COLLEGE BOUND

College Recruiting:

 

We want to inform everyone that trains with us at DK about the opportunities, expectations, and realities of reaching the next step in athletics and going on to play at the college level. We will post articles on NCAA requirements, the recruiting process, and write articles on finding the right college, how to prepare for college, and tips on getting yourself recruited by a college.

 

As a high school player, how do I prepare to be recruited by colleges?

High school players can follow this timeline to help give themselves the best chance to play baseball at the college level.

 

Freshman (9th grade)

 

Get aquainted with your high school environment and develop good classroom and home study habits. Learn to manage your time. Remember that Colleges look for grades first before talent. If you do not have the grades, you will not be recruited!

 

September and October

Play competitive fall baseball.  Keep your arm in shape by doing band exercises, long toss, running sprints and medium distance.

Your goal should be to prepare to make the High School Team in the spring. That begins now, not 2 weeks before tryouts.

 

November - January

Follow your high school baseball program by attending every open gym and get ready for high school tryouts.

Locate an indoor facility that offers top quality instruction.

Possibly attend a college holiday camp.

Maintain a high GPA. (This will be the deciding factor)

 

February - June

High school season – Play hard, be willing to work hard to earn a position at whatever level you are asked to play at. Continue to make yourself a better player and teammate throughout the season.

 

June - August

Summer league season - Play the most competitive baseball that is available to you. Try to make sure you are playing the best competition possible. This is how you get better.

Attend a college baseball summer camp. This is a great way to "be seen" by your favorite college. Colleges are known to sign players as a result of their attendance at these camps. Go to the college baseball website of your choice and read about college summer camps you can attend. Mostly every college will have this available to you.

 

Sophomore (10th grade)

 

This year will follow the same pattern as your freshman year. Continue to work hard on your grades. No Sophomore slumping!

Follow the same fall and winter schedule as last year. Set your goal to make the high school varsity team and show good work ethic.

 

Academics and Athletics

In addition, meet with your high school guidance counselor, and tell him/her of your desire to play college baseball. Make sure you are "on track" with the required core courses.

 

Summer

Play as competitive as possible. Find an area showcase team that plays a college campus schedule. This is a great way to get to know the college circuit, tour some colleges, and play good competition. Legion ball is also competitive in certain areas and usually yields good competition.

Start learning about showcases and make contact with them. Find out information on which ones might invite you to attend or how they go about selecting players for their event. Many showcases are invite only, but a number of events are open to the masses. Do your research before throwing your money around. Make sure to talk to someone who may have attended one in the past or call the director of the event to inquire about it.

 

Junior (11th grade)

 

September

Speak to your coach what level he projects you to possibly play at in college.

Send out college contact letters. Ask your high school coach to write letters to a few preferred colleges as well. Include a copy of your fall schedule (if available)

Written contact by college coaches is allowed starting September of your junior year.

Register with the NCAA Initial Eligibility Clearinghouse (your high school guidance counselor should have these forms)

Register for the fall ACT/SAT standardized tests. Most students take these tests at least twice. Request that your ACT/SAT test scores be sent to the NCAA Clearinghouse.  To familiarize yourself with the NCAA Clearinghouse and NCAA admission/eligibility requirements, visit NCAA.org or speak to your guidance counselor to understand what this is all about. You will want to understand all of this to make sure you are academically eligible.

Continue the fall and winter schedule as you did for your freshman and sophomore years, and make sure you are keeping your grades where they need to be. Remember that academics will be what it all comes down to when all is said and done.

 

February - March

Send out your spring high school schedule.

Prepare a videotape to be sent out when requested (do not send unsolicited tapes)

Plan visits to as many schools as possible this spring and summer.

Some schools have "Junior Days" during the spring season. You can write a letter to the college coach and ask about them.

Remember, all of these visits are "unofficial" which means that the college can not pay for any part of the visit. These are done and paid for on your own.

Make contact with showcase organizations. Work on getting your information to them so that if you qualify they can send out an invitation to you. If you wait until school is over for the year, it might be too late.

 

June and July

These are the primary junior showcase months. Attend your showcases.

Send out letters to college programs and tell them about your high school junior season. Attend college camps that may be select or advanced in order to gauge yourself against some of the best players in the camp. The summer between a player's junior and senior year of high school is very important

Phone contact from college coaches is permissible starting in July after your junior year.

 

 

Senior (12th grade)

 

August - October

Seek out a team that plays fall "showcase" tournaments or play a competitive fall baseball league where scouts can come see you play.

Send out your fall baseball schedule to colleges.

If you do not think you will sign in the early National Letter of Intent (LOI) period, usually the second week of November, request information on Christmas camps from schools that you are most interested in or those that have shown an interest in you.

Review core academic requirements with your guidance counselor. Grades are #1 priority.

 

November Early Signing Period

Early signing period dates vary slightly from year to year but are usually the first part of November.

You can contact college coaches by phone at any time after July of your junior year.

Continue your fall and winter schedule as you have in all three previous years.

 

Official Visits to Colleges

If you are offered an official visit by a college, prepare for your visit with a list of prepared questions. Be prepared for any questions the college may have for you.

Go back to College Recruiting Section >