Over-Recruiting or OverZealousness

Over-recruiting is something that most baseball people know about and there are a certain number of schools who have earned a reputation for its practice. I'm not looking to indict specific schools because sometimes I wonder if it's always over-recruiting or simply overzealous and/or uninformed parents and players. Let's face it, if talented kids are knocking down your program's door to play and it's your business to win, are you going to turn them away because you already have "enough" good players?

The reason for my post is more of one dealing with whether parents and players actually realize the situation before they get into it. I recently talked with a friend whose son played at major ACC baseball school and who is now working his way up the minor league ranks. His son played while there and got drafted twice so "sour grapes" is not the reason for his opinion. We got to talking about this subject and, off the record, he told me about specific conversations that he has had with current parents of players at that school who are either seriously considering transferring or have already done so. At so many programs where talent is not hard to come by, there is just so much of the "revolving door" atmosphere. For many 18 and 19-year olds it is a rude awakening when suddenly they are fighting for their job as a college player. It is something they need to learn in baseball and life but it is something that many parents do not realize their son will have to learn so soon after being told "your son is going to be a big part of our program for the next 4 years."

Parents need to do their homework and be realistic about their son's talent and future. Don't get caught up with the name and reputation of the school and lose sight of what your son's ultimate on and off the field goals are. Parents who get upset when their kid gets lost in a big program have either not done their homework beforehand or their kid has not lived up to his potential the coaches imagined when offering a spot. Bottom line.. it's the parent/player's decision based on what they are looking to get out of college but they need to realize that in a mid-major or relatively smaller program, players will have more time to mature and more opportunities to fail than they will at most majors. Don't wait till sophomore or junior year to figure this out.

 

I couldn't agree with you more caroliner...great post at a perfect time.

I am reminded of something Prepster used to always say, "when choosing a school to attend, pick the school that you are most comfortable academically and socially, not solely based on their baseball program. One never knows what your future in baseball is, but your college doesn't change"

 

6 questions

Well I've got a lot of opinions on this, but here is what I'll say. Don't be afraid to send your son somewhere that truly wants him. Most of the smaller schools will tell you straight up, from my experience. Ask yourself these questions when going throught the process...

1) Who is recruiting me? Don't let some recruiting service tell you what level player you are. Whoever is truly recruiting you (i.e. phone calls, personal emails, handwritten letters) should dictate what level your son is.

2) What environment would best fit my son? This should apply to social and athletic aspects of the school.

3) At what level is my son being recruited? Just a hint... If your son gets a general questionnaire from an ACC school he is not being recruited by them. Has the school asked them on a visit, made them an offer, how much was the offer and how does it compare to most offers, how much attention is the program paying your son. Has he been to see them play multiple times, has he put in the time on the phone?

4) How does your son respond to the coaching staff? If they don't feel comfortable with them on their visit then chances are they won't feel comfortable with them over the course of the next four years.

5) Find out as much as you can about the program school and coaching staff. Have your son keep you informed on what is going on. Have a personal feel for the whole situation. Your son trusts your opinion, ultimately more than anyone elses. Can you seem him in that program?

6) What are your sons goals? Are they realistic? Will he achieve them at the school that he wants to attend?

I know that this was a little off of the topic that Caroliner posted earlier, but I felt like I needed to express some concerns with the recruiting process. He is right expect the unexpected when you get into a program.

Also, I would like to say that a kid should give everyone that chance. Don't big time a small college coach. You would be surprised at what you'll find at some of the most competitive small schools. I think Braves will attest to that.

 

Andro,
Not off-topic at all. This is a crucial decision time for a lot of seniors and many juniors are beginning to think seriously about where they want to go. The questions you pose are great advice.

The road to a quality education and to the MLB draft, for that matter, does not exclusively run through major D-I programs. Some of the best advice I've heard is to find the programs that want you the most not necessarily the ones that you want the most.

 

Outstanding advice throughout this thread. Kids who chase the 'dream' need to consider: "Can I deal with bench time? Can I handle the ego-deflating reality of being recruited over? Would I rather be happier as a Small Fish in the Big Pond or a Big Fish in the Small Pond?"

My opinion: If you know that the League is not in your future, find a program where you have a legit shot as a Freshman. Because my son's $$ was academic, he had the chance to walk-on at a few D1 programs...But fortunately he got his ego under check & saw the light. As a result, he's ecstatic with his choice. I wish the same happiness for others.

 

Very interesting......When you say that "parents need to do their homework...", how do you determine if a school has a revolving door situation year after year? Are there sources of information that track that kind of activity?

I think what clouds some kids' vision is the "big time" college atmosphere associated with the other sports. Do some kids secretly settle for a spot on the bench hoping the rest of their college experience (football/basketball games) makes it worthwhile? If so, I think they will be sorely disappointed.

 

You hafta remember that the big time conference (ACC, SEC, Big 10, etc) aren't the only big time players in baseball as they are in football and basketball. Last year Coastal Carolina was a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament and they're from the Big South (aka smaller school, etc). The conferences made up of D1-AA football teams sometimes have very good baseball teams with a small-town campus if that's what a player is more comfortable with.

 

Thanks, Andro, for providing such great advice. It's always nice to get "the real story" from a professional.

There are so many variables in one's decision in choosing a school. Sometimes, it's just a matter of the kid wanting to go to a particular school all his life and jumps at whatever opportunity is offered to attend there. The best advice I could give someone going through the recruiting process is this : if your main objective is to "play baseball", go where you are wanted. Where the coach has invested their time and money in you...where you have the best opportunity to play. It doesn't matter if it's USC or Mars Hill.

College baseball is unique in that an Elon College can beat Clemson. The wealth of talent between the two programs are narrowing and narrowing.

During this part of the year, the biggest obstacle to overcome for a recruit is their ego. Everyone thinks they are a D1 recruit. And if they are given a token offer to attend a D1 school, they jump on it...and then are disappointed when they are on the bench.

Red Bear, it's not difficult to spot the programs that are over recruiting. Just look at the number of players they signed. Talk to the current players and their parents and give what weight you choose to their opinions. When a school signs 20-30 players in their recruiting class, that would send a red flag and would deserve to do some exploring.

Last thing, assuming everything being equal, go to the school with the biggest investment in you. If you are struggling a little bit, the coach will be more patient in giving you an opportunity and will work with you through your struggles. How much time would he give you with little invested?

Andro, I couldn't agree with you more. The talent level at the competitive "smaller" colleges is not only outstanding, it is getting better year in and year out. In my opinion, it's the perfect place to attend if you want an opportunity to play baseball at the next level. But what I found to be even more impressive is the level of coaching...some of the best in North and South Carolina...and in some cases, they are hungrier!

 

It is definitely not as easy as I probably made it sound in my post. But looking at a program's roster and stats over the past few years will provide some critical information. The rosters will give parents an idea of how many players transfer in and out, and the stats will help indicate how much playing time can be expected by freshmen and sophomores at certain positions and how that playing time may tend to change over time. (That change may be due to J.C. transfers or blue chip freshman signees year after year coming in over a player's head..OR.. it may be due to the fact that the player was over his head to begin with and should have done his homework.)

There is no magic formula to determine which program is for you but studying the rosters and stats of the schools you are really interested in is a must. And, transfers alone are not necessarily a black flag because they happen everywhere, but if you see a trend over several years of several scholarship guys transfering out after a season or two, then you have to suspect that something is happening and you can follow up on that by speaking to parents at that school if possible.

I believe roster/stats is a part of the homework parents should do and not a stand-alone. The process, as many on here can attest to, is not black-and-white. Eventually you will have to pull the trigger on a decision and there will most likely be some remaining doubt. Just remove as much of the gray area as you can by researching and talking to others who have been through it.

 

Braves, thanks for using Clemson as your example.....

So many things to consider before making your final decision. Each player may be looking for something a little different. The things that were important to my son's final decision were:

• Was this the place he wanted to go to school if baseball ended tomorrow?
• The Coaching Staff (he felt very comfortable with the coaches, more importantly, they made him feel he belonged there...a lot of coaches did not do that). The Head Coach actually makes calls to my son...he does not just leave it up to the recruiting coordinator.
• How many left handed pitchers were on the roster....how many were coming in 05 and 06?
• Were they going to give him the chance to be a two way player?
• They sent letters, e-mails or had my son call them every week. Now they call him once a week. This makes him feel they want him there. We have talked to other players during the summer that said once they gave their verbal commitment the coaching staff stop calling.
• The offer...we felt the amount of assistance being offered showed he would get the opportunity to compete for a position early...the more they put on the line the quicker they expect a return for their money (don't be fooled, it is still a business guys!)
• He wanted a shot at going to the College World Series

These are most of the things that helped us....hopefully it adds some insight with the rest of this thread.