Rising 9th grader (Lefty)

OK guys, I need some help, so I figured I'd come to y'all for answers.

Here's the deal:

Rising 9th grader, (Southern Part of CMS System,) pitcher, lefty, right now he is 5' 8" (and growing) 155 lbs., wide body, very good mechanics, throws hard, two seamer moves well, good control of his off speed stuff, (most of the time) very controlled mentally on the mound. Have beed told by many (some I respect and some don't) that if he continues the way he is going, (physically growing and the desire to play) that major college ball is where he shall be. Time will tell on that one.

My question is this:

Aside from playing USSSA/AAU ball (which he does) what would the best avenue be to have him seen by college scouts? Have been told by a few, that some colleges have one & two day workouts throught out the year that I should send him to. Is this something that you want to send a 9th grader too? Have been told that I should send him now, because he is going to be a 9th grader.

Any and all input shall be appreciated.

Thanks

 

The High School Baseball Web has a timeline that can help you get pointed in the right general direction:

http://www.hsbaseballweb.com/recruit_timeline.htm

You may elect to add or subtract in certain areas based on your own personal situation. This web site also has many good articles and a message board that "can" provide a lot of advice.

Here are a couple of the articles from the HSBBW that I feel are interesting/helpful:

http://www.hsbaseballweb.com/getting_noticed.htm

http://www.hsbaseballweb.com/getting_noticed2.htm

 

Great question PhillyDave and you will probably receive a lot of different answers, but this is my opinion based on personal experience. At the 9th grade level, a player may be noticed by a college coach, but there will be nothing more than an interest in his development. The college camps can be a good development source, but buyer beware, do your homework on which one's to attend.

I believe at this age he needs to continue to develop his mechanics, work on a changeup and never throw curveballs...even at this level. Allow him to play on the most competitive team he can join against the best competition offered....and be proactive in his pitch counts. I would not have the slightest interest in attracting college interest at this time. The summer and fall of his rising junior and senior season is when the interest by colleges become real.

 

Rising 9th grader

I see no reason he or anyone else should be concerned with being seen by college scouts as a rising 9th grader. First of all he has not thrown one pitch in a varsity hs game yet. He has not attended one practice yet. He should be working hard this summer and fall getting ready to be seen by his HS coaches and becoming the best player he can to help his HS team win. If he is good enough once he has proven he can play at the varsity hs level then I would say its time to be seen. Untill then first things first.

 

Just dropped in after a long absence and what do I find but the rare thread I actually have some expertise in? It sounds like you're doing a lot right and the baseball guys have the nuts and bolts of contacting coaches, choosing a program, etc. covered so I'll just deal with the intangibles.

1. Make sure he keeps his grades up. It's a long time until college and a lot can happen. If he gets an opportunity to play college ball, don't let poor grades stand in the way. Coaches like good grades because they don't have to worry about eligibility and often there is academic money available to augment an academic scholarship. My son got calls from colleges who hadn't seen him play but they liked his SAT score so they did some homework on him.

2. Make sure he keeps his grades up. Most players will not make any money playing baseball and scholarship money is stingy. Don't let baseball get in the way of his education. Make sure he's ready to support himself when baseball is over or he'll still be sitting on your couch eating Doritos when he's 30.

3. Make sure he doesn't act like a jerk just because he's a good athlete. People will put up with it as long as he's a good pitcher, but when he's 30 and sitting on your couch eating Doritos nobody will find it very charming. Having him be a good MAN is a lot more important than being a good baseball player.

4. Make sure he doesn't act like a jerk just because he's a good athlete. College coaches don't want somebody they have to "put up with" for four years. A coach who sees a kid talking back to his parents acting like a prima donna gets back in his car and goes to see the next guy.

5. Being left handed will help him, but it is unlikely that there will be a bidding war among the ACC and SEC schools for his services. I hope there is, but that's rare. Even if somebody does see him today and loves him, they might have moved on by the time he's old enough to recruit.

6. Make sure he's prepared for life after baseball because it can come sooner than you expect. Enjoy every minute and don't be so concerned about the end of the ride that you miss the journey.

It's an exciting time. Good luck to you and your family.

 

PhillyDave,

I agree with Coach and Braves 100%....4 years ago I was in the same position, I had a rising 9th grader (Lefty) who was 5'10" 198 lbs...That summer and fall he played AAU/USSSA against some very good competition to hopefully improve himself and have a shot of making his HS team the upmcoming season...his freshman and sophmore year he played Legion in the summer and played showcase in the fall....we concentrated on his mechanics and him learning how to pitch...he was turning into a pretty good ball player. We didn't worry or even think about college....we concentrated more on what he needed to do to become a better pitcher and get some playing time on Varsity.

Something strange happened the winter before his Junior year...he shot up to 6'3" and slimmed down to 180 lbs...he was throwing his fastball in the mid 80's consistently with a lot of movement....all kind of college recruiters were now noticing and knew who he was.

Work hard to become the best HS player he can be...the rest will come.

 

gatorfan

I'm not technologically sound enough to quote your post within my post like other folks do here, but there's really no need to; the whole thing was about the most spot-on, brilliant post I've come across over several years of reading and posting here. Great advice.

My son is a 17-month-old lefty! And, I know this is a little off topic, but I'm already warning myself about placing expectations on him or trying to live my life over through him. However, I don't think there is anything wrong with my having tied his right arm behind his back for the first year, or scolding him every time he kicks a ball. At any rate, I can't wait to enjoy the journey with him, as long as it doesn't include soccer!

 

Have him start working on his location with his pacifier. They usually can throw those things pretty good....and if he can't hit his spots, soft toss some of the meatballs they threw on the floor while eating...good hand/eye co-ordination.

and if he shows some promise, start looking for a T-Ball travel team. It's never too early

 

100%

 

We have a good friend who was a Freshman Phenom lefty, hitting 86 on the radar last year. Zack just finished his sophmore season & continues to grow. He's getting plenty of attention from scouts simply by playing high school, playing Legion, & playing Fall travel ball. He tried out for the State Games, but we haven't heard if he made it.

But Dad, don't get ahead of yourself. These are the Good Ole Days, so enjoy them. Live in the 'precious present'...And enjoy the journey to whereever the Good Lord takes your boy. Don't worry about tomorrow & go through the next 4 years kicking doors down. Just look for opportunities that come your way & proceed as He directs you. If it's meant to be, it will happen.