Over-Recruiting or OverZealousness

This is a good thread with many good comments. Braves, I think you hit the nail on the head with your comments about egos, every recruit believing they are a D1 prospect, going where you are wanted, and going where you will play. Here's another one.....be realisitic in your expectations, and be honest with yourself. Many recruits put themselves in situations that are, quite frankly, beyond their ability. Is college baseball that competitive? You'd better believe it is, whether it's Chapel Hill or Mars Hill.

 

make it what you want!

I think that I realize most kids dream is to play in the college world series in Omaha. At one point in my life (not too long ago) that was my dream as well. I can relate to that and I completely understand it.

One of my pet peeves is that I keep hearing schools referred to in terms of their status amongst other schools. It's an underlining statement when people talk about it, but evident when I hear it. My question is... Why don't you choose to go to that school and MAKE IT what you want it to become? Be the guy that takes it from a good program to the next level. Be the guy that says it's ok to go to "Small College USA".

When I was looking for a school I wanted several things, but these the most important attributes that I wanted.

1) A school that is a proven winner
2) Can I afford it?
3) How do I fit in the mix?
4) Will I enjoy going to school there?

I know that everyone has heard all of these statements before, but my point in that is DI didn't factor into my equation at all. I chose Catawba College ( a division II) in Salisbury, NC. I don't know if anyone on this thread has been there, but when I walked in to the field it blew me away. In my mind I have yet to go to a field in NC with a better combination of playing surface, facilities, and character to date. I knew when I met coach Gantt that this was without quetion the school I wanted to attend. To this day, I wouldn't trade my experiences there for anything. (We won 30+ games every year I was there, two conf tourney champ., one conf champ., one regional appearance)

My point is make your situation be what you want it to be. Don't get caught up in telling your buddies your DI or ACC etc. That is the status, and I think most of you can relate with me when I say that status doesn't mean anything in the grand scheme of things. Thanks Braves for that comment.

 

Well said Andro...:xyzthumbs

Feel proud....there are many players that don't get the opportunity to play at the next level...JUCO, D1, D2, DIII...take advantage of the opportunity you have and make it the best!

 

This thread has the makings of a TBR Hall of Fame thread. Thanks for all the great feedback...keep it coming

 

AGREED

I agree woleheartedly with what has been said here. I can add firsthand information from 2 parents that I know personally about what can happen. (I will not name the institutions involved out of respect to them).

Player A: An 05 Catching prospect was invited for a campus visit and was told an offer would be made on Sunday before they left. He and his family spent the weekend to find out that another catching prospect had changed his mind and decided to take an offer from the same school. When that happened, the coaching staff changed their whole approach and told them they no longer would offer. This prospect ended up playing D-1 ball closer to his home.

Player B: Signed with a D-1 non ACC program in NC, pitched several good innings for that school this past year, then was told he was being released from his scholarship. He has transferred to another D1 school that had also recruited him out of HS and seems to be happy there.

I know of a D3 program that recruits hard and then cuts some recruits after tryouts in the fall, too late for them to hook up any where else till the spring semester.

I can see 2 sides here, Do I believe that colleges overecruit? I believe they have to in order to compensate for draft losses. The bottom line here is wins and losses and college teams have to cover their tails in case. Does this hurt kids, heck yes it does!! I think that the proverbial bottom line is to ask the right questions of the coaches and hope they are completely honest with you.

I also think that being totally honest at times hurts recruiting because the reality of truth might hinder the player who has dreams of the big time. If I were a recruiter and I told you that you probably would not see significant playing time (while being completely honest) till your JR year, while another coach keeps saying how bad he wants you without actually addressing that, where would the kid go? Think about that.

 

That's a great point, Coach. Back in the days (I know), it was a given that you would probably not play until the upperclassman graduated (you had to wait your turn. A HC always rewarded the player that had been in the program longer. Now, if the player is sitting as a freshman, he is usually passing his time, during the games, trying to figure out where to transfer.

Coach, I don't know the details, obviously, of your example about the kid having his scholly taken away after his first year. But if it was performance related...man....I would recommend any recruit to stay away from that school. If the school did a poor job during the recruitment of said player...that's their fault, not the kid. Geez...I hate hearing stories like that

 

One recruiter told my son: "You can play as a Freshman if you prove yourself. If it's close, the tie goes to the younger player."

In my mind, that school was scratched. Disloyalty to your players is a transparent character flaw.

 

Yep

 

I'd add my support for choosing a program that gives the player a realistic opportunity to compete for playing time (in a college environment they'd choose regardless of baseball). Fortunately, our region is blessed with as high a concentration of quality schools and baseball programs as exists anywhere in the U.S.

Having said that, however, parents need to understand that their college-bound son is going to compete for playing time from the first day he walks on the field...and that he's never faced competition like he's going to encounter once he gets there.

A webpage on the High School Baseball Web suggests that 5.6% of the nation's high school baseball players play at the NCAA Division I level (If you add other divisions and JUCO, the number rises to something above 10%.) If you stop and consider those statistics for a moment, the implication is that every player who shows up is coming off a fine high school career.

If you focus for a moment on the major programs, virtually every player on that roster has earned all-state honors. The predictable result in programs such as those? Some all-state players sit on the bench for the first time in their lives.

Faced with the challenge, players (and their parents) respond in a variety of ways; some in constructive ways and others less so. Regardless, college baseball can bring a player and his family face-to-face with adversity such as they have never known.

Of course, the rewards can be great, too. Recognize going into it, though, that you've left the relatively cozy confines of high school baseball behind and leapt into a very different environment.

 

Coach and Prepster - Both of your post are right on and offers parents insight into one of the truths of the recruiting process. The coaching staffs of each higher institution have a program to run and they have to be successful or their jobs and their staffs' jobs are likely to be offered to someone else.

Every institution and every staff has their own style that works best for them. Some do over recruit, but with a little research you will know which programs do. Those that get hurt in this situation are most likely the players and more likely the parents that will not put their ego aside and review the program and how their son fits into that program prior to signing. While this is difficult to do, (check the ego), it is most likely the most important thing for a parent to do. It is even more difficult for a player to do. Every player thinks they will be the cream that rises or they would not have put themselves in a position to continue playing beyond highschool. The over recruiters know this and utilize the recruits competitive nature to their advantage. I am not trying to judge individual programs, because it works for them and the players that make it in their program. The players that don't, either have to transfer, learn to live with their limited role or in some cases give up baseball altogether. My point is that the information is available if research is done in an objective way, (without the ego) and your son can make his choice with his eyes and your eyes wide open.

It is also true that every individual player's recruitment on an existing roster was most likely different. With only 11.9 available it is not realistic to expect
that all players on the roster will have a "great" offer. Very meaningful contributions are made by players with no scholarship or little scholarship and their success is mighty sweet to all involved.

It is up to the player and the parents of that player to do their homework.
If they do, then they will know if they are a longshot and can take that chance with their eyes wide open. The information is available if one looks close enough.