Originally Posted by bacdorslider:
Have a plan B , C, D
Yup I said that!
Originally Posted by chefmike7777:
Originally Posted by TPM:
I also agree tough story, and reality is this is recruiting reality. This happens all of the time.
Don't have your son take an offer just to take one, he has time, he doesn't have to sign or commit in the early signing period.
Your son was a B or C recruit to this coach, he had most likely given the others an ultimatum and this is the result. Just remember that they do this hundreds of times and some of us once or twice.
TPM, I get conflicting information on there is time. I keep being told the money is gone or almost gone, then I keep being told there is time. I do know a couple of his friends that are a year older that signed in mid spring to play at a D1, but very few. If you are talking about D2 and 3, yes there is time. But I am not sure about D1. Any insight would be great.
He might be a D2/3 player. He keeps being told he is definitlely D1 pitcher by prospect camps, etc (RHP sits 84-88, has hit 90 several times, up to 93 once that I know of. these are all documented by somebody else, not a Dad mph 
). So we (he and his Dad- me) are confused.
Money becomes available in the spring. Drop outs of program, ineligible, transfer out, draft, commit changes mind, etc.
Why are parents and players so down on other programs, D2,D3, NAIA? Do they feel that D1 will prepare them more for the next level (which most likely may not happen)?
Folks, take a good look at D1 rosters these days, there usually are not too many seniors left, ever wonder why?
If your son wants to play baseball beyond HS, he has to be able to consider all options.
Whatever, NEVER settle! Your son will know when the time is right, and not just because everyone else is committing!
Hitting 93 doesn't necessarily make one a D1 player. Pitchers getting offers for top programs can throw successfully 4-5 pitches for strikes (at their HS level). They may not use them all later on but the coach determines that and builds upon what he feels the pitchers strength is.
Originally Posted by TPM:
Originally Posted by chefmike7777:
Originally Posted by TPM:
I also agree tough story, and reality is this is recruiting reality. This happens all of the time.
Don't have your son take an offer just to take one, he has time, he doesn't have to sign or commit in the early signing period.
Your son was a B or C recruit to this coach, he had most likely given the others an ultimatum and this is the result. Just remember that they do this hundreds of times and some of us once or twice.
TPM, I get conflicting information on there is time. I keep being told the money is gone or almost gone, then I keep being told there is time. I do know a couple of his friends that are a year older that signed in mid spring to play at a D1, but very few. If you are talking about D2 and 3, yes there is time. But I am not sure about D1. Any insight would be great.
He might be a D2/3 player. He keeps being told he is definitlely D1 pitcher by prospect camps, etc (RHP sits 84-88, has hit 90 several times, up to 93 once that I know of. these are all documented by somebody else, not a Dad mph ). So we (he and his Dad- me) are confused.
Money becomes available in the spring. Drop outs of program, ineligible, transfer out, draft, commit changes mind, etc.
Why are parents and players so down on other programs, D2,D3, NAIA? Do they feel that D1 will prepare them more for the next level (which most likely may not happen)?
Folks, take a good look at D1 rosters these days, there usually are not too many seniors left, ever wonder why?
If your son wants to play baseball beyond HS, he has to be able to consider all options.
Whatever, NEVER settle! Your son will know when the time is right, and not just because everyone else is committing!
Hitting 93 doesn't necessarily make one a D1 player. Pitchers getting offers for top programs can throw successfully 4-5 pitches for strikes (at their HS level). They may not use them all later on but the coach determines that and builds upon what he feels the pitchers strength is.
I think some parents feel that D1 is a status .. and it is to a degree, but not every D1 player is going to sign a contract.... I think Parents want D1 for other reasons than baseball, such as big campus life, football games, tv espn, the whole exp.
Not really thinking about the important things.
Sit through a class.
Stay a night... keep in mind that every college on earth is fun on a Friday night, perhaps visits during the week wouldn't hurt.
Talk to athletes, non athletes, ex athletes.
Talk to professors.
Talk to alums.
Eat the cafeteria food.
See some dorm rooms.
Visit during warm and cold months.
Sit in the dugout during practice.
Watch a practice without announcing you are coming.
Watch some games or scrimmages.
Wow! You said you were shooting from the hip, so okay. But even from the hip, if this is due diligence, I'd bet 99% of kids in college are negligent. I'm shooting from experience. Realistically:
Do research online
Talk to students
Talk to guidance counselors
Visit the grounds
Study the athletic program inside and out if you're planning to be an athlete
Make a decision
The truth is you are probably right...99% of kids/families don't do that.
Luckily, like I've said before, there are not a lot of "bad" choices at this level.
I just feel that if a family is preparing to spend $100,000 to $250,000 for 4 years of college why wouldn't they want to find the "BEST" choice for their child.
I bet when you bought your house you visited over 10 houses. I bet you spent hours combing through MLS listings. I bet you got feedback on the investment from friends and professionals. I bet you had the house inspected and you did multiple walk throughs. Etc, etc.
It doesn't take that much more effort to do the next level research on schools. But you are right, most people don't go there.
I hope to make it much easier through the bus tours. Our tours visit 18 to 20 schools in 4 days. We are shown the academic and athletic facilities by the baseball coaches. We see dorms, class rooms, libraries, cafeterias, weight rooms, training rooms, locker rooms, baseball fields. And we workout twice. But the trip is not about recruiting. Its about scouting a variety of options to figure out where the kid feels at home.
Rich
I like PIS' list. Our son plays D3 baseball at a great school, now a Junior. In high school, he decided he wanted to go "away" to school. We applauded that, but said we'll setup overnight visits at your top choices (which were heavily researched), but stipulated, you make the trip on your own. So I dropped him off at the curb at the airport each time, and said "good luck!". Our thought process was that in under a year, you'll be dropped off at the airport curb to leave home for freshman year over a 1,000 miles away, if you have a hard time dealing with the travel now..... Turns out, son was extremely discerning and perceptive on his own, and made a great college choice that he fully owned. His visits were richer and more informing, partly because his parents were not there, I believe. I think there is too much helicopter parenting regarding college selection in many cases. I do understand the D1 NLI process adds a bit of complexity to the decision..
College Recruiting Specialist, welcome.
Before some of the old-timers get on your case, you may want to read about advertising on this site: http://www.hsbaseballweb.com/advertise.htm See Informed Athlete's advertisement in the top right on this page. Rick contributes here often.
And as you hopefully know, "free tuition" is not the norm in baseball. At the minimum 25%, and teams with 7+ walkons, partial scholarship is the better phrase to use. (and that would be for D1 and D2 only). We wouldn't want to mislead anyone with "free tuition", would we?
Originally Posted by PIS:
Let me get this straight, you were ready to send your son to a school he and you had never even seen before?
Would you buy a house after speaking to a realtor without doing multiple visits, a home inspections, sleeping on the decisions, etc?
Perhaps this was a blessing in disguise. Like others said above, you still have time, but I'd suggest visiting a bunch of schools this fall.
Rich
www.PlayInSchool.com/bus_tour <--- 2014 NC & VA Tours Posted
I did just that, when I surprisingly got an acceptance letter from Virginia Tech in Spring 1985. Non-baseball, but yes, some people do go sight unseen. I "knew" I'd love it. And I did. But yes, that sort of thing really shouldn't happen anymore...
Originally Posted by Batty67:
I did just that, when I surprisingly got an acceptance letter from Virginia Tech in Spring 1985. Non-baseball, but yes, some people do go sight unseen. I "knew" I'd love it. And I did. But yes, that sort of thing really shouldn't happen anymore...
True, and the reason it doesn't happen is exactly Rich's point. College is vastly more expensive now (as a % of household income) than in years past. Here's how much college tuition has risen since 1980... http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=76.
People have to visit these schools because it is too expensive not to.
TPM, yep I agree on MPH not being the only indicator for any level. Just a number, reality is he sits 84-88 most of time, and has multiple (4) pitches he throws well though I am not sure how well from a colleg point of view. Anyways, for him the D1 experience is just as much if not more about the campus than the status of playing D1. He likes the size campus that is generally D! at least in Ohio 15-18k students. There are a lot of them here, roughly 10-12, the D2 and D3 tend to be much smaller here. But for instance he had no real interest in Ohio State which of course is a D1, but huge. worked out well in that they had not interst either 
It,also, happens that these are all state schools (except 1) and make it much more affordable for our family.
We are taking a couple of college visit that we are setting up in next couple weeks to the biggest D2 and 3 colleges we can find, regardless of baseball, although they have shown interest but I think they thought he was going D1 so have just been on the "we are interested if you are list of thiers". They all have his major which of course is first on the list
I know personally that a DI would work better financially for our family.My 2014 LHP
could go to an in state school for 4 years with what we have saved in his college fund.
He could get in based on grades and ACT -we are proud of our B student that has LD's and ADHD .Baseball wise he is not D1 material.
Unfortunately DIII schools and NAIA's are Liberal Arts. The majors all require extensive writing which is my son's deficit.One school we visited talked about in addition to classes they have guest speakers. Which is great but the students are required to write reflections!Easy for some-but not my son.His twin sister who excels
at writing and everything else is applying to liberal arts colleges for pre-optometry.
She is expected to get tons of academic merit money.My son though a hardworking LD
B student would get none based on ACT score of 19.Most liberal arts give merit for 22 or higher.He is retaking ACT this weekend.
There in lies the difference.
My son also needs a hands-on degree , industrial technology which DI schools offer
as do JUCOs.We did found one out of state DIII(that does reciprocal tution)that offers
industrial technology.He has applied there based on academic program,location,and
the possibility he could maybe play ball there if we contact coach or he tryouts next fall.
Originally Posted by chefmike7777:
TPM, yep I agree on MPH not being the only indicator for any level. Just a number, reality is he sits 84-88 most of time, and has multiple (4) pitches he throws well though I am not sure how well from a colleg point of view. Anyways, for him the D1 experience is just as much if not more about the campus than the status of playing D1. He likes the size campus that is generally D! at least in Ohio 15-18k students. There are a lot of them here, roughly 10-12, the D2 and D3 tend to be much smaller here. But for instance he had no real interest in Ohio State which of course is a D1, but huge. worked out well in that they had not interst either It,also, happens that these are all state schools (except 1) and make it much more affordable for our family.
We are taking a couple of college visit that we are setting up in next couple weeks to the biggest D2 and 3 colleges we can find, regardless of baseball, although they have shown interest but I think they thought he was going D1 so have just been on the "we are interested if you are list of thiers". They all have his major which of course is first on the list
Your son will be fine and he will discover someone who really wants him to come to play for their program and will make him feel good about himself.
If it doesn't happen now it will happen.
FWIW.I have found that many parents/players who post here do not have sons that commit as early as everyone thinks that they do. I don't know why that is but it is something that I have found interesting over the years. I think that a lot of people coming here for answers end up putting a lot of thought into it and recognize that there is so much more to it than just saying yes.
Good luck and keep us posted.
Originally Posted by chefmike7777:
We are taking a couple of college visit that we are setting up in next couple weeks to the biggest D2 and 3 colleges we can find, regardless of baseball, although they have shown interest but I think they thought he was going D1 so have just been on the "we are interested if you are list of thiers". They all have his major which of course is first on the list
I don't know anything about their academics, but in terms of the baseball, you probably could not do much better in the D3 baseball realm than Marietta College in Ohio.
Marietta is a very good baseball school. academically it doesn't have his major unfortunetly
update - college that offered guaranteed roster spot no money called Saturday. Asked 2014 what it would take to get him to committ, "They really wanted him". This was a school that had shown the "love" and quite frankly we were shocked when they offered only roster spot the way they had talked all summer long. Reflecting back, my guess is they were waiting for someone else to decide too.
He told them he loved the college and everything about it, It would be his #1 school if there was money available. But money was a factor in his decision to help with finances for family. We had done all the research fo this college beforehand. In fact, it is where his older brother goes a well, so we know this college.
Sunday they called and offered athletic money. He committed on the spot.
He knows who else has committed in his position (RHP) and who will still be there. He feels he can compete for his place. He said "it will be hard work Dad, but I can earn my time"
Time to rejoice
Things DO have a way of working themselves out.
He has the right attitude, knows that it is going to take a lot of hard work!
Congratulations and enjoy the ride!
TPM
Congratulations Chef!!!! Awesome news. It's great when things come together. Best of luck to your son.
Congrats to your son ! Sounds like everything worked out after all. I'll bet you are happy that this grueling process is finally finished
That's awesome! Congrats to your son and family!
Originally Posted by bobbyaguho:
Congrats to your son ! Sounds like everything worked out after all. I'll bet you are happy that this grueling process is finally finished
Gotta admit a weight was lifted. One of first things I did was take all teh contacts off my and his emails, and "unfollowed" a bunch on twitter. I think I cut in half those I followed LOL