During the spring season the recruiting process comes to a bit of a halt. College coaches are finally enjoying the tiny sliver of time they actually get to coach their team toward a championship. Seeing a college coach at your high school game is as common as a unicorn sighting. So, if the coaches aren’t prioritizing recruiting for the next few months, and they’re not out evaluating, what can you do to improve your recruiting process? The answer is pretty simple, however when I ask a room of people to raise their hand if they’re doing this one thing, 85-90% of them keep their hand burring in their pocket. Want to know what it is?
Go watch a few college baseball games at different levels. (Not on TV, in person!)
You’d be amazed, or maybe not, at the amount of people who ‘know the level they’re capable of playing’, but have never seen a college game that wasn’t broadcast on ESPN from Omaha. Doing the eyeball test is a vital piece to the recruiting process. Try to pick out a D1, D2 and D3 game this year and go watch them. You can probably see two in one day if you plan it correctly. By attending 3 games you will be 3x more prepared than 85-90% of families out there.
Going is only half of the equation. Watching without the rose-colored glasses is even more important.
Be truthful in your evaluation of how you rank in comparison to the guys on the field. Do you match up with their speed? Size? Overall baseball skill? Intensity? Does the game look fast? Does it look slow? These are all things you should be watching.
Be honest. Maybe the game is fast and you’re not ready for that level. Maybe it’s slow, and you feel you’d be the best player out there. Both scenarios give you valuable data to use moving forward. You are there to do research. Observe and study.
THE RECRUITING COACHES (@TheRecruitingCo) helps families navigate the tricky waters of the college recruiting process by providing the most truthful advice and hands-on guidance. Our coaches are all former college athletes and college coaches. You can learn more about how we can help your recruiting process here.
