JUCO ??

This baseball thing sure is a confusing mess to try and figure out. Every step forward opens up a hundred new questions. I thought High School Coaches were poor communicators until my son went to college! I know it’s probably the son not the Coach.

There has been a lot of talk recently about JUCO Colleges. My son passed up several offers. The D1 school that he really wanted to attend kept him on the hook until the very last second and than asked him to sit out a year to work on his grades. The decision was made so late that he honestly only had two days to pack and make it to school leaving most of his earlier options out of reach. I truly do not believe the D1 Coach did this to him on purpose but was trying everything they could to get him in the program. Fortunately for him he had kept one option open. He had gone through all the orientation process at a great JUCO. In my opinion it was the very best thing that could have happened to him.

Here are some of the new questions. I was told that players have to stay two years before transferring out if they did not clear the NCAA clearing house. He did clear so can he transfer out after just one year. Is getting these guys recruited out of JUCO the same as getting them seen in High School? I know that JUCOs have College programs that they work best with but are the players limited to them? Any input from parents/players that have been through this would be appreciated. I just do not want to look back again and say why didn’t we do that??

 

You have two more years of recruiting:

Pro's
- It allows some kids grow emotionally and physically
- Many mature later and JUCO's are a good fit for that, especially for a kid that is younger than his graduating class.
- There are no restrictions in what school to attend, but you must ensure his credits can transfer
- Yes, the coaches do have relationships with certain schools, SMC has a great reputation, so the relationships are broadened

Cons
- Competing with many studs on a program with many players. If one thinks PT is easier at JUCO, one is sadly mistaken.
- Pressure intensifies for the player wanting to move to a 4 year school. He must get playing time and he must produce, while battling for PT against a potential pro prospect. who has no intentions of moving to a 4 year program.

JUCO's are a perfect fit for some players and the worst decision for others. They are too many variables to say which is best and worst, but it's a gamble to parlay a JUCO experience into a 4 year institution, if baseball is the goal. Academically, it allows kids who didn't "get it" in HS to buckle down and mature academically. For some it allows them more options with the ML Draft; for some it allows them to play baseball while improving their grades; while others thrive in a more relaxed atmosphere (smaller school.)

 

Braves, you hit the nail on the head. The entire recruiting process has too many variables, & it's a gamble for alot of kids. No 2 recruits travels the same road. Situations & circumstances are different for everybody. My son is visiting colleges now & talking to coaches, & there's certainly differences in approaches between every single institution. You have to go thru the process, soak it all in, & then eventually make a decision that you hope works out. Some JUCO schools are loaded right now with Division 1 talent, so nobody should think that playing time will be any easier with going JUCO.