Finally...it has to be said (A TBR Classic)

olefty - I really appreciate the input. I think waiting awhile does make sense and him getting the invites does make him work even harder. It's as if his confidence builds every time he gets one and that might even be a better outcome right now. He still has a couple of years left before Jupiter. Thanks again.

 

Our exprience and the lessons learned

If the letters/invites say "Dear Prospect"... I assume your name ain't "Prospect"... and it's not from a school your son is very interested in, then put it in the round file!

Most camps are a way for coaches, especially asst. coaches to supplement their income. It's hard to believe what some of these guys can live on. The advice here is go to the camps at the schools your son is interested in. Winter camps are best. There are fewer attendees and they are usually the more serious players. The winter of my son's freshman year, we went to five different school's camps. It was like trolling for fish. We just wanted to see what kind of interest we might stir up... and it was fun!

Showcasing is okay at his age if the cost isn't a big factor. The summer between his junior and senior year is the critical "exposure" time. That's when he needs to be at Impact, East Cobb and Jupiter. If he's playing "up" now with 17's, then he'll be ahead of his class.

You don't need the "Baseball Factory" types to "market" your son. These folks will tell you that they will put his info out to hundreds of schools and the pros. The pros have their own scouts and do you really care if the coach at "Lizard Gulch Community College" in Nevada gets an email that includes your son's name along with a few hundred others? There are plenty of schools right here in the Carolinas and Virginia. They range from juco, DIII, DII, to mid level DI's and to the "bigboy" DI's.

Don't be afraid to pick up the phone and call the coaches at the schools ya'll are interested in. This is especially true after his soph. year. At that time you have to get real honest with yourself about your son's ability AND his dedication to the game. By this time you have hopefully made some contacts that will give you their honest opinion about your son.

I've said this before here, and I'll say it again... "You never know who's watching and it only takes one to like what they see". Encourage your son to work hard on the field and in the classroom. My advice to you is sit back and enjoy the ride! It's an awesome experince to watch your son become a young man doing something he loves.

 

Never under estimate the value of cheap wall paper

Well all I can say on this matter is: Braves and Freddy Suggs had 6 great years at this school and look at how popular they are now in their old age.

 

I understand

the bikini watchin' major is very popular at that school... it has a take home final exam that's in braille!

 

GMAN13'sdad - I really appreciate the time you took in addressing my question. Are there copyright laws on TBR, because I plan on copying all these responses? Thanks again and looking forward to good things ahead.

 

That's what TBR does best. We are forunate to have many members that have been through the recruiting process. Each member's experience is different, but the blueprint is basically the same.

One of the purposes of TBR and what we ask of everybody is to pass on your experience. There are always new members that are needing it.

 

I flunked

 

you sly devil... you just wanted to take it again!

 

Flunked???

Braves you can transfer to CBHW (Cold Beverage Hot Women) Tech. We have a great bar, nice weather and hot women. I'm working toward a masters in bottom of the glass read.

 

I know I'm way late on this thread, as it's 1000 pages long, and I may seem redundant as I haven't read any but the first post, (in a hurry). But here it goes;

I play showcase myself, and showcase isn't JUST for getting into college, for me it's about sharpening my skills from the people who know it best! I have nothing against legion, never will.

I do agree that if you are good enough 9/10 times your still going to go to college and play baseball, however, your not going to be seen by as many colleges as you would've in showcase in most cases. The problem is not showcase itself, it's the coaches who put their below average team in a tournament with schools like UNC, Clemson, and Virginia Tech scouts there, when their is a Pfeifer, and Lenoir Rhyne tourney right down the road that would better fit his players abilities. The problem is also the parents, who try to get their son on the best teams, regardless of whether or not that team is best for your son. Because even if you have SC Panthers on your chest, or Dirtbags, your just another number in a notebook if you don't perform.

Bottom line, if your getting involved in showcase, it's an amazing experience, just make sure that little Johnny is in the right program. And remind little Johnny that playing for the best team, doesn't mean the team is best for him. So find a team, with a bunch of players who get along, on the same skill level as, little Johnny. Other then that, go find a team that fits your son/daughter, and go play, the rest will take care of itself.