when to follow up with coaches

1. I would have him call the recruiting coordinator.
2. I'd wait 1 week before following up with a call -- long enough to allow the right coach to receive his letter but not so long that he's forgotten your son's letter and name.
3. Yes, leave a message and call back the next day.

It's a fairly busy time of year right now between fall practice and recruiting. If he doesn't get a great response, he should try again in January, when coaches are holed up in their offices more than usual. My son sent his letters out in mid-January of this year and received an excellent response.

Best wishes!

I think Infield08's response is right on. Be mindful that there are rules regarding the manner of contact, especially before July 1 of an athlete's senior year. My son never really got "good" at contacting coaches or talking to them on the phone. It's a skill that most teenagers need to learn. I suggest providing a number of references and not letting a "quiet period" (NCAA imposed or otherwise) discourage you.

thank you for the helpful information.

Bballlove,
If you have more baseball players coming up, you probably want to start them earlier on contacting coaches. Despite the stringent contact rules set by the NCAA, it is still possible to contact the coaches and show early interest (which will give you a distinct advantage over many other recruits).

Someone correct me if i'm wrong, but even if the player leaves a voice mail, the coach can't call the player back before july 1, period. I coach at a juco and don't know all of the d1 recruiting rules, but i'm pretty sure that only the player can contact the coach. If that's the case, an intro letter really won't be that helpful right now. i'd wait and send one in january with a copy of your schedule and a list of a few other guys on your team that is of d1 caliber. the higher the amount of quality players that the coach can see at one time will help him choose to come watch your game vs. another. you just need to make sure you stand out when the coach comes.

Also, what has deterred me from taking a player was the expectations that i had of the player, due to a letter from the player, or a phone call from his summer or h.s. coach. If a pitcher will hit 90mph in a game twice, and truthfully sits at 86-88, don't include in your letter that you throw 90mph. In that situation, when I get to the game and see that pitcher throwing 86-87, I leave a little disappointed. Even if he hits 90 a couple of times. If the player had told me that he threw 88mph, and was consistently 86-88, while hitting 90 a few times, I would leave thrilled with the amount of "upside" this guy has.

Not sure if this is how every coach is, but I, personally, would always want the absolute truth about the abilities that a player has.

With that, I would recommend asking a coach, rather than the player, to write a letter on your behalf. I promise it will be taken more seriously than a letter coming from johnie or daddie.

I'm not trying to dissuade any player from expressing interest in a program to their coach, but leave it at that. Don't include personal achievements cause the college guys will take it with a grain of salt, no matter how truthful it is. But never over sell yourself, it will just make you look bad in the long run. The praises, the stats, the attributes are all great, but the bottom line is, can you play, or can you not.

www.blastbat.com

quote:

Don't include personal achievements cause the college guys will take it with a grain of salt, no matter how truthful it is.

C_Pen_Bears, I appreciate each and every aspect of your post. You have a lot to offer all of us. That said, I don't know that you can paint a broad brushstroke over all college coaches like you did in the above quote.

My son sent out an athletic resume with objective personal achievements (honors, PG rating, state ranking, etc.) and immediately got 2 phone calls as a result (one from a D1 and one from a D2). The D1's interest was piqued enough to come see my son play 4 games, which led to a very positive outcome. Obviously, personal achievements will not get you a scholarship, but they might just prompt some genuine interest in you as a player.