Helping Parents With College Plans?

Only trying to help kids at an affordable price. I have never charged in the past. I find myself getting many calls to help and thought I might start a side business to help with my kids college along with helping others at the same time. Not sure if I will do it, but always sure I will help kids. Lots of folks spending way more than they should and many do not have it.

 

This I have done all my life.(helping folks that is) If I can help folks that can't afford it, glad to. Folks that are going to spend $2500 and can spend $500. That may be helping also.

 

But for this I will have to knock you. I was told by my first travel ball coach that I would never make the high school team and that college was def out of the picture. He was a very well respected TB coach in Florida.... But he was wrong. One year later, I was the first person in my high schools history that started varsity as a freshman. I went on to start every game playing D1 and even collected 2 NFCA All American trophies along the way. Dont think I didnt send him a thank you note for telling me I couldnt do something. Im just that type of athlete though tell me I cant and I will but what about the weaker athletes that he told there was no hope for them? Where are they now? AT THE END OF THE DAY these evaluations are opinions... but there is no one other than god who can really say how things will pan out.

 

I would like to think that's what made you stronger but from what I've read I have to think that TB coach didn't know as much as he thought he did. And if he had the habit of voicing that kind of opinion there is no way of knowing who he held back.

One has to be very, very careful about not only what you tell a player but comments you make about a player to others. My philosophy is you never speak negatively of a player unless you are absolutely certain. And the only thing that is absolute is nothing is absolute.

 

PS softballphreak I love your quote.....

"It's not how many you hit out; it's how many you out hit!" I had a college coach call me today frustrated about losing a game cause everyone was trying to go yard and I said something similar but I like how you put it better. Two thumbs up!!!

And to his defense, my TB coach was a great coach. He just didnt understand that there are kids that are practice players and then there are gamers. I dont know that I think that we as coaches and parents should always be positive. Most athletes need to have a reality check from time to time. But I have found that in the end the athlete will realize at what level they can perform at and its up to them to make that decision. We are only tools to make them better. Where they go from there is up to them.

 

Lol.....Well, I'm glad you showed him. That's speaks well of you and your character. And I'm sure he is a very good coach, but to try to compare a travel ball coach to a highly skilled professional scout is like comparing cheez's BBQ to Lexington's BBQ. Both are good, but one is in a different league.

On a side note, I like how you think hittingcoach. I'm glad you're giving back to the game. It's people such as yourself that will continue to improve this game.

 

To be honest, I'm still not clear what you are offering. But if it's needed, a $500 cost certainly seems reasonable. Some people spend more than that on a weekend at a tournament.

 

If you can show me a "skilled FP scout" then maybe I can see your point. Remember that this is not BB and the scouting process or professional scouts dont exist in FP. So to I think the difference in BB scouts and these so called FP scouts are more (to use your own analogy) like comparing cheez's BBQ to Lexington's BBQ. But maybe I'm wrong....but I have not been impressed with any of the ones I have met.

 

Show you a skilled FP Scout? haha...only coaches I know in softball are Coach Cadigan down at Wingate, Monte Sherrill @ AC, Brian Cottom @ Butler, Ray McCrodden and Cheeze...that's it! So when it comes to softball, I freely admit I know very little and that's why I offer very little advice---except when it comes to recruiting.

But to get back to scouting. My initial post about the subject were questions to the thread starter. Can he do evaluations and is he respected? I have no information whether there are people in the softball community that are qualified or respected enough to do them. There is less than a handful in our state that can conduct them in baseball. But for the few that can and do...they are swamped with families asking for them.

I thought that was the topic, but clearly he stated that it wasn't.

But this was my point and the question that I have. I used a professional scout simply to make my point, but I realize they don't have the same skill set for softball. It's also why I don't do it when asked by members in the softball forum. It's different.

But my point is the majority of families have no idea if their DD is talented or not for college. They hope she is and want to believe she is, but in reality they have very little idea. They are forced to compare her to others through tournaments and such. But a recruiter can watch a DD go 0-4 and like them more than your DD that went 4-4. There are too many variables to list what makes one a better recruit than another.

However, my question is-- isn't there someone or a small number of people in this state that families respect their opinion if given an extensive workout, then an honest evaluation? For example only: wouldn't it be helpful to have a Coach Cadigan or another respected college coach leave the coaching ranks for private business and offer to give an evaluation of your DD's talent? Wouldn't you like to know your strengths and weaknesses and how to develop them? Wouldn't you like to have an ex-coach that is respected to help guide you through the process. To me that would be invaluable...it's priceless.

I have no idea if there is someone in the softball community that is universally respected, but if there is, it would be a terrific resource to utilize. Like I said, we only have 4-5 in our state in the baseball community...and they don't have the time to see all the kids wanting their help. Also, they would never do an evaluation on a kid under 16 or tell someone under that age they will never play college baseball. They would look like fools!!!

By the way, I have enjoyed the discussion with you coach. It's been a treat for me and I'm glad you are a member.

 

These are coaches not scouts. I think you are confusing the two. Paying for a scouting company to promote your player and having a coach evaluate your player by working with them are two totally different things.

I will say that yes I think that all of the coaches you mentioned with the addition of Chief and Lambros have a great knowledge of the game and could give a pretty good player evaluation. It has been really nice to see how competitive NC FP has become.