What to say

Bags, This is a learning process for them as well as us parents. Your son will grow in many ways from going through the recruiting process.

I would suggest you do some role playing with your son. I know - he'll love that - but it will help him.

What your son says depends if he is "cold calling" the school or if a school has called him. He wouldn't want to ask a coach that doesn't know him where he would fit in, etc. But he can ask about the teams needs. If your son is a catcher and they're deep with catchers, then does your son play third-first? Explore the teams needs. If it's a school that you son has approached, he needs to make it clear to the coach that he's interested. He can ask the coach what he would like - video? schedule? etc. I would suggest you do your research before he calls - know the coaches name (seems obvious, but..), know their history and record, know their conference. You can gather a lot of information from their web site like rosters, stats, etc. If he's truly interested in a program, that coach needs to understand that level of interest and will appreciate a well-informed and knowledgable kid.

If a coach calls him, then it's completely appropriate to ask what position they are interested in him or what they like about him as a player. It's appropriate to ask him as well what kind of follow up they would like - schedule, etc.

Also, remember these coaches deal with 18 year olds - they know he may be nervous and anxious. Most of the coaches my son spoke with in person or on the phone were very good at making him comfortable and knowing the questions he had, even if he didn't ask. While we're a novice, they've been through the deal many times over.

I'm certainly not an expert - just sharing from our experiences.

Lafmom,
Your advice was right on the money. However you are correct, hard to give advice when the question asked is a little vague.
One will find that if "cold calling" and you are not on the recruiting list a coach will very seldom speak with you. Many recruiting coaches already have in mind who they are going to go after for their 06 class. Now is the time to start doing your homework everyone.

One of the things we often tell parents and students when calling coaches, is to simply plead ignorance about the process. College coaches are well aware that you have no idea what you are doing in the recruiting process, but many families like to pretend they know, to impress a coach. If you call a coach and simply say – “Hello coach, my name is Steve Smith, I am a junior at Trinity High School and a short stop on the baseball team, I am interested in playing at the college level and interested in your school and program and wanted to call and introduce myself.” After this, stop talking and watch what happens. The college coach will ask you a series of questions that will lead to a meaningful conversation. The coach will inquire about your grades, ask if you have seen their team play, ask if you have visited or applied to their school yet, ask what summer tournaments or events you may be appearing at.


Many families think the goal of a phone call is to impress the coach enough to get recruited and they arm themselves with statistics, and in reality, the goal of a phone call is simply to introduce yourself to a college coach. There is no way you are getting recruited off of one phone call (or even one letter); it is simply the start of the recruiting process.

A college coach cannot recruit you if they do not know you, but they cannot recruit you simply by knowing you. The phone call solves the first problem and its simple purpose is to find out what a college coach is possibly looking for not only in an athlete, but looking for in their current recruiting class. Once this is established, the coach will try to determine how they can go about evaluating you, and you need to find out what information you can provide that will assist in the college coaches evaluation of yourself. They may ask you to fill out the online recruit form so they can capture all your contact information or send you a paper form, send in a resume, request a video, invite you to their camp, talk to your high school or summer coach, etc. The coach may also inform you what events they will be at this year to give you an idea as to where you can showcase your skills.

While everyone else is doing handstands to get noticed, sometimes all it takes is simply a phone call to get the process started. It is certainly not the end of the recruiting process, but a good start, and your ability to find out what the coach needs from you and put yourself in a position to be scouted by that coach will go a long way in your recruiting process. If you are really nervous, start with schools you might not be that interested in and save the more important schools for later. By the time you have had a few conversations, you will be less nervous.

Dave G
www.varsityedge.com

Good question!

quote:

Also, remember these coaches deal with 18 year olds - they know he may be nervous and anxious. Most of the coaches my son spoke with in person or on the phone were very good at making him comfortable and knowing the questions he had, even if he didn't ask. While we're a novice, they've been through the deal many times over.

SO TRUE!

I appreciate the input from the other posters because there is no hard rule to follow here. Many variables come into play such as personalities and a player's past exposure.

My approach was a little different. First I was never a big advocate of the player taking full responsibility for this aspect of his recruitment (at least my son) and secondly I also would not place player-initiated calls at the top of the list of the most important things to do during the recruiting period. Many promote this as a maturing process for your son and while I don’t disagree that aspect of the player/coach conversation would be a maturing process, I never felt the maturing process took precedence over finding the right college “fit” during that time frame. My son didn’t initiate calls to the coaches. I did initiate some calls but they were never “cold calls”. The coaches had at least seen my son during showcases or on a summer team so they did at least know his name. My son did talk freely with coaches that called to talk to him. On occasion coaches would ask to talk to the parents too, so I never felt the parent/coach conversations were out of the ordinary.
Fungo

We found that the coaches knew what to say. The first thing they did with my son was to verify his test scores and grades. After that was done, they settled in and asked a host of questions. It was our belief that the coach was "feeling" our son out to see if he would be a fit with the rest of the team.

Most of his initial calls lasted at least 20 to 30 minutes. They tapered off but still went for 10 to 15 minutes.

I would not worry so much what to say because in our experience the coaches were in total control of the situation.

The best advice I can give is to just be yourself. Coaches do this so often that they can read through somebody trying to brag or be something that they are not.

If your son enjoys the experience and enjoys the process it will show.

Whether you initiate the call or receive one the first impressions are huge. A coach that hangs up the phone and thinks to himself that he just dealt with a kid who had his act together will have that thought in his head for some time. At the same time how many times do you hang up after a conversation and wish you would have said or asked something different.

#1 - Get comfortable and stay focused. Get away from the tv, the fridge, the background noise, and find a space where you can be on top of your game.

#2 - Be prepared. The coach has one so you might as well make a cheat sheet with 3-5 questions that are most important to you and keep it by your "space". In the end the coach may ask if you have any questions. Now your interests are coming out in a positive way.

#3 - Enjoy the experience. If you enjoy the call the coach will enjoy the call and that's called establishing a relationship.

Coaches network between one another, he may never call again but you never know if your name will be passed along.

What kind of academic support does the college provide? (tutors, etc)
What is the team grade point average?
What is the team graduation rate?
What are some of the majors of team players?
Is my scholarship guaranteed for four years?
What are your red-shirt procedures? Will I be red-shirted in my freshman year?
Does the scholarship cover summer school?
Will the scholarship cover a fifth year if necessary?
At my position, what does the depth chart look like?
Where do I stand on the recruiting list?
What are my scholarship opportunities?
How many assistant coaches are there?
Questions for Team Members
Does the coach teach at the school?
What is the morale of the team?
Does the team like the staff?
Is the coach interested in academics?
Do the athletes really have to go to all classes?
How long is practice?
Would you go to this school if you had to choose again?
What is the average class size?
What are the dorms like?
Are the professors accessible?
Do the athletic dept. tutors do a good job?
Questions for Admissions
What is the average class size and ratio per professor?
Who teaches classes? (Professors, teacher assistants)
What is enrollment of college?
How is my major regarded?
What percent of graduates from my major receive jobs within three months of graduation?
How many fraternities and sororities are available?
What are the housing policies?
May I sit in on a class in my major? (as a guest)
How accessible are counselors to me?

Summary Question for Yourself
Did I have a good overall feeling about the school?
Would I go to school here if I wasn't going to play sports?
Will I fit into the athletic program?
Am I satisfied with the living arrangements?
Am I satisfied with the academic opportunities?
Many additional questions will, and should, come up throughout your recruiting process. The bottom line in choosing a college is simple.... Choose a school that you would go to if you were not going to play sports!
Your chances of playing professional sports is very slim. Go to college to get an education, meet lifetime friends, play some sports & have fun! When the final whistle blows and you're 21 years old and out of college, what you will have is experience, memories and a college degree. Don't make the mistake of selecting a college only because they are the only school that offered you a scholarship.

More:

• Do you provide academic counseling? If so, please explain your program.
• Do you provide tutors?
• Do you have required study sessions? During off-season? During in-season?
• What percentage of your players graduate from your program?
• What has been your team GPA in the past?
• If I am offered a scholarship from your school, what percentage of room, board, and tuition and fees will it cover?
• A scholarship is guaranteed for one year. How is it renewed?
• What happens if I'm injured and cannot play the rest of the year?
• Do you have a redshirt program?
• What positions are you recruiting me for?
• How many players are currently in this position?
• How many incoming players are you recruiting at this position?
• What is the average size of scholarships in your program?
• Do you take a spring trip? If so, where? How many players will you take on your trip?
• Are there any limitations in your conference regarding roster limits for conference games?
• What is your policy regarding freshman participation?
• What has been the success of your program over the past several years?
• What is your league policy regarding placement of players in summer collegiate leagues?
• How many of your former players have had the opportunity to play professional baseball?
• Do you travel by bus, van, or airplane?
• How many coaches are in your program and what are their previous experiences and responsibilities?
• How many hours do you practice?
• Do you have indoor as well as outdoor facilities?
• Does your college have a drug testing program?
• What will it cost me to attend your college?
QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF
• How far do I want to be from home?
• Am I interested in a particular school? If not, tell the school as soon as possible.
• Do I feel comfortable with the coaches?
• What type of reputation do the coaches and the program have?
• When do I want to decide on a college?
• Have my parents had an opportunity to visit with the coaches or view the college and its facilities?
• Are my grades of the caliber to succeed at the college?
• Have I visited with my high school counselor regarding college entrance requirements?
• Have I taken the ACT or SAT test? If so, have I forwarded the results to the college that I'm interested in?
• Have I forwarded a copy of my high school transcripts to all the colleges that I'm interested in?
HOW TO RESPOND TO RECRUITERS
• Always be courteous. Don't play hard to get or make false pretensions of interest. Let the college know where you stand.
• Respond to requests for information (questionnaires, academic information, and your summer schedule) as soon as possible.
• If you are interested in a college, don't hesitate to make the first move via a telephone call or a letter of introduction.
• Keep all appointments. If you have scheduled a time to visit with a recruiter, don't neglect to reschedule a time if you can't attend a meeting or visit.
• Thank all coaches for their interest, even though you have decided not to consider their college. Thank-you notes after unpaid and paid visits leave recruiters and coaches with a positive image of you as a player and, more importantly, as a person.
This article was contributed by Diamond Pros, Inc., a New York-based baseball/softball training company. For more information on private lessons, clinics, and camps for baseball and softball, call (718) 343-9347 or visit their website.


CV

Great Post!! This is one of the most controversial topics in our household--I have done most all the legwork of letter writing, sports resume sending to camps etc. but I feel it is important for my son (2006) to call. In fact that is what the coaches that we have talked to or attended their "camps" have said. They are not recruiting the parents but the student! So far he has yet to touch base with a coach--Evening is the only time he has to call and has had a hard time reaching any coaches-any suggestions since a coach cant call back till after July 1 ??

Mom06

One of the best things that a kid can do is follow the team during the spring season. All the information you could possibly want is on the internet.

When the coach calls or you call the coach...something in common right away, i.e., the current team and where you as a prospect fit in next year.

Cvsting,

Great post, I will be copying this to give out to younger kids I know.
Catchersdad

Bottom line...GUYS, MAKE THE CALL!!! The school that was one of the top on son's list...he had not heard anything from them....other than the standard form to complete and return....so he called the Coach....couldn't get him at first...but persisted......and is now committed to the school...the call....it helped greatly....he still had to show the Coach that he could hit and field...but....Coaches get thousands of letters, forms, etc....calling helps you stand out....brings you to their attention....it's not always going to result in the way you might like....but it's never going to hurt you to pick up the phone and try.....

When the college coaches called my son in March, they were very curtious and professional. Totally put my son at ease, asking him how his season was going, answered all of his questions. One coach said that they preferred to establish a relationship with players they were recruiting and didn't want an early committment. They wanted the player to be sure in his choice. My son was very comfortable on the phone with each of them, and talked for almost an hour with each. It was almost surprising to see how mature my son was in dealing with this. I am proud of him. But most of all I would like to thank the coaches for making him fee special, and putting him at ease. The conversations were not high pressure at all. Good luck to all the recruits and I sincerely hope things work out for all of you.