Student Athlete Recruiting Education- Baseball     

1. My son received a letter from a college coach. Is he being recruited? What do we do now?

Form letters do not equate to being recruited. Several letters, phone calls during the appropriate contact periods, coming to a game in person and an invitation to visit the campus are what constitute recruiting. A single letter is only the beginning of a long process of communication. Return all information requests and follow up with phone calls. Consider having the high school coach call on his behalf and forward a copy of scheduled games and playing appearances.
 

2. How do baseball scholarships work? Can we expect a full scholarship?

Do not expect a full athletic scholarship, they are virtually unheard of and cannot be given at Division III schools and some Division II and Division I schools. Scholarships are renewable each year and most money goes "up the middle": Pitchers, middle-infielders and catcher. You should apply for all possible forms of financial aid and consider any baseball scholarship icing on the cake. Plan to finance college without a scholarship and you will be better off.
 

3. Explain Div. I vs. II vs. III

These are classifications of athletics as defined by the NCAA (www.ncaa.org). In general the caliber of Division I is better than Division II and II better then III. However, there are Division II and III programs that can beat or compete with Division I programs. Many Division II and III players are drafted and make it to the majors. There is also NAIA level, which can offer scholarships and produce excellent caliber baseball.

       
For all your recruiting
questions consider
Baseball Playing Outside
the Lines.
 
4. The coach invited my son to walk-on. What should he do?

Being a walk on is a long shot. They can make the team and eventually receive scholarship money, but it is rare. Usually a coach invites dozens of players to enroll and walk-on and will have very few available slots. Unless your son will go to that school anyway, encourage him seek out a program where the coach has more vested in him. Beware the coach who invites you to walk on, but has never seen you play.
 

5. What do coaches look at when they scout?

Tools. Arm strength, speed, hitting, hitting for power, fielding. After that they look at mental toughness and make-up. Will to win, attitude following failure, performance under pressure, respect for family, and teammates. General "clean-cut" type of athletes.
 

6. How do we get schools to take an interest in our son?

You are off to a good start by bringing him to a showcase. You can start a letter writing campaign to schools he is interested in and follow up with phone calls and schedules of his games. Stats and press clippings are usually a waste of time. Coaches want to see players in action.
 

7. What are the pro’s and con’s of Junior College?

If your son has poor or average grades, was a late bloomer, over looked, or did poorly on the SAT, then JUCO is a great place to improve your grades and scores, while playing a good brand of baseball. The con’s to JUCO vary depending on the person and situation. Sometimes credits do not transfer and getting a four year degree takes longer then the player has eligibility for. Other than that, for the right person, JUCO is a fantastic option.
 

8. I’ve heard that coaches have wish lists of players? What does this mean? Is there some way it can work to our advantage? A wish list is a list of preferred players a coach has been qualifying and recruiting, which he gives to the admissions offices as his top choices for admission. A school will admit only so many baseball players, so a coach needs to rank his choices. A player gets on a wish list by being three things: 1. A player of skill the coach values 2. Academically in the ballpark (fully qualified) and 3. Someone who says "if I am accepted there is a very good chance I will come."

To be on a wish list you generally need to verbally commit to coming if accepted, otherwise the coach will not go to bat for you with admissions. He risks losing a spot on his wish list. Generally a player wants to say, "If accepted and given a financial aid offer that is right for my family, I will come." This is a tricky scenario and must be played out with thought and care.
 

9. What if he gets drafted? Then what do we do? You decided how much money it takes to sign your son and skip college, wait for an offer and make your decision. Pro teams always make college payment part of the contract so that is a given. You have to think, "will he be drafted higher after college and be worth more money?" The answer is usually not to both, especially if drafted in rounds 1-20 or so. Remember that you don’t need an agent to sign a contract. A per hour lawyer is just as effective and less expensive than a player agent. If you can find a lawyer with experience negotiating contracts you should inquire about their services.

 
10. We can’t afford college if he doesn’t get a scholarship, can we? Yes you can. The key is to start early, educate yourself, and go after every kind of financial aid, loans and scholarship program available. It is like anything else, if you dig and claw, you will find enough money. (Refer to the Athletes Advisor Links Page for good on-line financial aid resources.)

 
11. Which camps are the best for my son? Depends on his needs and goals. "Select" camps are when there are the most coaches and the best competition to play against. If he wants to be seen by a specific school, it is wise to go to that schools camp. Research the camp staff; find out who will be there and for how long. Don’t pay until you have satisfactory answers. There are so many more camps now then even 5-10 years ago. Many are just money makers. Ask around to separate the quality from the trash.

 
12. What are the signs of a good program? A balanced mix of freshman, sophomores, juniors and seniors. A high graduation rate, good facilities, reputable coach who develops young men, not just baseball players. A good record of placing players into the collegiate summer leagues such as the Cape League and The Alaska League. Other signs might be the number of players who are drafted, work in baseball after graduation (coaching, front office, marketing, etc.) and the alumni support for the team. Players who enjoy and value their time with a program will support it after they graduate.

 
13. What is the difference between early decision and early action? Does it help to declare early decision?

Early decision, if you are accepted, requires you to withdraw your application from all the other schools you applied to. Unless you are totally sure you want one particular school, this type of strategy does not give you much leverage and you are stuck with the aid package you get. Early action or early notification requires you to apply early, but not to withdraw other applications if accepted. If available this could be a better option for the student.

Before you do anything though, ask for stats on how many students apply early decision, what percentage are accepted, and do you match these students academically?
 

14. Are the on-line, Internet recruiting services worth while. I defer to the coaches for this one and most say they do not subscribe to or use these services. Most say, "If I was a parent, I would not pay for such a service." To qualify, some services are focused around actual showcases and incorporate an on-line aspect and video component . These differ from those that only offer on-line listings. The general rule of thumb is that a coach wants to see you play in person before he recruits you heavily, and definitely before he makes a push for you in admissions. For a list of HS baseball web sites check out the links page at: www.athletesadvisor.com.

 
15. If more than one school is actively recruiting my son, can we use this as negotiating leverage? To a degree, yes. Hard ball can also land you with no "bird in the hand." First of all, do not hold out for a full athletic scholarship as it will not happen, and the coach might find another student-athlete in place of your son. You can use the aid package as the final decision maker by telling a coach "Yes I do want to play and study at State College, however my final decision will be based on where I get the best aid package. I will be comparing you and Western College." This type of statement lets the coach know that you will go to his or her school if it offers the best aid package. This is assuming all other things are equal in the equation.