Attention all underclassmen: Summer camps are right around the corner! This is the best opportunity to perform in front of college coaches and generate interest at the next level. Due to several NCAA rules that prohibit college coaches from evaluating student-athletes, summer camps have been a hotbed for college recruiting nationwide. Did you know that other schools may attend one summer camp? That’s right! This could be a prime opportunity for you to compete in front of a large crowd of coaches which can increase your odds of getting recruited! I have added some quick tips that can help you perform at your best this camp season:
1. Be well rested!
Don’t drive long hours and then stumble into camp. Try to get there the night before. Walk around the facility if possible and get acquainted with your surroundings. Get a good nights rest, proper meals, and most important be hydrated!
2. Perform at your best!
Understand you are being evaluated from to the time you set on foot on campus until the time you leave. From the time you start stretching until you break the final huddle, college coaches are watching your every move. My advice is giving 100% on every drill! Sprint from station to station and show these coaches you are serious about playing at the next level.
3. Reps, Reps,Reps!
Getting to camp is a critical event in your recruiting efforts!
One of the biggest problems I see at camp is student-athletes not getting enough reps. Word to the wise: Take every rep as an opportunity to perform! The more reps the more opportunities you have to get evaluated. Have fun out there and understand this is your time to shine!
4. Build Relationships
Don’t be afraid to introduce yourself to coaches after camp. Student-athletes who get out of their comfort zone tend to make a great first impression with a college coach. Shake hands and thank him for the opportunity. Have a copy of game and highlight film if available and be sure to follow up with the coach after the event. It can make a world of difference by just doing to the small things.
5. Be well rested (not a typo)!
That’s right student-athletes, I can’t stress enough how important it is to get proper rest in between camps. I see it time and time again when a student-athlete goes from one to camp to another without proper rest. You never know what school may be the most interested. Poor performance from lack of rest can seriously hinder your opportunities of getting recruited. Proper rest, big meals, and fluids are highly recommended!
Summer camps are where college coaches may find student-athletes who have the potential of being the right fit. Take these quick tips with you to camp and generate some serious buzz about yourself!
One of our top student-athletes is Brian Monette from Willowbrook High School just outside of Chicago, Illinois. He plays for Top Tier in the summer and last year he hit .462 in 105 at bats for them as well as went 8-2 on the mound. Brian was also named the number 22 prospect in the Illinois class of 2010 by Prep Baseball Report.
In school, Brian is maintaining a 3.55 GPA, is taking AP and honors courses, and is ranked in the top 25% of his class. Here are a few academic rewards he has received: High Honors 2006-2009, National Honors Society Member and Recommended for Youth Leaders of America. We are proud to have Brian Monette as an impact student-athlete in the class of 2010.
If you are fortunate enough to have options to choose which travel baseball team you should play for over the summer here are a few questions to ask yourself:
1. Which team are you going to receive more playing time with?
The only way to get better in baseball is by actually PLAYING the game.
2. Which team is playing better competition?
In addition to making sure you are playing, you have to make sure it is against good competition. The best way to get better is to play against guys who are better than you.
3. Where is the team traveling?
The summer time is an important time that college coaches do their recruiting. One of, if not, the most important factor coaches take in to account is seeing you play in person. Playing for your high school summer team usually doesn’t fit the bill in terms of gaining exposure or playing against good competition.
4. What is your budget?
In these economic times this is a difficult question, but it is a factor you need to consider. Many times the more travel required, the more expensive the team is to play for.
Don’t forget to incorporate attending some college camps and making a few visits over the summer. If you are traveling to a showcase or tournament with your summer team don’t be afraid to stop by some campuses to meet with some coaches. Lastly, be sure to be pro-active in terms of inviting college coaches out to see your games.
Spring is here!! Even if it doesn’t feel like it or look like it in your area. The college softball season has reached the mid-point and there are a lot of great teams emerging. I’m certain we are in for another great finish come tournament time.
Of course, it is an extremely busy time for high school softball players. Your season has started and the school year is winding down. But if you are serious about playing at the next level, remember you need to stay educated with what is going on in the college game. There are still plenty of weekends left to go see a college softball game. Or, at least, get on the websites and see where schools are ranked and how their seasons’ are progressing. The more information you gain, the better educated you will be when it’s time for you to make your college decision.
A great resource to help you get started is the NFCA website. The National Fastpitch Coaches Association keeps all of the updated information on every level of college softball. Just click on the level you are interested in and they will provide you with schedules, scores, rankings and more.Once you click on the level, you will have the option of looking at the conference websites or the individual program websites. It is quick and easy and will get you up-to-date on all that is happening right now in the world of college softball.
A couple of great websites that I look at often to keep track of which players are committing to what colleges are PG Crosschecker and College Baseball Insider. Check these sites out to see if any of your senior competitors have committed or who has committed to the college you are interested in.
Many baseball student-athletes and families ask the question, “What camps or showcases should I attend over the summer?” and “What is going to give me the best exposure?”
In order to attain the most exposure for your recruiting over the summer here is what you should do:
1. Play with a competitive summer team. Send your summer schedule to any college coach you are communicating with or are interested in. Also remember, this is one of the most important times to be improving your game.
3. Attend college camps. A college coach needs to evaluate you in person. This is the easiest way to accomplish this. Attend camps for colleges that you have been communicating the most with. Also, this helps you see the campus and talk with the coaches personally. Make sure you contact coaches prior (introduce/re-familiarize/let them know you will be there) to and after (to ask for personal feedback).
4. Attend one to two showcase events. The most effective showcases are ones in which you know what coaches are attending. If you do not know what coaches are attending, it is likely not worth attending, but it may be good to understand more about who you are competing against. It also gives you an understanding of what a showcase is like. Make sure you contact coaches prior (introduce/re-familiarize/let them know you will be there) to and after (to ask for personal feedback).
5. Continue to communicate with your top colleges at least monthly. Ask each coach, “What is the best way for you to evaluate me?”
BEWARE:
Do not go in to any camp or showcase with the idea that you are going to be “discovered.” Go to a camp with the idea that you can gain knowledge about what that coaches are teaching.
I was recently reading an article on Rounding Third – How To Play Baseball At The Next Level, a great baseball blog, and found a study from a parent in California. If your son plays baseball in California please click on the link above to read the article named ”A Numbers Game” to learn about the limited opportunities for collegiate baseball in California.
I attended the American Baseball Coaches Association Convention in San Diego the first weekend of January and learned a lot from college coaches. Many people attended – travel coaches, high school coaches, but mainly college baseball coaches. It was a great way to learn from all of these coaches, but the biggest thing I took from that weekend was that COLLEGE COACHES WANT TO HEAR FROM THE STUDENT-ATHLETES FIRST.
These coaches do not have all the time in the world to go out and meet every student-athlete they want. Time and time again these coaches said I want to hear from the student-athlete first before I take the time to go see a game or reach out to them. Many of the coaches have a second, maybe third, job to supplement their income and they also have families that require their time. Keep these things in mind the next time you ask, “Why have I not heard from this coach?”
A large part of recruiting is making sure you connect with the coaching staff. Finding the right fit means that you feel comfortable becoming part of an athletic family. Reflecting the importance of this change is a relatively new, but emerging trend on a coaching staff; the “Life Coach.”
Georgia Tech team Chaplain Derrick Moore is a great example of how this new role is affecting recruiting. The former NAIA player and NFL running back has quickly earned a reputation in the SEC as one of the best recruiters int he land. Several recent commits have sighted both Moore’s personality and his Christian faith as major reasons why they felt Georgia Tech was the right school.
Of course it can be easy to form a relationship with a coach that is going to great lengths to recruit a blue chip athlete. That is why its so important for every potential recruit to take the time to contact and visit as many schools as possible. The more schools in the mix, the better the chance of finding a coach like Derrick Moore.
I talk with a lot of baseball student-athletes and ask a pretty simple question, but receive a lot of the same answers:
“Have you seen this program, that you are interested in, play yet?”
Unfortunately, an overwhelming answer to that question is NO.
The fall baseball season is wrapping up, but the good news is colleges are starting to set their schedules for the spring of 2009 season. What does this mean to you? You need to start thinking about visiting your top colleges and watching a game at the same time. I say this now because when the season begins you will be playing, too. Times are busy right now without baseball, how will you manage to find time when you are playing at the same time?
Remember, you are not just visiting to watch the game. Here are just a few things you should be accomplishing as well:
Take a tour of the campus
Set up a meeting with the admissions department
Possibly visiting with the coaches
Ask yourself two big questions:
“Would I go to this school if I wasn’t playing at this college?”
“After researching this team’s roster and watching them play, would I be able to play at this level?”
Start scheduling and managing your time now, NOT LATER.
