Choosing a travel team for players who want to play in college

Elk Grove Hurricane said:

Most of the websites that I see tell you where their kids are signing. If their signing at Pac 12 schools, or (less likely out here) SEC, you will see it. A lot thought are touting DIII schools that I know don't offer scholarships, or Jr. Colleges, or NAIA schools that I haven't heard of before. If that is what the kids really want I'm happy for them, but I do question whether some of the parents know what their signing up for.

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Everyone is so hung up on D1, D2, D3 and the NCAA. I don't understand why. There are some exceptional NAIA schools out there as well as some great JUCO's that have wonderful academic programs. Some of them even have great SB programs that kick the snot out of most D1 SB programs they play against. Yes they have their own recruiting rules, but that's when you can tell a good coach from a great coach at the recruiting level IMO. The great ones will be able to tell you about the when's, where's and why's at all levels. At least I was able to the past several years. When I get back to that level again in a few years, I'll have to learn them all over again.

That said, I know a couple of girls from my area that spent the $12-20K per year on a TB team for a year or so. They both were recruited at the highest levels for full rides (1 pitcher and 1 hitting catcher) and both played in the WCWS multiple years at different times. That was their dream since they were 8U players in rec ball and they made it happen. Both of them had to come home afterwards to finish up their degrees at the local University but they achieved their dream since the Olympics didn't have SB when they were playing. There's no doubt in my mind that they would have made it had we had an Olympic team during the spans they played.

Certain travel teams have certain reputations and some are better than others. Will those with reputations of getting players into the P5 or on the top SEC teams be reachable by a majority of the players and their families both skill-wise and monetarily is the real question. The real answer is no. However, that doesn't preclude others that don't have those same financial resources from achieving those same goals as the others. It takes the player and their family doing the hard work of making a high quality skills video, emailing the coaches, getting their DD in front of those same coaches whether through an individual skills camp/ individual showcase that the coach is attending or get them to a college camp/clinic that they, the college coaches, are holding themselves.

I'll say it time and time again, it's incumbent upon the player and their family to get them recruited to a college team. If they are relying on a certain team or Coach to do it for them, then there's an extremely good chance they won't be playing at the next level for a vast majority of those players.

YOCOACH said:

I'll say it time and time again, it's incumbent upon the player and their family to get them recruited to a college team. If they are relying on a certain team or Coach to do it for them, then there's an extremely good chance they won't be playing at the next level for a vast majority of those players.

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This^^^^^^

DRDRODD said:

That is what I was trying to say.... I am not looking for a coach to do everything thing, just open the door. Going to a camp when with 200 players there and some already committed recruits. I have found that the coaches do not pay much attention to the ones they have no back ground on before they get there. I guess what I am asking is how do you get them to acknowledge you when they never open YOUR emails or you can’t speak to them at tournaments?


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There are ways to get coaches to acknowledge a player at a camp.
Find a mini camp or attend the mini clinic that the colleges have before the main camp.
Easiest way to stand out it by wearing a Jersey of a well known travel ball organization. Coaches love to follow kids who are wearing top tier travel organization jersey.
Another way to get noticed is, to ask open ended questions to the coach and listening to them without interrupting them. More they are talking more facetime your kid is getting with the coach. Smile and nod.

When a player is at a camp, she should act as if the the coach is watching her all the time to make an impression.

Timing is everything. If she is playing a scrimmage game at the camp and see the coach anywhere in in the vicinity of the field, she has to do something like laying out for a catch or pitch a great change up or hit a bomb.

When the camp is over, she need to over to the coach and thank them for any specific advise they gave.

Phandle said:

There are ways to get coaches to acknowledge a player at a camp.
Find a mini camp or attend the mini clinic that the colleges have before the main camp.
Easiest way to stand out it by wearing a Jersey of a well known travel ball organization. Coaches love to follow kids who are wearing top tier travel organization jersey.
Another way to get noticed is, to ask open ended questions to the coach and listening to them without interrupting them. More they are talking more facetime your kid is getting with the coach. Smile and nod.

When a player is at a camp, she should act as if the the coach is watching her all the time to make an impression.

Timing is everything. If she is playing a scrimmage game at the camp and see the coach anywhere in in the vicinity of the field, she has to do something like laying out for a catch or pitch a great change up or hit a bomb.

When the camp is over, she need to over to the coach and thank them for any specific advise they gave.

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That’s some really good tips. Thanks Phandle


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