Recruiting information

for mom and dad

In my lifetime I have seen more people taken advantage of than I desire to remember, simply because they did not investigate. I challenge all of you to do your homework and not enter into this time of you and your son's life ill informed. The recruiting business is growing each year and there are a lot shysters out there looking for gullible prey. There is some type of recruiting service or showcase popping up somewhere every week and good hearted moms/dads are throwing money to them with dreams that this is where Little Johnny needs to be in order to make it to “The Bigs”. Understand that there are some legitimate businesses who do an admirable job in helping young men and their parents pursue their dreams, but for every good one there seems to be five bad ones in it for a fast buck.

It seems that every year I am confronted with parents who need a little education in the recruiting process of their child.

I offer a few suggestions:

Make sure that this is "HIS" dream and not YOURS. Dads (or moms) reliving their glory days, or failures, create nightmares for their children. A sober dose of reality is needed here. You need to examine whether you are trying to build your own ego or help your child succeed in HIS DREAM. Get this matter in proper perspective.

Have a knowledgeable professional (professional scout / college coach) evaluate and give you an HONEST opinion of your son's talent. Don't let someone who looks to make a dollar off you give you his opinion, but one who truly knows what coaches and scouts are looking for. And don't be thinned skinned about it! Leave your ego and pride at home. By doing so it may help you save several thousands of dollars and spare your child some misery in the process.

Set realistic goals for your child. Don't put him in a situation where he is destined to fail. Your ego trip might affect his entire life and mental health. A little maturity and common sense on your part could save him a lifetime of misery. Know what he is capable of and encourage him to seek to be the best he can be at that level. Having a fun and successful career at a small time school is far greater an experience, than living a life of failures and disappointments, while looking for the big pie in the sky that will never come.

Develop a plan to help him succeed at the level he is capable of playing. There is little use in the small time player (a player who will not play at the D1/Major D2/Professional level) wasting thousands of dollars at major showcases and scouting combines to produce national exposure. A wiser decision would be to send him to local college camps and local showcases designed to provide local exposure. I see average players looking for national attention every year who pay for the ride of the blue chip prospect at many of these national showcases. If he is a national prospect he should attend the national events. If he is not you are better served by saving your money and using it for local events.

Do your homework. Know what is needed and be well educated in the process. There is ample material on the internet to research this process. We are trying to provide you with some of this information here. Don't take the task lightly expecting someone else to do it for you (HS coach / guidance counselor / or a shyster). To do so could mean disaster and future heartache. Take control of the situation like a responsible parent.

Investigate. Investigate every showcase, recruiter, school, coach and program that shows interest in your son. Help him make the right decisions based on FACT and not fiction. Remember the woods are full of ticks and leeches wanting to suck the life out of you. "Buyer beware!" Before sending your son to a showcase, ask a few college coaches if they will be in attendance and what they think of the organization. Before considering a school, spend some time speaking to former players and parents about the coach, the program and their experiences while there. It could save you some of that hard earned cash and a lot of trauma.

Research. Know the recruiting rules. Many of these "Fly-By-Night" organizations are walking a tight-rope with NCAA recruiting rules. They can easily be considered an "agent", thus disqualifying your child. The scum want your money, not your respect! The person who promises to make tapes of your son, develop a profile, take them to the coach or scout, recommend your son to them as a qualified player, while taking money from you as payment for his services has become his agent. BEWARE, there are "vermin" amongst the crowd of folks watching your son play. They are looking for a one time score (taking your money) and then could care less what happens to you or your child.

Take a long-term approach to your decision making. Always look at what is best for your child's future. A scout once told me, "Be careful you might get what you are wishing for!" His point being that your dream may not be in your or your son's ultimate best interest. The mature individual is the one who knows what he/she wants down the road and not just a passing fancy. Believe it or not, there have been quite a few individuals who passed up a major league careers because it wasn't the type of lifestyle they wanted for their family or themselves. Many drop out of the minor leagues every year, not because they couldn't make it as a player, but because the lifestyle of the professional ball player is a rough road. Know what your child wants, but more importantly what is best for them. Be a mind of reason and sensibility to them amidst a world of glamour and insanity.

Help your son prioritize his life. What are the things that are truly important to him and to your family? Would you rather him win a World Series ring or have his name be written in Heaven? Would you rather him win a College World Series or be the “Father of the Year”? I am constantly reminded of the fact that most successful people have an abiding sense of the truly important things in life. Take the opportunity to teach him to live to the important, rather than the urgent. Baseball careers ALWAYS end, but life goes on into eternity.

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat. Theodore Roosevelt