Your best piece of college recruiting advice

Find a great travel team that cares about the kids and will be honest about what level of ball they can play and advocates for the kids.  BTW, You actually were a part of my middle son's journey and helped get us involved with the right people who were instrumental in his journey and still involved with our family today.  It is tough to find good people in the travel industry but when you do, appreciate them.  You probably don't hear it enough but Thanks for what you and others like you do.

dont panic, big things happen summer of Junior year...if they arent calling or texting they arent interested

PitchingFan posted:

Find a great travel team that cares about the kids and will be honest about what level of ball they can play and advocates for the kids.  BTW, You actually were a part of my middle son's journey and helped get us involved with the right people who were instrumental in his journey and still involved with our family today.  It is tough to find good people in the travel industry but when you do, appreciate them.  You probably don't hear it enough but Thanks for what you and others like you do.

Thank you very much!  It is always nice to hear.  I like to think we try hard to help our kids.  

I was told this last year:

”You will know when they are interested”.

That’s the best advice I’ve received.  As Edcoach said “if they aren’t calling or texting, they aren’t interested”. 

Best advice is what we learned from my son's journey.... The player has to reach out to coaches at schools of varying levels. The player might get some rejections, but if it's wanted bad enough he's got to keep looking, keep reaching out. The player that is, the player has to do that. Not the parent.

My son had grades to get in anywhere, but baseball ability to originally be looked at D2 level. After an injury the D2s ignored him, and he started pursuing at different levels.  He ended up at NAIA and has done very well in every aspect.

Have a business plan and execute it. Unless you're a top shelf, pro prospect stud everyone wants throwing spaghetti off the wall to see what sticks is a bad plan.

Do not waste your money going to school camps unless you have a very specific, personalized invite from the head coach or recruiting coordinator.  Instead find which showcases/events the schools you are interested in are going to be at and then the PLAYER should contact the specific coaches who will be at the event ahead of time to make contact with them and have the dialog with them onsite. 

Coaches rarely make the first move of interest!

With all due respect, I disagree with Backstop, as all we did was attend camps and son received multiple D1 offers.  Ironically, the one camp where we were personally invited by RC, who saw son multiple times and wanted HC to see him, did not result in an offer to our surprise.

Guess my nugget is do a lot of the legwork yourself to make sure you’re seen.  If you put the work in and you have the goods, you don’t need travel teams and showcases.

Backstop22 posted:

Do not waste your money going to school camps unless you have a very specific, personalized invite from the head coach or recruiting coordinator.  Instead find which showcases/events the schools you are interested in are going to be at and then the PLAYER should contact the specific coaches who will be at the event ahead of time to make contact with them and have the dialog with them onsite. 

Coaches rarely make the first move of interest!

Sometimes coaches do make the first move of interest. The first two offers my son received were from coaches who reached out to him because he matched the profile of player they were looking for and he was seen at the right place at the right time (Arizona Fall Classic in October of his junior year). His formula has included a few select school camps, show case events (PBR was really good for visibility), and playing with a competitive local summer/fall team. There is no silver bullet and each player's journey will vary greatly. The first step in my opinion is determining academic fit.

Be a 6'3" lefty throwing 94 ;-)

Have nothing else. In the middle of this with my 2020. Who is not a lefty or throwing 94....I will say, even with a travel team with contacts, and a pitching coach with contacts, the kid still needs to put in the work with updating coaches of schedules, etc. Even with coaches making making initial contact, the player needs to be the one communicating.

If the academic shoe fits, go where you can play.

Edited:  Use baseball to leverage getting in to a better school than you initially thought.

Just some random thoughts that became screamingly obvious during the process:

• There is much, much more supply than demand.  
• Good grades not only make you more marketable, and eligible for more dollars, but many adults form immediate opinions on kids based on their grades.
• Wisely invest your baseball spend with instructors/coaches who will be your advocates with their college contacts.  (And some ex-pros who went straight from HS may not have many college contacts).
• Start from the end - what types of places are you interested in and who are the instructors/HS/travel teams who have recently sent kids to those programs.  Perfect Game site is great for this data.

Put blinders on during the process......don't worry about what anyone else is getting and how fast. Everyone's journey is different.

Pick the school not the program. Mine didn't the first time...he did when he transferred. 

1. Go the school you like the most that wants you the most.

2. Coach says "Junior will have an opportunity to make a significant contribution as a freshman". Junior hears, "I am starting as a freshman"; Dad hears, "All conference maybe?"; coach means, "If he really impresses me he may get some AB's".

3. There are no guarantees. Playing time is earned, and lost, by performance.

4. You will not be the only player that can play your position. There will likely be 3-5 guys that can play the same spot you do.  They will all be working hard, you need to work harder.

5. Never speak ill of anyone. The baseball world is amazingly small.

6. Character counts.  3 years after your college career ends, nobody will remember your stats but your character will be remembered for a long long time.

Your best piece of college recruiting advice.  Hmmm....

If I had to distill it down to one thing, it would be that parents really need to teach, guide and help their sons at 15-17 years old life skills that they'll use in communicating with adults whether it is college baseball or their first job out of college.   This is a huge adult decision that involves many $$$$ and possibly student loans for many years.   Parents...do your research (use HSBBWeb) and listen closely to what it is your son wants and doesn't want for his college baseball experience.   Use that research to help guide him to his goals, but make sure he is doing the work to get there.

Understand your value and go where you are loved.

Despite the contrary info posted here by so many, college camps are a great way to initially get seen by & interact with college coaches.

So many good pieces of advice already. If I could add one that I haven't seen yet it would be for the family to collectively have an idea (or several) of what the options might be, and how they will be handled, if your son's plan doesn't go exactly as he imagined (because it likely won't). This could be due to grades, injury, coaching changes, can't get the money right, etc. Don't close any doors until it is completely obvious that path is not open (and maybe don't even then - baseball is a small world). Have a plan B and C in case plan A doesn't work out so that the entire process isn't derailed or delayed too much at a critical point. I've heard arguments that having a plan B detracts from the success of plan A but that is complete BS. - the voice of experience

Know what your measurables are (60-time, fastball, pop time, inf/of throwing velos, height), and what they mean for the different college levels, so that you can be realistic about where you might end up.  If you are ambitious, work to improve those numbers.  It's not about who is more effective in high school/ travel/ showcase games, it's about the measurables.  Coaches begin with those numbers.  If they like those, then they ask about academics.

LOVE THE RESPONSES SO FAR!!!  Please don't go down the rabbit hole regarding college camps and KEEP THEM COMING!

tequila posted:

So many good pieces of advice already. If I could add one that I haven't seen yet it would be for the family to collectively have an idea (or several) of what the options might be, and how they will be handled, if your son's plan doesn't go exactly as he imagined (because it likely won't). This could be due to grades, injury, coaching changes, can't get the money right, etc. Don't close any doors until it is completely obvious that path is not open (and maybe don't even then - baseball is a small world). Have a plan B and C in case plan A doesn't work out so that the entire process isn't derailed or delayed too much at a critical point. I've heard arguments that having a plan B detracts from the success of plan A but that is complete BS. - the voice of experience

Definitely don't close doors or accept a closed door.  Son was recruited by one coach but head coach thought son was not ready to make offer but the RC got a HC job and immediately made son an offer.  Interestingly the RC of another school that had made son a great offer was hired as RC to fill the other job and wanted to make son an offer and HC still felt son was not ready.  So don't ever close a door or burn a bridge.  The person may move or the situation change.  HC came around but after son had made his mind up on other school.  A friend said some times a burned bridge will burn the person who started the fire.

Just as in business, or getting a job, or getting a date:

1) Make sure you have a great product.  Always make it better, and better than the competition

2) Market your product correctly

Having a great product is a missing link today.  Do not rely on travel teams or any coach to make your exit speeds and throwing velocity faster.  You must do this on your own.  Buy a measuring device.  How fast do you need to throw, or how hard do you have to hit a ball, to get recruited?  Don't lie to yourself - 80mph won't get you to USC.

Marketing.  Accurately determine where your product will sell.  Don't focus on just one or two colleges.  Don't rely on one showcase or travel team.

And finally, never say no until you get an offer.

1) The player & parents need to own the process.  Use all the help you can get (travel coaches, HS coach, etc) but do not outsource ownership of the process and result.

2)  Focus on the 40 year plan, not the 4 year plan.

Be respectful, polite and responsive to all coaches, even those that don't treat the prospective player that way.  That includes coaches at programs your son may not currently be interested in.  Not only is baseball an extremely small world (IT IS), you never know where your baseball path will lead.  My son recently did a graduate transfer. I was amazed during that process the high percentage of coaches that remembered him from when they had recruited him in high school.  

I would also add the importance of focus on the 40 year plan.

Don't wait to be found... Initiate contact with coaches. Send videos and emails. 

It's not one recruiting tidbit, but here goes:

1) Take initiative to reach out to HC and RC's indicating in correspondences why you are interested in that school and what you know about the team

2) Attend Showcases and Camps where you can be seen by those where there is initial interest (Showcases where there was much "bang for buck" were helpful early on, supplemented by school camps later on)

3) Play on a travel team where you get playing time. It's nice to say how play for World-Class A+ Showcase team- but it's important for you to get reps.

4) You can learn a great deal by looking at team rosters of the schools you are vetting. (how much retention is there from year to year? Do freshmen get opportunities? What geographic areas does the school recruit? What majors do students take? How many people are playing son's position?)

5) Grades and character matter- good tiebreakers

6) Don't wait on a specific school to make an offer even if you think they will. Continue to pursue other "suitors."

7) College recruiting is not a one-size fits all. Many journeys- your son's will be unique.

Another tidbit because your son may NOT be recruited to play in college, may NOT be drafted, be injured, etc:

"Go to as many games as you can, because you never know when it will be the last."

For the player:  "Play each game as if it is your last, because one day it will be".

Go to school where you can get your preferred degree and also be loved. If they aren't recruiting (texts, calls, visits) you, then they don't want you. 

1. Try to leverage your baseball skills to get into a school that you may not have gotten into just on your academic merit.

2. Don't get concerned on what conference or division you play in. Playing college baseball at any level is a tremendous accomplishment.  Many players choose schools they have dreamed of going to only to end up transferring to the school they should of gone to.

3. Schools recruit players.....players do not recruit schools.   

Do your research.

Investigating College Baseball Programs

https://keepplayingbaseball.or...e-programs-online-2/

https://keepplayingbaseball.or...-school-recruitment/

https://keepplayingbaseball.or...rents-answered-2018/

https://keepplayingbaseball.or...-scholarship-offers/

What you Need to know about community College Baseball by Ethan Guevin

https://keepplayingbaseball.or...ege-baseball-part-1/

https://keepplayingbaseball.or...ll-part-2-academics/

https://keepplayingbaseball.or...part-3-transferring/

https://keepplayingbaseball.or...rt-4-levels-of-play/

Keep an open mind.

Have a plan of schools you are interested in, but don't rule out one that you hadn't even thought of swooping in and grabbing you.  You also may find out that the schools on your list, don't meet your needs as well as you thought they would.

My son had a long list and a short list of schools around the area he was interested in.  He went to a showcase where many of these schools were represented and got good feedback from several.  However, the head coach of one school that wasn't even on his radar chased him down in the parking lot and had a good conversation with him.  Within a week we were on the campus for a visit, and my son fell in love with the place.  As his recruiting continued, this coach was by far the most "aggressive" in terms of contacting him and coming to see him play.  As he visited other schools, he kept going back to this "off the radar" school and saying he really liked the campus and the program....and that is where he ended up playing.

Lots of good stuff so far. Will try to add a couple points not covered.  Recruiting is like gambling in Vegas.  Anyone can win but your odds are much better if you know how to play the probabilities. All schools want big physical kids. The more high profile the program the more this is true. And it’s true at all levels of baseball. D3 Trinity (TX) has players that are bigger and more physical than any other D3 I have seen. Same for Tampa in D2 and same for top 30 D1 programs. Also same for top JuCo programs. Take a look at the players at San Jac.  They are grown ass men. Point being, if you don’t fit that profile don’t waste your time pursuing those kinds of schools. Assuming you can play is a given but you have to look the part.  Another thing is that you should know who you are and what you have to offer. 99.9% of players in college are not 2 way guys. The primary reason for this is that there isn’t enough time in the day for weight lifting, classes, study hall, meetings, position player practice routine AND pitching practice routine. Something has to give. Too many kids (and parents) think they are in the one tenth of one percent that can pull it of. You aren’t and you can’t. So focus on showcasing your best Tool & not a mediocre sample of all of them. 

I'd say this advice should  be geared for the non-slam-dunk D1 recruits, which is most HS players. If your son is 6'3" LHP sitting high-80s as a junior, the calls will come.

But for those who have to work their hardest to get as big and fast and as a good as they can be, they will need to stand apart from the legions of others trying to play college baseball. Like for a job hunt, do your research and where to invest $ for maximum exposure.

That stated, I've found that going to local and semi-local college camps can be very helpful to get in-state (or close) schools to look at your son. As long as there is a desire to actually go to one of those schools. Or, very early in the process to see what college camps are like and what "the competition" looks like. In the latter case, make it a local daytrip.

Travel ball varies from truly outstanding to complete waste of time and money. Most are in the middle of course. Be wary of a top travel program diluting their talent and reputation by adding loads of teams. I saw that happen many times where I live, and if your son is not on the top team, it could very expensive rec games and travel. And even if they are on the top team, minimal meaningful playing time can be an expensive exercise in futility. As a good friend of mine liked to ask when our kids were coming up: "is it better to be the worst player on the top team or the best player on a mediocre team?"

Very good question but very difficult to answer. From our experience it was know what you want in a school and get an objective non biased evaluation as to at what level fits you at your position best then try to marriage the 2. 

Best advise we got was look at "Little ivy's" for shorter   5"10 170 CF but developed older academic son and consider juco for still growing 6'0" 170 catcher less academic younger son. Worked out well for both

Measurables are the most important thing. Also, the eye test goes a long way; look the part you want to play.

2019OF posted:

Measurables are the most important thing. Also, the eye test goes a long way; look the part you want to play.

The 6'3" 225 lb player has to prove he can not play.... the 5'10 180 lb player has to prove that he can play.

I also heard it put another way. The 6'3" 225lb guy just has to be good all the time but not great however the 5'10" has to be great all the time not just good.