College baseball camps

A college coach sends a letter to a player saying they have seen you play and were impressed with what they saw. In the letter it says they are having a camp on a certain date. They would like for you to come to the camp to see you more. Money maker or real interest in getting to know the player better?

 

Some of both. College assistant coaches make very little money. These camps help suppliment their income. With that said many kids have created opportunity for themselves by attending these camps. The schools expect to see all levels of athletes at these camps and hope to find a diamond in the rough. When we talk to schools about players they always inform us of their camp dates and mention the players the would like to see. It usually works better for all if the player attends the camp already being indentified by the school at an earlier date.

 

simple answer... both!

First of all, a kid that participates in showcases and other "exposure events" will get a bunch of these, as well as questionnaire forms to fill out. In our experience, if the letter is headed "Dear Prospect", and it's not a school on your son's top schools list... round file it. All questionnaires should be filled out and returned (it costs you a stamp!), to keep your options open at these schools.

Assistant coaches at most schools ain't making big bucks. These camps supplement their incomes as well as bring in dollars to the program. Both are needed at many schools. For high school underclassmen, or even middle school age players, these camps are a great way to make contact with the college guys as well as learn about the schools and the programs. Also, "junior" may just learn something that will help him become a better baseball player!

When it comes to invites from schools that are of interest to your son and you, then it may be a good idea to spend a weekend at that campus. Many people aren't comfortable contacting the coaches directly... get over it! Don't be afraid to have your son pick up the phone and call the coaches at these schools. Have him ask (courteously) if they have an interest in him. This will usually get the answers you need as well as show the coaches that your son has a little maturity and confidence in himself, and that may just raise their interest level. It's not just baseball talent they are looking at.

If your son is a senior, and he hasn't received any real offers yet, then these camps can be very important for getting him the opportunity to play beyond high school. This isn't the time to be a penny pincher, you probably spent twice as much in a weekend at all-star tournaments when he was younger. If the camps are being staffed by coaches from other schools as well as the host school, then that will increase your son's opportunities. Another thing to think about is just how much exposure is your son going to get sitting on the couch watching TV at home?