What if you're AIMING for DIII??

There is the Headfirst Honor Roll showcase. This showcase features about 20-30 DI and DIII coaches and it is catered towards players who have higher grades. The website is www.playheadfirst.com

I went to this showcase last fall and was noticed by the school which I ended up committing too. I had a great experience there and I would highly recommend it.

I'd be doing the same things I do for D I and D II as you want to get exposure, you want to target schools that are preferred, and you want to target getting seen by schools at which you think there will be a good fit.

My older son came out of high school as a marginal DI, solid DII prospect; I base that upon the schools that showed serious interest. He transferred to a D III after his sophmore year. My younger son did the same things (showcases, camps, etc.) as we weren't sure where he fit, but the serious interest came from D III's. When he received lukewarm interest (infrequent letters, mailings, few calls) from D I and D II, but lots of letters and calls from DIII's, that told us where he was likely headed.

Krak

As you know we are in the herat of Division III territory here in the Northeast

Touch base with me via email and lets see how we might help you

TRhit@msn.com

If he has the SAT & GPA, I'd second the Headfirst motion. And if he still has any interest in being "seen", look for DIII school who have placed players in sanctioned wooden bat leagues.

Krakatoa,
IMO, there are a number of differences at the DIII level to include in your approach.
1.) Many DIII's don't really begin to recruit until about October of a senior's school year. The reason: limited budget and don't want to waste resources and time on players headed the DI/II route. So, time for you and your son may not be as critical on the DIII side, except for the geographics you are managing.
2.) There is a wide variability of play/committment on the DIII side. Some programs have a complete Fall ball schedule, some a partial and some don't have Fall ball at all, even though it is permissable with the NCAA. No Fall ball is likely a program where the committment/success isn't too high.
3.) Some of the play at the DIII level is very, very good...and some not so. Because of that, it is sometimes hard to envision where your son might fit. Visits and actually seeing for yourself the quality of play can be quite important.
4.) DIII's tend to recruit locally/regionally. Very, very few recruit nationally. In Texas, Trinity is the only school which does. Emory is one of the few in the South. Pomona Pitzer is one of the few in the West. Will find more in New England who do. That may make it harder to get on a coaches radar if he is used to recruiting in a target area, and you are not in that area. With your geographics, that may well be a factor in the schools you might identify as a focus.
5.) In general, information can be more difficult to obtain at the DIII level than above. They have less budget for SID's and the like. It takes a lot more effort on your part to find the schools, learn about the program, know if you can play, know if you can get admitted, and most importantly, to convince the coach to want you.
6.) DIII coaches vary widely on the importance of summer wood bat leagues. IMO, the coaches who emphasize those leagues will usually run the more successful programs. Wood bat placement is usually a given at the DI/II level, something to ask and determine at the DIII.
7.) It has been discussed here many times and that is "stockpiling/overrecruiting." At the DIII level, it seems there is a huge variability. Some programs apparently have 50-70 plus players show up in the Fall. Many do not. You need to know how the program/coaches operate.
8.) Finally, DIII does not have a letter of intent. Coaches don't know who is coming until the student/athlete deposits, and still doesn't know until you step on campus and attend class. You can be amazed at the number who deposit in May and go elsewhere by August. As a result, DIII coaches can be scrambling up to the day school starts. Keeping them informed of your committment can be very important.
Good luck to you and your son. DIII can be academically challenging and rewarding, you likely will be finished in 4 years and if you get a good fit, the baseball experience can be great.

Thanks everyone...... great info as always. I appreciate the time and effort which have gone into helping me out.

Krak - I think I know what you're saying. My daughter just graduated and is continuing on at a D1 for golf. When we started out marketing her to colleges, our range of the schools was pretty wide. I asked her to make a list of schools she thought she'd be interested in and I added a couple I thought would be a good fit in terms of talent and education. These are the schools she e-mailed her resume, schedule, grades, test scores, etc to.

Sure there were a couple that were probably beyond her abilities. But I allowed it because A) it's hard to tell how they'll progress athletically and B) she probably wouldn't have been recognized by them otherwise. Also, I guess we went with the thought of "If you don't ask them for attention, you won't get it".

At some point, the picture became a little bit clearer. Coaches would respond with their expectations. So we were able to narrow her choices. Along the way, HER expectations changed as well. At first, she wanted to go to school far away, somewhere south for warm weather....she signed at a school NORTH of where we live.

So among my rambling is the message, don't give up hope just yet.

Beezer - hope springs eternal!!!

Kind of cool last night. My middle son's team played a tournament game which they won 23-9. Everyone was heading to the parking lot, but the lights were still on. Older asked if he could throw me a few just to oil up his arm, so we both trot out there, no one around. He warms up and starts pounding the target. Has never thrown harder. Everything was right on, everything was working, curve, change, all of it. The glove was just popping like a firecracker. Next thing I know there are about a dozen people standing behind the screen (heard mutterings like "holy c r a p!" and "sweet mother!") watching, having come back from the parking lot to see what was going down. This pumped the kid even more, and so it continued for another five minutes. It was a very cool moment, and very rare over here. I think it was a great moment for him, too, as he proved to himself that he can really bring it for his age and with complete command. I hope he remembers this night when he gets into a bind against some college freshman in his summer league! -- sorry for rambling, just loving the incident.

Congrats to your daughter on making a sound decision for her college future. That's the real trick - blending in desire with academics and the apprpriate level of play ...... it definitely takes planning and a lot of stone-turning. Thanks for the encouragement!

Krak

quote:

Originally posted by Krakatoa:
sorry for rambling, just loving the incident.

No need to apologize. It's stories like yours that make the game fun. And thanks for the "congrats". She's pretty excited to get started but is a little behind on her summer tourney schedule because she sprained her ankle in softball. I haven't asked her lately but think she'll be back in action here pretty soon.

Beezer,
I wish her well!!

Krak (Aunt and Uncle live in Hunting Valley, btw.....nice area out there......I grew up in Michigan - M GO BLUE!!)

quote:

Originally posted by Krakatoa:
Beezer,
I wish her well!!

Thanks Krak!!!

quote:

Originally posted by Krakatoa:
Aunt and Uncle live in Hunting Valley, btw.....nice area out there......

Must be rough! Sorry about that "other thing" you mentioned.

Thanks!! Our summer just got turned topsy-turvy, so am now battling to get the ship righted again...........it s u c k s being abroad, I'll tell ya. Even the easiest things become ridiculously complicated!!

btbb, thanks for the good tips!! Hope to get some things moving soon.....