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.
My advice... ask college coaches and players if they think you could earn playing time at their school as a freshman, then listen carefully to their answers. Afterward, write down the answers somewhere that you can refer back to them later.
D1 coaches have contact rules and aren't usually accessible, so ask any coach that is available to you. Ask local D2 and D3 coaches. Ask a former high school teammate who is playing college ball. Ask the assistant high school coach who just finished playing college ball. Ask the local juco coach at an inexpensive camp.
Most of these coaches will be happy to talk to you, and this doesn't have to cost you any money. It can be done with video if the coach has never seen you play. Don't make the mistake of thinking that you're too good to talk to any of these baseball programs (or schools).
The answer you're looking for is, "Oh, I definitely think you could play here."
I don't know of a better way of figuring out what level of college ball you should be focusing on. Most kids want to play at the highest level possible. If you're a rising junior and several D2 coaches are not excited about you as a prospect, then listen to them. You're probably going to have to get much better to play at that level.
Roughly 20,000 freshmen show up on college campuses each fall planning to play college baseball. Do your best to show up at the right school.
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/
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.