- Nov 18, 2013
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The biggest mistakes I made during the recruiting process were not wanting to offend college coaches with too many questions and believing it was best to let travel coaches handle all the contact.
Gauging College Coaches' Interst
- Thread starter Rumble25
- Start date
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We are also on this journey. My 2017 catcher is just starting to send e-mail's and narrow down her list. I will claim a positive in that she went to a camp last fall and the new HC remembered her from a winter camp when the HC was an AC at a different college. She asked us how the trip was, if we came down early, liked the hotel ect. That interaction put that college on my DD's radar. Sometimes it just seems so overwhelming as a parent I can't imagine what the players are going through.
I tell people that is feels like playing a game of musical chairs and every parent wants to make sure their DD has a "spot" when the music stops! It is exciting, but the anxiety can become overwhelming. My DD went through several "rejections" before we found what we think is the perfect fit, so sometimes you have to be thankful for "Unanswered Prayers".
My DD was close to verballing with a mid-major when the HC decided to retire. The program has been in the dumper since the new HC was hired.
Cannonball
Ex "Expert"
- Feb 25, 2009
- 4,893
- 113
Rumble, there are no easy answers to your plight and none of us took exactly the same journey. Still, it is doable and there is light at the end of the tunnel. The contacts are great and the best way to start. I did my dd's recruitment but I am a coach and was so in TB and HS. Whichever coach is the HC from your dd's team can make a contact, let them know your dd's level of interest and try to assess the responses. When my dd went through the process, that is exactly what we did when it was determined I needed to step aside some. However, I didn't stop and don't you stop. I think it helped in my dd's case that she kept the coaches of those schools up to date on what she was doing but without being overly aggressive. She also showed a lot of interest in their programs and made sure to congratulate the various programs on key wins etc. Most posters here know that one of the coaches we dealt with put the word out that my dd had verballed when, she had not. That coach had made an offer when we were on an unofficial visit and so, I guess he thought the offer was so good we were going to take it. Long story short, interest fell off until we knew what was happening and then we had to gear up fast. We had a lot less time than you do now and so, you are fine. It will be frustrating and yet so much fun at the same time. I hope you and your dd enjoy the ride.
One more thing - skills video.
If you want to PM me a link I can privately tell you what is good/bad about it.
Some videos are detrimental to the recruiting process and can take you out of consideration especially when we are talking non pitchers who are utility players. Some are great and generate interest. We had one player who was very, very good almost anywhere - but not great really at any one thing. Outstanding player but hard to get that across in a skills video.
If you want to PM me a link I can privately tell you what is good/bad about it.
Some videos are detrimental to the recruiting process and can take you out of consideration especially when we are talking non pitchers who are utility players. Some are great and generate interest. We had one player who was very, very good almost anywhere - but not great really at any one thing. Outstanding player but hard to get that across in a skills video.
Cannonball, I hear ya...I know there's no easy road on this journey. I'm just trying to gather as much information so that I can help my DD take that next step in the process, and adjust fire as we go along. I'm really getting great information from everyone here and I hope it helps others' DDs as well. I appreciate everyone's input!
My DD has been doing a lot of the bold above with the top-5 to 10 schools on her list. The DIIIs reply, but the DIs and DIIs can't yet. That's why I came here with the "gauging interest" post. I just hit a wall and needed some help from the veterans on this board, such as you, to help me get to the next step.
Again, all of you have been great and I really appreciate you taking the time to share with me your knowledge and experiences!
- Oct 10, 2011
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We had a coach say that our former travel coach "had diarrhea of the mouth" and was hurting our girls. Funny that he was a former D-1 coach. It seems like at least for us, the coaches like to talk directly to the player when possible.
I will say it again - The bible tells us that Samson killed 10,000 Philistines with the jawbone of an rear. Unfortunately many college recruiting opportunities suffer the same fate. You need to decide if your TB coach has the ability to effectively communicate with college coaches. Many over sell and do not know when to shut up. If they cannot perform this function you may need to do it yourself. In the alternative many programs have a "recruiting coordinator" who handles this critical function.
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