How to guage if you're at the top of a coach's recruiting list?

Short of a coach coming right out and saying... "Hey, you're my #1 recruit" or "I'll give you a x dollars if you come play for me", what are the telling-signs that your kid is at the top of a coach's recruiting list? I'd love to hear your experiences.

Also, how many players are normally on the recruiting list? ie. how many pitchers? catchers? Middle Infielders? etc. Is the list miles long or is it 5 to 10 kids per position? When dd was visiting coaches, I tried to sneak a peek around the office for such a list and saw none (I was told that these lists are usually posted on a board but I had no such luck). Any insight?

Thanks.

Here's my limited experience.

D1 school: Take my DD to a hitting camp, she gets in the cage and the coaches are watching the other cage. After about 5 swings the HC is watching DD and then the AC and Grad Asst. HC walks over to DD's TB manager and asks him for info and says make sure she stays in touch. 2 months later at an off campus camp that the same school was attending the AC praised DD for her catching and told to keep in touch along with a private invite to the school for another camp. We attend that camp and the coaches are very plain about everything (caused a lot of what if's for us). This summer we attend another off campus camp that the HC is attending and the HC approaches me and states to make sure DD keeps in touch and continues to email and that they're just getting ready to start their 2019 recruiting class. DD emails weekly with schedule and asking about camps and HC sends an email to TB coach and tells him to make sure DD keeps emailing and that they're not ignoring her but they cant respond yet. Fast forward to last week and we get a camp invite with a limited number of catching spots and that they're holding 1 for DD. I'm guessing this means DD is on their short list for 2019's???

Shorter Story: Manager of DD's TB team who's DD is a D1 player was told by a BIG10 school she was their #1 catching prospect right up until a different catcher became available and they took the other one. Hang on it's a crazy ride.

Short of a coach coming right out and saying... "Hey, you're my #1 recruit" or "I'll give you a x dollars if you come play for me", what are the telling-signs that your kid is at the top of a coach's recruiting list?

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Until they put the money on the table, your kid is *NOT* at the top of the recruiting list.

This is the truth: Unless your kid is the cleanup hitter and the #1 pitcher on the OC Batbusters, there are kids better than your DD. The coach is recruiting those other players. Most D1 coaches are trying to recruit the same 100 or so players. When those 100 are gone, then they "get real" and start looking at players that might sign with them.

If a coach wants a player, s/he will make the offer immediately. The coach wants to know "yes" or "no" as quickly as possible so the s/he can go after another player if this one says no.

sluggers said:

Until they put the money on the table, your kid is *NOT* at the top of the recruiting list.


If a coach wants a player, s/he will make the offer immediately. The coach wants to know "yes" or "no" as quickly as possible so the s/he can go after another player if this one says no.

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Do you know if this is this the case for D3 schools as well?

what are the telling-signs that your kid is at the top of a coach's recruiting list?

Tough to tell. Watching some players be de-committed by coaching changes makes me believe Sluggers has it correct!

DD went through a bunch prior to committing. I'll share just a few highlights of her story. It is not meant to discourage, but to enlighten. Hopefully, your journey will be a bit smoother.

Had one coach say "you are my number one and here is my offer". Awesome coach and a great offer, but not where she wanted to go.

Had another say "come for a visit, we will give you a tour of the campus, take you and your parents to a game and make you an offer" then cancels day before the trip. (Will never know, but I think she was the number 2 choice used to get the number one to make a decision)

Had yet another spend 15 minutes after an on-campus camp go on about how impressed she was and that "If I see the same thing in the tournament and follow-on camp next week, I'll be making you an offer". Watched her in a full seven inning game at that tournament where she performed lights out (better than I'd ever seen her) and the coach avoided her during the entire camp.

Talk about a roller coaster of emotions for a teenager! (Not to mention her parents LOL). Good news is that 3 other schools she was interested in were at that tournament/camp. They watched the same game and let her travel coach know how impressed they were and asked for her to come visit. She committed to one of them shortly thereafter and perhaps will sign an NLI in another year.

The only advice I have is to cast a wide net and try not to get discouraged.

You will know if you're a #1 recruit. When the phone rings constantly. When random unknown people show up at your grannys home to walk her to church and the grocery store. When you get calls from 5-10 coaches .........