What worked for you?

Coach, this is a pretty good topic. Really, what worked for Player?

I will also add that "earning" a spot on a solid 18u summer team goes a long way also. If the program is run correctly, players get to visit and compete at several different universities.

Mine played 18u for 3 years since sophomore year with the same team. These opportunities can generate multiple other opportunities, as it did in our case on a national basis. This works, but the player has to produce at a very high level consistently.

If I were to pick three

1. PG events

2. invite to area codes (free) if good enough make area code team

3. play on scout team (with a real MLB scout) Free at least where we are Tons of college coaches and pro scouts at scout games .

We didn't do half of the things with our player that others do these days. USA as a sophomore opened lots of doors, two showcases and one local camp (for consideration as a recruit) junior year and PG tourney in Jupiter junior year. Local tourneys in the fall. The best, IMO, was playing a high profile 18U senior summer and that included playing tourneys on college campuses.
But what we did certainly had a lot to do with where we lived. I suppose if we lived up north we would have gotten him more exposure, but not until we felt the time was right, which was junior year and senior summer.

The recruiting climate has changed, but I still beleive a players talent and GPA will dictate what will work in the end.

Pick and choose the path carefully.

We would have done less travel ball from age 10 – 12 meaning we would have saved our entry fees and travel dollars (hotel, gas, food) for high school years. Not much difference facing a smaller pool of pitching at this age when the development should be on proper swing and mechanics. Every thing else would have been fine including fielding, throwing, running, etc. in the local area.

Recommend getting an outside opinion on college level to target as soon as big growth spurt is over or no later than sometime during junior year. We found pro scouts once you start at varsity level can give you an honest opinion. Also PG is good for this. You might be the greatest guy in your area but average to average plus on the national stage. Having someone give you an opinion who has seen 1000’s of ball players is your best bet.

Once you know, then hit 2 or 3 college camps where you might belong by end of junior year. Don’t need to be the week long ones, just want to see how you stack up and the coaches get an eye on you. Most kids will know right away where they are at compared to other players at these camps (parents may take longer.)

If you are a pitcher and can bring it velocity wise or a hitter known to stroke with wood, WWBA and other well known travel tournaments offer good exposure to be “discovered.” Otherwise, if you have average velocity (and can pitch) or position player recommend that with like 140 teams in the summer WWBA, that you notify your want schools you will be there and who you will be with.

A lot of other thoughts but that is the 4 we find worthy of mentioning.

quote:

Originally posted by fanofgame:
If I were to pick three

1. PG events

2. invite to area codes (free)if good enough make area code team

3. play on scout team (with a real MLB scout) Free at least where we are Tons of college coaches and pro scouts at scout games .

these are some of those "other opportunities" that are born from solid play

There are many recipes for success, so parents of "up and comers" should research this site and do what is prudent and what they can afford. I can tell you what I could afford a few years ago I can't today!

The best thing you can do to help your player is to put him on a competitive team and have him work out. Working out can be done for free! Then ask yourself the question, "Is my player the best on the high school team? One of the best in the city?" If the answer is YES, then go for it!

Bum, Jr. did a lot.. select travel team, scout teams, Jr. Olympics, a couple of Christmas camps, Stanford Camp, two PG showcases, Baseball NW, Seattle Mariner Cup.. looking back, I can definitely advise parents we spent TOO MUCH (with the economy the way it is right now I wouldn't have been able to do it) but it was fun, and we did learn a lot about whether he could compete.

So if money is tight, I'd say WORKOUT and GET ON A GOOD TEAM (get sponsorships). Those two things are probably enough. Then try to get into a college camp after your sophomore season. Whoever said Junior season I disagree.. colleges are looking EARLY these days. College coaches understand projectibility so don't worry if your kid is skinny and scrawny--mine was--if they like what they see they'll followup!

Coach May.. to answer your other question..

1) Perfect Game without a doubt was great exposure and worth every penny.

2) I would NOT recommend the Las Vegas Baseball Academy Christmas camp.

What "worked" for you?

Coach May this is an excellent topic but it's extremely complex too. I think the first thing we need to do is clarify the word "worked". Seriously. A player that sees limited playing time at a D-III is much different than an impact freshman at a top 10 D-I. Both can claim their efforts "worked" for them but their results are as different as night and day. Their recruiting "needs" are completely different too. TMP knows she hit the nail on the head when she said "I still beleive a players talent and GPA will dictate what will work in the end."
Players are selected on their talent. The GPA is a necessary component of their qualification.

Most know my son never attended a PG event but many will tell you I have suggested to them that their son attend a PG event. Strange huh? Not at all. No two players are alike therefor very few players need to follow directly in the same footsteps as another player. So how do we know what to do? In order to know what to do you must understand the three key elements that control the recruiting phase. --- TALENT ----- EXPOSURE ----- FIT. If parents can effectively and continually understand and evaluate those three elements ----- and react from that evaluation, then everything works. Few parents have the ability to do it. I think most parents see the recruiting phase as:
1. MY SON HAS UNLIMITED (but undeveloped talent)
2. MORE EXPOSURE GUARANTEES MORE SUCCESS!
3. MY SON CAN FIT ANYWHERE IF GIVEN THE CHANCE!

In the end the parent has invested lots of money and time purchasing exposure. The coach has selected the player on his PRESENT TALENT and the COACH'S NEEDS. (after verifying his GPA of course). Fit is to be determined by the coach at a much later date.

Fungo, I would add that TPM's son due to his size and arm strength was probably well-known already. There are kids maybe a tier down in arm strength and size that would benefit from a showcase or camp.. those being the kids who have more competition for a "spot".

I forgot to tell what worked for my son in my last post. He was drafted out of high school in the 5th round but played in the SEC for 3 years and then drafted in the 6th round and played pro ball for 4 years. He attended two "you pay you play" showcases:

1. Joe Barth's Griffey International All American Hit Doctor showcase at Meridian Community college in Mississippi.

2. Brian Rupe's Midwest Prospects showcase in Waco Texas held at Baylor University.

He started playing travel ball when he was 11 and when he was 15 he started playing for a very strong 18u summer team, Dulin's Dodgers. He attended two college camps while in high school (University of Alabama and Mississippi State) He also was invited and attended East Coast professional showcase in Wilmington, NC.(which was free)

My son received numerous offers and I still have boxes of recruiting mail he received ---- much of it unopened.

This post is really meant to show that what appears on the surface to have "worked" impeccably for my son actually had little bearing on his real "success". For the most part exposure was provided by his summer team and the attention he garnered from that exposure was controlled by his talent. When it came time to sign, WE determined if the FIT was right on the front end, not the coach.
Fungo

Oldslugger8,
actually my son went to one PG event East cobb. it was fun and good chance to face good pitching. He hit over .400 there against good pitching, made no errors in 6 games and no looks.He went to the arizona fall classic as a junior , hit .500, got a few letters.played on scout team part time.no looks from scout team.
played HS ball got a look got a D1 offer. but he didnt go we couldnt afford it(thank God or we would be toast right now)
so were those showcases worth it,YES becasue he competed in them, he showed himself he can compete with the best. he worked harder becasue he saw what was out there. everyone is different, what worked for us really my son got more looks playing legion ball this summer, any of it can work it just depends whos watching at the time. I dont think 10 showcases are necessary unless you have the money to burn. My son obviously wasnt a blue chip player.
College camps, we went to 2-3 they were good also. It only takes one coach to like you. I will tell you what I have learned, my sons JC coach has been coaching JC ball for 17 years. When he approached me this fall to tell me I lOVE YOUR KID, thats what works for me.I have seen that look in his eye when he said it and i tell my son now you know how it feels when one really likes you. didnt see that lookat the D1 we visited. son didnt feel it either. so in conclusion of my rambling different things work for different players, the main thing is play where you are really wanted.

Fungo,
One of your best. IMO.

My son's first showcase (with PG) as a junior he received a 10, top D1 ,high pro potential. All we felt that we had to do after that was give him the exposure and then find the right fit. I do realize that doesn't happen for everyone, but we followed exactly those three steps that Fungo has stated, talent...evaluated from those qualified, exposure after the evaluation and finding the fit according to his evaluation and GPA.. You must try to have your son's talent evaluated among his peers, that can be done whenever you wish. For us it was as a junior. That is when HE felt that he was ready.

What worked for our son may not work for everyone else but we really didn't beleive in doing anymore than necessary, plus being a pitcher, you have to be careful. With the economy the way that it is, this is the best time to make a plan well ahead of time. Save your hard earned $$ for college, it's very expensive. I hear FL schools are asking for an increase of 15% in tuition costs. Oh my.

This is not to say son didn't do any other things baseball related, but those things were just because he wanted to play baseball, and much of it meant nothing except more practice for what would be important later on.

My suggestion, attend a showcase for evaluation from reputable people. Work on that evaluation for improvement. This can be done by lessons, or just playing more often against good competition to build upon needed skills. Attend a well known national tourney (WWBA or USA) or showcase if invited(Area Code, PG Natioanl or East Pro). Play for whoever will help you get exposure your senior summer. Pursue opportunities (college visits) that best fit for your son's talent. Attend certain camps at appropriate times if you are interested or they have an interest in you. Certainly attend camps because some offer valuable suggestions and instruction your player may need if you feel that you can afford it. Sometimes just by attending a camp, you can get a clear idea of what the coach looks for in a player. Work hard in the classroom.

You do not have to do everything. If your son loves to play but you can't afford the things above, find a good scout team, they are inexpensive.

And remember you cannot dictate where your son will end up playing, only the coach can determine that. But as Fungo stated, you can do your homework to find out if it is a good fit.

Be realistic in recruiting, be proactive, ask questions, undertand that many players receive the same type of letters, the same invites for an unofficial visit or invite for junior day, don't sit back and wait for that offer, it rarely comes from who you want it from the most (been there too). Pay attention to those who REALLY want you and who is just courting you along with everyone else.

It'll work. It will all come together.

quote:

I would add that TPM's son due to his size and arm strength was probably well-known already.

Bum you're right. And I agree with you on your second point too (about some kids benefitting from a showcase or camp).

Yes, but TPM son's size and his arm strength are his "talent". His being "well known" you refer to resulted from his "exposure" (from somewhere). We have to understand that showcases are NOT the only way to get exposure. I can name hundreds of things other than showcases that provide exposure. But I also know that showcases and camps provide some exposure to EVERYONE that attends them too. That sounds contradictory but it isn't. Yes, I would have sent my son to as many camps and showcases as he needed but he didn't need any more --- actually he didn't need ANY camps or showcases. And my son wasn't unique. He was just a talented ball player playing good competitive baseball in front of people that noticed. This interest he generated turned into conversation, conversation turned into offers and offers turned into scholarships and being drafted. I could have taken him to a well oiled showcase and they could have claimed success for all his successes but I didn't want to pay for that "service". Taking a stand on this point puts me in a vulnerable position. On one hand I know something like a showcase can be virtually worthless to one one player and almost essential to another. I knew how to handle the situation with my son because I was totally aware of how things were playing out. The big problem I have is I don't know how to tell other parents to handle it.

I end most of my conversations about this topic with --- Good luck and keep us posted
fungo

quote:

Originally posted by Bum:
Fungo, I would add that TPM's son due to his size and arm strength was probably well-known already.

Contrary to your post, he was NOT well known nationally (known here in his home state) until he hit 90 at Jupiter his junior fall. He had barely received any recruiting letters of importance until after that time except from a few schools here in FL. I;ll bet most here got more when they hit their junior year than he did. By the way if he was ranked somewhere early we had no clue about it, wasn't important at that time.

He made tryouts as a freshman going into his sophmore year for USA, one of 38 players among many. That was enough to know that he really didn't need to do anymore but work on some stuff. He didn't come onto the scene again until a year later in Jupiter. His first actual showcase, junior winter he was now hitting 90, and had three good pitches for strikes, taller and heavier and better mechanics. By his second showcase, PG National senior summer early june, he was even bigger, heavier and hitting a tad over 90, but had better control and command. Lots of interest, no early offers until late summer and only took 2 official visits in the end because most that asked he felt weren't for him (that is where the fit part came in) and he didn't committ until after those two visits. In reality, he probably did less than most. And I agree he didn't have to either, but I think that most players do not have to do half that they do also. What's wrong with a player having only a few options? Because one thinks that some players have more options that makes it better? It's not about how many options you have but whether they are the right ones. You can control that by your son's exposure.

I did state that our situation may be different than others. I did also state some things in common that I thought was important for each player to do, regardless of how tall or small they are.

What I do think is important is where you go and who sees you, what I don't think is important is trying to do it all.

Fungo,

It probably is hard for you to tell others what to do. Your son was obviously a blue chip player that was on everyones radar.
I think the majority of players are not in that position.I think it is a very small percent.
But parents do need to help there player find a fit. academics are a huge part of the picture.
its hard to tell people over the internet what to do with their kids esp. if you have never seen them play. I think pitchers if they are good are found a little easier than a position player.
Coach May post a good question as to what worked for each player.It sounds as if a lot of different approaches work and its up to the parent to investigate and I agree about the evaluation.That would be very beneficial as long as the parent can accept the evaluation.

TPM.. apologize for the assumption. I can draw up five categories of players (my list as a layman!) where a parent might ask a reliable outside source or experienced baseball coach/player to see where they fit in before deciding to "showcase":

1) Elite/blue chip player, probably would rate a "10" at PG National. Top 10-round pick. Play on a top travel and scout team and go to WWBA. Select a few college camps. Get an advisor (but not Scott Boras).

2) Excellent player, definitely D1 or top Juco, attend mininum two national showcases like WWBA, 2-3 camps. Contact at least 10-15 schools you might be interested in attending. Play on a top travel and scout team.

3) Juco prospect. Play on a good travel team, contact 4-5 local Juco's. Attend 1-2 camps. Stay in touch! Maybe one local showcase.

4) Good high school player. Only possibly a Juco prospect. Skip the showcases, play on the best team possible, and work on your game! Once you reach level "3" follow that advise.

5) Nintendo-player. Go out to the game and grab a few dogs!

fanof game,
You are correct, you can't tell people what to do, but you can give suggestions on how to go about what to do based on the three things that Fungo posted. You don't have to have a blue chip player to understand that.

I'd say that's pretty good but you left out the D2 and D3 player. It's important for them to follow their fit as well, college baseball is not all about D1. I think that the hardest must be a decision to be made between lower tier D1 one and top tier D2 or D3.

BTW, mine also fits description #5.

TPM,

I was just agreeing with Fungo, as he stated he didnt know what to tell other parents. He knew the direction his son was going.I obviously know that players other than blue chip guys can get looks.

From a players perspective:

1- Perfect game was fun,and I have been contacted as a result of my attendance
2- Area Code TRYOUT.Not I didnt say team,but the tryout alone is heavily scouted
3. College Camps. I have been to Kansas State and Missouri State. Both top notch camps,ran very well.I also had a lot of fun at these camps,which in the end,still does matter to me.

TPM, you are right, of course. We don't have a lot of strong D2's or D3's up our way, although there are a number of strong Jucos. I think our D1's are definitely on the rise, especially with the addition of Oregon and Seattle U (soon).. oh, and one of your former Clemson players is really a plus for our team.

I’ve been waiting for this opportunity because I’ve learned so much about the process from the HSBBW and REALLY wanted to give something back, so it here it is the condensed version -

Some things we’ve learned from the experience and some suggestions:

- Spend time on this site and educate yourself about the process.

- GPA and SAT’s -my son had a decent GPA, but has struggled with the SAT - PREPARE FOR THE SAT, grades mean so much… With colleges recruiting players earlier and earlier consider taking the SAT’s in the fall of the junior year. If you don’t do well, you’ve plenty of time to “prepare” and improve.

Junior year Fall Showcases - do a couple of individual showcases. The ones we liked the best:

- PG National Underclass Event -- Florida -- (December) Get to a PG Event and secure an evaluation so you know where you fit in terms of skill set and ability. It will humble you in a hurry to see the talent level that’s out there and help your player understand what the best actually look like….

- Impact Baseball’s Underclass and Unsigned Seniors -- North Carolina -- (November) there were at least 35 recruiters/scouts in attendance. The camp was reasonably priced, it delivered everything it billed and we rec’d a number of follow up’s as a result of this event. I think this event also helped my son land a position on a very stout summer/fall showcase team. If he hadn’t signed a LOI he definitely would have returned for the unsigned senior showcase.

- Virginia Wesleyan Camp -- Virginia -- (November) very well run camp by Nick Boothe with a very good turnout of colleges. My son also received serious follow-up from a number of school’s in attendance at this event and this is where my son‘s selected college saw him for the first time. Again reasonably priced, delivered on what they promised.

- MVP Baseball Pitcher Only Showcase - Maryland -- (November) this was the best pitcher format we attended. It was held indoors with 4 mounds, basically each pitcher was allotted a 20 minute time period. You arrived 1 hour in advance of your time for stretching and warm up’s. Then at your allotted time the participant pitched for 15-20 minutes while the recruiters watched and assessed. There was probably 25ish (maybe more, no less) schools in attendance. The director Al McCormick followed up with an evaluation and sent his perspective to any and all colleges of your choice. My son also received a number of fwp’s from this event. The format was wonderful and the price was reasonable, you didn’t have to spend money for rooms and food: get there, show your stuff and get out. The college recruiters must love this format.

- State Games -- (July) -- in Virginia it’s called the Commonwealth games. My son tried out for the team but was not selected. There were a number of schools who were from several states away that called inquiring about my son’s participation in this event as they would be attendance. As I look back it was probably one of only a few chances these schools had to look at my son and I’m sure he missed some opportunities in not making the team, that's just the way it goes... If your state offers a state game - definitely tryout for the team.

- Summer/Fall Teams: I garnered this advice from the HSBBW - your Senior Summer Season get on the best Summer team that you can. My son was fortunate to play on an exceptional summer team that traveled and played at all of the biggest event’s in the Mid-Atlantic to include the WWBA PG Event at Cobb and Jupiter in October.

-- THIS IS IMPORTANT:: At first the summer team wasn’t that much fun, we were so focused on getting an offer and the pressure adversely affected my son’s performance. Then we all had a heart to heart and realized to forget about the offers and the recruitment. We decided to simply enjoy the experience of playing at some of the Mid-Atlantic’s best college stadiums and venues. We also realized that we needed to cherish our last summer together with our “High Schooler“. Wow did the summer and Fall team ever become fun! It was simply awesome and my son’s performance dramatically improved. I’m flat freakin’ broke but would not trade the experience for twice what we spent.


- College Camps - the schools of highest interest worked hard at getting us to attend their camps, and other schools as well. So we attended one Camp from a school that was high on my son’s interest list and a school that displayed genuine interest in my son throughout the summer and fall. The camp was not that great and I felt that the coaches just weren’t that interested in most of the players, although they did give my son a very hard look. After this camp we decided not to attend any additional college camps. As my son’s pitching coach stated, “they’ve had the chance to see the player all summer/fall at numerous tournaments and events, so why keep spending the money?”…. My son did not sign with this school, but they are in the same league so we’ll see them over the next 4 years -

Overall it was a great experience and I’m thankful I have two more in the pipeline!

Great post Dutch!

My guys went on to college baseball careers AND DEGREES in the stone age back in the mid 90's and before---we did not have the multitude of exposure venues back in the early mid 90's as we do today

What it took was solid marketing combined with BASEBALL TALENT and we did that and it worked

Not a load of showcases, not a load of national travel teams etc

Today that does not happen---Today it is a slew of teams/players in one location for scouts/coaches to see


I think that today more kids get seen and have more choices as do the college coaches---better for both sides in my mind but I have no regrets looking back as all three of my guys did what they went out to do

Have a plan and make it work !!!

Programs and events to avoid:

Note: Perfect Game showcases are highly recommended and NOT included in this list.

* Camps put on by national organizations that cost several hundred dollars for the registration fee, plus hundreds more for travel, hotel, and meals. One camp in a Western state advertises the names of dozens of colleges that will be in attendance. This may be true, but some of the coaches are lower-level assistant coaches who do not have a lot of say in who gets recruited by their school. Other coaches in attendance represent schools that do not recruit many players from outside their state. Your money can definitely be spent more wisely elsewhere.

* Tryouts put on by a national organization that usually cost around $100 and lead to invitations to spend thousands more for the "privilege" of playing on a national team that is much more about hype than substance.

* College camps/showcases that do not cap attendance at a reasonable number (say 60-100). These camps are usually just moneymakers for coaches at the college plus all the asst. coaches from other schools who come to work the camp.

* Beware of colleges who call or email you inviting you to attend their camp after you attend a camp at a different college. Your name was most likely obtained as part of a mailing list. After my son attended one college camp, a Big 12 grad asst. who had been working at that camp called my son and said, "We really liked the way you play and would like to have you at our camp." This phone call came before July 1 following my son's junior year, but we were flattered and spent several hundred dollars to send him to the camp, which was out of state. Once there, our son got ZERO attention. Later, we found out that many, many high school players at the first camp had gotten calls from this Big 12 program. I emailed the head coach to complain and he responded back, saying he'd take care of it, but I understand that this program is continuing to make illegal calls and dupe unsuspecting high school "prospects." Buyer beware!

Good post Dutch, thanks for giving back.

This is a good topic. I remember when I first came to the HSBBW, I read info from those that had players similar to mine. That kind of gave a direction of where to head with our player. I get pm's from those in similar situations and I hope that they are able to use the advice given.

Seek out similar situations and ask questions from those parents. Each one of us here has something to offer. Parents of D1 players, parents of D2,D3 and JUCO and NAIA and professional players,those that were drafted choosing college first, those signing right out of HS, you can learn from them all.

In regards to TR's post, has that much really changed? All of our sons begin on the same road, each takes different paths, but essentially we all have the same goal, which is to keep our players playing longer in the game.

Have a plan.

TPM

Have things changed that much ???

You must be kidding me as well as everyone else !!

Back in the early 90's there were no great travel teams nor were there any showcases to speak of. There were very limited means of exposure

Most of what you did back then was on your own. Collegiate Baseball was the primary publication back then and we used that to get news out.

Yes things have really changed that much at least in my neck of the woods

What didn't work:
1. Playing HS golf (fall sport in VA) was killer for my son as he hit pretty bad in the fall showcases before his junior and senior years.

2. Legion team success cost him a spot at a prime PG regional event before his senior year...(but he would not trade the legion regional tournament for anything).

3. Blue-Grey event...the timing was all wrong as son was TOAST after catching all summer and just finishing the legion regionals...and it was over 100 degrees at Coastal Carolina for that event.

All that being said...he is where he FITS...and where he enjoys. If he could go back, he probably would NOT change a thing, as he enjoyed golf. My point is this...if a player is a borderline D1 prospect...and D1 is his goal...I think baseball and working to make himself bigger, faster, and stronger should be paramount.

If I could go back and "run things" as a helicopter parent:
1. No golf...focus on baseball and conditioning.
2. Hire a strength coach (physical size was an issue...but he did not have the time. Now he is 6' and pushing 200 lbs).
3. Time the showcases better so that he would be in TOP SHAPE and be better prepared. This MAY have involved not playing legion before his junior year.

Listen, everyone has personal decisions to make. I will not be critical of anyone who chooses to play with a local team or decide to spend the money to showcase. We've all INVESTED in our sons' sports all their lives...and for us...the showcases and events he DID attend, were pretty much money down the drain...but were still FAMILY TIME...and created memories. Just like any investment we make...some work...some don't. Sorry to have rambled.

quote:

Originally posted by TRhit:
What it took was solid marketing combined with BASEBALL TALENT and we did that and it worked.

Have things changed all that much?


Coaches seek out talented players, that hasn't changed.

Parents and players send CD's, they email, call coaches, sign up with recruiting services, pay big bucks for travel teams, go to camps, go to showcases. This is marketing, IMO.

The only thing that has changed is more opportunities to play in front of a larger group (wood bat tournies, national showcases) etc. Exposure. The basics still remain the same, we all want the best for our players and that includes a good "fit".

Talent (as you mentioned) dictated then and dictates now how far a player will continue to play beyond HS.

Would you agree?

Are things really easier or have become more difficult?
I don't know about anyone else, but I notice that players are doing so much nore now, by their junior, senior year they have sustained serious injuries, the time when it all counts the most.

JT,
You have to be able to let some things slip by. What works for one doesn't always work for others. sometimes parents feel tehy have to let their kids do everything.

A prime example, junior summer, he was asked to join a high profile summer team (the one he joined the following year senior summer), he said no, he thought going to Jupiter in the fall was more important. So he shut down in summer except for playing the PG qualifier, played some fall ball, went to jupiter, went to a camp for recruiting and his first showcase that winter. Here you have to be ready to begin HS ball by early february amd we knew that senior summer would be a long one.
If son had played all summer, and did all he did that fall, by spring junior year in HS (an important one IMO) his arm would have been toast.

Happy Birthday TPM!

Thanks TD!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TPM!!!
NOT TOO LATE HERE ON THE WEST COAST
You have a PM

Yikes. Flowers and balloons. This doesn't work for me. Could you kindly remove yourselves to the ladies forum?

Just kidding. Happy b-day, TPM

TPM,

I am sure you are asleep where you are. Happy birthday. Hope you enjoyed your day. God bless

Good topic CM, it’s been interesting to reflect back on my sons journey. While I realize Jerseyson was probably one that could have done okay without all the exposure, I don’t know if he would have had the chance to do the things he ended up doing without putting himself out there. Looking back when I consider the events were spread out over 4 years the cost wasn’t too bad, most of the expense came from travel and entertainment (not the events) which I always looked at like it was my vacation. (I’m the King of justification)

* most events were played summer before year listed

Freshman Year – Joe Barth's All American Showcase (first time he received an evaluation)

Sophomore Year – New Jersey Super 17 Showcase league, WWBA Underclass Championships (with Tri-State Arsenal) and PG National Underclass Showcase (these events put him on the national map)

Junior Year – New Jersey Super 17 Showcase league, North Carolina Impact Games,East Cobb WWBA, Jupiter WWBA (with Tri State Arsenal), WWBA Underclass Championships (with East Cobb Astros). He also did 5 unofficial visits the winter/spring of his Junior Year.

Senior Year - Selectfest Showcase, PG National Showcase, East Cobb WWBA (with Tri State Arsenal), Cape Cod All American Game, AFLAC All American Game, numerous pro workouts (no fees), one official visit to school he signed his NLI with.


It looks like he did 2 local and 2 national showcases over a 4 year period which doesn’t seem excessive to me. The tournaments listed were national level events but if he wasn’t there he would have been playing in local events so other than a few extra plane tickets or extra miles on the car he played about the same amount of time as his friends that stayed closer to home. The Cape Cod and especially AFLAC game were incredible and will be looked back on as life changing experiences.

Looking back he will have incredible memories of his high school baseball years. So will I.

What worked..

Get on the best, most winning club team roster you can. Being on a team that consistently gets deep into tournament brackets will get you noticed. If you are sitting the bench then get to work. It is very important to get on a good team. Don Mattingly (17U)or Connie Mack League (18U) and qualifiers are a must. The qualifiers are played at college stadiums and lots of colleges go.

We noticed in my son's sophomore year that kids that got invited to PG Nationals all had signed NLIs to play at the next level. (check it out go to www.perfectgame.org click on showcases, click on past events, find PG Nationals and select it. Scroll down and look at all the kids with college committments from this year's Metrodome Nationals. We know most of those kids and even the ones that dont have a college next to their name just arent updated yet)

So my son set the goal to get the invite to PG Nationals as a sophomore. That meant he went to PG events so they could see him. A LOT. He went to WWBA, Jupiter, PG Showcases, BCS, ... where ever PG was my son was too.

Area Codes, dont let anyone talk you out of Area Codes for anything! Make sure you go to the camp and earn the try-out.

I think college camps are a waste of money. The hi-caliber player's college recruiting happens really early. Earlier than colleges like, but they are stuck being reactive to some very early competition. So by the time a player is in his junior and senior year colleges running camps are already done recruiting for the most part.

Scout Ball - get in early and stick with it.

In all that playing, remember to schedule in periods of rest. Two weeks here, two weeks there during the summer and early fall and then drop the ball in late fall through the hollidays (after Jupiter) and spend that time getting physically fit, physically strong and mentally ready to compete during the high school season.

Here is what Pop up's son did.

Freshman year, played up on 16U select team.

Sophomore year, played summer Legion ball for HS coach, not very competitive in our neck of the woods. HS coach wanted him freshman year, but we had already committed to select team. This was give Legion a chance with coach.

Junior year, started fall ball on 17U select scout team and attended the Arizona Junior classic, then HS ball in spring and the summer with select team. He did play one HS game in front of several scouts watching a senior on the other team, did well that game. 90% of his exposure came about on this team at AZ and summer ball. They did the East Cobb WWBA event. Made the Area Code team.

We received many invites to various events, the only one we considered was the PG events, but did not have time or funds to attend. Son is on several MLB scout's lists. The key for us was picking the right summer program.

Interesting topic...

If your son loves BB and shows he has some talent, get him into a good program right away, don't wait. We were fortunate that our son had MLB level coaching at the little league level. It really helped him to understand the game and maximize his own talent. We never attended s PG event and our son just played a lot of BB for a lot of different teams. We did one show case in his hs senior year and he played a lot of tournament BB during the summer months. We did have him go with the travel program to Australia which he enjoyed very much.

Our goal for our son is that he enjoy what he is doing, we have never thought in terms of him playing baseball for a living. If that happens it will be because he earned it not because we pushed him in that direction. We want him to graduate from college and its okay with us if he is one of the 300,000 of the NCAA that will go on to a different profession other than athletics.

This upcoming Spring will be my son's 18th season playing BB. It will be his last year of eligibility in college and the 7th team he has played for since graduating from high school, including Summer baseball.

This Fall he was just informed by the head coach that he made the starting pitching rotation on a team that went to the D3 National Championship game last year. I think I have some insight into what works and what doesn't work based upon our experience.

As a parent who has invested countless hours and dollars into our son's career it goes without saying it hasn't been all cream and roses.

A lot of the time a parent just wonders why you even bother with the whole mess after either a bad outing, or watching your son's team make errors that should have been left many years ago at the little league level. You wonder will he ever play on a team that can get three consecutive outs without making stupid errors. But you soon come to realize that it never goes smoothly.

BB is about dealing with adversity, overcoming mistakes and pushing through the forest of the clutter of physical and mental errors to the clearing where you find victory. That is what we have tried to teach our son nor only in BB but in his daily life.

By the time a player is 22 yearrs old, all the players who began at age of 5 years old across this country and around the world have found that it's not just about talent. Players with pure talent and poor character traits and behavior come and go like so many shooting stars, but the ones who last are those with the character to prevail even though they might not be a five tool player with the highest level of talent or skill. A player that can develop the skills he is good at, eg hitting, can be a player that will make it to the MLB. Mental toughness and those who can concentrate and focus during adversity, when things aren't going right, and everything is going poorly are those that usually have a good chance to make it to the next level.

For a pitcher its mainly about velocity but pitchers who understand and develop great command and precision of their pitches can be just as effective. Getting into a program that will teach correct mechanics, command and control for a pitcher is the best thing a parent could do for their son.. However there are times those skills seem to disappear and a pitcher can't get anyone out, those are the times that test how much you importance you helped your son understand it is for him to get in front of that mirror and practive his mechanics with that sock.

We have been through all of those days and it helps to have people around your son who understand and can provide the feedback that is needed to overcome the times of doubts. It is very important that a program provide a positive environment for your son to develop because BB's natural condition is to cause failure two out of three times. Positive feedback and corrective teaching can be really important.

One cannot discuss this topic without acknowledging how politics enter into the success or failure of your son's chances. Whenever you're dealing with human beings you are dealing with the human element that can be a very significant factor for the benefit or the detriment of your son. Coaches, it can be said will always prefer a highly talented player over a mediocre one, and will put up with a player who is a jerk especially if the kid can play, but at the same time be indifferent to one that is nice and a wonderful all around kid but has very little to no talent. It can be frustrating for parents to watch that happen.

We have often watched as there are parents who try to interject their influence on a program for their son prospects, and it can work sometimes, but it can also work to the detriment of their own son depending on the type of coach. In little league this may work somewhat, but as a player may have his parents "politic" him from level to level the truth will show through and that player will suffer scorn from his peers as we have watched happen so many times. Eventually, even if they get drafted and play at the MiLB level most never see a day in the MLB. We call them "slot-busters".

There is no substitute for hard work and God giving talent. But be prepared to experience a lot of frustration. It's in the nature of the game of BB. a good performance by your son bring good days, bad perfoances by your son can be times you want to crawl in a hole. But overall we wouldn't change a thing and would willingly do it all over again.