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Really have to be careful with social media. I would not do what you are suggesting. I would get a video together and send it to the schools in which you have interest. My young assistants used to scour social media that a recruit would post, but they weren’t looking for highlight video. They were looking for things that would give us more insight to the young man. For instance, i would not post yourself at a party. We know you go to parties, we just don’t want to see it and it gives a poor impression. Be careful what you post, like or dislike. I mean, it’s a free country and you can post, like, or dislike anything you want. Some coaches pay it no mind. Others do if they believe it is a character issue.
If you are looking to go to a high academic school, ie: an Ivy school, those college classes will not be credited to your college load. AP’S and Honors classes are the way to go. Some schools DO accept those college classes. Ask your guidance counselor to contact the college to see if they do accept them and if they think it is a good idea that you take them.
Nothing fancy and no more than 5 minutes in length. Infielder: 20-25 swings in the batting cage from different angles. If you have the ability to show exit velocity, include that. Coaches want to see your set up, your athleticism, your swing path, etc. Then defensive work showcasing balls to your left and right and right at you, as well as a slow roller or two. Try to show your arm strength as well.
Outfielders defense should do their best to show arm strength. This is best done by placing the camera behind, say 3B, and have the player throw it to third.
Pitcher….a bullpen, not a game tape. 25 pitches. 15 from behind so coaches can see movement and shape of pitches and from the glove side for another view of your mechanics. If you can include radar gun readings that would be good.
Remember, coaches WILL NOT recruit a player solely from a video. Your video is used to pique their interest.This is a tough one to answer because everyone is different. Suffice to say the process has sped up. At the very least, for rising seniors (summer after your junior year) most schools will have that class sewn up by June. Some places will be even a year ahead of that. The reasons are simple: early commits are good for the college coach because he gets a player he likes “off the market.” It can be good for you as well because you know where youre going and can relax and enjoy your senior year without the worry of being hounded by coaches. The thing is, these commitments are not binding until you sign a national letter of intent. There is a trust factor here that the coach won’t pull the offer or the kid won’t bail. I’ve seen both. This is where the recruiting coordinator comes in. Email him and flat out ask him when he expects to done with the class of 2026, or whatever is your class. His response will be “we’re done with that class, or we still have a few spots open or we haven’t even started that class.” Get a video of you to the recruiting coordinator so he knows who he is talking to. D3 schools typically are the last ones to fill a class, because they are usually waiting to see if a kid they like heads to a D1
You can take as many un official visits as you want. At any time. You incur all the costs for those. A good time to take them is in the summer, when nobody is competing. A lot of families set aside a week or two and go visit 4 or 5 places. These unofficial visits can be a great way of getting to know the school. What i would do is pick a few schools you want to visit. Get a video together and send it to the recruiting coordinator and tell him/her when you’re visiting and is it possible for you to meet with a member of the coaching staff while you are there. If they like your video, they will make that arrangement. How to find the recruiting coordinator? Go to the team’s web site and go to the “coaching staff” link. The head coach will be listed first. After that, his assistants and their bios will be listed. One of them will be designated as the recruiting coordinator. If not, send it to the head coach. If you end up being one of their recruits, they will probably invite you for an “official” visit, where they incur the costs. By the way, when informing a coach about when you plan to be there, make sure to give them at least two weeks notice. Don’t write: “Hey, ill be there tomorrow. Can we meet?” And no “drop ins.” Coaches hate that.
They are all a piece of the puzzle. Since college baseball season and HS baseball season happen at the same time, it is not always possible for college coaches to see HS games. So summer becomes really important. My advice to your son for 2024 is to attend one or two showcases, (Showball, Stanford Camp, Perfect Game) and if possible, a college’s camp. College camps allow him to get a feel for the staff and facilities and the school itself. I realize this can be costly. Another thing he should do is put together a video of him in action. Not game tape. If he’s a position player, 20-25 swings in the batting cage from different angles and defensive work. As a pitcher, a 25 pitch bullpen. 15 from behind him and 10 from his glove side. If possible, add metrics like exit velocity off the bat or pitching velo. The HS season is important because coaches will want to see, at least through statistics, that he had a really good, even dominant performance. Hopefully you have a travel coach who will excuse him once in a while to attend these events.
They are all a piece of the puzzle. Since college baseball season and HS baseball season happen at the same time, it is not always possible for college coaches to see HS games. So summer becomes really important. My advice to your son for 2024 is to attend one or two showcases, (Showball, Stanford Camp, Perfect Game) and if possible, a college’s camp. College camps allow him to get a feel for the staff and facilities and the school itself. I realize this can be costly. Another thing he should do is put together a video of him in action. Not game tape. If he’s a position player, 20-25 swings in the batting cage from different angles and defensive work. As a pitcher, a 25 pitch bullpen. 15 from behind him and 10 from his glove side. If possible, add metrics like exit velocity off the bat or pitching velo. The HS season is important because coaches will want to see, at least through statistics, that he had a really good, even dominant performance. Hopefully you have a travel coach who will excuse him once in a while to attend these events.
Being honest with coaches is always a good policy. From a coach’s viewpoint, they have offered you and are waiting for a response. They always have a “backup plan,” that is, another player who they will offer if you turn them down. So, the longer this takes you, the chance of that offer no longer being there increases. I would do this. Write down all the schools you are considering on a piece of paper or spreadsheet. List the pros and cons of each school. Things like: the coach, the team’s success, my chances of playing right away, too close to home or too far away, the facilities, your intended major, urban or rural location…..anything that is important to you. Seeing it on a piece of paper can give you clarity, and I’ll bet it will eliminate a few of them. You are never going to feel absolutely 100% that you made the right choice, but an educated choice is always a better choice. If you know a student or student athlete at any of the schools, ask them. You are in a nice situation: many choices. But to be honest, coaches cannot wait forever, so keep that in mind. And……don’t forget to seek your parent’s advice.
Not a dumb question at all, and it actually is a tough one to answer. As coaches, we are looking for the best student athletes we can find, regardless of public or private. Private schools do act as kind of a “feeder” system for high academic universities, but there has been a recent trend for high academic schools to aim for a more diverse student body. So there is no real advantage to going to a private school, other than it maybe prepares you better for the rigors of college. This is where the transcript becomes so important. You must challenge yourself with the toughest courses you can find. And do well on them. That is so important. My teams would have around 7-8 private school kids and 20 public school kids. It really goes on a case by case basis. So, challenge yourself, write great essays, score well, and just make an overall good presentation of yourself though your application, and then WHERE you go to school will be of little consequence.
