking for. Non-P5 schools will eventually start recruiting better defensive catchers with less power...just not during Sophomore year. 

Yeah, this has been my son's MO growing.  He's always have the best defensive skills in the team.  He has the highest contact rate and rarely strikes out.  But he's more of a line drive hitter and not a power bat.  He's working out a lot right now for football season.  Maybe he'll get stronger.

altnon,

Best of luck with his recruitment to a P5 school or the draft.   Honestly, both of these are extremely tough asks in the best of baseball times.   These are not the best of baseball times.   You've probably read the threads about how extremely difficult it is right now given the changes with the MLB draft, NCAA eligibility, and MiLB consolidation as starters.

Feel free to reach out offline line if you want to chat.  I'm also an IT loser!  ;-)

I'd agree 100% with Fenway. The C's I see committing to P5 schools are 6'+ and are 200+. I'm amazed at how big some of these kids are.

Why such the rush, concern, or panic?  He's a 23.  

You have plenty of time. Especially with the "slow" covid button. Recruiting is happening, but the coaches aren't too focused on 23s and 24s, but yes you see them committing on Twitter. That is just "noise". The house is not on fire. Plenty of spots at many schools still open and available. 

This is the "summer" for 22s and remaining 21s looking for spots before NLIs in Nov.

Given only 7% of HS kids make it to college ball across all divisions....good to have a back up plan (school, military, trade school). 

Why not reach out to the military schools and do both? Army and Air Force were recruiting heavy last summer at various summer ball tournaments.

Has your son visited school campus and programs, tours? Does he have a list? Way too premature to get all amped up for college and programs if you haven't been on campus, talked to a coach, attended a camp, etc. 

Can't pick a school based on a Poll results or rankings. You have to set feet and eyes on campus and talk to players, coaches, etc. See the campus, city and understand where you're going to be for 3-4 years. 

Waaaay too early to be worried or concerned about what others are doing and committing. Focus on school, working out, gaining weight, improving speed (pop, bat, exit velo, 60)..... go be seen, attend some camps (check threads on reviews) and get on radars for this summer/fall and next year.

@Eokerholm posted:

Why such the rush, concern, or panic?  He's a 23.   

I wasn't, until my son and I started seeing the recruiting activities being experienced and commitments being made by his peers (not just in same age/grade, but also skillset wise).  Just worried if I've a mistake or put ourselves behind the eight ball with our lack of urgency in showcasing and marketing him before 9th grade, and if so, what we can do to make up for lost time/opportunities.

Based on your feedback, it seems like we are right on schedule.  I've always planned on taking him to his first showcase this summer with the objective of gaining experience (not to get noticed) preparing him for next summer (as a rising Junior).  In other words, I've been thinking all along that the time to really get noticed is the summer between Sophomore and Junior year, and this summer is used more to gain experience on showcasing.  Before this summer, I hardly thought about showcasing or recruiting, much less marketing him on social media and contacting college coaches.

I guess I got affected by my son saying that by next summer, most or all of the spots for 2023 will already be filled in the schools he would want.

And I have not even thought about college visits.  I can't get my mind around that with my son just finishing his freshman year.  I was thinking wait till he starts getting interest next summer and then visit those colleges and see.  Now I'm wondering if I am too lackadaisical about the whole thing.

@Eokerholm posted:

attend some camps (check threads on reviews) 

I haven't even considered camps.  I thought all those are just money makers.  Is there 1 thread here that reviews all camps, or do I need to use the general search to find all discussions around camps?

Camps are money-makers, but they are also a chance for your kid to be seen by coaches. They also provide some great instruction. I wouldn't waste your time or money on camps he'd have absolutely no interest in, but it can't hurt to check one out.

I would suggest that since academics arent his top priority, maybe look JUCO route for a program in Georgia like Georgia Highlands or  that has a good baseball program and agricultural type classes.  I am sure there are many others where he can get an education in agribusiness in the area but as  said earlier, in best of times P5 SEC recruitment is a difficult task for all but the absolute best of players.  If it is P5 or bust, I am afraid that he (or you) will be really disappointed.  There are some great schools and great baseball at all levels and it would be a shame to rule them out as a rising sophomore...

@FriarFred you beat @adbono to his punch line. LOL.

Seriously, JUCO sounds like a better option for a non-academically focused player wanting to get to the next level and instruction, add some weight, etc before drafting or moving on in life to another program or life in general.

@FriarFred posted:

I would suggest that since academics arent his top priority, maybe look JUCO route for a program in Georgia like Georgia Highlands or  that has a good baseball program and agricultural type classes.  I am sure there are many others where he can get an education in agribusiness in the area but as  said earlier, in best of times P5 SEC recruitment is a difficult task for all but the absolute best of players.  If it is P5 or bust, I am afraid that he (or you) will be really disappointed.  There are some great schools and great baseball at all levels and it would be a shame to rule them out as a rising sophomore...

Believe me, I've been having these conversations a lot with him.  I love his confidence, but maybe getting a dose of reality will push him to be open to other options.  I'm the one that keeps trying to pull him back and ground him in reality.  My wife and I prioritizes academics and keeps reminding him of the low probability of getting a P5 offer, much less an SEC one or even being drafted.  It's a fine line between doing that and affecting his confidence and coming across as not being supportive of his dream (and not believing in him).  This is why I have not done anything (no showcasing, no camps, no social media marketing, no contacting coaches) up to this point in time.  Part of this thread is to give me a sanity check that I did not do him a disservice.

He has listened so far to taking it slow and no point in spending all these money doing all these showcases and camps prematurely.  But he is starting to question that now seeing/hearing the "noise" of recruitment actions and commitments around him.  I wish he would focus more on academics.  I'm just glad that he at least is still willing to work hard to get those 4.0s in honors classes.  I think his primary driver is the thought that a high GPA will help him with his college dreams.  Part of me worries that if his P5 college dreams are dashed, he will give up on still working on getting good grades...

Oh well, having a cattle ranch may not be a bad idea when the society crashes from all this societal turmoil and pandemics.  My IT skills will be useless when the apocalypse happens.

The best way to get a dose of reality is to go to a competitive showcase.  Everyone thinks they are the best in their area.  I recommended a showcase to a dad several years ago.  He said it was the biggest reality check he had ever had.  He didn't realize there was so much talent out there.  Just scrolling through twitter, there are multiple 2023s already throwing 85-86.  Those are the SEC kids and they will commit early.  Pitchers commit earlier than position players typically.  You have time, but getting a realistic view early isn't a bad thing.

Some anecdotal observations...

If the player is really, really good (i.e., 1st round draft talent), being young is very desirable.  Pros love to draft the younger guys.

If the player is really good (i.e., P5 talent), being an older freshman or sophomore is a huge advantage because these coaches will take the guys that stand out at that age.  This group also has a high flame-out rate as many of these kids stop growing, stop getting better, etc and didn't have what it takes when they showed up on campus.

If the player is good (mid-major, solid D3 or HA D1), this will all play out and he'll end up where he belongs if he puts in the work and gets exposure.

JMO.

@atlnon posted:

He is 5'6" right now and 135 lbs.  He's always been on the smaller end in his age group (much more so when compared to his grade level). 

Don't worry about recruiting until this changes. This is not an attractive size for anybody on the field much less a P or C. Size matters. Unless he is hitting 400 ft homers or is piecing up high 80s pitching and stealing with ease they'll wait for growth. 

Forget about social media, promotion, and chit chat with recruiters. You can either play for the school on the other end of those conversations or you can't. Tweeting a video of your batting practice means nothing if a coach shows up to your game and you go 1-4 off a kid throwing 81 with no offspeed.

Your son needs to just be a kid and grow. If he is serious about playing baseball at a P5 school he will also be serious about proper nutrition and putting weight on. For now what he needs is protein shakes and a workout plan not an instagram video of him hitting a double off Johnny JV in the Sunshine Snowbird Classic. 

@Eokerholm posted:

@FriarFred you beat @adbono to his punch line. LOL.

Seriously, JUCO sounds like a better option for a non-academically focused player wanting to get to the next level and instruction, add some weight, etc before drafting or moving on in life to another program or life in general.

 

😀

@baseballhs posted:

The best way to get a dose of reality is to go to a competitive showcase.  Everyone thinks they are the best in their area.  I recommended a showcase to a dad several years ago.  He said it was the biggest reality check he had ever had.  He didn't realize there was so much talent out there.  Just scrolling through twitter, there are multiple 23 already throwing 85-86.  Those are the SEC kids and they will commit early.  Pitchers commit earlier than position players typically.  You have time, but getting a realistic view early isn't a bad thing.

There are two 2023s working with us that have already hit 89. 

and those would be considered "outliers" or the Norm? 

@PABaseball posted:

Don't worry about recruiting until this changes. This is not an attractive size for anybody on the field much less a P or C. Size matters, unless he is hitting 400 ft homers or is piecing up high 80s pitching and stealing with ease they'll wait for growth. 

Forget about social media, promotion, and chit chat with recruiters. You can either play for the school on the other end of those conversations or you can't, time will tell. Tweeting a video of your batting practice means nothing if a coach shows up to your game on your go 1-4 off 81 with no offspeed.

Your son needs to just be a kid and grow. If he is serious about playing baseball at a P5 school he will also be serious about proper nutrition and putting weight on. For now what he needs is protein shakes and a workout plan not an instagram video of him hitting a double off Johnny JV in the Sunshine Snowbird Classic. 

Great post! A month or two ago I was going back and forth with a guy from Driveline. We discussed my son, his goals, and finally his size. He recommended increasing the strength workouts even if it costs time working on hitting and throwing. Kids this size need to catch up physically. 

@Eokerholm posted:

and those would be considered "outliers" or the Norm? 

I would call them the kids who commit to SEC schools.  They are not the norm, they are elite, and there are quite a few of them, but they are also the kids who will be drafted or go to the top schools. 

@atlnon, how did your son get invited to the PG 14U National Showcase? It's not exactly exclusive, but it is invitation only and limited to 300 players. It could be an indication that PG thinks he's worth following?

Have you talked to him about expanding his college interests to include the service academies? Maybe the best of both worlds for him where his excellent academics, baseball, and military interests come together.

@TerribleBPthrower posted:

Great post! A month or two ago I was going back and forth with a guy from Driveline. We discussed my son, his goals, and finally his size. He recommended increasing the strength workouts even if it costs time working on hitting and throwing. Kids this size need to catch up physically. 

This could be the key issue (his size).  His peers getting attention are bigger and probably stronger, even if my son feels like he is up to par skill set wise.  My son also loves football and has been spending a lot of time working out and getting stronger.  Maybe next summer will be his year.  We can't do much for the height (hopefully he gets 4 to 6 more inches at least).  But he can at least do something about strength.

Thanks guys.  You all's feedback helped a lot.

As a fellow ATLien, my input is:

• If you do plan on him attending the 14U Nats, then I recommend him attend another showcase of some sort before then, just to get a sense of what it's like before hitting the big one. PBR GA Future Games Trials is fairly cheap, in our backyard, and is well run. Will also get him on PBR's radar, and give him a sense of where he stands. 
• My feeling is that whether they are young or old, they should be playing with their grade, not their age. So 2023 grad = 15U this summer, 16U next summer, etc.. Not sure what your son is playing.
• Assume you guys are at one of the better teams in our area if he's received an invite (TE, ECB, HPCD, DRB, 643, etc.) (never noticed that they all seem to rhyme). If so, I strongly recommend him go watch the top committed & uncommitted 16U catchers this summer at tourneys, on either his team or another. It's definitely a reality check (coming from the dad of a '22 C).
• Hit, lift, eat, sleep. Repeat daily.

@MidAtlanticDad posted:

@atlnon, how did your son get invited to the PG 14U National Showcase? It's not exactly exclusive, but it is invitation only and limited to 300 players. It could be an indication that PG thinks he's worth following?

Have you talked to him about expanding his college interests to include the service academies? Maybe the best of both worlds for him where his excellent academics, baseball, and military interests come together.

Well, that is good to know that PG 14u National is not just a money maker.  I'm almost sure it's through his travel coach who believes in him a lot.  His travel coach has good relationship with PG I believe. I would hope that he didn't get invited just by that alone, meaning that my son at least have the stats/numbers to back it up.  But I don't think his stats/numbers alone would have been enough to get invited.

He is not looking at college realistically yet. I'll wait till after the showcase and maybe he will be more open to other options.

@Senna posted:

As a fellow ATLien, my input is:

• If you do plan on him attending the 14U Nats, then I recommend him attend another showcase of some sort before then, just to get a sense of what it's like before hitting the big one. PBR GA Future Games Trials is fairly cheap, in our backyard, and is well run. Will also get him on PBR's radar, and give him a sense of where he stands. 
• My feeling is that whether they are young or old, they should be playing with their grade, not their age. So 2023 grad = 15U this summer, 16U next summer, etc.. Not sure what your son is playing.
• Assume you guys are at one of the better teams in our area if he's received an invite (TE, ECB, HPCD, DRB, 643, etc.) (never noticed that they all seem to rhyme). If so, I strongly recommend him go watch the top committed & uncommitted 16U catchers this summer at tourneys, on either his team or another. It's definitely a reality check (coming from the dad of a '22 C).
• Hit, lift, eat, sleep. Repeat daily.

- Yes, PBR is my plan right now.  I was going to sign him up for the one last week at LakePoint but we did a last min trip to the beach.  He was upset that I am not taking his "baseball career and opportunities" seriously bec I prioritized beach trip for the family over a 1 day showcase.  Unfortunately, no more showcase in ATL in the near future so I requested an invite to the next one at Chatanooga for June 23.  Just waiting for the response.

- He's still with his age group, not at grade level.  This is the same group of kids he's been with since 7u dizzy dean all star.  I discussed with his coach the idea of moving up to 15u this year.  His coach said to hold off bec (1) the plan is to play in a lot of 15u tournament this summer (like the WWBA in our own backyard); and (2) he thinks that he gets as much challenge for now playing in a very high level 14u team.  Maybe next year, the coach will move the whole team up to 16u or something.

- Yes, one of the academies that you mentioned.

- Yes, that's what he's doing now.  In fact, he's at the HS field right now with one of his teammate just working out on their own (after a 2 hour football summer workout this morning).  I think the noise around his peers being recruiting and committing is giving him extra drive right now.

@atlnon, 

Lots of good advise here. Sounds like your son has some lofty goals which is great. However, there is a reality in college baseball that doesn't change just because you have a great marketing plan. 

I remember something I heard at the Stanford Camp. I was walking around looking at all the talent and just blown away. I was talking with a RC and asked him how do you decide who gets a look. He said said that most have trained their eyes to never look below 6 feet. If they do, it is because of exceptional talent with lots of projection. No scout or RC wants to go back to his boss and say, I got this 5' 9 140 lb catcher that plays up unless there are 50 other scouts watching him as well. Just reality.

Does it happen, yes. My son played with a kid who came in as a HS freshmen at 5'6" 135 lbs. He started at second base, but only because the Coach's son was at SS. He lead the league in hits, SB and BA all four years of HS. He only had one Dl offer. Only one school saw his projection and realized how extra hard this kid had to work to get that offer. He earned a start as a freshman at 2B and won freshman of the year and his team went to the CWS. Did I mention he was a switch hitter. By his junior year he grew to 5'9" 165 lbs. and drafted in the 13th round.

Playing at any level after HS is a major commitment and only a very few get that opportunity. Those that do don't get there because Mom & Dad had a great marketing plan or sent Jr to all the right camps/showcases. They get there with all the right tools, a lot of hard work and a little luck.

I saw the story yesterday of Zac Veen that was drafted in the first round (9th) out of HS. In 6th grade he rode his bicycle 1.5 to the HS he was going to attend and watched practice every day until the coach finally said if you are going to be here everyday, I might as well let you practice with us. That is what it takes. It also helps to be 6'4" and throw 96-97 mph. 

I think it great that your son has set his goals high. He needs to know what it takes to get there. P5, SEC & HS Draft or bust isn't a good start. How about, start as a freshman in HS, lead the league in hits, stolen bases or OBP. All league honors or player of the year. That's a good launching pad. Those goals achieved will get him some looks.

Lastly, don't worry about what others are doing. Focus on his path to achieving his goals. I remember hearing when my son was going through the the process that every kid was getting full scholarships and promised starts. Reality  hits once again if you are lucky enough to get on campus. You are now looking around the clubhouse with kids that were all best in league, state and national rankings.

Please don't take this post in the wrong way, I just want to give you some insight from someone who has been there. I will tell you this, my sons journey was some of the best years of our lives. Baseball has taught him so many things that have prepared him for the rest of his life. Good luck to you and your son on this journey!

@baseballhs posted:

I would call them the kids who commit to SEC schools.  They are not the norm, they are elite, and there are quite a few of them, but they are also the kids who will be drafted or go to the top schools. 

Agree in concept. One is uncommitted and the other just committed to TCU 

@Picked Off posted:

@atlnon, 

 

Please don't take this post in the wrong way, I just want to give you some insight from someone who has been there. I will tell you this, my sons journey was some of the best years of our lives. Baseball has taught him so many things that have prepared him for the rest of his life. Good luck to you and your son on this journey!

I don't see why I would take it the wrong way.  This is exactly the info I was looking for and to reassure me that we are on the right track.  All this recruiting noise got my son to start questioning, which made me start questioning also.  Good to get all these info (most of which I already know but good to get confirmation).  Also got a lot of new info here to help prepare for next summer (and how to set my son's expectation more realistically).

@adbono posted:

Agree in concept. One is uncommitted and the other just committed to TCU 

I’m sure the other one will have offers soon if he doesn’t already.

Call me mildly cynical, but when a coach in a recruiting-focused, large travel organization says that you are "projectable" as a HS freshman, it means (a) he has no idea what size or speed your son will end up but is hoping for the best, and (b) he wants you to keep paying his organization.  So you and/or your son should ask him very bluntly what size and measurables he needs for D1 or P5, and pay attention to what he says.  P5s recruit when a player hits those numbers, as do other D1s; most everyone else recruits summer after junior year.

What is said on here about camps is that yes, they are mainly moneymakers.  But, if a college coach calls your travel coach (or your son) and suggests that he go to a camp, that is when you go.   If your son is in a major travel organization with a plugged-in coach, then he'll do what's necessary, when it's time, you should listen to him (although, now that he's in high school, he needs to play with his grade level, I'm surprised the coach didn't say so).  In hindsight, I wish that I had asked our travel organization head more, earlier in the process, we would then have had a better plan than we did. 

@atlnon posted:

Sigh... This is another discussion altogether.  While my son has really good grades (and very bright), academics is not his interest (this is saying it mildly).  He said, he is only going to college if he is going to play baseball (and only at a P5 team at that, preferably SEC).  If he doesn't get any baseball offer or is not drafted, he will enlist in the military or go straight to work.  His life goal (as of right now) is to be a cowboy and a cattle rancher, spending as much time as possible fishing and hunting...  I grew up with a high focus/value on academics and work in IT right now.  He thinks I'm a loser being in front of the computer all day.  Like I said, another topic altogether, and probably not for this forum.

Your son doesn't sound very respectful of you. He doesn't sound very respectful of the process either.  It may be time for him to sit down, with your help and do homework on college baseball. You are in Atlanta, catch games next year at GT. Go to a game at Georgia. 

Does he have any idea what it takes to play college baseball? 

I also don't want you to take this the wrong way, but for now, his measurables do not warrant having a coach take notice. You need to let mother nature take her course. Stay with his age group. Someone said age doesn't matter. I dont necessarily agree. The only  time it doesn't matter is if you are a dude and play well. 

Did you say he was a pitcher and a catcher? His size doesn't warrant being a catcher. If he is small and fast with a good arm he needs to play another position.

If my son ever spoke to me or his dad like that, he would be joining the army after HS.  For sure!