Consider these 8 questions before you start the recruiting process. Knowing the general scope of the process and what comes with Playing College baseball is very important. Some of these questions may sway you one way or the other, BUT I still believe there is a college for every player in the country to Play College Baseball at if it is their desire.
- Are you talented enough to play college baseball?
Yes. I haven’t even seen you play, and I know there is a college for every player in the country who wants to Play College Baseball. I am a firm believer in this statement. The long answer is, you may have to travel out of state, across the country, up north or play on a college Junior Varsity team, but there are a lot of programs out there that need players. The question becomes “How hard are you willing to work to find a college program to play in/Can you look past the logo on your chest if you’re a collegiate athlete?”
- Are you and your son on the same page?
I can’t stress this enough. Make sure your family all wants the same goal of playing college baseball. Often times, I see parents wanting different things for their child then the child wants for himself during the recruiting process. A lot of parents try to live vicariously through their son playing baseball which gets in the way of what you are really trying to accomplish. Sit down with your son frequently and discuss the hard questions: What level do you fit athletically/academically/financially? Do you want to play college baseball? (I have had parents tell me their son wants to play but heard directly from their son he’s okay with just going to school). Being on the same page is the MOST important aspect of this recruiting process because it will relieve a lot of stress and communicating about it will be the much easier.
- What level of College Baseball is the best fit for me?
Knowing what level your athletic ability fits best is one of the first criteria you need to identify in the recruiting process. Each level requires a little more ability (to an extent) to be recruited at. My advice is to talk to all of the coaches, instructors, etc. who will give you an honest assessment of what level is the best fit for you and your ability. Choose coaches who you trust and know have your sons best interest in mind, and then use the information to target schools you may be interested in at that level.
- Are you open to playing college baseball if you have to leave your current home state?
As you can see from the cover photo to this blog, 90% of College Baseball Programs are East of Texas (roughly). This graphic excludes junior colleges, but many Junior Colleges still fall in the same geographic area in the United States. Leaving home is easier for some than it is for others, and you need to ask yourself if you will be okay with going (potentially far) away to play College Baseball. With 90% of the schools being on one geographic area of the United States, there is a good chance those will be the schools recruiting you. This is an important questions to ask yourself when deciding if college baseball is for you and your son. Will mom and dad be able to come see me? Will they be able to see me play (live stream)? What will it look like going home on breaks and in the summer? Ask yourself these questions once you are okay with leaving home.
- Have you considered the “Hard Facts” about College Baseball?
Here are some quick facts you need to know about College Baseball to help wrap your mind around the “Hard Facts” that need to be considered.
- NCAA D1 Sports you see on tv, hear on the radio and read about in papers make up less than 8% of all Colleges/Universities in the Country
- One-third of all college in the Country are Junior Colleges
- There are 1,654 College Baseball Programs in the Country (D1, D2, D3, NAIA, NJCAA
- NCAA Division 1 – 298 Teams
- NCAA Division 2 – 259 Teams
- NCAA Division 3 – 374 Teams
- NAIA – 212 Teams
- NJCAA – 511 Teams
- Scholarships offered per team
- NCAA Division 1 – 11.7
- NCAA Division 2 – 9
- NCAA Division 3 – 0
- NAIA – 12
- NJCAA – 24
- 40% of NCAA Schools CAN NOT offer Athletic Scholarships (374 out of 931)
- What role do my academics play in Playing College Baseball?
More than 40% of all collegiate student athletes have some form of Academic Scholarship. Academic Scholarships are what coaches use to help student-athletes afford more expensive institutions. Schools will give $12,000+ depending on your grades. Most Institutions use a tiered scale to give academic money. Example: if I have a 4.0 you get $X, if you have a 3.5 you get $X, and so on down to about a 2.5. If you have a 3.0 or higher, you increase your opportunities of playing college baseball by 67%! Furthermore, your SAT and ACT scores can open your son up to more financial opportunities as well, AND, there are Practice SAT/ACT classes your son can take to prepare for these tests. I took one in high school and they were VERY beneficial!
- Can I afford to Play College Baseball?
Knowing what financial aid is available to you will help you reduce your overall college expenses. In a world where everyone wants a “Full Ride” it just doesn’t happen in college baseball. Less than 2% of ALL college student-athletes have 100% of their college tuition, room & Board, books and fees paid for in full. There are millions of dollars in grant, scholarship and funding that go unused every year. Finding these grants and scholarships takes some research and filling out some applications to be approved for financial aid. Some financial aid opportunities include: Work Study, Loans, Aid for Military Families, Aid for International Study, Education awards for community service, Student Loans and the PELL Grant.
- What does the recruiting process look like?
There are a lot of misconceptions that happen in the recruiting process and many of those are assumptions made by the player and parents. While it is a college coaches job to find you, 90% of all recruiting (outside of NCAA Division 1) occurs when a student-athlete contacts a college. While there are out-of-state players on rosters, 75%+ of team rosters are filled with athletes from that colleges geographic region. This is because college coaches have to consider their time and budget relative to the recruiting outside of their geographic region.